God IS love

[Sarah Richardson]

This is one of the most basic things that we are taught in Sunday school about God. But we so often try to balance that with other things we see in the Bible about God and we forget that this is not just a description of His character but it is the essence of who He is. 

What this means is that Love defines who God is and everything about Him. He is a judge but being a judge comes out of the fact that He is love, He is creator but that comes out of the fact that He is love. He is a loving judge and He is a loving creator. It is the same too for other characteristics that we see in Him they come out of the fact that He IS love.

As someone who has always known God to be around in my life and has grown up in churches I know lots of facts like God is love, Jesus is fully God, God is a God of justice, Jesus and the Father are one and other such things but it is sometimes difficult to really experience the truth of these things. If God is a god of Justice how does that tie up with the picture of Jesus allowing the woman caught in adultery to go free, how does that tie up with God allowing any of us to go free because of someone elses actions. When we see that God IS love and see that other things come out of that then it starts to make so much more sense and is so much more beautiful. I really want to worship a God who loves so much He can take on the pain of forgiving us willingly, I can worship spontaneously a God who can set people free because He loves them. 

Why is it that we tend to see Jesus as being love but then see God the Father as being judgmental? It is sometimes so easy to think of Jesus as being a nice comfortable 'person' to be with but God as being somewhat more distant. If Jesus is the "exact representation" of the Father shouldn't this separation in our minds be removed?

[John Becker]

I recently did a study in Hosea - I think this prophetic book is a depiction of the reckless love and grace of God towards his people - told in the story of a husband's enduring love for an adulturous wife. This comes out especially in chapter 2 - for he calls them Ammi - my people, and Ruhamah - she has obtained compassion. The redemptive love of God. God cannot forsake his people, his family. Even though we run after what we think is feeding us and providing for us - when all along it was Him - He patiently waits for our return (v.8). There is a struggle but he will not let us run away for too long. He hedges us in. Thank you Father!

[Sarah Richardson]

I'm looking at the beginning of Isaiah at the moment. Its amazing if you look at the beginning of it with the eyes that God is Judge then you land up with a harsh bit of judgemental nastiness by God. If you look at it with eyes that God is love then you see a father who's heart is breaking with grief as He's had to remove His protection from His child and He knows that will lead to such terrible things happening to them.
Our view of God is SO important in how we interpret the whole Bible yet we often just choose to take each passage piecemeal rather than looking at each passage as a message from the same loving God. Hosea is so beautiful about this.

[John Becker]

Thank you for this good word Sarah. Perspective is everything. How firm is our personal belief that God is Good all the time! His love endures forever!

Sarah Richardson said:

I'm looking at the beginning of Isaiah at the moment. Its amazing if you look at the beginning of it with the eyes that God is Judge then you land up with a harsh bit of judgemental nastiness by God. If you look at it with eyes that God is love then you see a father who's heart is breaking with grief as He's had to remove His protection from His child and He knows that will lead to such terrible things happening to them.
Our view of God is SO important in how we interpret the whole Bible yet we often just choose to take each passage piecemeal rather than looking at each passage as a message from the same loving God. Hosea is so beautiful about this.