Knowing God: Experience & Love Him

The Love of God

God’s special affection for His people

Dr. Ridge Orr

The Love of God handout pdf | docx

Knowing God Series Index

Series Introduction| Knowing God | The Revelatory God | Goodness of God | Holiness of God | Power of God | Omnipresent God | Exalted God | Faithfuness of God | Wisdom of God | Mercy of God |Wrath of God | Love of God | Sovereignty of God | Providence of God

God is love. We all love to say it, but how many of us are really convinced of our Lord’s deep, constant and rich love? Probably not too many of us. We seem to doubt His love more than be strengthened by it. Let’s take a look at God’s transforming love.

The love of God, like repeating constant waves, each capped with special insight of His goodness, beckons us to more deeply trust Him. –Paul Bucknell

A) God’s love defined: (1 John 4:7-8, 16)

The Greek term ‘Agape’, translated ‘love’, is frequently used to indicate God’s loving relationship with His creation.
(cf. John 3:16 ; 5:42 ; Rom. 5:5 , 8 ; 8:35, 39 ; 1 John 4:10 , 11 , 19 ; Rev. 1:5)

‘Agape’ denotes a reasoned love that is not devoid of emotion, but one that loves the object without respect of its value or worth, even though the love may not be reciprocated.

“The better we are acquainted with His love—its character, fullness, blessedness—the more will our hearts be drawn out in love to Him.” (Arthur W. Pink)

B) Arthur W. Pink makes a 7-fold delineation of God’s love,

1. Love is uninfluenced:
   The objects of this love do not contribute to or detract from this love.
   
   It is free, spontaneous, and uncaused – in accord with God’s own purpose. (Deut. 7:7, 8)

2. Love is eternal:
   It has no beginning and no end.
   From everlasting to everlasting God loves His children.
   (Jer. 31:3) (Eph. 1:4)

3. Love is sovereign:
   God as God, does as He pleases and He loves whom He pleases. (Rom. 9:13) (Eph. 1:4, 5)

4. Love is infinite:
   There is no limit to the love of God. It is boundless. (Eph. 3:17-19)

5. Love is immutable:
   God determined by divine eternal decree to express His love according to His good will and purpose. So it remains fixed and certain forever. (Rom. 8:35-39) (John 13:1)

6. Love is holy:
   God’s love is pure, perfect, ruled by principle: entrenched in holiness. (Hebrews 12:6) (Heb. 12:9b-10)

7. Love is gracious:
   Love is most clearly demonstrated in the incarnation of Christ.
   Calvary became the supreme expression of God’s divine love. (John 3:16) (Rom. 8:31b-32, 35a)

“What chains bind us faster and closer than love? Here is love to our nature in his incarnation; love to us, though enemies, in his death and passion; encouragements to obedience by the proffers of pardon for former rebellions.” (Stephen Charnock)

C) God’s love compels us to respond in love:

1. God’s love seeks a total commitment. (Mk. 12:29-31)

2. God’s love necessitates learning to trust Him in all things.
   (Rom. 8:28) (1 John 4:18)

3. God’s love commands us to mutual love relationship, with Christ’s love as the model and standard. (John 13:34-35) (John 15:12-14) (Rom. 13:8, … 10)

4. God’s love must increase, grow, and manifest in true bonds of unity. (Col. 3:12-14) (Phil. 1:9-10) (1 Peter 1:22) (1 Peter 4:8)

5. God’s love pours though our lives to all humanity, even to our enemies. (Luke 6:27, 32, 35a) (Rom. 5:3-5)
   In Summary - (1 Cor. 13:1-8a)

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you believe that God has set His love upon your life? How so or how not?

2. As you are growing in the love of God, select 1 of the 5 compelling areas of response and explain why you find it the most difficult to actualize?

Next => The Sovereignty of God

Biblical Foundations for Freedom ( BFF )

Rev. Paul J. Bucknell