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The
Love of God By
Don Martin The love
of God is truly a great Bible truth. Some things we shall explore in this
material are what does the phrase "love of God" mean, what is the
meaning of love as applied to God, and how can we observe God's love. The
love of God. The phrase
"love of God" is somewhat ambiguous in that it can either mean God's
love for man or man's love for God (Rom. 5: 5, I Jn. 5: 3). When Paul used the
expression (agape theou), he seems to refer to God's love for man.
Hence, God's love is "shed abroad in our hearts." We see the love God
has for man and we seek to duplicate it (Spirit so influences our hearts…, The
meaning of love, as applied to God's love for man.
Mr. W.E. Vine makes the following comments on the "two" nouns
translated love and are applied in the sense of our study: "…expresses
the deep and constant love and interest of a perfect Being towards entirely
unworthy objects…" (Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words).
Vine continues to point out the type of love God has toward man is not prompted
out of self-interest or reciprocity, its only object is the welfare of those
toward whom it is directed (my words, dm). Hence, man has done nothing worthy of
God's love and God's love is one sided in that man is the beneficiary. God's
unselfish love for man is observed in many ways.
The very nature of man's being as created by God is indicative of God's desire
for man's well being (Gen. 1, 2). God gave Adam a beautiful, lush home and work
to perform so Adam could be fulfilled (Gen. 2: 1-15). The garden offered most of
what Adam needed - food, security, beauty, and fulfillment. God saw man needed a
counter-part, so He created Eve for Adam (2: 18). Adam apparently enjoyed a
relationship with God which will not be experienced again until heaven (Gen. 3).
Even after Adam and Eve flagrantly sinned, God offered them hope (3: 15) and
made future arrangements (4 ff). Remember, man is unworthy of the love of God.
"What is man, that thou are mindful of him…?" asked the Psalmist
(Ps. 8: 4). "But God commendeth his love toward us," Paul writes,
"in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5: 8,
see vss. 6-9). The
wonderfulness and degree of the love of God as seen in John 3: 16.
The verse reads, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life." John 3: 16 contains a wonderful statement regarding God,
his love, and the degree of God's love. Succinctly
stated, John 3: 16 is wonderful because of the one who loved : "God so
loved…." It is great because of those whom he loved, "the
world" (the enormity of the undeserved nature of the world). Notice how
much he loved, 'So loved…that he gave his only begotten Son." Greek
scholars sometimes argue whether "so loved" suggests manner or degree.
Commentator Lenski settles it, I think, when he comments: "…in this way
and to such an astounding degree" (Interpretation of St. John's Gospel,
vol. 4, pg. 258).The Father loved so much that he gave his Son - only begotten
Son (see "The Only Begotten" in Archives). God's love is not simply
sentiment, it has purpose. The purpose is expressed in the negation "should
not perish" and in the affirmative, "have everlasting life."
God's love contains a reasonable and possible requirement, "whosoever
believeth in him…." God
not only so loves but God is love.
I personally believe the love of God especially on its higher levels is
incomprehensible to finite man. However, another biblical truth regarding God
and his love certainly challenges the greatest thinkers: "He that loveth
not knoweth not God; for God is love" (I Jn. 4: 8). John is not simply
affirming the love of God, but that God himself is love! In other words, love is
not simply a characteristic of God but the fiber or essence of his very nature
and being. Love being the essence of God is the reason God can love unworthy man
to the degree he does, I am convinced. God's
love is totally unselfish but does make certain demands of man.
As we have seen, love as applied to God (agapao and agape)
is without self-interest and is totally motivated out of interest for the well
being of those loved. In one sense, God's love is unconditional - "God so
loved the world…." However, to appropriate the blessings of God's love,
man must submissively obey God (I Jn. 5: 3, 2" 1-6). This is the meaning of
"keep yourselves in the love of God…" (Jude 21). Concerned reader, we have explored the
love God has for man, but how about the love we are to have for God? Loving God
should be easy. "We love him, because he first loved us," penned the
apostle John (I Jn. 4: 19). John also wrote, "For this is the love of God,
that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous" (I Jn.
5: 3). & The Origin of Angels By Unlike the
Godhead, angels have not always existed. “He commanded and they were
created” (Ps. 148:1-5). They were created through and for Jesus, as was every
other created thing (John 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-16). And they have been “sent forth
to minister for those who will inherit salvation” (Heb. 1:14; Acts 8:26;
10:1-6). Angels are a higher order of being than men (Heb. 2:5-7)
and are “greater in power and might” (2 Peter 2:11). But they do not have
the power to procreate (Matt. 22:30). As “spirits,” they are not subject to physical death
(Luke 20: 36), not having physical bodies (Heb. 1:14; Luke 24:39). Though
they are generally invisible (Num. 22:21-31; 2 Kings 6:14-17), they can take on
the appearance of men (Gen. 19:1-16; Luke 24:1-4; John 20:11-12; Heb. 13:2).
Contrary to their feminization in popular culture, they seem never to have
appeared as women in Scripture. Their appearances have been rare, not frequent,
and figurative descriptions should not be taken literally. & |