Love of God

January 15, 2016

Devotions:

        “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

We love him, because he first loved us.”  ‭1 John‬ ‭4:10, 19‬ ‭KJV‬‬

        Up until the coming of Jesus the world did not know what true love was.  We had hints thoughout the story of the Old Covenant and God's dealing with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and finally Israel.  Even though it seemed like God was being exclusive there were examples all along of God accepting others into the covenant, for example, Rahab and Ruth.  God's purpose in the Old Covenant was to keep a pure line for the Messiah to come into the earth. With the New Covenant then God calls all mankind into relationship with Him. 

        We find that God's love is unconditional, His acceptance of us is also unconditional as is His forgiveness of us.  His forgiveness and acceptance of us are a dirivitive of His love. 

        “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  ‭Romans‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭NASB‬‬

        We were created to respond to love. We cannot initiate love but we were created to resonate true love, the God kind of love.  The greatest demonstration of that love was the innocent, pure Lamb of God willingly giving up HIs life for us, taking our sins upon Himself.  When we believe this it creates love in us.  The whole universe runs on love. 

        “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”  ‭1 John‬ ‭4:16‬ ‭NASB‬‬