The God of
Love
Living with the
assurance of His
unfailing
devotion
By
Charles F.
Stanley
One of our
greatest
comforts is the
fact that God
never changes.
Unless we
realize that
this truth
includes His
love—which He
gives us no
matter
what—insecurities
and feelings of
unworthiness
will rob us of
the abundant
life Christ
promised. Yet
many Christians
struggle with
doubts because
they see such
convincing
“proof” that
they’re not
lovable. They
are bombarded
with thoughts
like, Just look
at what I’ve
done, how
I’ve treated
people, the way
I’ve wasted my
life. How could
the Lord ever
forgive me and
use me for His
purposes? The
problem is that
we assume He
loves in the
same way we do.
Our feelings for
others
continually
change, but
that’s not the
way the Lord
operates.
The
Basis of God’s
Love
The Greek
word for God’s
love is agape,
which includes
the idea of
being
“sacrificial and
unconditional in
nature.” The
Lord unselfishly
gives Himself to
us in order to
bring about good
and blessing in
our lives. Agape
not only
originates from
Him; it is
essential to His
being. In fact,
it’s His very
nature, or as
1 John 4:8
tells us, “God
is love”
(emphasis
added). In other
words, the Lord
does not cease
to love, because
in order to do
so He would have
to cease being
Himself.
Just think
what your life
would be like if
God’s love were
dependent upon
your character
and behavior.
You’d be on a
spiritual roller
coaster, up one
day and down the
next. Because no
one can live up
to the Lord’s
perfect
standard, a
sense of
uncertainty and
unworthiness
would always be
lurking in your
soul. There’s no
grace in living
that way—only
joyless legalism
and bondage. The
heavenly Father
won’t love you
more when you
are good and
less when you’re
bad, because His
affections are
based not on
your worthiness
but on His
unchanging
character.
Understanding
Divine Love
The best way
to learn about
God’s
unfathomable
love is to
examine how
Christ
interacted with
various people
when He lived on
earth. I’m going
to categorize
several biblical
characters so
that you can
more readily
identify with
them. As you
examine each one
and observe
Jesus’ words and
actions, think
about how the
same
unconditional
love applies to
you.
The Impulsive
Responder—Peter
(Matt.
14:28-29;
16:21-23;
26:31-35, 69-75)
There’s no
one quite like
Peter. He was an
outspoken,
take-charge kind
of guy, and in
whatever he did,
he went full
throttle. When
Peter saw Jesus
walking on the
water, he was
the only
disciple to step
overboard in
faith. But
sometimes his
mouth ran faster
than his brain,
and that got him
into trouble.
When Christ
explained that
He was going to
be crucified,
Peter actually
rebuked the Son
of God.
But Peter’s
greatest failure
began at the
Last Supper when
he refused to
listen to the
Lord’s prophetic
warning that all
the disciples
would fall away.
Just hours after
confidently
asserting his
unending
loyalty, he
denied Jesus—not
once, but three
times (Mark
14:27-30).
Maybe you can
identify with
Peter. Have you
ever made rash
statements or
jumped into
action too
quickly? Perhaps
your own
self-reliance
has resulted in
a humiliating
disappointment.
None of these
things can
disqualify you
from being loved
and used by God.
He specializes
in taking broken
people and
making them into
useful servants.
Soon after
Jesus’
resurrection, He
reached out
specifically to
Peter to begin
the process of
restoring him.
When the women
went to the
tomb, the angel
told them, “Go,
tell His
disciples and
Peter” (Mark
16:7,
emphasis added).
Christ never
stopped loving
him. Knowing
Peter’s
potential, He
allowed Satan to
sift out the
pride that was
hindering the
disciple from
becoming a
humble spiritual
leader.
We sometimes
think that God’s
love is
expressed only
in tender ways,
but He’s a
caring heavenly
Father who
corrects and
disciplines His
children for
their good. He
uses our hard
times and
failures to
shape our
character and
train us to be
dynamic
servants.
The Worldly
Compromiser—Zaccheus
(Luke
19:1-10)
Since tax
collectors were
seen as
traitors, they
weren’t popular
in Israel. It
was bad enough
that they
collected taxes
for the Romans,
but many of them
also cheated the
Jews by
demanding two or
three times more
than they were
authorized to
charge. Since
Zaccheus was a
chief tax
collector, you
can be sure that
he was a hated
man, yet when
Jesus saw him
perched in a
sycamore tree,
He called out to
him. That’s what
God’s love
always does—it
reaches out to
draw us into a
relationship. It
doesn’t matter
what we’ve done
in the past, or
even what sins
we’re currently
committing.
Christ doesn’t
evaluate our
lives to see
whether we’re
worthy of Him.
He simply takes
us as we are.
Although the
crowd was
horrified at
Jesus’
demonstration of
kindness to this
sinner,
Zaccheus’s
response was
amazing. He
committed to
give half his
possessions to
the poor and
make a four-fold
restitution to
those he’d
cheated.
Zaccheus wasn’t
shamed into
salvation and
holy living; he
was won over by
the Savior’s
gracious
acceptance and
wanted to live
in a manner
worthy of the
love he’d been
given.
Have you felt
a sense of
condemnation
because you’ve
compromised with
the world’s
values and done
things you
shouldn’t have?
