God is Love

I John 4:8 says "God is Love". It is not simply that God "loves" but that He is love itself. Love is not merely one of His attributes, but His very nature.

What would it be like to be loved by someone whose love for you is not influence by anything you ever did, are now doing, or will do; whose love could never weaken or fluctuate?

If you are a Christian, God's love for you is not influenced by anything you ever did or will do. Deuteronomy 7:7-8says "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 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.

God chose to love you. 2 Timothy 1:9 who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which has granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.

God's Love is unconditional. Romans 8:35-39 says Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, "For thy 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, or things present, nor things to come, nor powers, or height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God's love is eternal and will never change. He loves you as much today as when He gave His Son for you. God's love will never weaken or fluctuate. James 1:17, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down form the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

PERSONAL STUDY

1. Discover how God's love is described in the following verses
a. Psalm 106:1
b. Jeremiah 31:3
c. Romans 5:8
d. Romans 8:35-39
e. I Corinthians 13:4-7
f. Ephesians 3:19

2. Discover various physical ways God demonstrates His love to His own.
a. Psalm 145:15-16
b. Matthew 5:45
c. Acts 14:17

3. In the following verses, discover what God's love did for you and specific reasons God expressed His love in this manner.
a. John 3:16
b. I John 4:9-10
c. Revelations 1:5

4. According to Romans 5:6-8, Ephesians 2:8-9 and 2 Timothy 1:9, did you in any way earn or deserve this life giving demonstration of God's love?

What does I John 4:19 state as the reason why we love God?

5. After Jesus was taken by the Roman soldiers, His disciples denied and forsook Him (Matthew 26:56 and Luke 22:56-62). What was His response to them in John 13:1?

6. Once you have become a child of God how much does God love you? (John 17:22-23)

7. Jesus gave the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32 to demonstrate God's love. See if can discover at least three aspects of the love of God revealed through this parable.

8. Read Romans 8:31-39, 2 Timothy 2:13 and Titus 3:4-7. Would you say God's love for His children is conditional at all by their actions? What is the basis for your answer?

9. Explain some the ways God expresses love to His children, according to the following verses:
a. Psalm 68:19
b. Romans 5:5-8
c. Ephesians 1:3-6
d. Colossians 1:12-14
e. Hebrews 12:6-10

~ Christa ~