Welcome!
Last time we talked about the sameness of God, a part of His character. It’s important for you to know that God is always the same and never changes. When you are firmly established in this fact, you will never doubt His greatest attribute: His love. The Bible says, “God is love” (I John 4:8 NIV). Most of us have heard that sentence before, but what does it mean for you?
Some Background
You may or may not know that the New Testament was written in Greek. Unlike the English language, the Greek language has more than one word for love. For example, the word “philadelphia” is a Greek word meaning “brotherly love.” A similar word, “phileo” (fil-eh’-oh), refers to a feeling of warm affection. Phileo is an instinctive, emotional love, like the feeling you have for your friends or neighbors. It was used to describe Jesus’ love for John, His disciple, and Peter’s love for Jesus (John 13:23; 21:15-17).
Another Greek word for love is “agape” (ag-ah’-pay). This is the word for love you see in the verses that say, “God is love” (I John 4:8, 16). You may have heard agape described as perfect love. In a way, this is true because it is the type of love God has for you, and He is perfect. However, there is a much richer meaning to this kind of love.
What Kind of Love is This?
Agape, unlike phileo, is a conscious choice. It is a decision God made on purpose to love you. This means God loves you regardless of circumstances. Maybe you have people in your life who are hard to love, so your love for them diminishes over time, or disappears completely. Maybe there have been times in your life when you were hard to love, and you experienced people withdrawing their love from you. This never happens with God’s love.
Agape is stable and strong. Agape is trustworthy. “God is agape” means God is His decision to love you. And remember His sameness; God never changes and He does not change His mind (Malachi 3:6, James 1:17, Numbers 23:19). God doesn’t love you less or more when you are less or more consistent in your relationship with Him. He loves you the same, always. He is always looking for ways to show you His love (II Chronicles 16:9 KJV). But He doesn’t stop there.
The Bible says God has poured His love- His agape- into your heart (Romans 5:5). This means He has given you the ability to express His love to others. Think about that for a moment: Just like God, you can make a conscious choice to love people with His stable, strong, and trustworthy love. You can take the love He has poured into you and share it with others so they can know His love too. I Corinthians 13:4-8a, part of the Love Chapter, tells you how to do this.
The Main Point
Love is God’s greatest attribute. His love for you is not an emotion that changes with His mood; it is a decision He made on purpose to love you no matter what. His love for you is stable, strong, and trustworthy. He will never change His mind about loving you. Even more, He has poured His love into you, so you can love others the same way He loves you.
Over the next several days, I encourage you to read scriptures that reinforce the fact God loves you, as well as how to show His love to others. As you read, take a few minutes to think about each sentence and remind yourself that they are God’s words to you.
| I John 4:7-12, 16 | III John 2 (KJV) |
| John 3:16 | Ephesians 2:4-10 |
| John 15:9-17 | I Corinthians 13:4-8a |
| John 17:25, 26 | Jeremiah 31:3 |
| Romans 5:5-8 | Zephaniah 3:17 |
How has God opened your eyes to His love? Leave a comment below!