Nov 17, 2019
The Love of God
"There are many today who talk about the love of God, who are total strangers to the God of love. The Divine love is commonly regarded as a species of amiable weakness, a sort of good-natured indulgence; it is reduced to a mere sickly sentiment, patterned after human emotion. Now the truth is that on this, as on everything else, our thoughts need to be formed and regulated by what is revealed in Holy Scripture" (Pink, The Attributes of God, 77).
One definition of God's love is the commitment of God to reveal Himself and to act toward His creatures for their benefit. One theologian defines God's love as "that perfection of God by which He is eternally moved to self-communication" (Berkhof, Systematic Theology, 71). Considering these descriptions we see that it is a loving act for God to reveal Himself to us. Because God is the only being in the universe who is what He is, to reveal Himself to us is supremely loving. To know Him is the greatest pleasure for our minds and hearts.
Given the notion that God loves all people in some ways and He loves some people in all ways, the nature of God's love is most stunning and stirring to those who belong to Him.
First, God's love is eternal and infinite. "The love of God is from everlasting to everlasting toward those who fear Him" (Psa 103:17). In its duration, God's love is eternal. In its depth, it is infinite. Second, God's love is unconditional (uninfluenced). He does not love us because He finds in us some attractive virtue which makes us lovable (cf. Rom5:8). Third, God's love is faithful. It never disappoints and never falters, regardless of the difficulties of living (cf. Rom 835-39).