Ministering: A/P Alaba Olanipekun.
Text: 1 John 4:8-11.
” 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 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. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.“
God is Love. The Personality of God is Love, He cannot help to show Love. All He does is motivated by Love. The Bible is essentially the story of God’s Love towards humanity.
Gideon questioned the proof of God’s Love in Judges 6:12 – this is the position of many today, many doubt God’s infinite love for them. God’s love in Christ is unconditional. David in Psalm 8:4 & 144:3 was curious to know why God’s Mind is full of love for Man – What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?
Job likewise in Job 7:17 – “What is man, that You should exalt him, That You should set Your heart on him. Because Man doubts God’s Love, God through The Bible reveals His Love for Man. Job 15:14 speaks prophetically of God sending His Son to cleanse man of his sins. “What is man, that he could be pure? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous?
Are you doubting God’s love for you because of what you are going through? God also said in Isaiah 49:15 – “Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb?
Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. Romans 5:8 also says “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
None can love man like God. Even the love of any man is suspicious. Only God’s Love is genuine, pure and unconditional. God alone can dealy love any sinner. In Acts 9:13-15, we see Ananias questioning The Lord why He would chose a vessel like Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus). In John 8, we see The Lord acquitting a woman caught in the act and telling her “…. Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more”. This is a great height of love to an adulterer.
In Luke 15, we see a Father expressing great love to a repentant prodigal son. This is an allegory of God’s love towards man. God’s Hand is always open to receive any repentant child. God’s Prayer for us is to know His Love for us in Christ. Ephesians 3:19 – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Regardless of any situation you are going, never doubt the Love of God for you. His Son laid down His Life for You on The Cross to show the height of The Father’s Love for humanity. The Knowledge of His Love is to release on us to the fullness of God.
His Love also makes us a conqueror. Romans 8 – Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Mark 10:21 – Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”
Isaiah 43:4 – Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored. And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you. And people for your life.
Even when we err and He chastises us, it is always in Love He disciplines us because we are His Children. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him. Hebrews 12:5.
The knowledge of The Love of God is to build our confidence and honor for God.
In closing, If God can sacrifice His Son for us, what will He not give us? Can anything be greater than Redemption? Romans 8:32 – He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? God is not mad at you, He Loves you and wants you to know the Love is God’s identity, Love is Who He is. A Person’s Identity never changes regardless of what they are going through.
God Bless You!
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