"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
This verse has been called by some the golden text of the Bible because it sums up the eternal purpose of God from the garden and the great truths that it reveals. All the wisdom and learning of men have never brought man to a full comprehension of this love. The greatness of God's love is expressed in the words of F. M. Lehman:
The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled;
And pardoned from his sin.
When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall;
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call;
God's love, so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam's race -
The saints' and angels' song.
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
Truly the love of God is the greatest love ever demonstrated. Jesus told His disciples, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). Paul speaking of God's love said, "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). The greatest love Jesus said would be if a man would give his life for a friend, but God's love surpassed that in that He gave his Son to die for His enemies. Christ did not die for the righteous and the good, but for sinners. It is because of the gift of Christ life that we are reconciled to God (Romans 5:10) and declared to be righteous an by obedience to God's will (Romans 5:12-19; 1 John 2:29).
John wrote "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God" (1 John 3:1). The love of God allows us to enter into a relationship with God, as our Father. This kind of love is pictured in Luke 15, when the son left his father's house and wasted all his living. After the young son found himself in such a terrible position he decided to return to his father and ask to work as a hired servant for him. "And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found" (Luke 15:20-24). The son had left the father house and perhaps "many years" had passed (v. 29), but verse 20 tells us that the father's was looking for him. He sees his son when he was "a great way off " and recognized him and ran to greet him. The son confessed his sins to his father and the father restored his place back to him. The son did not deserve this out pouring of the father's love, but the father's mercy and grace was ready to receive him back. This pictures the love the Father has for us in that we have a Father that will not give up on us. He is willing to forgive us when we turn to him and seek forgiveness by His terms for pardon. God's love is always present. Nothing can separate us from the love of God, but our own selves (Romans 8:35-39). It is man, like the young son who chooses to turn his back on God, "refuse to pray" and commit sin, but "God's love, so sure, shall still endure" waiting for the man to recognize his sin and turn back to Him.
As we think of God's love we are in awe of such great love God expressed for man. Since such great love has been demonstrated for man by God, should not man return that love by obeying and do what God desires? The more we think about God's love, the more we realize that God's love is past finding out.
May we ever be thankful for the great love that God has for us and emulate that kind of love within our lives. Love God and seek to serve him according to His will (John 14:15; 1 John 2:5).
~In Gospel Power, Anderson, Alabama, 9/21/97.