God
is Love!
"He
who does not love does not know God, for God is love!"
1 John 4:8.
This
lesson series will explore the theme of God's love for men,
women and children from the sources that knew Him best, from
those who associated with Him on a daily basis. Christianity
has often misrepresented God as a vengeful tyrant. This is
not the perception of God experienced by those who knew him
best. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and He is God! (John
1:1-5, 12-14). And the life of Christ demonstrated God's love
for mankind. If we want to understand God, we must consider
the life of Christ and what He has done for us. The primary
source for these lessons will be the Word of God through the
written word of those who knew Him best.
It was
Christ's mission "to seek and to save that which was
lost" Luke 19:10. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon
me, because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the
poor, he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach
deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the
blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised" Luke
4:18. Jesus not only was sent to seek and to save the lost,
He healed all their diseases; (Matthew 4:24, Mark 1:34, Luke
4:40, 6:17, 9:1, Exodus 15:26).
Jesus
said, "For God loved the world so much that He gave his
only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not
perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send His
Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world
through Him might be saved" John 3:16, 17. God loves
us so very much. He loves sinners and wants them to come to
Him so that they may receive the more abundant living that
He offers (read John 10:1-11).
"God
was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing
their trespasses to them" 2 Corinthians 5:19; "The
wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord" Romans 6:23; "For
He (God) made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin;
that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (in
Jesus). 2 Corinthians 5:21. Jesus suffered and died on the
Cross for all men. However, no all will accept what God, through
Jesus, has to offer. Jesus is "the Lamb of God who takes
away the sin of the world" John 1:29.
Jesus
provided many evidences of His connection with His Father.
When one of the disciples made the request, "Show us
the Father," Jesus answered, "Have I been so long
time with you, and yet you have not known Me Philip? He who
has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say then, 'Show
us the Father?' Do you not believe that I am in the Father
and the Father is in Me? The words that I speak to you, I
speak not of myself, but the Father that dwells in me, He
does the works" John 14:8-10. Read John 14:15-24 for
many references regarding
the unity between Jesus, His Father and the Holy Spirit, coming
to live in the lives of those who are seeking and searching
to know Him.
How strong
is this love relationship between God for His earthbound children?
Let's consider the relationship that He endeavors to build
with us. "Behold, what manner of love the Father has
bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God...
Beloved, now we are the sons of God, and it does not yet appear
what we shall be; but we know that when He shall appear, we
shall be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. And every
man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as He
is pure" 1 John 3:1-3.
Not only
does God love us, love is the foundation principle of His
law. A lawyer one day asked Jesus a question, "Master,
what is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus answered,
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your mind." This
is the first and great commandment. And the second is like
it, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets,
Matthew 22:35-40. Jesus demonstrated this love principle throughout
His life in service to men, women and children; and He demonstrated
His supreme love for the human race by His sufferings and
sacrifice on the cross of Calvary for you and me.
As you
read the the law of God given to the children of Israel at
Mount Sinai, the first four commandments are based on love
and respect for God; and the last six are based on honoring
father and mother, and on love and respect for one's neighbors,
and doing them no harm, Exodus 20:1-17.
Paul
contrasts the fruit of God's Spirit as "love, joy, peace,
long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance;
against such there is no law" Galatians 5:22, 23.
What
is the assurance that we have of getting to know God and coming
into a relationship with Him? "Then you will call upon
Me, and you will pray to Me, and I will harken to you. And
you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with
all your heart" Jeremiah 29:12, 13.
What
is the benefit of really knowing God and coming into relationship
with Him? At a time when Jesus was praying to His Father,
He said, "This is eternal life, that they may know You,
the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent"
John 17:3.
May you
be blessed as you study the Scriptures this week to seek to
know and understand God's love for you.
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