“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16)

In order to speak about God’s love, we have to start with John 3:16. You cannot love in a vacuum. Love must love someone or something: love must have an object. Yesterday we saw that God’s object of love is the world – you and me. What is surprising about this is that God doesn’t love the perfect you and me, God loves the sinful, messed up you and me. And the most amazing news is that God loves us so much, that God refuses to leave us in our sinful messed up conditions. God transforms us through his love.

The second thing that love requires is a choice. By choosing the world – you and me – as the object of love, it necessarily requires a decision against anything that would cause harm to you and me. That’s what it means to make a choice.

This is huge!!! Love is not a feeling or an emotion. Ultimately, love is a decision, it’s a choice.

By choosing us, it is a rejection of everything that is not for our best. That’s what love does. When we love someone, we hate the things that hurt and injure our loved ones. It would be preposterous to love the things that hurt and injure our loved ones.

It is impossible to love all things. When I say I love God, it’s much like saying I love Helen, my wife. It would be preposterous to say I love Helen, but I love Lisa. And, oh. I love Margo too. Don’t forget, Heidi. Love her too! Pledging one’s love to your spouse necessarily means a rejection of everyone that is not your spouse. There is a love relationship and decision for your spouse that must exclude a decision for anyone else.

When God makes a decision to love you and me as the object of his love, that meant a rejection of everything else that is not you and me. We will see that more clearly tomorrow.

Love is not love in a vacuum. Love requires an object of love.

Love is a decision. The decision to love requires a rejection of everything and everyone that is not the object of love.

God loves you. God chose you.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16)

Love – agape.

When it comes to speaking about the love of God, you have to start with John 3:16. This is the ultimate verse that describes how God loves you and me.

The Greeks had four words that are translated as love in the English:

• agape – God’s unconditional love
• storge – Familial love
• phileo – Friendship, love shared among friends
• eros – Romantic love shared by a couple

The word for love that is used in John 3:16 is agapao – the verb form of agape, God’s unconditional love.

Love can be both a verb and a noun. Whenever we use the word love as a verb, it does not exist on its own without having an object which one loves. You can’t just love. You always love someone or something.

The reason why John 3:16 is the ultimate verse that describes God’s love for you and me is because John 3:16 tells us that the world – you and me – is the object of God’s love.

Long before we even knew about God’s love, God already loved us. Long before a child can even know that he or she is loved, the parents already love that child. In fact, the parents loved the child even before the child was ever conceived. They dreamt of the time when the child would enter their lives. Even before they knew whether the child was a boy or a girl, they already loved the child.

God loved you and loves you long before you ever became aware of God’s love for you.

Love – agape.

God so loved the world – that’s you and me! Long before we even knew who God was, God loved us.

That’s why the scriptures testify, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

You and I have always been, you and I are, you and I will always be the object of God’s love.

God loves you!!!

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things” (Galatians 5:22-23)

My apologies for not getting the Verse of the Day out for Monday.

This was a big weekend for the Kim family and I got lost being daddy for my girls. Karis graduated from Seattle University with her Master’s degree, and Kaitlin graduated from the University of Washington with her Bachelor’s degree, and Kaitlin’s 22nd birthday was today Monday. All that to say, I forgot to send out Monday’s Verse of the Day!

In the coming weeks, we will be looking at each of the 9 qualities of the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians and spend a week with each of them.

First thing you should know is that these are not 9 fruits of the Spirit. The Greek for fruit is singular. Second, the Greeks did not have an “etc.” So the way the Greeks wrote out “etc.” is by listing like qualities.

What this means is that the 9 qualities, and qualities like them, are what constitutes the fruit of the Spirit.

Love – agape.

We begin with love. The Bible is the greatest love book in the world. The entire Bible is the story of a God who so loves sinners that he pursues and woos sinners. It’s the story of a God who could not imagine spending an eternity that did not include you in it. So God sent his Son to die for you to pay the debt of sin in order that God can transform sinners into his sons and daughters. It’s the most incredible story of love in the entire world.

I look forward to looking at God’s love for you and me in the coming week!