#26 On the Nature of God: HOW GOD’S LOVE IS SHOWN

Are you a loving person? Almost assuredly you are, because all of us love someone or some thing—a wife, a husband, our children, or even our money. We are aware when others love us, and we usually respond appropriately. However, seldom do we think about and respond to the love of God.

God’s love began before creation when He foresaw that man would need salvation from sins. He set up a method for an obedient group of people—the church—to be saved eternally. The Apostle Paul explained to the church at Ephesus, Ephesians 1:3-5:

“…Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,”

The concept expressed here is ‘in Christ’—meaning in the church. This verse says that the concept of salvation was all planned and in the mind of God before He created man, because He loved His creation. This plan would involve holy and blameless people to be adopted as sons. But how could this be? How could sinful mankind be holy and blameless?

Writing to the church in Rome, the Apostle Paul explained that justification—another word for salvation—requires the grace of God and redemption in Christ Jesus, because everyone commits sin, Romans 3:23-25:

“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.”

Jesus would give His blood on the cross as a payment or propitiation for the salvation of all obedient mankind.

At first glance, these facts seem incredulous. How could God do this? How could He give up His Son to die for the sins of mankind? Jesus explained to Nicodemus, John 3:16-17:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

This is a famous verse, because we have stressed the part about belief in Jesus and eternal life. But note that the verse begins ‘God so loved the world that He gave…”  This is the secret to how it came about that God sent His Son to die on the cross to pay for our sins. He did this incredible act because He loves us!

After creation, the love of God was shown in many examples. Adam and Eve were not annihilated after their sin in the garden. God gave them life outside the garden, Genesis 3:23:

“…therefore, the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.”

God chose the family of Abraham from all the families of the earth through which His Son, the Savior, would come. However, by New Testament days when Jesus was born, only a remnant of Jews remained faithful. Among the faithful few, God’s plan and love materialized. He gave His Son to die on the cross.

God’s love was constantly exhibited down through the years even though some of His people were unfaithful. Now, beginning in Acts, God established a church where He placed the saved people, Acts 2:42, 44, 47:

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers…

…And all who believed were together…

…praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

Earlier in the chapter, Peter had preached a sermon wherein he explained what was necessary to be saved and be part of the saved group—the church. One had to believe that Jesus was God’s Son, repent of sins, and be baptized, Acts 2:37-38:

“…when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins,”

Before baptism and to confirm belief in Jesus, candidates were required to confess their faith, Romans 10:9-10:

“…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

In summary, to be saved one needs to believe that Jesus is God’s Son, repent of his sins, confess his faith, and then be baptized. Ananias explains to Saul that baptism is the last step in washing away all sins, Acts 22:16:

“And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.”

It is the nature of a loving God to provide a plan for saving the souls of the obedient.

#GodPredestinedSalvation #holyBlamelessSaved #AdoptionSonsSaved #savedInChurch #allSin #JesusPropituation #GodLovedGave #believeRepentBeBaptizedSaved #confessBeBaptized #baptismWashesSinAway #GodProvidedSalvationPlan #GodPlacesSavedChurch