The Love of God

The poet wrote: “Could we with ink the ocean fill; were every blade of grass a quill. Were all the world of parchment made, and every made a scribe by trade, to write the love of God above, would drain the ocean dry. Nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.”

Jesus said, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16).

It is impossible to measure the extent of His love.

Perhaps no writer of the New Testament had a better grasp of God’s love than John. He simply said, “God is love” (1 John 4:16). Three times in his first epistle he sought to describe the nature of God’s love as it relates to us.

• First, he wrote: “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9).
  God’s love was demonstrated in the sending of His Son. This was done, not because man loved Him, but because He loved us (1 John 4:10).
• Second, he observed: “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16).
  The love of God is clearly seen on the cross. It was God’s love that sent Jesus into this world. It was our sins which took Him to the cross, but it was His love for us which kept Him there.
• Third, he exclaimed: “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not” (1 John 3:1).
  Because He loves us, He has invited us to be a part of His family. There is no greater honor in this world than to be a child of God!

There is no doubt about God’s love.

We never have to ask, “Does He love me?”

He has proven His love for us!

The important question is, “Do we love Him?“

How do you respond? Remember, Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).