Narrative Themes: The Love Of God Lesson 1

                                                              God Is Love

The first theme I want to look at in Narrative Theology is the love of God. The reason is because going all the way back to the beginning, God created us because He loves us. In fact, God loved us before creation. 

Ephesians 1:4 God chose us BEFORE the foundation of the world

1 Peter 1:20 the lamb was slain BEFORE the foundation of the world                                                    Isn't it amazing that God knew us and loved us before creation existed!

The best way I can explain this is referring back to the time when my wife was pregnant. It was our first time going for a sonogram. We did not know if our baby was going to be a boy or a girl, we just knew she was having a baby. 

I remember the first time the nurse showed us the grainy, black and white picture of our baby. 

As I was trying to make sense of the shape, the nurse suddenly said, "It's a girl." In wonder, I whispered, "It's a girl." I looked at my wife and said, "We're going to have a girl." 

Immediately my wife and the nurse engaged in conversation. Yet, staring quietly at the tiny, grainy, black and white picture on the screen, something phenomenal happened: at that moment I fell in love with my daughter. She is not born yet. She does not have eyes. She does not have hair color. None of her parts are completely formed. She's not short; she's not tall. Yet, at that moment, even though she was not existing in the earth, she existed in my heart and I loved her!

This is what God is saying: I knew you before creation. Even though you were not existing on the earth, you existed in my heart and I loved you. 

Before we look at bible narratives that describe the love of God, allow me to lay a foundation

1 John 4:8, 16 God is love

Capture the essence of what John is saying: John is not telling us that God loves. This is true, but it is not what John is saying. John is telling us, Love is the essence of God's nature. Love is not what He does; love is who He is. God is love!

Well, Tim. Is there a difference between "God loves" and "God is love"? 

There is a huge difference!  

Because God's very nature is love:

God's love is uncaused As human beings we fall in love. There is just something about that person that captivates us and we fall in love with them. It could be their beauty; personality; uniqueness; all of the above, but whatever it is, something captures our attention. 

Then we think they are so amazing! When we are talking with our friends about them, our eyes light up and we say things like, He is so amazing! She is so incredible! I never met anyone like her. I never met anyone who makes me feel like she makes me feel. She is so amazing!

God does not love you because something attracts His love. You are unique and incredibly amazing in His eyes, but God's love for us is not prompted, influenced, attracted, drawn or enticed. 

Why is this so huge?! Because this means there is nothing we can do to make God love us, and there is nothing we can do to make God not love us. God love's us because that is all He can do. God is love.

Understand: there is nothing you could ever do to make God love you more. Not greater beauty, or intelligence, or achievement could make God love you more.

On the other hand, there is nothing you can do to make God love you less.

Not sin, failure, guilty or regret could diminish His love for you. His love is a settled issue because God is love.

Now does God deal with our disobedience? Absolutely! However, His discipline comes from the heart of a loving Father, not a wrathful judge. Jesus bore God's wrath on the cross. Because we are God's children, we will never again be under His wrath. Because He deals with our disobedience, that is the evidence He is our Father and loves us very deeply. 

God's love is unreasonable: Romans 5:6-8 When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man one may die; yet for a good man someone may dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

Vs. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Wow! Talk about unreasonable. God loved us while we were sinners.

What is so powerful is that Vs. 10 tells us that when we were unsaved, we were enemies of God.

In the Greek concordance the word enemies actually means haters. Everything about our fallen nature hated God. Everything in our fallen nature shook its fist in the face of God, screaming, I hate you, God! 

But Tim, when I was lost I didn't hate God. My philosophy was, 'You don't bother me, and I won't bother you." That is how deceiving the sin nature is. God is saying, Don't fool yourself. You hated God right to the core. Everything in your vile nature shook its fist in my face and said, "I hate you, God!"

However, God did something that defies reason: while we hated God right down to the very core, shaking our fists in His face, He loved us and sent His Son to die for us. 

Here is what we have to realize: on the cross Jesus didn't just wash our sins away, He smote a death-blow to that hostile, God-hating nature within us. Now we are reconciled to God with a new heart, a heart of flesh, that is now tender towards the Lord and the things of God. 

Do I hear someone say, Thank God!!!

God's love is unending Jeremiah 31:3 I have loved you with an everlasting love

God created us with eternity in mind. We will love God and be loved by God forever!

God's love is unchanging Malachi 3:6 I am God and I do not change

In a fallen, sinful world, what does it mean God's love is unchanging? 

You will never hear God say, I want a divorce. I am putting you up for adoption. I found someone else. Get away from me! I have had enough! Sinful, broken man may say these words to you one day, but God will never speak these words to you. 

God's love is unfailing John 13:1 he loved them to the end

Why did the disciples ultimately succeed in their mission? Why did they ultimately change the world by spreading the gospel? After all, Peter denied Him; Thomas doubted Him; the disciples forsook Him. Just moments away from the cross, they were in a room arguing over which one would be the greatest in his future kingdom. So again the question is, why did they ultimately succeed in their mission?

John 13:1 says, he loved them to the end. In other words, He never stopped loving them. Through all their denial, disloyalty, and abandonment; through everything they did that broke His heart, He never stopped loving them. 

When Peter denied Him, He loved him through it.

When Thomas doubted Him, He loved him through it.

When the disciples forsook Him, He loved them through it. 

It was because of His unfailing love, they ultimately achieved their calling.

No matter how great a man or woman of God we become, it is only because God loved us to the very end.    When we failed Him; when we blew it; when we sinned against Him, His love was unfailing and brought us through. He never stopped loving us. Praise God!

God's love is uncomplicated "Tim, how uncomplicated is it?"

Well, let me tell you. Jesus loves me, this I know. For the bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, they are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. The bible tells me so.

How many times have you tried to talk to someone about a relationship they are in , and they say, "It's complicated." Well, there is nothing complicated about the love of God. Jesus loves me when I'm good; when I do the things I should. Jesus loves me when I'm bad; though it makes Him very sad. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. The bible tells me so.