The Love of God
(2 Corinthians 13:14)
Paul closes his second letter to the Corinthians with a desire that the love of God would be with them. We hear a lot about the love of God and how saved people should love another. In this lesson we will look at the phrase “love of God” as it appears in the word of God. We hope to show how the love of God can be perceived, a requirement for having the love of God, and how to keep ourselves in the love of God.
How can we perceive the love of God?
To fully understand the love of God is a difficult task. We have all experienced love whether it be the love of a parent or the love of a spouse or a dear friend. But the love of God is something beyond all of those. Remember God did not just send his son to die for the good people but for all sinners. That means that Jesus died for the most wicked people that have ever lived. Now that is hard to understand how that God could watch his son die for people that would curse and reject him.
Therefore, the love of God was manifested to us by the Jesus coming into this world to die for sinners (1 John 4:9) and if we are to perceive the love of God it will be by the same token (1 John 3:16)
How can we have the love of God in us?
In Romans 5:5 we see that the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. So, one of the most basic requirements to have the love of God is that you must first be saved.
It is not natural to love those that hurt or harm you. It is not in us to love the way God does because of our sinful nature. But as a result of being born again and having the Jesus Christ live inside us, we can through the Holy Spirit bear the fruit of love (Galatians 5:22).
How can we keep ourselves in the love of God?
In the Jude 1:21 the word of God says keeping yourself in the love of God. So how can we keep ourselves in the love of God? First of all, this is not talking about losing your salvation as we see in Romans 8:38-39 nothing can separate us from the love of God. But there are some requirements to bearing the fruit of the spirit.
One of the main ways to keep ourselves in the love of God has to do with his word. To keep ourselves in the love of God we must keep his word (1 John 2:5 ; 5:3). The more time we spend with God in his word the more it will mold us into his image. The more we are molded into his image the more the love of God will be in us.
As saved born again children of God we may have a desire to love other even though it can be very hard sometimes so just remember the more we do God’s word the easier it will be.
The Love of God (2 Corinthians 13:14)
Handout
1) What is one of Paul’s desires for the church at Corinth?
2) How can we perceive the love of God?
3) What is a requirement for having the love of God within us?
4) How can we keep ourselves in the love of God?