God's Love (Part 1)

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God's Love (Part 1) I. This study will examine the love of God. 1. It focuses primarily on God’s love toward others, not our love toward Him. 2. It also addresses God’s love toward Himself (the Father’s love toward Jesus, and Jesus’ love toward the Father). II. Definitions 1. Love n. – 1. a. That disposition or state of feeling with regard to a person which (arising from recognition of attractive qualities, from instincts of natural relationship, or from sympathy) manifests itself in solicitude for the welfare of the object, and usually also in delight in his or her presence and desire for his or her approval; warm affection, attachment. 2. Love v. – 1. a. trans. With personal obj. or one capable of personification: To bear love to; to entertain a great affection or regard for; to hold dear. III. By nature, we are unlovable. 1. By nature, men… A. are all as an unclean thing and their righteousnesses are as filthy rags (Isa 64:6). B. drink iniquity like water (Job 15:16; Pro 19:28). C. are unrighteous (Rom 3:10). D. have throats that are open sepulchers, tongues that are deceitful, mouths that spew venom and are full of cursing and bitterness, and feet that are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways, they delight in war, and they fear not God (Rom 3:13-18). E. are foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another (Tit 3:3). F. are children of the devil (Joh 8:44). G. are the children of wrath (Eph 2:3). H. have minds that are at enmity with God (Rom 8:7). I. are ungodly (Rom 5:6). J. are sinners (Rom 5:8). K. are God’s enemies (5:10). 2. It is nothing short of miraculous divine grace that God would love any of us. IV. God is love (1Jo 4:8). 1. God is the God of love (2Co 13:11). A. God is defined and characterized by love. B. Pure love is found only in God. 2. But God doesn’t love everything or everyone. A. God can’t even look on iniquity (Hab 1:13). B. Jesus hates sin because He loves righteousness (Heb 1:9). C. God loved Jacob but hated Esau (Rom 9:11-13). D. God hates all workers of iniquity (Psa 5:5). V. God the Father loves His Son Jesus Christ.  1. God loved the Word, the second person of the Trinity (Joh 1:1; 1Jo 5:7), before the foundation of the world (Joh 17:24), before He was made flesh (Joh 1:14) and became the Son of God (Luk 1:35). 2. Jesus is God’s beloved Son (Mat 12:18; Luk 3:22; Luk 9:35). A. Beloved adj. – A. ppl. adj. Loved. (Often well-, best-, first-, etc.) B. Jesus is God’s loved Son. 3. The Father loves the Son and put all things into His hand (Joh 3:35). 4. The Father loves the Son and shows Him all things that He does (Joh 5:20). 5. God loved Jesus because He laid down His life for the elect (Joh 10:17). 6. Jesus knew that the Father loved Him (Joh 15:9). 7. Fathers, make sure your children know you love them. 8. Jesus abode in the Father’s love by keeping His commandments (Joh 15:10). A. Keeping God’s commandments is the outworking of our love for God (Joh 14:15; 1Jo 5:3). B. This is how we abide in Christ’s love (Joh 15:10a). 9. God the Father loves us as He loves Jesus (Joh 17:23). VI. Jesus loves His Father (Joh 14:31). 1. He demonstrated this by always doing those things which pleased Him (Joh 8:29). 2. He also proved this by doing the work that the Father gave Him to do (Joh 4:34; Joh 5:30; Joh 6:38).