… Because He is Love
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is Love [emphasis added] (1 John 4:8).
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love [emphasis added], and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him (1 John 4:16).
“Love is not what God does… It is who God is.” – Dr. Ed Yount
God’s very nature is Love; it is His essence. HE IS LOVE!
This is not a Hollywood, sappy, emotionally charged, self-seeking, shallow, circumstance-driven love. This is not the type of love that is given in order to get. This love is not weak, frail or passive, nor is it soft-spoken and timid. It is not an in-the-moment, impotent, commitment-lacking love. This is not a throw in the towel when the chips are down kind of love.
It’s no wonder that people are disillusioned when it comes to love. It’s no wonder that people have little to no faith in love. We have it all wrong. Love is a word that has been misused and redefined throughout history and the world. “Love is a feeling,” some say, or “Love is a powerful emotion.” We fall in love and out of love. Love is good for a while, but usually quits or breaks down at some point. Love has been rendered impotent!! Most romantic movies show love that is nothing more than an emotional fairy tale motivated by shallow emotion, selfish infatuation and sexual desire. And sadly we believe it…many of God’s people believe it!
On the contrary, God’s love (agape, gk. – God’s special unconditional love) is bold and powerful. God’s love is loud, beautiful and forever. God’s love is the no-strings-attached variety. God’s love is perfect, right, and always seeks the best for its recipients. His love is deep, committed, and always active. God’s love is never selfish, but always selfless, good and giving. God’s love has gone WAY BEYOND the second mile. God’s love is forgiving.
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Holman’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary defines love as “an unselfish, loyal, and benevolent intention and commitment toward another… Biblical love has God as its object, true motivator, and source… Love is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.”
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary says it this way: “Love so conceived is not to be understood as one of God’s many activities but rather that ‘all His activity is loving activity. If He creates, He creates in love; if He rules, He rules in love. If He judges, He judges in love. All that He does is the expression of His nature, is—to love’ (Dodd, Johannine Epistles, p.110).”
When we understand that everything that God does is an expression of His love, it will change the way we look at and understand God. For example:
- God creates (Genesis 1-2, John 1, Colossians 1, Hebrews 1) – because He is Love!
- God sustains (Colossians 1, Hebrews 1) – because He is Love!
- God gives life (John 10:10, John 14:6, John 17:3) – because He is Love!
- God is compassionate (2 Corinthians 1) – because He is Love!
- God is good (Psalm 136:1, Luke 18:19) – because He is Love!
- God gives good things (Matthew 7:11, James 1:17, Philippians 1:29) – because He is Love!
- God is truth (John 14:6, John 17:17) – because He is Love!
- God hates evil (Psalm 97:10, Proverbs 6:16-19) – because He is Love!
- God is sovereign (Psalm 115:3, Psalm 16:9, Genesis 5:20, Romans 8:28, Ephesians 1:11) – because He is Love!
- God is comforter (2 Corinthians 1; John 14:26) – because He is Love!
- God gave His Word (Psalm 119, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 4:12) – because He is Love!
- God judges (Psalm 75:7, James 4:12) – because He is Love!
- God is righteous (Psalm 119:37, Psalm 145:17, Jeremiah 9:24) – because He is Love!
- God is trustworthy and faithful (2 Samuel 7:28, Psalm 57:10; 119:90, 2 Timothy 2:13) – because He is Love!
- God reconciles (2 Corinthians 5:11-21) – because He is Love!
- God forgives (Isaiah 1:18, 1 John 1:9, Titus 2:14) – because He is Love!
- God saves (Psalm 68:20) – because He is Love!
- God is just (Deuteronomy 32:4) – because He is Love!
- God lives in the believer (John 14:16) – because He is Love!
- God gives us the power to say “no” to the bad things and “yes” to the good things (quote from Ethan in our middle school boys’ Sunday school class) (Titus 2:11-13) – because He is Love!
- God gives us the power to overcome temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13) – because He is Love!
- God has already given each believer EVERYTHING we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3) – because He is Love!
- God makes us more like Christ (Romans 8:29, Philippians 2:13) – because He is Love!
- God is patient (Psalm 103:8, Luke 15:11-32, 2 Peter 3:13) – because He is Love!
- God is merciful (Lamentations 3:22-23, Ephesians 2:4-5) – because He is Love!
- God is kind (Ephesians 2:7, Romans 2:4) – because He is Love!
- God is for us (Romans 8:31-39) – because He is Love!
- God is our refuge (Psalm 46, 94) – because He is Love!
- God came to earth as a man (Isaiah 53; Matthew 1, Luke 2, John 1) – because He is Love!
- God subjected Himself to earthly pain and sorrow (Isaiah 53, Luke 9:58, John 11:33) – because He is Love!
- God resisted temptation and lived a sinless life (Matthew 4, Luke 4, Mark 1:12-13, 2 Corinthians 5:21) – because He is Love!
- God wept (John 11:33-38, Luke 19:41-44) – because He is Love!
- God went to the cross and became the payment, atonement, satisfaction for my sin debt (Romans 3:25, 5:8, Philippians 2:5-11; 1 John 2:2) – because He is Love!
- God defeated death and rose from the grave (Matthew 27, 1 Corinthians 15:1-19) – because He is Love!
- God is THE WAY of salvation (John 14:6, Acts 4:10-12, Romans 6:23) – because He is Love!
- God has prepared a home in heaven for us (John 14:1-6) – because He is Love!
- God prays for us (John 17:20-26, Romans 8:26,34) – because He is Love!
- God is our advocate (Job 9:32-33, 1 John 2:1, 1 Timothy 2:5-6) – because He is Love!
- God is coming back to get us (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) – because He is Love!
And lastly,
- If I am in Him, I love (1 John 4:8) – because He is Love!
To John, love is the ultimate test of true discipleship. If we genuinely live in God, and by extension, live in Love, then we will genuinely love. It seems as though John is asking us to do the impossible by asking that we love as God loves. But John is not really asking us to do anything here. He is making a statement. If we love God, Who is Love, then we will love others. Our love for others is our life’s demonstration that we belong to God. By the same measure, if we do not genuinely love others, then we do not belong to God. Our capacity to love as God loves can NEVER be manufactured!! Real love is only produced by the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:22-23).
God is the source of Love. God is the measure and the standard of Love. God is the definition of Love.
Praise God, for “His love endures forever” (Psalm 136)!
