Love is the perfect expression of God’s nature. The apostle says, “God is love.” This love of God we can see in creation and in the Word of God. The Creator dressed nature in such a way that man will rejoice when he sees the Creator’s handiwork. Creation’s wonders are revealed in the tender care and the perfect love of the Creator. It is God’s intention that His created beings should enjoy all the wonders in nature. Every sunbeam is a messenger from a loving God who wishes to make all mankind happy.
The leaves of the trees give shade and cool air to the tired traveller, the wonderful colours of the flowers make the ground look so amazing, the tall oak trees in the forest and the tiny little moss plants at the feet of the mighty trees, all reveal to us a loving, caring Father who has created all things. “The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest Thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.” Psalm 145:15–16
The foundation of this wonderful creation and the undisturbed happiness and harmony in God’s family, which include heaven and earth, is the law of love. This eternal law was given to man, the crown of all creation, and this law was written upon his heart as he came forth from his Creator’s hand. Not the smallest appearance of sin, misery, pain and sorrow were part of the human condition. Not the smallest shadow darkened his happy existence.
But, as Satan succeeded in influencing man to transgress the law of God, so came misery and death. He was driven out of his happy home. Sickness and sorrow crossed his path and the earth was loaded with a curse. Weeds and thorns made man’s existence hard, and in the sweat of his brow was he to eat his bread. Life had changed into a merciless battle. Man’s existence from then until today has proven that sin is a hard master, which tortures its victims from one trouble to the next.
But, the Lord did not leave lost mankind alone in a world full of sin and unrighteousness. Through all darkness and sin, God’s love worked for man who was lost in sin. His wisdom and endless love towards lost mankind created means and ways whereby the chains of sin can be broken. Thousands of times the Lord has revealed His love. The message of faith, hope and love can be noticed everywhere, but most of all the love of God is revealed in His Word—the Old and New Testament.
Many think it is only the New Testament which shows God’s love. When the Lord revealed Himself to Moses, we read that God revealed His character. “And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty.” Exodus 34: 6–7
The prophet Jonah, after receiving a very important lesson from the Lord, had to admit: “For I knew that Thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest Thee of the evil.” Jonah 4:2
God revealed Himself at the beginning as a loving Father. Also, when He spoke the Ten Commandments, He mentioned His love and mercy. “Jehovah revealed Himself, not alone in the awful majesty of the judge and lawgiver, but as the compassionate guardian of His people: ‘ I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.’ . . . . Ten precepts, brief, comprehensive, and authoritative, cover the duty of man to God and to his fellow man; and all based upon the great fundamental principle of love.” –Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 305
In the New Testament God’s endless love is revealed as Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, who gave His life on the cross of Calvary. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
Despite all this clear evidence, Satan has succeeded in making man’s heart inaccessible to this saving love and closes his eyes to all of God’s benefits. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14
Today, a man who is not born again is so far removed from God that he is not afraid to declare: “God is dead.” In our days when the existence of God is denied, the great enemy has reached his goal. An almost impenetrable shadow has been established by sin between God and the lost human race.
The Apostle Paul already at that time had to declare, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Romans 3:10–12
If God in His love had not found a way to break the bands of sin, then the whole human race would have sunk into a hopeless pit of despair. But the love of God found a way. It was the name of Jesus! The beloved Son of God. Before this name every shadow of sin must disappear. His name is the fountain of all true comfort, and through Him is the whole human race offered help in the fight against sin. Jesus left the splendor of heaven, He came to this world to show that the endless love of God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked.
“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.” John 1:18. Had the Saviour not come to this world and offered us His mercy, then we would, like the heathen, be afraid of God. His loving nature and His mercy would have remained hidden for us sinners.
He left heaven’s glory and came to testify that God is love and has no pleasure in the death of the sinner. “All things are delivered unto Me of My Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.” Matthew 11:27
Never before was such a complete revelation of God’s being, as through the life and preaching of Jesus Christ. When the disciple Philip made the wish, “Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?” John 14:8–9
The character that Jesus revealed in His dealings with people and His disciples, just like the love and wisdom in His sermons, is exactly the same love that God has. This character exhales a pure, holy, tender and just love in everything. Jesus referred here to the true word of prophecy. There it says about Him, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.” Luke 4:18; (Isaiah 61:1–2)
The sick were healed by His mighty words and the touching of His hands. The dead were awakened when He spoke the words of life and the possessed were freed from the devil’s grip. Everywhere He went He left
marks of love, happiness, and thankfulness. No one was too insignificant. No man had sunk so deep that He could not help. No debt was too high for His forgiving love. No sorrow so bad that His pity could not offer them His consolation. Old or young, poor or rich, even little children, all classes in human society, enjoyed the stream of incomparable love that came from Him.
Even when His eyes were wet with tears because of the crudeness and unrighteousness of sin, even when a holy anger arose in His sin-free heart, He sounded the message of righteousness and love for the sinner whom He was trying to rescue. For this love no road was too long, no sacrifice too great, no fight too hard; the love for one soul was worth more than the whole world with all its sorrow.
He was constantly, continuously aware of His calling and His every step witnessed that, “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10
Perfectly convinced of His calling, and motivated by love that could not be shaken, God’s Son took the whole burden of sin upon Himself. He became in all things like man with the exception of sin.
The heavy burden of sins hurt His pure and noble soul, and more than anyone else, He experienced that sin creates a separation between God and man. “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have Hid His face from you, that He will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2
Who is able to understand the pain and anguish that came over this Holy Being when He hung on the cross of Calvary and cried. . . . “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” The pain that His father had forsaken Him broke His heart.
Through His free-will sacrifice, the price was paid for every sinner who repents, and the way was opened for eternal life.
Should we not fall down in worship for such great love? How can a man repay such mercy which God has given him through Jesus Christ?
The history of mankind tells us about situations that show us what love can do. Sacrifices were brought for a Fatherland. The love for a certain cause was many times so strong that it would dominate life and soul.
Surely there are examples that take your breath away about people that are ready to save those they love. But above all is the love of God which He has shown to us while we were yet His enemies.
Every human being who is of good will is received by His love as a son or daughter of God. “Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not.” 1 John 3:1
What a wonder of mercy! Throughout eternity the saved will be occupied by studying this love. Again and again there will be new prospects, new glory to find for those who are saved when they study the love of God. Again and again the object of love becomes the reason of all worship, every hymn of praise and every gratitude of all those that have been saved. Amen.
Ringelberg
Translated from German by:
Evald and Franziska Pedersen