If there are any themes in the Bible, one of them has to be the love of God. There has never been a love like God’s love! When you see a mother’s care for her child, when you see her do what is best for her child, and then keep on doing those things, we can safely say, “she loves that child.”
Similarly, when we behold the love bestowed upon us by God, we know that no one can match God for loving! What qualities do we see in God’s love that justifies our title?
A Redeeming Love
When man truly understands the words of John 3:16, we begin to realize the breadth and depth of that love. Think of what it took to redeem man of sin. God’s justice could not allow Him to ignore sin, Romans 3:23-26, but love motivated Him to redeem man. Animal sacrifices were insufficient. Man could not redeem himself. God knew it would take far more than any could give, namely the perfect life of His “only begotten son,” John 3:16. What a magnificent love!
And what a wonderful word: redemption. We can be free from our sin, our passions, our greed and our servitude to Satan. And we are freed to become God’s servant.
A Calling Love
His love is capable of redeeming us from sin and Satan, but it is a love that calls on us to take full advantage of that love. He does not wait for us to come to Him, but
“Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ,” 2 Thessalonians 2:14.
He did not wait until we were worthy of His love, but:
“God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,” Romans 5:8.
Yes, God’s love calls to us!
An Everlasting Love
Today, it’s not unusual to hear of someone who says, “I just don’t love him/her anymore.” Not God! It may be that the greatest heartache is from a lost love, or love that is unrequited. Jeremiah wrote:
“The Lord has appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee,” Jeremiah 31:3.
God is not fickle, nor is He easily discouraged. His love will persevere even when we do not return His love. No, there has never been a love like God’s love!
A Chastening Love
Old and New Testament alike speak of the “chastening of the Lord.” From Proverbs 3 to Hebrews 12, we are told not to “despise” that chastening, that instruction, that correction that comes from God.
From the Greek word, paideuo, chasten means to “train, to mold, to discipline.” The love of God is not benign, but one that seeks our best interests. Just as a loving father chastens his child, so our loving God chastens, trains us, motivated by His matchless love,
“for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness,” Hebrews 12:10.
A Demanding Love
It would be a terrible mistake for us to think that God loves us so much that He expects nothing from us. It is true that He needs nothing from us, Psalm 50:9-12, but since His very nature is love, 1 John 4:8, we learn much about love just by observing His actions.
His love is a demanding love in that it expects our love in return.
“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous,”
1 John 5:2-3.
Note that these commandments of God are “not grievous,” they are not burdensome, but are the ‘precepts’ of God; rules for our good. Jesus made it clear that being His disciple would require major changes in a person’s life, a loyalty to Him that transcends even the family relationship, Matthew 10:37; 19:3-30.
On this subject, Jesus informed His apostles that for them truly to love Him, they must “keep my commandments,” John 14:15, 24. Therefore, it will never be enough to “talk the talk” about Jesus, but we must also “walk the walk.”
An unknown author penned the following words about God’s love:
We can only see a little of the ocean,
A few miles distance from the rocky shore;
But out there, beyond, beyond the horizon,
There’s more; There’s more.
We can see a little of God’s love;
A few rich treasures from His mighty store;
But out there, beyond our eye’s horizon,
There’s more; there’s more.
Yes, God’s love is a redeeming love, a calling love, an everlasting love, a chastening love and a demanding love. And whatever we see of it in our lives, we can be assured that there is more—much, much more.
