Geoffrey R. Kirkland
Pastor, Christ Fellowship Bible Church
The Bible teaches that GOD IS LOVE (1 John 4.8). Love is not just something that God does or something that God shows but it stems from His very being, His essential nature, His glorious perfections. God cannot not be loving because His very nature proves to be love. The love of God marvels the mind, captivates the soul, has no bounds, and is never passive or impotently reactive. His love is mighty and strong reaching to the heavens (Psalm 36.5). But sadly, this divine love is often misunderstood.
The love of God first shows itself in the Inter-Trinitarian Godhead. That means within the Godhead, the Intratrinitarian workings and relations one to another, this One God, eternally existing in three Perfect Persons (Father, Son, and Spirit) has always and ever shown infinite and satisfying and happy love toward each member. God’s love is eternal, natural, unfailing and perfectly good.
Additionally, God is love toward His creation. He has a general caring concern for all his creatures. And with that, God has a common grace and general love for all humanity. All whom He has made are objects of His benevolent love.
But there is, however, a most particular and specific love — indeed, a saving love — for all of the elect. God declares that He has loved His covenant-ones with an ‘everlasting love’ (Jeremiah 31.3). This electing love of God came from before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1.4-5). The sweetness of God’s perfect love initiates salvation for the sinful (Romans 5.8). It shows itself in propitiation and wrath-satisfying for sin thru the work of Jesus the mediator (1 John 2:2; 4:9-10). The love of Christ is such that He loves His own, His elect, unto the end; or, “to the max” (John 13:1). O the believer is to study and learn this infinite love that surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3.18-19). This love surpasses all bounds, all limitations, all conceptions, and all desires for it is infinitely delightful and perfect (Ephesians 3.18). It’s like the bride in Song of Solomon who says to her man: “Draw me after you”, so the bride of Christ can say to Christ our Bridegroom because of His perfect delights, “Draw me after you” (Song of Solomon 1.4). Let this strong love of Christ refresh you in trials in that nothing can separate you from this Almighty love (Romans 8.35-39). Truly, this love comforts you (Psalm 119.76) and it forgives (Psalm 130.3-4, 7). Oh, labor hard and perseveringly to know this love (Ephesians 3.19)!
The love of our God perfectly extols and harmonizes with every other divine attribute of God’s character. His love for His own nature guarantees the perfections and faithful outworking of all of His dealings. His holiness and sovereignty and power and compassion fuel and sparkle and radiate the excellencies of this divine lovingkindness. As you have received love of Christ, make it your daily resolve to show this same love for one another (John 15.17).
