Romans 8:38-39 “And I am convinced that nothing can ever
separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,
neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers
of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the
earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us
from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
As we read in Romans 8:38-39, NOTHING can separate us from
the love of God! What does that love look like?
Today let’s take a look some more characteristics of God’s love.
God’s love is
intrinsic to his nature: 1 John 4:7-8 “Dear friends, let us continue to
love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God
and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” Dr. Charles Stanley writes, “Contrary to the
world’s mindset, the fact that “God is love” does not mean He “winks at” or
excuses sin (Rom. 6:23). However, He forgives us if we are humble enough to
ask.”
God’s love is
universal: He loves both believers
and unbelievers. Luke 7:34 “The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and
drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax
collectors and other sinners!’” 2 Peter
3:9 “The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think.
No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed,
but wants everyone to repent.” These
verses demonstrate God’s amazing love.
He not only wants the vilest of sinners to repent and come to him, but
he even befriends them before they do.
He pursues the heart of every man, woman, boy, and girl seeking
relationship with them. God doesn't wait
for us to repent and “come clean” before he loves us. The Word tells us that “while we were yet
sinners Christ died for us” Romans 5:8.
God’s love is
sacrificial: John 15:13 “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s
life for one’s friends.” Jesus did not just lay down his life for his friends,
as we see in Romans 5:8 and 2 Peter 3:9, he died for everyone. Stuart Briscoe illustrated this well when he
wrote:
Years ago when I was a young banker, we used big leather
ledgers where all accounts were entered by hand. I remember daydreaming about
those ledgers and God’s ledgers in heaven. We are told those books will be
opened. I imagined my name, David Stuart Briscoe, and God adding up the sum
total of my indebtedness against him. I could never cancel the overwhelming
indebtedness. In my mind’s eye, I saw God take his pen and transfer the sum
total of my indebtedness to the account of the Lord Jesus Christ. On the
account of the Lord Jesus, he wrote, "Transferred from the account of
David Stuart Briscoe."
God’s love is
unending: Jeremiah 31:3 “Long ago the Lord said to Israel: ‘I have loved
you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you
to myself.’”
God’s love is
unmerited: Ephesians 2:8 “God saved you by his grace (unmerited favor) when
you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” We cannot earn God’s love. Praise God, the opposite is true as well; we
cannot lose God’s love either!!!! Philip Yancey wrote: “There is nothing we can
do to make God love us more. There is nothing we can do to make God love us
less.”
God’s love is a vast topic of which we have just barely
scrapped the surface. It is given freely
to all who will receive it. Yet it is demonstrated to ALL through the death and
resurrection of Christ.
Max Lucado says it best:
There are many reasons God saves you: to bring glory to
himself, to appease his justice, to demonstrate his sovereignty. But one of the
sweetest reasons God saved you is because he is fond of you. He likes having
you around. He thinks you are the best thing to come down the pike in quite a
while… If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If he had a
wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring and a
sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, he’ll listen. He can live
anywhere in the universe, and he chose your heart. And the Christmas gift he
sent you in Bethlehem? Face it, friend. He’s crazy about you!
The Remodel: Accepting God’s love without hesitation or
fear. Knowing that God is crazy about
us!!!!
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