God Is Love
Kent E. Heaton, Sr.
The definition of love can best be understood not by its meaning in words but the outpouring of action. In that action, love is best defined by the person giving it than the one receiving it. This action says more about the person than it does the meaning of love. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16,17)
The love of God is understood by His action of giving His only begotten Son to become flesh and live among wicked men. In sending the Christ to the earth, God was sending Him to a world overcome by sin and iniquity. His pure Son was being placed in an environment of hatred, fleshly lust, war, ungodliness, envy and every dark shadow of sin that Satan could muster. In giving His Son, God expressed His love for the whole of mankind. This giving was not based upon the merits of man’s righteousness. “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7
The love of God is mercy; the love of God is grace; the love of God is justification of man through obedience; the love of God is eternal life. God’s love is an expression of kindness to undeserving people who in the hours of extreme hatred put to death an innocent man. Not only was Jesus innocent but He was innocent before God with no sin. The words of God’s love echoed throughout the eternal dwelling places and the four-corners of a dying planet “with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34)
Hanging cruelly between the world He left and the world He created, the Son of God bore the love of God to mankind. He became the offering of sin; He became the atonement of separation; He became “the way, the truth and the light.” (John 14:6) In this moment, salvation was established through the abundance of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God’s Son. The love of God is known and affirmed by this death. The greatest love was offered in the greatest degree by the greatest thought manifested through the greatest gift with the greatest invitation of the greatest hope in everlasting assurance of the greatest reward.
“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:8-10) To know God is to know His love. Our love is because of God’s love for us and by His gift of the Christ, we have the blessed assurance of eternal life.
Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments … But why do you call Me `Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” (John 14:15; Luke 6:46) Love is not just words but actions of obedience. “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.” (James 2:24) God so loved the world – do you so love God? Express your love in obedience to the truth.