May 12, 2004

Reading: 1 John 4:6-10

 

“God is love” (8)

 

When we fall in love it is usually because we really like a person—their personality, looks, ambitions and dreams—not necessarily in that order. Our feelings for this person makes us want to spend the rest of our life with them sharing their dreams, etc. As far as we are concerned they are the only one in the world about whom we feel this way.

Aren’t you glad God doesn’t love that way? Some of you I do not know personally but I am confident of one thing—there is nothing in your personality, looks, ambitions and dreams that attracts God. Neither is there anything you have done that causes Him to love you. Some might say, “I have accepted Jesus as my Savior, this is why God loves me.” I would suggest that our salvation and right standing before God is because He has accepted us. We were dead in our trespasses and sins when He saved us—talk about unattractive!

You see, God is love—that is who He is. We have been brought into His love and made participators of it. Jesus told His disciples “I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you” John 14:20. We are participants in a wonderful eternal relationship. The fact that we are in God and He in us means that we are in His love, for God is love. Colossians 3:3 says, “Your life is hidden with Christ in God.” We, as those chosen and accepted by God, are not just objects of His love, but are in His love. God is love and we are in Him.

Solomon depicted this magnificent truth by likening God’s love as a banqueting house into which we have been brought. “He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love” Song of Solomon 2:4. This is of no self accomplishment—He brought me into it. Now that I am in His love I am a participant of it. When I first scuba dived I had a similar emotion. Under the surface of the sea I was in a different environment. The world above was shut out and I was surrounded by water. Fortunately it was in Hawaii so it was warm water. Fish swam all around me—something that doesn’t happen in my normal environment. There was no sound—nothing but peace and quiet. I was not only surrounded by that environment, I was in it. So it is with the love of God, I am not only surrounded by it, I am in it. God is love and I am in Him and He in me.

It is difficult for us to perfectly understand these things because human love works differently. So that we might understand better, God has compared Himself to many things. He is a father—“As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him” Ps 103:13, Isa 63:16; a mother—“As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you” Isa 66:13; a shepherd—“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” Ps 23:1, Isa 40:11; a hen over chickens—“How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings” Matt 23:37, and so forth. With each of these illustrations the Holy Spirit (the Author) shows us different aspects of the love of God.

Let us take comfort in this, that the God of Love has accepted us because we are in Christ and we are hid with Christ in God. This is as close to a heavenly environment as we will experience while here on earth. May God enable us to enjoy being encased in His love, and from it receive refreshing nourishment and comfort and strength.

“Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you” 2 Cor 13:11.