While we've been looking at the attributes of God over summer we have admitted that we can never understand the fullness of any of God's attributes. One thing we can say for certain though as we look today at His love is that there is nothing within us that would or could ever attract the love the Holy Lord God almighty. Yet we know that God has declared His love for us through Jesus Christ. While we know that nothing can win His love, we also know in confidence that nothing can separate us from His love.

As God is unitary, none of His attributes are separable. He cannot operate on any one attribute alone at the expense of another. God will always be who He is. The verse below from 1 John has often led to misinterpretation when taken on it's own.

We know it's true that God is love. There's no problem with that statement. We also know that God is holiness, goodness, grace, mercy and everything else we've studied this summer. Some have made the mistake of taking this verse to mean that God is identical to love. Love is a true and essential attribute of God but it is not God. As God is unchanging he can never suspend any of his attributes in order to exercise another.

From the other attributes that we have studied we can get a fuller view and understanding of the love of God. Because God is self-existent, having no beginning, we know also that His love had no beginning. As God is eternal we can trust that His love will never cease to be. Because God is infinite, His love has no limits. Because He is holy, His love is spotless and pure.

As much as many have tried to describe the love of God, we will always fail to do justice to the infinite wonders of God. The best that any of us can do is like a child who tries to grasp the idea of how the stars exist and operate. By reaching toward the star, the child can bring the star to attention and even indicate the direction that one must look to see it. For our lives, as our hearts stretch out toward God, the shining love of God should be evident before all men in your lives so that they too may know the hope that we have.

John 13:34-35 (NIV)

While we won't know this side of heaven the fullness of what love is, we can see how it is manifested. That in itself is certainly grounds for praise and thanksgiving. First we see it evident as good will. Love wills the good of all and never wills harm or evil to anyone. This would explain the words John writes;

1 John 4:19-20 (NIV)

Fear is a painful emotion that arises at the thought that we may be harmed or made to suffer. This fear exists as long as we are subject to something or someone that does not desire our wellbeing. The moment we are assured of the protection of one who desires our good will, fear is banished.

The kid who gets lost in the shopping centre fears that something bad will happen to them while they are surrounded by people who they do not know and therefore cannot trust. After the tears and panic for the child who fears what these strangers may do, the child finds itself in the arms of a loving mother, who because of her known good will toward the child, removes all fear from the child.

For us to know that God is love and that His love is perfect, we can rest in His arms and trust that He desires good for us. When we trust fully that God loves us, fear is cast out.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

Prayer is simply drawing near to God in personal and intimate conversation. How does this verse say we deal with anxieties? It says that in all things come before God in prayer and then the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds.

God is love. We've already had this affirmed by the Scriptures. On Friday we will be studying the sovereignty of God. That being the absolute rule that God has. The fact that He loves us is what causes Him to always desire our good. The fact that He is sovereign means that He is able to secure this.

Love is also an emotional identification. It considers nothing of it's own but gives all freely to the object of it's love. In our world we can see examples of the exhausted new mother who has been kept up night after night by her new child, feeding it in the middle of the night. The mother isn't thinking that she can't wait until the child can get it's own food and sleep all night but she in her love looks upon her child with great joy. Acts of self-sacrifice are common to love. Again this is affirmed in Scriptures by something that Christ says of Himself in

Another characteristic of love is that it takes pleasure in its object of love. God enjoys his creation and for no other reason than His goodness does he take delight in His creation. As He is self-sufficient, He needs nothing from outside of Himself, including us, but yet he still loves and delights himself in us.

Some have the misconception that is just a grumpy old man looking down upon His creation, far removed from it all and not at all happy with what He sees. It is very true that God opposes sin but where men seek the heart of God, His love will always be made known.

God's love is active and creative. It's easy for someone to love someone who is always lovable. The extent of God's love is beyond our comprehension and our replication. While we were still sinners rebelling against God, He did the greatest act of love ever known in this world. The death of His son would even be hard to grasp if we were pretty good but He did this knowing our wickedness and unfaithfulness because of His great love.

True love is way more than words. Words are empty if your actions don't affirm them. If we say that we love God our lives should reflect that in both our response to God and to others.

The love of God is a central truth of our faith. If we don't understand His love, His goodness grace and mercy toward us doesn't really make sense. He doesn't just love the world or populations. His love is personal and intimate. It's not just the Aussie "I love youse all".

Our capacity to love comes from God. The love He has given us is for our good but also that we may demonstrate the love of Christ to others in the way we live our lives.