There’s a verse in the Bible that bids us to stop and ponder the fact that God loves us:
1 John 3:1 (NKJV) — 1 Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore, the world knows us not, because it knew him not.
What manner of love is this love of God? It’s beyond our human comprehension. In fact, in order to begin to comprehend the magnitude of God’s love, one is in need of the help of God, the Holy Spirit, to behold what love the Father has bestowed upon us.
Ephesians 3:14–19 (ESV) — 14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Please look again at the passage above. To get to know the love of God, one needs the grace of God to be strengthened with power from the Spirit, that Christ may dwell in your heart by faith, which is a gift from God. In addition, one needs to be rooted and grounded in love and be given strength to comprehend the love of God, which surpasses knowledge. The result of all this is to be filled with the fullness of God.
Wow! To behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us takes grace upon grace and diligence to make use of the multiple blessings of God’s grace but oh how sweet the result.
To behold God’s love is nothing like beholding the splendor of the Grand Canyon, which in itself is spectacular. There’s nothing in all creation that even comes close in comparison. If you yawn when you think of God’s love for you, you haven’t really taken in the magnitude of God’s love. It’s certainly not like our loving God, although we only love Him because He first loved us.
1 John 4:19 (KJV) — 19 We love him, because he first loved us.
His love for us caused Him to send His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to live a perfect life and to die for our sins, thereby becoming our propitiation, or the means whereby God satisfied His anger toward us because He cannot tolerate sin. No wonder John brought this up when he considers the magnificent love of God.
1 John 4:10 (ESV) — 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
John 3:16 (ESV) — 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 5:6–8 (ESV) — 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Every effort to seek after God’s help in being able to comprehend the unfathomable love of God is worth it because it brings us rest and peace as He quiets us in the assurance of His love rather than our efforts.
Zephaniah 3:17 (ESV) — 17 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
Think of the love of God quieting our hearts as we face the difficulties of life. It’s like we see in Psalm 23, where the Shepherd of our souls leads us beside still waters.
Psalm 23:1–6 (ESV) — 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Just as Jesus, the great shepherd, was sent here to take away our sins, so He ever lives to make intercession for us and will come again for us all because of the magnificent love of God.
Hebrews 7:25 (ESV) — 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
John 14:1–3 (ESV) — 1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
No matter what aspect of the Christian life you examine, we enjoy great blessings all because of the love of God. The very fact that His love is everlasting, and His love comes to us when we do not deserve it, we should desire to know more of His love and reflect His love in our desire to know Him more and to love others.
Jeremiah 31:3 (ESV) — 3 the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
If you know anything of the love of God, consider yourself blessed and seek for the grace to know more.
Godspeed,
Bob Brubaker, Pastor
Christ Community Presbyterian Church
Clearwater, FL
Check out the PowerBreak podcast wherever you download podcasts or from our website, www.bobbrubaker.com.
