This is a continuation of a series on the attributes of God.
When we speak of God’s attributes, we are talking about those characteristics that help us to understand who He truly is. One of these attributes is “love.” Or, we could say—in the words of John—that God is love.
Where it is in the Bible
“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”
(1 John 4:8)
“The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”
(Deuteronomy 7:7-8)
“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us… But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
(Romans 5:5, 8)
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? …[Neither] 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.”
(Romans 8:35, 39)
What it means
We all have a basic understanding of what love is, but we are unable to comprehend the depths of True love. This is the love that God embodies. God is the genesis of love. He is its source, and it is by Him that we experience love.
God’s love is based in a supreme desire to glorify Himself, for He is the being most worthy of love. By seeking His own glory, God pours forth His love upon His creation that it might better give glory to Him.
Why it matters
God loves His creation and, above all other creation, God loves His people — those whom He will take with Himself into eternal glory! This is one of the greatest truths of Scripture: in spite of who we are and though God hates the workers of iniquity (Psalm 5:5), in spite of all this, God still loves us! It’s amazing.
