The love of God is deep and profound. In this message we look at 7 different Biblical facets of God’s love. The covenant love of God for His people is powerful and amazing!
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The Love Of God
We studied the jealousy of God last Sunday, and I thought a great follow up to God’s jealousy is His love. A husband or wife are only jealous if they love their spouse and want to preserve their marriage. So too God’s jealousy stems from His great love for us.
In fact, 1 John 4:8 and 4:16 say, “God is love.” These texts don’t say that God is loving. They don’t say that God loves. They say that He is love. Love is not what God does, it is who He is.
Now, this is a truth that all the world knows, including all unbelievers. They are often quick to say, “How could a good and loving God send people to hell?” As though the thought was ludicrous and inconceivable. It is wonderfully true that God is love, but it is also just as true that God is not only love. He is also holy, righteous, and just. His love never contradicts His justice and wrath.
Let’s begin with a working definition of the love of God. It is that which moves God to freely and selflessly give Himself to others for their good. We are not speaking primarily of an emotion or attitude. We are speaking of an essential part of the very nature of God. God is love. It is the very nature of God to give Himself freely and selflessly for the good of others.
This morning, we are going to examine what the Scriptures reveal about the love of God.
1. The Love Of God Is Uncaused
What I mean by that is that there was nothing inside you or me to attract this love or to cause God to love us. We did not merit or deserve God’s love. If God loves you, it has nothing to do with you somehow making yourself worthy of His love. God’s love is free, sovereign and gracious. How do we know this? Let’s look at God’s love for Israel.
Deuteronomy 7:7-8, “The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”
Here we are told what is not the reason God loved Israel (because they were more in number than all the peoples). In other words, God love was not attracted to Israel because she was such a great and mighty nation. The opposite was the truth. Israel was the fewest of all peoples. Well then, why did God love Israel? Because He loved her. That’s the only reason given! Well, except for the fact that God was keeping an oath that He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God loves because He loves and because He is keeping an oath.
Well, that’s fine for Israel, but what about the church. Why does God love the church?
Ephesians 2:1-5, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”
Verses 1-3 tell us that there was nothing in us to prompt or cause God to love us. We were dead in our sins. We were under the dominion of the world, our flesh, and the devil, and were children of wrath. That description doesn’t sound real promising does it?! Well then, why would God save people like that? Verse 4 – because God is rich in mercy and because of His great love with which He loved us.” God does not love us because of something in us. God loves us in spite of us. His love is called “His great love with which He loved us”. It is a great love because there is no earthly reason for it, and because it lifts us from the deepest pit and places us in the highest heaven.
Let’s take a look at another New Testament text. 1 John 4:19 says, “We love, because He first loved us.” Many people want to flip that verse around and say “He loves us, because we first loved Him.” The problem with that is that it’s a lie! God loved us first. God took the initiative. God exercised His love toward us when we didn’t have an ounce of love for Him. The truth was that we loved ourselves, the world, and our sin. Although He is altogether lovely, in our fallenness, we didn’t love Him. Yet, we are altogether unlovely, but He set His love on us! There was nothing in us to attract His love, and everything to repel it. We are depraved, guilty, polluted and dead. The reason God loves us can only be found in Himself – not in us. We often love others because of what they do for us or how they make us feel. But God loves when there is no human reason for it.
2. The Love of God is Eternal
When did God begin to love us? Was it when we repented of our sin and put our faith in Him? Was it when we began to worship and serve Him? No! He loved us from all eternity.
Jeremiah 31:3, “The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.”
Ephesians 1:4-6, “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”
Notice in this text two verbs – “chose” and “predestined”. That’s what God did. Notice the time indicator – “before the foundation of the world.” What motivated God to predestine us to adoption as sons? “In love”. Love moved God to predestine us to be His adopted children. So, when did God predestine us to be adopted as His children? Before the foundation of the world. In other words, God’s love flows from eternity past. It is an essential aspect of His nature.
