1 John 4:8-10, 16(NIV) says, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Again it says, “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.“
JESUS said in John 17:3(NIV) Now this is Eternal Life, that we know God, the only true God & Jesus Christ whom God sent. Jesus said in John 5:39-41(NIV) You diligently study the Scriptures. These Scriptures testify about Me yet you refuse to come to Me to have life. I know you. I know that you do not have the Love of God in your hearts.
Not your love to God but God’s Love in your hearts matters more. We should get God’s Love into our hearts by Believing & Receiving. Only when you receive GOD’S LOVE you can GIVE LOVE of that caliber. 1 Corinthians 13(NIV). When we receive Love; fear, doubt, worry and reasoning leave us.
In the Old Testament you see God loved every individual.
NOAH – God rearranged the whole world for one man Noah. Genesis 6:9 (NIV) “This is the account of Noah and his family.Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.” Genesis 6:13-14, 18(NIV) Matthew 24: 38(NIV) How was Noah righteous? He heard God’s Voice, believed it & fine tuned to get even small details from God as to how to make an ark, collect all the animals, things & enter into it. Literally JESUS died to save this one man who was righteous.
NOW THIS GOD IS OUR FATHER. When will you approach your Father to ask something? When he is in good mood right? Now you know Our Heavenly Father is always in good mood. So you can go to Him any time. He is your Loving Father. How much in detail do you hear Him talk to you?
In the New Testament we see examples of how 3 disciples of Jesus acted differently.
JUDAS – I understand that Judas saw Jesus as Mighty God and that’s why he betrayed, thinking Jesus will escape. But when Jesus was caught and was crucified; he felt guilty & killed himself. Judas did not see JESUS as loving & forgiving. Jesus loving Judas said that it would have been good he was not born. Mark 14:20-21(NIV)
PETER – Luke 5:8(NIV) Peter saw Jesus as Holy God in the beginning but later after he denied Jesus out of fear 3 times, as Jesus predicted, he repented seeing Jesus as a loving compassionate God who can forgive him. And Jesus also lovingly gave Him 3 chances to say that he loved Jesus.
JOHN – he saw Jesus as Loving God. That is why he called himself in his Gospel saying “The disciple Jesus loved”. John 21:20-25(NIV) He was closer to Jesus, he laid his head on Jesus’ bosom when they had Last Supper. He had the courage to stand when Jesus was crucified and was a support to Jesus and His mother Mary. He was the one who wrote in his Epistles GOD IS LOVE just as we read in the Bible. Later days Jesus revealed many mysteries about His second coming to John and he wrote the book Revelation in the Bible.
This is our TRIUNE GOD
GOD – sent His only son for us to this wretched world
JESUS – while we were still sinners He died for us
HOLY SPIRIT- lives in us without leaving us for a minute
I always ponder about this. How is God’s Spirit living in us? I myself do not want to live in me sometimes. But all the time Holy Spirit is in me; I can hear him lovingly guiding, correcting and empowering me. I know God loves me so much. If you know how much God loves you and receive that love; you will end up giving God all the praise, all the honour and all the glory!