Who Is God? Part 6: God the Creator - Omnibenevolent

1 Corinthians 13:4–8 NASB95

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.

What is love?

“Is This Love?” by Whitesnake (it’s all about feeling)

Introduction: God is Love (Omnibenevolent)

He is in fact love:

1 John 4:8 “The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

1 John 4:16 “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”

His love is abundant:

Exodus 34:6 “Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.”

Numbers 14:18 “The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.”

His love lasts forever:

1 Chronicles 16:34 “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.”

His love is unlimited:

Psalm 33:5 “He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the Lord.”

Psalm 57:10 “For Your lovingkindness is great to the heavens And Your truth to the clouds.”

God’s love is seen in his actions:

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

But what does it mean that God is all-loving, or omnibenevolent? We must first look at what love actually is.

Love in our culture:

But what is love according to Scripture?

1. What is Love? (1 Cor 13:4-8)

1 Corinthians 13:4–8 NASB95

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.

My definition:

The unfailing, patient, and self-giving (1) affection, (2) kindness, and (3) concern for the good, or well being, of others

Adjectives:

(v.8): Unfailing: “never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end” (picture: falling from a high place to a lower)

(v.4): Patient: longsuffering (suffer long); (v.7): “bear all things . . . endure all things.”

(v.5): Self-giving: “does not seek its own”; selfless

Nouns:

Affection - “inclination to care for and be gentle/have compassion for” - (v.7) “bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things”

Kindness - (v.4): “love is kind” - speaks good words, performs good actions for others, serves; not jealous, act unbecomingly, provoked to anger, keeps a list of wrongs

Concern for the good, or well-being, of others - (V.6): “does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth”

Note what is it NOT:

What It is Not

Love is not the same as sex

Love is not mere feelings

Love is not mere passion, desire

What This Means for Us

We must understand what love truly is so we can understand what God’s love truly is

One reason our culture misunderstands the love of God is bc they misunderstand the very nature of love.

If we view love as merely experiential, feelings, or passion, then our love for God will be temporary as so much of the so-called love our culture has.

What often happens is that a person has a good experience or feelings and emotions and decide to become a Christian. And, then, when those feelings and emotions disappear, they no longer want to be a Christian. It’s almost as if being a Christian is just like another hit of drugs.

But this is not what loving Christ and being a disciple is. Loving Jesus is about an unfailing and self-giving affection, kindness, and concern for Christ and his kingdom and church. This love never fails. Love is a commitment and remains no matter how you feel or what one’s emotions are.

We are to love others as Christ has loved us

If we are to love others as we are commanded to do, we will have an unfailing, patient, and self-giving (1) affection, (2) kindness, and (3) concern for the good of others.

Do we have an unfailing, patient, and self-giving (1) affection for others?

Do we have an unfailing, patient, and self-giving (2) kindness for others?

Do we have an unfailing, patient, and self-giving (3) concern for the good of others?

We are to love God as he has loved us

Do we have an unfailing, patient, and self-giving (1) affection for God?

Do we have an unfailing, patient, and self-giving (2) kindness for God?

Do we have an unfailing, patient, and self-giving (3) concern for the good of God? Concern for God is different; it is a concern to glorify God and exalt him.

So what is God’s love?

2. What is God’s Love? (Lots of Bible Here)

The limitless unfailing, patient, self-giving (1) affection, (2) kindness, and (3) concern for the good, or well being, of others

Limitless unfailing, patient, and self-giving

Limitless:

Romans 5:5 “. . . and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Affection

Father-child - Psalm 103:13 “Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.”

Mother-child - Matthew 23:37 ““Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.”

Husband-wife - Hosea 2:19–20 “I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, In lovingkindness and in compassion, And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the Lord.”

Shepherd-flock - Psalm 23:1–3 “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.”

God yearns to care for us: he has a limitless, unending inclination to care for us/to have compassion on us

Kindness

Titus 3:4–5 “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.”

Concern for the Good, or Well Being, of Others

We see this in the very beginning of creation: God gives to humanity a Garden to live in and care for, and he gives them food.

For His People in OT:

Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

For His Prophets:

Jeremiah 29:11 “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’”

Isaiah 41:10 “‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’”

And Even for Us:

Matthew 6:25–26 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?”

Most significantly:

John 10:10–11 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”

What This Means for Us

God is for us humans

Conclusion

Song “Amazing Love”

I'm forgiven because You were forsaken I'm accepted, You were condemned I'm alive and well, Your spirit is within me Because You died and rose again Amazing love, how can it be That You my king would die for me? Amazing love, I know it's true Now it's my joy to honor You

Amazing love, how can it be That You, my King would die for me? Amazing love, I know it's true Now it's my joy to honor You In all I do, I honor You