The Love that Comes From God

The Love That Comes From God

We read that God is love. (1 John 4:8 & 16)
We read that the love God has for the world is the reason He sent Jesus. (John 3:16)
We read in Romans 5:8 (NASB 2020) that "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

This is real love.
It is God’s love.
It is love that reaches out first.
It is love that risks rejection.

Love is perfected when it is reciprocated.
God reached out in love though He knew that many would reject Him.

We often read that we are to love God, but if God coerced us, manipulated us, or forced us to love Him, our love would be no more than a sham. We might act loving when His eye was on us, but our hearts would be bitter and cold toward Him.

That we have the ability to reject Him--freedom to choose--is necessary for there to be a real love relationship between us and God.

This kind of risk-taking love is not natural to us. We cannot will ourselves to love this way. That’s why we read in 1 John 4:19 that we love because He first loved us. His Spirit, His Life, His Love within us is the only way it’s possible for us to have this love or give it to anyone.

In Greek the word is agapé. This kind of love comes from God (1 John 4:7) and has been poured into our new hearts (Romans 5:5). It is from the overflow of His agape love within our hearts that we can extend such love to those around us.

He is the source of it.
He gave it to us.
That’s why we can show it to others.

God’s love, agapé love, that’s true love.