LOVE FORGIVESSample

We view love as a feeling you can fall in or out of based on circumstances. In today’s society, research says people 'fall in love' 2-6 times in their lives. Luckily, God defined ‘love’ before Webster and society did. 

God breaks love down a bit differently than everyone else. You will quickly recognize the next couple of verses; they are often overused and, unfortunately, not always fully understood. So, I challenge you to take time to read through them instead of skimming over them because they are familiar. 

1 John 4:16 - And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 - Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

In understanding 1 John 4:16, we can fully understand the power within 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. God is love. It doesn’t say God shows love or God can love. It says God is love. Meaning it’s who He is. It’s His being. Circumstances can’t stop or change His love. He loves because He is love. Let’s read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 again, but this time through the lens that this is God’s relationship with us and it’s consistent, faithful, and will never change. 

God is patient, God is kind. God does not envy, God does not boast, God is not proud. God does not dishonor others, God is not self-seeking, God is not easily angered, God keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. God never fails.

Does reading this passage with God’s name in the place of the word love change the way you read it? 

I want to point out, “He keeps no records of wrongs.” When Jesus died for our sins and said: “It is finished.” He meant that statement. He forgives and forgets the depths of EVERYTHING we’ve done. There is literally no trace of it in God’s mind ever again; it’s like it never happened because He only sees us through the sacrifice of Jesus. 

Romans 5:6-10 – You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

God saw each of us in our absolute worst state and said we were worth His son’s death. Think about that for just a minute. That’s when God said, “_______ (fill in your name) is worth the death of my only son Jesus.” No matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done, HE LOVES YOU!! 

And this is our example of love!