Who do you think loves you most?
In any setting, a good number would say their mum. Rightly so. We all know of the mothers’ loyal and fierce love that knows no bounds.
Maybe for you, it’s someone else.
Whoever they are, this is the thing. They have or will let you down at some point.
Man’s love is fickle. Despite our best efforts, our love falls short.
Unfortunately, we transfer human deficiencies to God’s love. Little wonder we are quick to doubt His love for us.
But God’s love is perfect. He loves us perfectly.
For the next few minutes, we’ll explore some common characteristics of God’s love. Appreciating the nature of God’s love should remind us that God so dearly loves especially in the moments we feel unlovable and inspire us to extend God’s kind of love to fellow human beings.
Characteristics of God’s love
- Personal
Love is not just a thing or an abstract concept, it is a person.
God is love (1 John 4:8, 16).
God is love personified. If you want to know what love is, look at God.
Therefore, to walk with God is to walk in love.
Two things to note regarding the personal nature of God’s love.
Firstly, personal love is a relational kind of love. As a relational and relatable person, God understands you.
Sometimes we drop the ball so hard that we can’t picture God loving us. Or situations of life take a toll that we doubt if God still loves us.
Paul reminds us that Jesus, our High Priest, is well able to sympathize with our weaknesses because He walked on this earth and was tempted like us to an even greater degree (Hebrews 4:15-16). This then should give us the confidence to approach Him.
God understands you. Regardless of what you are going through or where you are in life, you can be sure God loves you.
Secondly, love being a person means it’s based on God’s infallible, unchanging nature.
He cannot not love.
So, when God tells you He loves you, you better believe it.
- Unconditional
Almost always, man’s love is conditional. The scratch my back I scratch yours kind of thing.
Sometimes we state our conditions out loud. Other times we play it down but when we ration or withdraw love when these unspoken conditions are not met, we betray the deep-seated conditional nature of human love.
So unlike God’s love.
God loves us unconditionally. There’s nothing you can do to make Him love you more or not do to make Him love you less. He loves us and will always love us.
Quit trying to earn God’s love. Or beating yourself too hard when you feel you’ve let God down. Just receive His love and enjoy it.
Now that God’s love is unconditional, should we live in sin?
No.
To love God means obeying His commands (John 14:21/ 1 John 5:2-5).
Only that we don’t obey God’s commandments to earn His love, we obey because we love God.
True obedience is a result of love, not a prerequisite.
iii. Eternal.
Now that God’s love is personal and unconditional, it follows then that it is eternal.
God is eternal, and so is His love.
Since God is love personified, for as long as He exists (which is forever), He will always love us.
Further, the unconditional nature of God’s love leaves no room for intermittency.
If God’s love were to be conditional, there would be periods where He would withhold love due to something bad done and amplify love in response to some good conduct.
Simply, there would be no continuity.
Not so God’s love. God Has always and will always love us.
Affirming His covenant, God reminded the Israelites and by extension us today that He Has loved us with an everlasting (Jeremiah 31:3). That nothing can shake God’s love for us (Isaiah 54:10).
Later in the New Testament, Paul’s verdict was that nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:35-39).
Friends, we are forever loved.
- Sacrificial.
Sunday, November 21, 2010. It’s a calm afternoon in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. US Marine rifleman Kyle Carpenter and his squad mate Nick Eufrazio were manning the roof of their lookout post. This was during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Towards the end of their four-hour shift, all hell breaks loose. The Taliban launched an attack with hand grenades. One of the grenades lands on the roof between the two marines. Without hesitation, Kyle fell on it and covered it taking the brunt of the explosion to protect his comrades. He was knocked out unconscious.
When his comrades ward off the attack, they are shocked to discover Kyle is still alive, though barely. They administered first aid to patch him up and he was medivacked. He would go on a long recovery journey. In 2014, he was awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest US Army military decoration.
Kyle’s action is a good example of sacrificial love, a love that’s willing to lay down one’s life for another.
An infinitely greater act of sacrificial love happened about 2000 years ago. Jesus willingly gave Himself to a shameful death on the cross to atone for the sins of man (John 3:16/ 1 John 4:9-10). He absorbed God’s wrath for our sake.
There’s no greater love than that (John 15:13).
If you ever find yourself doubting God loves you, look at the cross. That sacrificial death was the greatest manifestation of love.
How to Respond to God’s Love
Having appreciated the personal, unconditional, eternal, and sacrificial nature of God’s love, let’s now consider how we can respond to such a great love.
It’s simple though.
Jesus summed up the entire law into one –love. Love God and love fellow man (Matthew 22:34-40).
As mentioned, loving God is evidenced by our obedience to His commands.
When we walk in obedience, we will live a life worthy of the gospel (Philippians 1:27), one worthy of the calling we have received in Christ (Ephesians 4:1).
As we receive God’s love and love Him back, that should then lead us to love our fellow human beings.
If we are to owe one another anything, it should be the debt of love (Romans 13:8-10).
Of course, ours will not be perfect (for we are far from perfection) but we can lean on God to help us extend His kind of love to others.
Let the personal nature of God’s love encourage us to love with understanding. Let’s endeavor to understand our neighbors as we would want them to understand us in our frailties.
Before you jump to conclusions, try to see the issue from the other person’s perspective. Take a walk in their shoes and be ready to extend grace.
Moreover, may the unconditional nature of God inspire us to reduce our preconditions for love.
For a fact, many of our conditions are outrightly selfish and should not be given space in a believer’s heart. Granted, it’s impossible to love without conditions (otherwise people will walk over you) but audit and take away those conditions that don’t make sense.
Remove the barriers and let love flow.
Then, the wise man reminds us that we are made for eternity (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We long for eternity. So should our love.
These seasonal, intermittent loves do more harm than good to the heart. Let’s endeavor to love long-term, even forever.
Don’t be quick to cut anyone off. Find ways to resolve issues that arise and soldier on in love.
Finally, let the sacrificial nature of God’s love remind us to be ready and willing to lay down our lives for one another.
Our lives may not be required of us but let’s try to put our neighbor’s interests before ours. To value others before us and mind the interest of others (Philippians 2:3-4).
Simply, find ways to be a blessing to others.
As you continue loving, you can look at 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 to audit your love.
I pray we all get to experience this personal, unconditional, eternal, and sacrificial love of God, and share that God-inspired love with others.
Amen Amen Amen.
Deep teaching. Thank you very much.
I am happy to see you back. Welcome back my friend.
Glad you loved it. Thank you.