“…and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:2
Dear Ones:
The thoughts of God as opposed to those of man, on whatever subject that could be considered, are as vast as the heavens are above the earth. Not only could we think of the difference with regard to distance, but also, in nature and magnitude. We think of “love” as an act of kindness, a selfless commitment to someone, or the reaching out to someone in need. This is an expression of love. But there is something even higher. In the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians, he writes extensively on the subject of love, or rather, of two loves. Jesus spoke of these two loves when He asked Peter, “Do you love Me?” In what has been called, the “high priestly” prayer of Jesus, He prayed to the Father, requesting: “…that the love wherewith You have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” (Jn. 17:26) What is He saying here? He is speaking of one particular love from the Father, a heavenly love, communicated by the Holy Spirit. It is a given love. This is why Jesus is specifically praying for it. We might want to immediately contrast this thought again with the concepts that we have of the love of natural man. Can we say that natural man truly “loves” others? Yes. Can we say also that the love of God excels that of man? Yes. We might even go so far as to say that the love of unbelieving man for others, might just be a very faint and pale reflection of God’s love. This why Christ will pray for the love of the Father to be given. Though the love coming from the heart of natural man is beautiful when compared with other actions of men, it does not compare with the beauty, power, and eternal worth of the love of God. Peter learned the difference. Paul did also, when, in spite of his great efforts to love, he discovered that, “…in my flesh dwells no good thing.” (Romans 7:18)
Since we have all seen wonderful examples of love from unbelievers, and believers alike, let us seek to grasp something of the love that comes from God. The first thing we need to see is that “God IS love.” The love of God is not an action or attitude. It is a person. To know Him, is to begin to know this love. Essential to the entire character of God is His love, unending, unchanging, as immutable and powerful as He is righteous, good, and holy. We find that because He IS what He IS, for He has said that His name is, “I AM THAT I AM,” the great expression and demonstration of HIS love is that it gives. In the consideration of the love of God, there is NO point of reference in sinful man. The love of God is perfectly selfless, sinless, pure, holy, and good. It never ceases to be this, regardless of what happens on this earth. It gives wholly and without reserve. There is no partiality in this love, no element of measurement. When God the Father gave the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, to come, suffer, and die for the sins of all men, He did so with ALL His heart. There was no reservation. The love of God is always according to wisdom and righteousness. In His wisdom, He knew that there was no other way to save men from their sins, Satan, and eternal death. In His righteousness, He did that which was “right and true,” taking the only path that could be taken to accomplish love’s objective, to “seek and to save that which was lost.”
How then can we know, live, and give, this love of Christ? The key is Christ Himself. To possess Christ is to possess this love. It is by prayer and faith, that the pursuit of such love will certainly be rewarded. It is still the Father who gives it in Christ, by the Spirit.
Dear Father, Give us grace to abide in communion with Christ, receiving and living this love Divine. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad