Love of God

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The deepest possible expression of God’s character. Though God loves all people, he is especially committed to sacrificial, loyal relationships with his people.

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God’s nature is love

1 John 4:8 KJV 1900

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

His love is perfectly expressed within the Trinity

Mark 1:10–11 KJV 1900

And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

See also Jn 5:20; Jn 10:17; Jn 14:23; Eph 1:6; Col 1:13

Characteristics of God’s love

It is eternal

Jeremiah 31:3 KJV 1900

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.

See also Ps 103:17; Ps 136:1–26; Is 49:15–16; Is 54:8; Is 54:10

It is a covenant love

Deuteronomy 7:9 KJV 1900

Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

See also Ex 20:6; Dt 7:12; 1 Ki 8:23; Ps 106:45; Da 9:4

It is lavish

Exodus 34:6–7 KJV 1900

And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

See also Ne 9:17; Ps 103:8; Joe 2:13; Jon 4:2; 1 Jn 3:1

It is holy and just

Psalm 33:5 KJV 1900

He loveth righteousness and judgment: The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

Images of God’s love

God as a father:

Dt 1:31; Ho 11:1–4; Lk 15:11–32; Heb 12:6; Pr 3:12

God as a husband:

Je 31:32; Ho 2:14–20; Re 21:2

God’s loving actions

The gift of God’s Son is a unique act of love

1 John 4:9–10 KJV 1900

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.

God sets his love on the unlovely

Deuteronomy 7:7–8 KJV 1900

The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

See also Eze 16:1–14; Ro 5:8; Eph 2:4–5

God always acts in love towards believers

Romans 8:38–39 KJV 1900

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 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.

God’s love for his people

Israel

Isaiah 43:4 KJV 1900

Since thou wast precious in my sight, Thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: Therefore will I give men for thee, And people for thy life.

See also Dt 10:15; 2 Ch 9:8; Mt 15:24; Ro 9:15–16; Ex 33:19; Ro 11:28

The church

Revelation 1:5 KJV 1900

And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

God’s love for the world

Dt 10:18; Jn 3:16–17

See also Ps 145:9; Ps 145:17; Mt 5:45; Ac 14:17; Ac 17:25

God’s love for individuals

2 Sa 12:24–25 “Jedidiah” means “loved by the Lord”.

David:

2 Sa 7:15; Is 55:3

Ezr 7:28 Ezra; Ne 13:26 Solomon

God’s love transforms human love

Human love must respond to God’s love

1 John 4:19 KJV 1900

We love him, because he first loved us.

See also Dt 6:5; Dt 30:6; Eph 5:1; Col 3:12–14

Human love must be modelled on God’s love

Matthew 5:44–45 KJV 1900

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; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.