Although an
encounter with
the Lord always
brings our sins
to light, Jesus’
love for us
offers hope and
shows a way out.
When we receive
Him as Savior,
there is no
longer any
condemnation.
His love frees
and motivates us
to live the rest
of our days for
Him.
The Moral
Failure—The
Woman at the
Well (John
4:3-30)
In His
interactions
with people,
Jesus knew
exactly how to
get to the heart
issues. When He
met the
Samaritan woman
at the well, He
guided the
conversation’s
many tangents
toward the
answer to her
deepest need—the
Messiah’s
unfailing love,
unlike the love
she’d been
looking for in
all the wrong
places. After
five marriages,
she was now
living with a
man who was not
her husband. As
a result of her
immoral
behavior, she
wasn’t accepted
by the community
and came to the
well in the heat
of the day when
no one else
would be there.
When Jesus
found her, He
firmly but
tenderly
revealed her
secrets and
unveiled her
thirsting heart.
Then He offered
her the living
water of the
Spirit—a drink
that would
finally bring
the satisfaction
she had sought
all her life.
What’s amazing
about this scene
is how Christ
uncovered her
sin in a way
that didn’t
erect barriers
of self-defense.
She was so
transformed by
His love that
she went into
town and told
everyone about
Him, inviting
them to come
meet the Messiah
as well.
Have you been
trying to fill
the empty place
in your heart
with
relationships
that can never
bring lasting
satisfaction?
God created you
for an intimate
relationship
with Himself. As
wonderful as
human
friendships,
family
connections, and
marriage can be,
nothing is able
to take the
Lord’s place in
our lives.
The Nobody—Bartimaeus
(Mark
10:46-52)
Blind beggars
were considered
“nobodies” in
Israel. They
might receive
pity and
charity, but
never meaningful
attention or
recognition—most
people simply
walked by as if
they were
invisible. But
one day, as
Bartimaeus
called out to
Jesus for mercy,
the Lord
stopped, had a
conversation
with him, and
healed his
vision.
Do you feel
like a nobody?
Maybe your life
seems like an
endless cycle of
pointless work,
TV watching, and
sleep. Or
perhaps you
struggle with
loneliness—no
one even notices
you anymore.
Many people feel
insignificant
and unimportant
when they age or
become ill and
can no longer
work in the ways
they used to.
Their lives
slowly shrink
down to a single
room, or even a
bed. They lie in
hospitals and
nursing homes,
often forgotten
by the world.
But the Lord
knows exactly
where you are
and has never
taken His eyes
off you. “Even
to your old age
I will be the
same, and even
to your graying
years I will
bear you!” (Isa.
46:4). His
love for us
doesn’t cease
just because we
feel useless or
insignificant.
The best way to
renew hope and
purpose is to
take our eyes
off ourselves
and turn them to
the Son of God.
When you focus
on His Word,
your sense of
self-worth
becomes grounded
in truth instead
of fluctuating
emotions. Christ
considered you
worth dying for,
and He loves you
no matter what
your physical,
emotional, or
spiritual
condition is.
It’s
a Matter of
Faith
The fact that
God loves us is
undeniable. He’s
said so in His
Word and
demonstrated it
through His Son.
Whenever we
wallow in our
own unworthiness
and rehearse the
reasons He
couldn’t
possibly love
us, we display
unbelief.
Sometimes we
must simply
accept His care
for us by faith.
The more we
choose to
believe the Lord
instead of our
feelings, the
stronger our
certainty of His
love will
become. Then
when faith sets
us free from
these doubts,
we’ll experience
the fruitful,
joyful life God
has planned for
us.
For
Further Study
-
Reconciling
God’s Love
and Justice
Read
John 8:1-11.
How did
Jesus
demonstrate
love for the
woman caught
in adultery?
In our
culture, a
loving
response to
sinners has
often been
equated with
tolerance of
sin. How do
Jesus’
parting
words to the
woman
contradict
this
thinking (v.
11)?
-
Reconciling
Our
Suffering
with God’s
Love
Read
Romans
8:35-39.
Are
difficult or
painful
circumstances
a sign that
God doesn’t
love us?
What
promises
does He give
in verses
37-39 to
sustain us
in hard
times?
Do
You Know God?
The cross is
the greatest
demonstration of
divine love.
Without
redemption from
sin, humankind
would live in
separation from
the Lord now and
for all
eternity. But
God loves us so
much that He
sent His Son to
defeat death and
free of us from
sin.
As
Romans 5:8
says, “God
demonstrates His
own love toward
us, in that
while we were
yet sinners,
Christ died for
us.” If we will
receive His act
of love on our
behalf and put
our faith in
Him, we will be
forgiven and
live with Him
forever (John
3:16). You
can use the
following prayer
or your own
words:
Lord Jesus, I
believe You are
truly the Son of
God. I confess
that I have
sinned against
You in thought,
word, and deed.
Please forgive
all my
wrongdoing, and
let me live in
relationship
with You from
now on. I
receive You as
Savior,
accepting on my
behalf the work
You accomplished
once and for all
on the cross.
Thank You for
saving me. Help
me to live a
life that is
pleasing to You.
Amen.
