For God so loved the world…

Greetings to all our brothers and sisters in the mighty name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The dawn of June brings down curtains on the scorching summer. It also ends the long vacation for the children and opens up new academic year. For the youth it may be joining new college or completion of the course catapulting them into newer zones deciding their future career. June also brings monsoon rains. In Kerala , we used to say School and rains open together in the  first week of June ! May the Lord bless you all in this season, especially the youth and children to be achievers and may the Lord fulfil all your heart’s desire.

Recently I was meditating on the Lord’s amazing love on us. So much is written and spoken about this every day in every forum.  I have read that John 3:16 alone has been translated into more than 4000 languages around the world ! Another oft quoted  verse is  I John 4:8 (God is love).  God’s amazing love is emphasized so much that some times it is interpreted to an extent of “unconditional love” come what may. Alternatively when conveyed to gentiles it may raise  a question as to how can such a loving God allow so much inequalities, injustice, poverty, disease and other evils on us !. I have quoted in my earlier message about a college student I used to know, anointed but later on went astray and started on alcohol and drugs chattering aloud : when sin abounds, His grace abounds….. I don’t know what happened of him in later years…..

Intrigued, my further study revealed that,  of about 35,000 verses in the Holy Bible, there are only about 35 verses which speak about God’s love directly and explicitly. I found that love of God is mostly a hidden expression over the history of man. Whomsoever experienced this, were conscious about it for a brief time and later conveniently forgot , only to suffer , to remember Him again in their misery. The pinnacle came on the cross, an extreme expression of love of God,  when Jesus carried on the cross all our sins, our transgressions and diseases and gave His life to redeem us.   

Then why the love of God is narrated  less than obedience, grace  and faith ? Jesus spoke more about the Kingdom of God, repentance  and judgement than love of God. There are several attributes of our Lord. He is worshipped with thousand Names. The loving God is also a righteous judge. His judgement is non prejudicial. The sacrifice of an unblemished lamb only can cleanse sin. Father God, by His abundant love sent His own Son Jesus as the sacrificial lamb to redeem man from sin. He did not use His sovereign Authority to cleanse man from his sin. Rather as a righteous judge, He executed judgement but gave His only begotten Son as the sacrificial lamb, thereby remaining a righteous loving God. God’s love is “Agape” love enacting the will of God rather than the normal human love of attraction or mutual affection.

Our 85 year old father in law, a very strict disciplinarian,  often comes and stays at our home. During his stay we will take utmost care to ensure that he doesn’t involve himself in any physical domestic work at home. However on several occasions, I have seen that while we are away, he will either go the kitchen and wash all the vessels or sweep and clean the house or press the washed clothes…..despite our protests. His expression of  love is silent and steadfast. Agape love. It is his will. Independent. From his soul.   

God’s love for us is very private. I think He seldom expresses it openly. It is written : “ But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. (Luke 16:20).  Probably every day this father was waiting and keeping his eyes on the pathway to see whether his son would ever return !

Our God is a loving God. But He is also a righteous Judge. He is sovereign. I think a better expression to praise Him is to say : “The Lord is good”.  Psalm 136 :1 declares : “Give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good”.

¹⁷ Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. ( II Corinthians 5:17). Am I born again ? Have I thrown away all my old things  and become a new creature ? Then I would continue to deserve my Father’s love.

God’s Love Missions Family