“God’s love doesn’t leave us unchanged; it works in us, molding us into the image of Christ.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – February 7, 2024
We love him [God] because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19
Love has several healthy sources, including God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit, who rest at the core of our community of love. The Father loved by sending His Son to earth to display divine love with His life and to give His life in love as payment for our sins. The Son showed love by forgiving sins, healing bodies, and teaching eternal truths. The Spirit expressed God’s love in unifying Christ’s followers, guiding God’s children, and drawing sinners to His irresistible love. God initiates His love to the undeserving so they can generously love others.
C.S. Lewis describes how God pursues us, His creation. He is the Wooer, and we are the wooed, “Our highest activity must be response, not initiative. To experience the love of God in a true, and not an illusory form, is therefore to experience it as our surrender to His demand, our conformity to His desire.” We experience the love of God by surrendering to His initiative.
My wife Rita reminds me how a woman desires to be pursued by her lover. She feels valued. She feels loved. The heart of her lover’s affection is focused on her heart, desiring his very best for his bride. In like manner, Jesus Christ is pursuing His bride to fully experience being beloved.
We encounter this central truth encapsulated in the scripture, “We love him because he first loved us.” This verse encapsulates the essence of divine love, unraveling the reasons behind God’s love for humanity and the purposeful ways in which He personally loves you.
At the core of understanding why God loves us lies the intrinsic nature of God Himself. The Bible teaches that God is love (1 John 4:8). His essence is a boundless, selfless, and unconditional love that surpasses human comprehension. God’s love is not contingent on our worthiness or actions; it emanates from His very being. It is a love that predates our existence, rooted in the eternal nature of God. Scripture reveals that God’s love for us is deeply relational. God fashioned humanity in His image in the creation narrative, signifying an intimate connection. This act of creation reflects a deliberate choice to bring forth beings capable of receiving and reciprocating divine love. God’s love is not arbitrary but purposeful, driven by a desire for communion with His creation. Most of all, His creation in His image is…YOU.
Furthermore, God’s love is manifested in His redemptive plan for humanity. Despite the rebellion and sinfulness of mankind, God initiated a rescue mission. The Bible narrates the story of salvation through Jesus Christ, the embodiment of God’s love. John 3:16 articulates this divine initiative: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross exemplifies the extent to which God is willing to go to reconcile us to Himself.
The manner in which God loves us is multifaceted. His love is steadfast and unchanging, as depicted in Jeremiah 31:3: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” God’s love is not swayed by external circumstances or our shortcomings; it remains a constant anchor in our lives. Moreover, God’s love is transformative. It has the power to change hearts, renew minds, and break the chains of sin. God’s love doesn’t leave us unchanged; it works in us, molding us into the image of Christ. The depth of God’s love is a mystery unfathomable by human intellect, yet it compels us to respond with gratitude, worship, and love in return. So sing His praises as you are pursued by the Lover of your whole being!
“I will sing of your love and justice; to you, Lord, I will sing praise” (Psalm 101:1).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I praise you for pursuing me with your generous love through Christ’s love and in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Application
Reflect on how the Lord’s love is pursuing you and how you can receive His love in a manner that makes you more like Jesus.
Related Reading
Isaiah 54:10; Psalm 36:5-7; Romans 8:35-39; 1 John 4:7-12
Worship Resource
Hillsong Worship: Unending Love
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