Topical Bible: God is Declared to Be: Love

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The declaration that God is love is a profound and central tenet of Christian theology, emphasizing the nature and character of God as inherently loving. This concept is primarily derived from the New Testament, where the Apostle John explicitly states, "God is love" (1 John 4:8). This declaration is not merely an attribute of God but is intrinsic to His very essence and being.

Biblical Foundation

1. 1 John 4:7-8: The Apostle John writes, "Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." This passage underscores the idea that love originates from God and that knowing God is inherently linked to expressing love.

2. 1 John 4:16: Further reinforcing this truth, John states, "And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him." Here, the mutual indwelling of God and the believer is tied to the presence and practice of love.

3. John 3:16: The Gospel of John provides a foundational expression of God's love: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." This verse highlights the sacrificial nature of God's love, demonstrated through the giving of His Son for the salvation of humanity.

The Nature of Divine Love

God's love is characterized by several key attributes:

· Unconditional: God's love is not based on human merit or actions. Romans 5:8 states, "But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." This demonstrates that God's love is given freely and without condition.

· Sacrificial: The ultimate expression of God's love is seen in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:2 encourages believers to "walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God."

· Eternal: God's love is everlasting and unchanging. Jeremiah 31:3 affirms, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with loving devotion."

· Redemptive: God's love seeks to redeem and restore. In Titus 3:4-5 , it is written, "But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy."

Implications for Believers

The declaration that God is love has profound implications for believers:

· Call to Love: Believers are called to emulate God's love in their relationships with others. Jesus commands in John 13:34 , "A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another."

· Assurance and Security: The love of God provides assurance and security to believers. Romans 8:38-39 assures that nothing "will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

· Motivation for Service: The love of God compels believers to serve others selflessly. 2 Corinthians 5:14 states, "For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, therefore all died."

In summary, the declaration that God is love is a foundational truth that shapes the understanding of God's nature and His relationship with humanity. It calls believers to reflect this divine love in their lives, offering a model of unconditional, sacrificial, and redemptive love.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 John 4:8,16
He that loves not knows not God; for God is love.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

God's Love for Man
... The word of God reveals His character. He Himself has declared His infinite
love and pity. When Moses prayed, "Show me Thy glory ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/steps to christ/chapter 1 gods love for.htm

The Desire of a Lover after God is Shown: and the Cursed Love of ...
... BOOK II CHAPTER VIII THE DESIRE OF A LOVER AFTER GOD IS SHOWN: AND THE CURSED LOVE
OF THIS WORLD IS DECLARED BY MANY EXAMPLES: AND THAT THE MEMORY OF GOD ...
//christianbookshelf.org/rolle/the fire of love/chapter viii the desire of.htm

The True Lord and the one God is Declared by the Law, and ...
... V Chapter XXII."The true Lord and the one God is declared by the ... the law: "Hear,
O Israel, the Lord thy God is one God;" and, "Thou shalt love the Lord ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xxii the true lord and.htm

Of the Loving Condolence by which the Complacency of Love is Still ...
... BY WHICH THE COMPLACENCY OF LOVE IS STILL BETTER DECLARED. ... the sorrows which we see
those we love suffering; for ... good Jacob knew that his son lived,"O God! ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter iv of the loving.htm

God's Love to Fallen Man
... of God the Father and God the Son. The chief ground of this love, as long as we
remain in the body, is plainly declared by the Apostle: "We love Him, because ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 59 gods love to.htm

Wesley -- God's Love to Fallen Man
... of God the Father and God the Son. The chief ground of this love, as long as we
remain in the body, is plainly declared by the apostle, "We love him, because ...
/.../kleiser/the worlds great sermons volume 3/wesley gods love to.htm

The Fire of Love
... CHAPTER VIII THE DESIRE OF A LOVER AFTER GOD IS SHOWN: AND THE CURSED LOVE OF THIS
WORLD IS DECLARED BY MANY EXAMPLES: AND THAT THE MEMORY OF GOD ABIDES NOT IN ...
//christianbookshelf.org/rolle/the fire of love/

The Creed and the Lord's Prayer Demand the Exercise of Faith, Hope ...
... compassion, one of the prophets, anticipating the time of God's grace, declared:
"And it ... those three graces exemplified: faith believes, hope and love pray ...
/.../augustine/the enchiridion/chapter 7 the creed and the.htm

Of Certain Other Means by which we May Apply Our Works More ...
... useful for vivifying all our works with love; but especially ... method, as I have already
in brief declared elsewhere. ... elevate our heart and spirit to God; let us ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter ix of certain other.htm

God's Character Our Resting-Place
... God has declared himself to be gracious. "God is love." He has embodied
this grace in the person and work of his beloved Son. He ...
/.../bonar/gods way of peace/chapter iii gods character our.htm