God is Love
When people talk about love they often turn to 1Corinthians 13, but as beautiful as that chapter is, it actually only tells us what love is like.John, the "apostle of love", makes the argument that love is not a thing or an emotion, but the very expression of who God is.
Look at the progression in John's argument:
- We who call ourselves Christians, should love, because love comes from God.
- Love is the hallmark of those who are born of God and know God.
- In fact, love is not optional, because God is love.
What is love? Love is God!
What did Love (God) do?
- He showed love by sending His Son
(John makes it clear that God took the first steps - He always makes the first move to us - He always initiates) - His Son made it possible for us to live - He died as an atoning (at-one-ment) sacrifice.
- Love (God) makes it possible for us to love others
- Love enacted makes God visible.
What is Love? Love is God and God is love.
What did love do?
- Love (God) always takes the first step.
- Love (God) self-reveals and comes to us
- Love (God) makes sacrifices for atonement
- Love (God) enables us to love. (If we don't love then we don't know God.)
What is love? John 3:16.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son..."
When we were far away, insensitive and unresponsive, God came to us.
He saved us and knowing Him transforms us. This is God and God is love!
| Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (1John4:7-12) |
