Everyone talks about the love of God. We All know those scriptures that tell us "God is love" (I John 4:8). "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8). "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us" (I John 3:16). Love is not a fickle, sentimental passion in God, like it is with us. It is not an emotion of his heart but an attribute of his nature. "God is love!" Love is an essential part of God's character. I rejoice to declare to men that the God of heaven is love. He is a God who delights to show love, mercy, and grace to men. In the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary, as the sinner's Substitute, the infinite, magnanimous love of God for his people is most clearly revealed. John wrote, "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (I John 4:9-10). God's love toward us is free, sovereign, and gracious. We did not love him; but he loved us. Our love for God is preceded by and caused by his love for us. "We love him, because he first loved us" (I John 4:19). God so loved us that he willingly sacrificed the Lord Jesus Christ, his own well-beloved Son, to satisfy his own Justice in our place and redeem us. Who can comprehend, or explain, the love of God for us?
I cannot begin to explain the love of God. But I do want to share with you four facts about the love of God revealed is Holy Scripture.
There never was a time when God began to love his people. Like God himself,
his love for us is eternal. He says, "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting
love" (Jer. 31:3). In eternal love he chose his own elect in Christ, before the
world was. In love, he predestinated us unto the adoption of children in Christ.
Those whom God loves today he has loved always and will love always.
2. THE LOVE OF GOD IS WITHOUT MEASURE.
It would be far easier to measure the waters of the ocean in a tea-cup than to measure the love of God in our puny brains and hearts. Paul tells us that the heigth and depth, and length, and breadth of the love of God in Christ passes all knowledge.
3. THE LOVE OF GOD IS WITHOUT CHANGE.
God's love is perfect. It never changes. He does not love today and hate tomorrow. Your love to him varies from day to day. But his love toward us knows no variation. If you are truly one of his own, there is nothing you can do that will cause him to cease loving you, or even to love you less. This immutable, unchanging love is a love such as we might expect from our God.
4. THE LOVE OF GOD IS WITHOUT END.
He will never cease his own to cherish. Children of God take comfort in this word of grace today - "God is love". The love of God for us is WITHOUT BEGINNING, WITHOUT MEASURE, WITHOUT CHANGE, and WITHOUT END.
1. THE LOVE OF GOD IS WITHOUT BEGINNING.
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