People long for a love that is perfect, complete, and fulfilling. First John 4 is the record of that kind of love. Verse 12 says, "No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us." Verse 17 says, "Herein is our love made perfect." Verse 18 says, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear." Perfect love is available to men.
The New Testament uses many adjectives to describe the love of God: brotherly, unfeigned, believing, serving, abounding, forgiving, comforting, laboring love. But the greatest description is perfect love.
It Can Be Hard to Believe God Is Love
Some people find it hard to believe that God is love. They say, "If God is a God of love, how can He allow so much injustice in the world?" The backcover of John Wenham's book The Goodness of God (Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP, 1974), reads as follows: "Look at the world around us: History is a long tale of man's inhumanity to man. Spain had its Inquisition, Britain its Atlantic slave trade, Germany its gas chambers, Russia its Siberian labor camps, the United States its Indian reservations. And the world is still swept by fear and lust, greed and racial tension.
"Nature too seems twisted. Babies are born deformed. They inherit diseases and tendencies to insanity. Ours is a world of preying animals, parasites, viruses and bacteria.
"The Bible itself even raises the question. It records tyranny, cruelty, mutilation--eyes gouged out, hands lopped off--deceit, licentiousness, war. Not only war but God-sent war. Assyria, one of the cruelest nations of history is called the rod of God's anger."
Wenham writes, "Easy answers could not possibly be right .... we [must] realize that we are children, that we are fools, that we are at heart conceited, stiff-necked rebels, who will get everything wrong, unless we are prepared to give up telling God what he should like and what he should do" (p. 10).
Objectors simply tell us what sin has done, not what God has done. People ask "If God is a God of love, why doesn't He stop all the wars?" The obvious answer is He didn't start them. The Word of God says God is love. I believe it. All you have to do to prove it is look at the cross.
2. The character of God's love
a) It is unconditional
There are no conditions to God's love. He loves everyone the same.
b) It is tough
When many people think of someone who is loving, they think of someone who doesn't make waves. But that's not true. Parents love their children, yet they discipline them. God loves us, but does not indulge us.
c) It is compassionate
In Jeremiah 13:13-16 God tells the people He will destroy them if they don't change their behavior and give Him glory. Then in verse 17 he says, "But if ye will not hear it ... mine eye shall weep bitterly." He feels for His people and wants what's best for them.
By nature God is love. If we are His children, we will love. Our love will be unconditional--no one will have to earn it and it will be available to all. Our love will be tough and not indulgent. Love does not tolerate sin; it rebukes sin. Our love will be like God's--it will be compassionate even in judgment.
Ephesians 5:1 says, "Be ye, therefore, followers of God, as dear children." God is our Father; we are to manifest His character. Verse 2 says, "Walk in love." Why? Because that manifests God's character. We are to do that which manifests God.
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