God Is Love

“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:8). Only the Godly know how to truly love. Who then is a true lover of God and men?

The verse “God is love” implies much more than that God demonstrates His love for mankind, His very special creation above all creations, His “Obra Maestra”, so to speak. It means that love is the essence of God’s character. We will never be able to measure in our human perspective the depths, heights and width of God’s love for man. The Bible says, “God commendeth (demonstrate) his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, he died for us” (Romans 5:8 KJV). With man, it is the opposite. We only love those who show their love to us, and those who are good to us or are lovable. This is where we got the expression “love begets love”.

Real love is evidenced by action, not just a feeling. It results or produces selfless or sacrificial giving. “Your needs first before mine”. The greatest act of love is giving oneself for others; by serving others with no thought of receiving anything in return. Jesus Christ is the best example. He gave up His life to substitute for us that we will have eternal life.

The Apostle John pointed out that we can begin to understand the love of God beyond description in words as we view the cross which signifies and proves the supreme sacrifice of Jesus Christ to substitute or atone for all of us – sinners, so that all of those who believe in Him, accept Him as their Lord and Savior and repent of their sins will have eternal life, like Him. This is what the Bible says:

“⁹ 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. ¹⁰ Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation (or complete payment or satisfaction) for our sins.” (1 Jn. 4:9-10 KJV)

In another translation, the Bible says:

“⁹God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. ¹⁰This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (NLT).

In other words, the spiritual application is that as a sinner believes and accepts Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of God and repent of his sins, all his sins are COVERED by the precious blood of Jesus, so God the Father will no longer see the sins but only the blood of his only begotten Son covering the sinner - - us - - as “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (John 3:16).

As we see Christ nailed to, and dying in substitution for all sinner-believers in, the cross of calvary we catch a glimpse of the unfathomable (or without measure and without comparison) love of God for all sinner-believers. Unfathomable and without measure because who will ever voluntarily offer himself to die for someone as substitute before knowing that the substituted one also loves him as much? Only Jesus Christ thus far. No one else loves like Him. It is said that Dr. Jose Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines, died for his country, but he did not voluntarily die; he was executed by the Spaniards for writing the Noli Me Tangere and the El Felibusterismo which attacked the bad practices of the Spanish priests and government officials. Rizal had no choice. His death ignited a revolution in the Philippines which ultimately resulted to our independence from foreign power.

John went on to point out that if God is love, His children (all believers) should resemble or re-echo the love of God (1 John 4:11-21). “And there shall be, like people like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them for their doings” (Hosea 4:9 KJV). “Like father, like son”. Who is our Father? Jesus prayed “Our Father which art in heaven” (Matt. 6:9). The great Apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians defined the characteristics of true love as follows:

^“4 Love is patient (or longsuffering), love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking (or selfish), it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸ Love never fails.” (1 Cor. 13:4-8 NIV).

Do we reflect all these characteristics?

Consequently, if there is no warm glow (or indication or sign of love as above-indicated) in our hearts and actions for our brother (especially the Christian brothers), if we do not thrill to the lovely and wonderful name of Jesus, we may well question the reality of our conversion experience, or our Christianity, or our being a true disciple of Jesus Christ. Thus, John continued further: “If someone says: ‘I love God’ but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we have not seen?” (vs. 20 NLT). So, one test of true love is that even if one does not see personally God or someone, just as we no longer see God or Jesus Christ these days, still his love for God and that for someone is evidenced in one’s thoughts, words and actions, or deeds.

Thus, a true lover is a Christian or disciple of Christ who shows God’s love in his thoughts, words and actions or character and in his dealings with his fellowmen. And he loves and serves God in any capacity he is able to do according to the talent that God has bestowed upon him.

Therefore, a true Christian should reflect the unfailing and matchless, so kind, so pure, so true love of God in all his thoughts, words and actions. Stated otherwise, one’s “transformed” character reveals his Christianity. In the words of Jesus Christ, “born again” (John 3:3).

(FGFMFI Davao City Chapter Bulletin February 16, 2013)