3. The Love of God is Sacrificial
Interestingly, most of the time we read of the love of God in the New Testament, it is linked with the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son”
Ephesians 5:2, “just as Christ loved you, and gave Himself uiip for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”
Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”
Galatians 2:20, “the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”
Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
1 John 3:16, “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
1 John 4:10, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
So, why was the cross the supreme demonstration of God’s love?
1) Consider how precious Jesus was to the Father. Jesus was God’s only begotten Son. In parting with His Son, God was parting with His own heart. Colossians 1:13 speaks of Jesus as God’s “beloved Son”. In giving Jesus up to the agonies of the cross, God was giving the most valuable thing He could.
2) Consider what God gave Jesus to do. Christ was made a curse for us. He became the scorn and contempt of men. He experienced hideous and shameful sufferings. God subjected Him to His almighty wrath.
3) Consider who God gave Jesus for. It was not for holy angels. It was not for men as friends. God gave Jesus for men who were His enemies. It was for men who were wholly undeserving and in rebellion against Him.
4) Consider how freely God gave Jesus. We didn’t ask God to send us a Savior, nor did we deserve one. God gave Christ freely, unsought, and unbought.
The love of God is accentuated when we consider how precious Jesus was to God, what God gave Him to do, who God gave Him for, and how freely He gave Him. My friends, there will never be a greater demonstration of the love of God than in the cross of Jesus Christ.
4. The Love off God is Distinguishing
I know that many people believe that God loves every person exactly the same, but I do not believe that is what we find in Scripture. Yes, it is true that in one sense, God loves all of His creatures in a general sense. He has given all people life. He provides food, air, water and shelter for them. He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. So, God loves all people, and demonstrates that love by providing and offering salvation to all who hear the gospel. If a man does not come to Christ, he has only himself to blame. Jesus said in John 5:40, “you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.” In Romans 10:21 the Bible says, “All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”
So, there is a legitimate sense in which God loves all people with a general love of compassion, pity, and benevolence.
But, there is another sense in which God’s love is particular. His love is distinguishing. In other words, God loves His own with a different quality of love than unbelievers. Truly, that only makes sense. You and I don’t love all people exactly the same. You married men, when is the last time you told your wife, “Honey, I love you. Truly I do. In fact, I love you exactly the same as every other woman in the world!” That’s a great way to find yourself sleeping on the couch. No, husbands, you have a special love for your wife, and that’s the way it should be.
Parents, do you really love every child in the world exactly the same way you love your own children? Of course not! You will scrape and sacrifice to do things for your own children that you will not do for all the other kids on your block.
But, is the idea that God has a distinguishing love Biblical. Well, let me share some passages of Scripture that convince me that it is.
Romans 1:7, “to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints.” Who are the ones beloved of God in this passage? Those in Rome who have been called as saints.
Romans 9:10-13, “And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.” Just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” Did God love Jacob and Esau exactly the same? Not hardly! Not unless “hated” means “loved”. Even if you interpret “hated” to mean “loved less”, this passage still teaches that God’s love is special and different for His own.
Colossians 3:12, “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience…” Who are the ones who are beloved of God in this passage? Those who are chosen of God and holy.
1 Thessalonians 1:4, “knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you.” Who are those beloved of God in this passage? Those God has chosen for salvation.
2 Thessalonians 2:13, “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren, beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” Who are those beloved of God in this passage? The brethren. Those God has chosen for salvation.
Jude vs. 1, “Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ.” Who are the beloved of God in this passage? Those who are the called and those who are kept for Jesus Christ.
Let’s back up and slow down and try to figure out why God’s love is distinguishing. Why is it particular? Perhaps John 17:24 will help us, “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” Here Jesus said that the Father loved Him before the foundation of the world. Well, Ephesians 1:4 says that we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. I believe the reason God’s love is distinguishing is because God loves His Son, above all things. Some people are “in Christ” and some people aren’t. Those who are in Christ, are the special objects of the love of God. God pours out His love on Jesus Christ, and if you are in Christ, you are the eternal recipient of God’s love!
