The Truth of God's Love

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8, KJV).

God's love for us was shown while we were yet sinners. That means
before we came to faith in Christ. Many Christians struggle with the ideal
that God loves them. I mean that He really loves them personally. 'Lip
service' is fine for playing 'Church'. But many will admit when they are
honest about it that they have no real ideal about God's love for them.
Don't be ashamed if you doubt the love of God. I did too, but there is a
solution. But you won't find it as long as you play 'church'. When you
understand the love of God - really understand His love, your whole life
will begin to be transformed - maybe for the first time!

So why don't we understand His love for us? The key is again in the
verse quoted above. God¹s love extended towards us while we were
enemies. That is not the only verse. Here¹s some more;

"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 4:10, KJV).

"And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by
wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled" (Colossians 1:21, KJV).

³Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin
abounded, grace did much more abound" (Romans 5:20, KJV).

"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 life²
(Romans 5:10, KJV).

Now, who really loves an enemy? Who would love an enemy so much that they
would die for them?

"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the
ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure
for a good man some would even dare to die" (Romans 5:6-7, KJV).

Jesus taught this kind of Love in regard to the treatment of our enemies.

"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do
good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you,
and persecute you" (Matthew 5:44, KJV).

In case you haven't noticed, this is totally foreign to the way human
beings normally act toward our enemies. When we are wronged, we want revenge.

We want to get even.

Oh yes, in a moment of benevolence we can be ³forgiving² towards
another. But if the motive of the heart was known, it is really our own
way of ³getting even². ³Yes, I will forgive you (you worm!)².

But that is not the kind of treatment Jesus was speaking of. We
forgive many times just to receive a thank you. Jesus said forgive and
love your enemies even if they spit in your face, as in reality they did
in his.

God is Love

God's love is not an attribute He has. It is the very essence of His
being. "God is love". (1 John 4:8, KJV). Everything God does is love in
action. People have such a hard time with understanding the love of God
thinking, "Its too good to be true". But I would say, "Its too good not
to be true".

In addition to God's love extended towards an enemy, it is also love in
spite of the response. People curse God, yet God still continues to love
them.

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and
open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with
me² (Revelation 3:20, KJV).

Jesus knocks at some doors which are barricaded against his entrance.
Some doors which will never open. No matter, He will continue to knock.

One of the reasons we have such a hard time understanding the love of God is
because we try to understand it, instead of receive it. God's love is
revelatory.

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have
entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them
that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the
Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man
knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even
so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have
received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God;
that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which
things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but
which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for
they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:9-14, KJV).

God¹s Love is Redemptive

Now we will notice a few more things about the love of God. We saw that
God¹s love is aimed toward an enemy. But not so the enemy could continue
to be an enemy, but so that the enemy could become a friend. God¹s love
is not so much at who we were, but who He could make us in Christ. His
love has an aim - to make us just like His Son (Rom. 8:29).

God's love cannot be understood by those who have not entered into that
love by receiving Christ as Lord. The Bible tells us, ³The natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness
unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14, KJV).

If we are honest, we will agree that before coming to faith in Christ the Gospel was so much nonsense to
us. But when we received Him as Lord the Gospel made perfect sense.

The same is true of God's love, because God¹s love (remember) is God in
action, and the Gospel is the story of God in the action of redeeming His
crowning creation - man.

God's love therefore is a gift. "For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works,
lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9, KJV).

It is the Love of God the Father manifested that prompted the Apostle
John to write, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon
us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth
us not, because it knew him not" (1 John 3:1, KJV).

You do not understand God¹s love. You receive it as a gift. God¹s gift
of His love to you. He demonstrated it by Sending His Son as a proof of
the measure of His love. Therefore all we can do is receive His precious
offering (His grace) by faith.

Spirituality Christianity