Lesson 6 February 6, 2022

GOD’S GREAT LOVE

The aged apostle John wrote, “…God is love…And we have known and believed the love that God
hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:8,
16). Of course, God is not love in the limited sense that He is love and nothing more. He transcends
all abstract attributes that have been used to characterize Him. God, in His very nature, is love. Love
is probably the greatest of all His attributes, because love was, and is, the motivation of all the
others. For example, His mercy and His grace result from His longsuffering, compassionate love in
forgiveness and pardon.
GOLDEN TRUTH: (1 John 4:10)
“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the
propitiation [the only acceptable Sacrifice] for our sins.”
LESSON COMMENTARY
I. CHOSEN BY SOVEREIGN LOVE
Deuteronomy 7:6-8
6 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to
be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number
than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath, which he had
sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed
you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
In this instance, Moses was addressing Israel in a historical review of their redemption out of Egypt,
and the wilderness journey. Soon they would cross the Jordan River into their promised inheritance.
The land was occupied by seven other great nations. Moses reminded them that God had chosen
them above all others, and He had done so because He loved them. As the sovereign God, He
could choose whom He would, since His will is perfect and just. He had covenanted with their
fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He would honor that relationship with their posterity. But
now it was declared that the choice was founded on His love. The New Testament Stephen called
them “the church in the wilderness” (Acts 7:38). Peter likewise related them to the New Testament
Church. (See 1 Peter 2:4-10.)
Though Israel proved unstable and suffered severe discipline from time to time, God’s love for them
did not fail. (Read Psalm 78:51-72; Isaiah 63:9; Jeremiah 31:3; Romans 9:13-21; and Ephesians
1:4.)
II. LOVE IN REDEMPTION
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in
him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Ephesians 2:4, 5, 8, 9
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ….
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
John 3:16 has been called “The Golden Text of the whole Bible.” Jesus did not say merely, God
loved the world, but “God so loved….” The song writer (C. Bishop) tried to pick up the emphasis —
“such love, such wondrous love, that God should love a sinner such as I! How wonderful is love like
this?” Then, one stanza says, “That Christ should join so freely in the scheme, although it meant His
death on Calvary! Did ever human tongue find nobler theme, Than love divine that ransomed me?”
Paul attributed God’s “rich mercy” to the motivation of “His great love.” We were totally unworthy,
being spiritually “dead in sins”; therefore He redeemed us “by grace” apart from any “works” we
could do to save ourselves! Our Golden Truth puts it well, and Paul follows up with
the “propitiation” aspect. (Read Romans 3:21-26.) In order that “mercy” and “grace” might come to
our aid, despite God’s unchanging Word that demanded the death penalty for sin, God Himself, in
the person of His only begotten Son, became the required Sacrifice, none other being acceptable
because of man’s depravity. Thus, God could remain JUST — RIGHTEOUS — as the justifier,
because He had fully paid the price — death — for man’s redemption! No wonder John could
exclaim, “what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons
of God…” (1 John 3:1)!
III. LOVE IN CHASTENING
Hebrews 12:3-15
3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be
wearied and faint in your minds.
4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My
son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the
father chasteneth not?
8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not
sons.
9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them
reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
10 …for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless
afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised
thereby.
12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but
let it rather be healed.
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness
springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.
Proverbs 3:11, 12
11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:
12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
God’s love is too great to allow His redeemed ones to destroy themselves by sinful indulgences.
The natural father who truly loves his son corrects him in whatever measure and manner necessary,
even though it seems grievous, or unfair, to the disobedient one. As he grows older, his
understanding matures and he comes to appreciate that “exercise.” We must appreciate the
chastening rod of God, that by it we may remain “partakers of his holiness.”
IV. GOD’S LOVE FOR THE CHURCH
Ephesians 5:25-27
25 …Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any
such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Acts 20:28
…the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Here again we are confronted with “SUCH LOVE”! God loves the Church through His Son, whose
Church we are. Jesus said, “I will build my church,” though it is named for God the Father (Eph.
3:14, 15; John 17:11, 12). Again, discipline comes into view by way of Church government and
teaching. In order for the Church to be “glorious,” it must be sanctified and cleansed. This is for the
removal of spots, wrinkles, and blemishes. Some “fullers’ soap” and purifying fire (Mal. 3:2, 3) may
be necessary, along with the hot iron to iron the wrinkles out wherever they be.
Really, how little He asks of His Church in return for a LOVE so great that He died for her!
CONCLUSION
Paul struggled to grasp this incomprehensible love. He longed to “be able to comprehend with
all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of
Christ, which passeth knowledge…” (Eph. 3:18, 19). Yearning to KNOW it, he at the same time
confessed that it PASSETH KNOWLEDGE. Of course, “the love of Christ” is also “the love of God,”
for they are one. Christ took delight in doing His Father’s will (Psa. 40:8; Heb. 10:7, 9).