The Love Of God

Jer 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

We are known by our character and our personality. We can also understand who God is by his character, his personalities and his attributes. I suppose all that God is, if we were to understand and speak of all of His attributes; we would be giving God His glory. If we speak of things that are not of his character or personality; how does this bring glory to God?

The one word that we use to describe God as he relates to us, is love. We as frail humans see our LORD as a God of love. The New Testament word for God's all giving and sacrificial love is the Greek word: agape.

1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

This love of God can only be received by dwelling in Him and He in us. God is a God of three persons or three distinct personalities. All three, God the Father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit are sent to us in love to bring us back to the love of God. The Father willed that we be restored to him, for he is a just God.

Mat 18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

2 Pet 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

The love of the Father for us was revealed, when he sent his only begotten son to be the way for us to be restored and reconciled to God the Father. We were originally created in the image of God, but fell because of sin; our spirit died and separated us from God. His restoration is made possible through receiving Jesus, as Lord and savior. Being a just God, he could not pardon sin; someone had to pay by death, for sin brings the penalty of death. He paid the price for our sins by his sacrificial shedding of blood and death on the cross of Calvary.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

It was agape love, a sacrificial love, that brought Jesus . He displayed the perfect selfless giving love of God.

Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

His love and his justice were the motivating force to bring us back to him through His only begotten son who died for our sins and has risen from the grave to return to the Father.

Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The agape love of God is in Christ Jesus. We receive this love by faith in Jesus our savior. We abide in him and he in us.

1 John 4:9 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.
1 John 4:10 Herein 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 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

When Jesus finished his work of love, he promised that he would send another like himself; the personality of God called the Holy Spirit.

Rom 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
It is through the Holy Spirit, that our spirit is made alive and reconciled to God.

Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Only by the Holy Spirit are we connected to God and are become loving children of God.

Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
John 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
John 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
John 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

The fullness of God has come to us who are redeemed Spirit filled sons of God. We are in Him and He is in us. All three personalities of God are in us through the Holy Spirit; for God is one God, with three personalities of love, bringing us to himself.

Isa 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

Num 6:24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: (the Father)
Num 6:25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: (grace in Jesus)
Num 6:26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. (peace in the Holy Spirit)

1 John 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

John 17:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
John 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
John 17:25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
John 17:26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

The closer we walk with God, the greater is His love manifested in us.

Father, help us to be people of your agape love; to not be selfish, but to seek the best for others. We are to be your servants, showing the world the love of God. Keep us safe and lead us not into temptation, in Jesus' name, amen.