Among the different attributes of God that have been considered in previous articles in this series, the one before us now has a certain uniqueness. We read in the Bible that God is gracious, merciful, holy, righteous, eternal, etc., not God is grace, God is mercy, God is holiness, God is eternity. In other words, His attributes are given as adjectives, descriptors of Himself. But when we come to the attribute of love, we do not merely read that "God is loving," but rather that "God is love" (1 John 4:8,16). This would seem to suggest that love, as the very nature of God, undergirds, entwines, and binds together all of the other attributes of God. His love is most evident in all of His works.

What is love? There are many kinds and definitions of love. There are many kinds of feelings and emotions that are termed by humans as "love." Perhaps the greatest overuse and misuse of the term "love" is in connection with activities or inanimate objects. For example, "I love to read" or "I love that red dress." "Love" is also used to describe the good feelings one may have toward another because of having been physically, emotionally, or spiritually close to that person; examples of these are the love of relatives or friends, romantic love, and sexual love. There is yet another kind of love, perhaps best exemplified in human experience by the attitude of a parent toward his/her child. The parent may not receive much in the way of emotional or spiritual benefit from being with the child, but even when having to discipline the child for bad behavior can still honestly say to the child, "I love you." This is a love that finds value in another and wants the other to be and to have what is good. This latter kind of love comes closest to exemplifying_in the human sphere_the characteristics of the love of God.

The love of God might be defined as that attitude that places such a value on others that it seeks the welfare, the blessing of the other without demanding or seeking or expecting anything in return. This love often has a sacrificial quality. It has been suggested by another that there are three kinds of love_"if love," "because love," and "in spite of love." The first kind of love says, "If you will do such and such for me, if you satisfy my desire, I will love you and be your friend." The second, similar to the first, says, "I love you because you always treat me so nicely and pay attention to me," or "Because you have been good to me, I will love you and try to repay your goodness." The third, on the other hand, says, "In spite o/all the terrible things you have said and done against me, yet will I continue to love you and do all I can to help you achieve the greatest happiness and the highest blessings." Clearly, this third kind of love best describes God’s love for us.

So much for definitions. Let us see what we can learn from the Scriptures concerning the love of God.

The Pentateuch refers often to the people’s need to love God (for example, Exod. 20:6; Deut. 6:5; 11:1; 30:20), less often to God’s love for the people. Nevertheless, we find in the Book of Deuteronomy:"Because He [God] loved thy fathers, therefore He … brought thee . . . with His mighty power out of Egypt" (4:37). "The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people" (7:7). "Nevertheless the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee" (23:5).

"My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of His correction; for whom the Lord loveth He correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth" (Prov. 3:11,12).

"Since thou wast precious in My sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee. … I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west (Isa. 43:4-6).

"The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love:therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee" (Jer. 31:3).

"Then said the Lord unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine" (Hos. 3:1).

"When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. … I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love" (Hos. 11:1,4).

"The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing" (Zeph. 3:17).

We see from these verses in the Old Testament that God’s love is generally mentioned in connection with gathering his people, bringing them back to Himself, and delivering them from affliction which they got themselves into. Let us now look at some New Testament references to God’s love.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

"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 creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:38,39).

"God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ" (Eph. 2:4,5).

"Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth" (Heb. 12:6).

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God" (1 John 3:1).

"Beloved, let us love one another:for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love. 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. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:7-10).

From the foregoing verses from both the Old and New Testaments, we see the following features of God’s love:

1. God’s love is everlasting and unchanging (Jer. 31:3; Rom. 8:38,39).

2. God’s love finds value in its object (Isa. 43:4).

3. God’s love is independent of the behavior or attractiveness of its object (Deut. 7:7; Hos. 3:1; Rom. 5:8; Eph. 2:4).

4. God’s love delights to bring blessing (Deut. 23:5; Isa. 43:4-6; Hos. 11:1,4; 1 John 3:1).

5. God’s love may have to bring pain to its object to achieve blessing (Prov. 3:11,12; Heb. 12:6).

6. God’s love is self-sacrificial (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8; 1 John 4:7-10).

The love of God the Father is found equally in God the Son, as evidenced by the following Scriptures.

"As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you" (John 15:9). Who can imagine a greater love than this_the love of God the Father toward His Son! So great is Christ’s love toward us. "The love of Christ . . . passeth knowledge" (Eph. 3:19).

"The love of Christ constraineth us … that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again" (2 Cor. 5:14,15). Rather than forcing His redeemed ones to be obedient out of fear of punishment, Christ constrains us, encourages us, challenges us_by constantly reminding us of His tremendous love to us_to live for Him.

In a similar fashion, we are exhorted to "walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God" (Eph. 5:2). "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren" (1 John 3:16). The love of Christ knew no bounds. He gave Himself for us. He was forsaken of God for our sakes. The wrath of God fell upon Him because of our sins. And this is set as the standard, the measure, of our love for one another. What a challenge to our souls!

Well might we offer all praise and worship and adoration to our precious Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, in response to His great love to us:"Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father:to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen" (Rev. 1:5).

This topic will be continued, Lord willing, in the next issue, as we consider in more detail how we as Christians are to show forth the love of God in our own lives.