Love of God

God’s nature is love

1 John 4:8 NLT

But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

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His love is perfectly expressed within the Trinity

Mark 1:10–11 NLT

As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”

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Characteristics of God’s love

It is eternal

Jeremiah 31:3 NLT

Long ago the Lord said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.

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It is a covenant love

Deuteronomy 7:9 NLT

Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.

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It is lavish

Exodus 34:6–7 NLT

The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected— even children in the third and fourth generations.”

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It is holy and just

Psalm 33:5 NLT

He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth.

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Images of God’s love

God as a father:

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God as a husband:

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God’s loving actions

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

1 John 4:9–10 NLT

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

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God sets his love on the unlovely

Deuteronomy 7:7–8 NLT

“The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the Lord rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.

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God always acts in love towards believers

Romans 8:38–39 NLT

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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God’s love for his people

Israel

Isaiah 43:4 NLT

Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.

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The church

Revelation 1:5 NLT

and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us.

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God’s love for the world

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God’s love for individuals

“Jedidiah” means “loved by the Lord”.

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David:

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Ezra; Solomon

God’s love transforms human love

Human love must respond to God’s love

1 John 4:19 NLT

We love each other because he loved us first.

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Human love must be modelled on God’s love

Matthew 5:44–45 NLT

But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.

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