Day 6 of 14
The Love of God
The Most Misunderstood Attribute
Scripture Readings
Today's Reading
Read 1 John 4:7-10: "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."
Then read 1 John 4:16-21: "So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him... There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear."
Reflection
"God is love" may be the most frequently quoted and most deeply misunderstood statement in the Bible. In popular usage, it often means little more than "God is nice" or "God accepts everyone as they are." But when John writes "God is love," he immediately defines what he means — and the definition is not sentimental. It is bloody.
"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." The love of God is defined by the cross. It is not a feeling God has about us. It is something God did for us — at infinite cost to Himself.
Packer insists on this definition throughout his chapter on God's love. "God's love is an exercise of His goodness toward individual sinners, whereby, having identified Himself with their welfare, He has given His Son to be their Saviour." Note the precision: God's love is not a vague benevolence toward humanity in general. It is directed at "individual sinners." God does not love a faceless crowd. He loves you, specifically, personally, by name.
And the measure of that love? "The measure of love is how much it gives, and the measure of the love of God is the gift of His only Son." You can measure love by what it costs. The love of God cost the Father His Son and the Son His life. There is no greater gift conceivable in the universe. This is the love that defines who God is.
John draws a startling implication: "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear." If God's love is as great as the cross reveals it to be, then fear — of punishment, of rejection, of abandonment — has no rightful place in the believer's heart. Not because our circumstances are always safe, but because the love that held Christ on the cross will never let us go.
Going Deeper
Packer warns against two errors. The first is sentimentalizing God's love — reducing it to a warm feeling that makes no demands. The second is doubting God's love — believing it in theory but never resting in it personally. The cure for both is the cross. At the cross, God's love is revealed as infinitely costly, fiercely committed, and utterly personal. It is not less than warmth and affection, but it is far, far more.
Today, let 1 John 4:10 anchor your understanding of love: "Not that we have loved God but that he loved us." You did not earn this love. You cannot lose it. You can only receive it.
Key Quotes
“God's love is an exercise of His goodness toward individual sinners, whereby, having identified Himself with their welfare, He has given His Son to be their Saviour and now brings them to know and enjoy Him in a covenant relation.”
“The measure of love is how much it gives, and the measure of the love of God is the gift of His only Son to be made man, and to die for sins, and so to become the one mediator who can bring us to God.”
Prayer Focus
Asking God to help you grasp the true dimensions of His love — not as a sentimental feeling but as a costly, self-giving, covenant commitment to your eternal good
Meditation
Packer says the measure of love is how much it gives. By that measure, how great is God's love for you? What has He given?
Question for Discussion
Our culture often defines love as a feeling of warmth or acceptance. Packer defines God's love as a costly covenant commitment that led to the cross. How do these two definitions differ, and what happens to our faith when we operate with the wrong definition?