“We love because HE FIRST loved us.”-(1 John 4:19)
Not that we are lovable in ourselves for according to Romans 5 we are “helpless, sinners, ungodly, enemies,”…“BUT GOD clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”-(Romans 5:8 Amplified Bible)! GOD’S LOVE REVEALED; “This is how WE KNOW WHAT LOVE IS: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us…”-(1 John 3:16)
Paul declared, “I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”-{Galatians 2:20}. How did Paul know that theLORD Jesus loved him? “He gave Himself up for me!” How do you know God loves you? The Cross of Christ! He gave Himself up for you! To satisfy the holyness, righteouss of God and His requirements so that you and me would not die in our sin but have our penelty for our sin transferred to Him so that we could be right with Him based NOT on our works but the perfect work of the LORD Jesus who “gave Himself up for me!” Thats wonderful. You can speak thse words to yourself!
We didn’t wake up one day and decide to love God. No one does that of their own accord. We may “love” a “god” of our own imagination- someone we have “created” to conform to us but no one seeks God, there is None right with God according to Romans 3:10-12-“As it is written and forever remains written,“There is none righteous [none that meets God’s standard], not even one. “There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God. ”
The Bible teaches that we are lovers of self, lovers of money, lovers of pleassure, rather than lovers of God.
Paul says that in the last days will be characterized by such people. “For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane, [and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God,”-{2 Timothy 3:2-4 Amplified Bible}
“But God”
…it is who worked in our lives to recognize and receive His love for us that enabled us to love! “He FIRST Loved us…” What a statement! Think on it, people- all of us – opposed to God. Paul puts it this way that we are “enemies of the cross of Christ”- “For there are many, of whom I have often told you, and now tell you even with tears, who live as enemies of the cross of Christ [rejecting and opposing His way of salvation],”-{Philippians 3:18}.
Indeed the cross is “foolishness” to those who do not believe- “For the message of the cross is foolishness [absurd and illogical] to those who are perishing and spiritually dead [because they reject it], but to us who are being saved [by God’s grace] it is [the manifestation of] the power of God.”-{1 Corinthians 1:18 Amplified Bible}.
The cross demonstrates God’s view of sin- the seriousness of it that He did not spare His own Son who died so as to make a way for the sinner to be made right with God through His sinless sacrifice and subsituting for us on that cross! “He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness].”-{2 Corinthians 5:21}
- God INITIATED His love TOWARDS us- That love is demonstrating through His Son, The LORD Jesus Christ and His Cross!
- The ASSURANCE of His love for us -“God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”-(Romans 5:5).
- God MAINTAINS His Love For Us–“To Him who loves us and who has washed us from our sins by His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be the glory and the power and the majesty and the dominion forever and ever. Amen”. –{Revelation 1:6}
- God’s Love For You Is UNREAKABLE- ” For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”-{Romans 8:38-39}
THE INFLUENCE OF GOD’S LOVE;
- God’s Love for us PRODUCES a desired effect in us – the ability to love Him and others.- “WE LOVE BECAUSE He FIRST Loved us “-{1 John 4:19}
- God’s Love for us Is the FOUNDATION and fountain, His love for the unlovable is the primer and motivation for our love for Him.
We love because HE FIRST LOVED US! He INITIATED!
You are loved by God! And can love Him and others,
“We love because HE FIRST loved us.”-(1 John 4:19)
God Bless,
Aidan.