5. The Love of God is Unfathomable
The word unfathomable means “incapable of being fully explored or understood.”
In Ephesians 3:19 Paul prays for the Ephesians that they would “know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge…” That’s a strange prayer! “Lord, Your love surpasses knowledge, but I’m praying that they would know that love!” No matter how much you think you understand the love of God, there is more to be known. It is a pit that is bottomless. You will never understand God’s love fully. His love is too deep, too rich, too wonderful, too powerful, to blessed to ever understand it in all its fullness!
In John 17:23 Jesus said in His prayer to God that God loved believers even as God loved Jesus! Now, that’s unfathomable.
Perhaps that’s why Paul refers to God’s love in Ephesians 2:4 as “His great love.”
6.The Love of God is Invincible
The word invincible means “too powerful to be defeated or overcome.” That’s exactly what God’s love is like towards His elect. It is far too powerful to be defeated or overcome.
In this life, God’s people have many enemies. We face many trials, afflictions, and sufferings. If it weren’t for God’s sovereign, almighty, invincible love, we would be defeated and overcome.
Notice how Paul argued in Romans 8:35-39, “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The love of God is invincible! Paul lists a whole litany of enemies and afflictions that face the child of God – tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword. What is the result? We overwhelmingly conquer! How? Through Him who loved us. Why are we going to conquer these enemies and afflictions? Because there is nothing under heaven, nothing in all of God’s creation that can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. It is invincible!
If God has set His love on you from eternity past, He will never let you go. You may stray from time to time, and backslide for a spell, but the Lord disciplines those He loves and scourges every son whom He receives.
That leads us to the last of the 7 facets of God’s love.
7.The Love of God is Effectual
The word effectual means “that which is successful in producing the intended effect.” In other words, God’s love is effective. But effective in doing what? What is the intended effect of His love? I believe the intended effect is our eternal salvation. If God set His love on someone, that person will be saved forever.
God’s love delivers us from the penalty of sin.
Revelation 1:5, “To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood.”
Because God loved us, He released us from our sins by His blood. He delivered us from the awful penalty of our sin, which was eternity in hell. Our justification is a direct result of God’s love.
God’s love delivers us from the power of sin.
Ephesians 5:25-26, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.”
What did Jesus have in mind when He loved the church and gave Himself up for her? It was to sanctify her and cleanse her by the word of God. This is talking about how God delivers us from the power of sin through the word of God. Our sanctification is a direct result of God’s love.
God’s love delivers us from the presence of sin.
Ephesians 5:27, “He loved the church… that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.”
Because Jesus loved us, He will present us to Himself on that final day, flawless, blameless, with great joy! Our glorification is a direct result of God’s love.
Conclusion
The Bible teaches that the love of God is uncaused, eternal, sacrificial, distinguishing, unfathomable, invincible, and effectual.
Let me leave you with a few thoughts on how the love of God should impact you.
- Be amazed that God ever set His love on you! Think of the millions of people around the world that are sweeter and kinder than you that have never known this special saving love. Think of people that you know – your family members, neighbors, fellow employees, people you go to school with. How many of them are the recipients of this special, amazing love of God? Precious few.
- Be amazed that God doesn’t stop loving you! Think of how many sins you have committed since becoming a Christian, yet God still loves you! His longsuffering and patience are incredible! He bears with us again and again.
- Be amazed that you will never tire of experiencing God’s love! Everything on this earth eventually becomes monotonous by repetition. It doesn’t matter what it is – a video game, a sport, a task, a hobby. If you do it enough, it will grow monotonous and tiring. But God’s love will thrill us as much or more after a million ages as it does the moment you are saved.
- Love God! If He has really loved you the way the Bible speaks of, then love Him in return! Just as His love to you surpasses all, let your love to Him surpass all. Demonstrate your love for God in the way you live. If we love Him, we will keep His commandments.
Let’s pray.
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