The Love of God

As humans, when we think of the word love we have a tendency to think of it as something that causes positive emotions, resulting in a person experiencing happiness. When demonstrating love, we often do good deeds, are generous, kind, gentle, compassionate and  thoughtful towards others. These are all excellent examples of how to  show love. All Christians should be loving, in this way.  

However, as Saints of God, we must bare in mind that godly love is not one dimensional. It has different sides and depths. It often looks much different than what the human mind can comprehend. The apostle Paul said, “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God,” Ephesians 3:17-19. 

Love has always been and will always be. “God is love,” I John 4:8.  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God,” John 1:1-2. Jesus Christ is the word of God personified. One could also read this scripture as,  In the beginning was Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ was with God, and Jesus Christ was God. Jesus Christ was in the beginning with God. Therefore, if God is love then Jesus Christ is love because Jesus Christ is God the Son.

Not only is Jesus the word of God personified, He is the love of God personified. Every word He spoke and everything He did was an act of love. When the Jews wanted to stone a woman caught in adultery, in Christ’s great mercy and wisdom, He simply said to her accusers “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her,” John 8:7. That was an act of love. He also said to the woman, “Go, and sin no more,” John 8:11. Those were words of love. Jesus made a whip out of  small chords and whipped the men who were merchandising God’s house, John 2:15. This too was an act of love.

Throughout the synoptic gospels, we see through the actions of Christ that love is multi-dimensional. Love is merciful, kind, long-suffering, compassionate and tenderhearted. It is also just, righteous and truthful. In order to truly understand and demonstrate the love of God, we must continually seek the Lord and allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us in our actions towards others.