THIS is love

 “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loves us…” 1 John 4:10

Love is NOT defined as us loving God. 

Why? 

It’s no miracle for imperfect ones to love One so perfect as He is -even if it is only in an admiring sort of way. 

If love is us loving, the best we give is our leftovers, for we are always self-preserving. And that love amazes no one. 

Don’t look at humanity to see what love is. You’ll never learn love there. At least, not in the fullest sense. 

No, the best ways we love are when we live fully in the way God created us, but even then it falls way short. 

Fatherhood, motherhood, marriage, friendship, etc. -these are only dim pictures of the love of God. 

Love is THIS: God loving us. 

One so perfect should not love ones so unlike Him -but He does. 

He set His love on humanity and chased her all the way to the grave. He traded His life for hers. His perfection for her filth. 

We are the ones who should have hung on that cross under the wrath of a holy God. We are the ones whose lives should be stamped out mercilessly. 

But instead, He absorbed all of His own wrath. 

It is unfair that One so perfect should die while sinners live. 

It is unjust that One who did nothing wrong should be punished while the real wrong-doers are set free. 

But that is love. 

And He didn’t stop there. He rose victoriously from the grave so that He could give sinners, who are doomed and deserving of death, new life, a new identity, a new place in His family, new hope… 

Made just as beloved to Him as His only Son Jesus. 

Made just as righteous in His eyes as His only begotten Son. 

We are welcome as close to His heart, at any time, no matter how much we messed up, as His Son. 

This is love. 

Don’t you think He should at least expect repayment of some kind? 

He knows the only thing we have to give Him is our messed-up selves, so He accepts our feeble offering, however filthy it is, and then gives us Himself, makes us new, and gives us everything we need to even follow Him in His footsteps. 

He gives us grace upon grace, help, love, closeness, and nurtures us as a Father nurtures a helpless child. 

This is love. 

He pours His love into us to overflowing, to the point where out of our lives flows rivers of living water for others to drink.

And this is how He makes Himself visible to a blind, death-bound world. 

Through recipients of His love. 

Because His is the only love that keeps on giving endlessly, limitlessly, regardless of if we receive it or not. 

Yes, this is love: NOT us loving God, but Him loving us.