GOD'S MANNER OF LOVE

Many a time, we hear couples describe how much their significant other loves them and the manner in which they express such love. Can you tell how much God loves you? Have you ever thought about it? The author of the First Epistle of John did! However, to answer this question, first, you must acknowledge that God is Himself love. Second you must recognise that He lavished that love on us unconditionally and uncontrollably. Simply put, His love is not given to us in a restricted manner, but in abundance.

Reference: 1 John 3:1 King James Version (KJV) "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not."

When we talk of 'manner', we mean someone's outward bearing or way of behaving towards others. John was no doubt, lost in wonder and inundated with God's love and praise as he wrote this. His focus was on God's love, the extent to which He bestowed it on us, and the result - calling us His own sons.

Our becoming the children of God is as a result of His great love. The idea that God would love us enough to make us His children is just one of the greatest gifts of salvation. Now let's consider the manners in which He expressed this love towards us. One of the manners is by giving us the right to become His own children. John 1:12 (NLT) says, 'But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.' Who are God's children? They are those who have received Jesus as Lord, believe in His name as the risen Messiah, and now live by faith in Him.

Another manner in which God demonstrated His great love towards us is by giving us a sense of intimacy, fellowship, and connection with Him. 1 John 1:3 (ESV) says, 'and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.' As God's own children, we are in communion with Him through the agency of the Spirit. This unity is inspired and motivated by God's love and its between us and the entities of the divine: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. His manner of love, the pattern of fellowship and the basis of our faith joined us together with divinity.

The greatest manner in which God demonstrated this love is by giving His best to us. By this I mean John 3:16 (NIV), 'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.' This is the greatest love ever. This manner is consistently good, loving and righteous, and we are the beneficiaries.

The last quote in our referenced verse reads, 'therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.' In other words, it's true that God poured His love on us to the point of branding us His children with distinctive style, yet the world does not know us that much or about this love because they don't know the Giver. Sometimes you would think the world would sit up and take notice that you are God's own, but the world doesn't. This should not be a surprise to us because it did not recognise Jesus either.

In fact, they said many terrible things about Jesus and finally they killed Him. According to 1 Corinthians 2:8 (KJV), "none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." Yet it was God's wisdom and love embedded in His plan to offer us salvation through Christ's crucifixion. What manner of love is this?

Beloved, today the Golden news is that God knows us; He recognises us and His banner over us is love.

Scripture Reading - Isaiah 54:10; John 3:16; Romans 8:37-39; Ephesians 2:4-5; Galatians 2:20; 1 John 4:7-16.

Exuberant Declaration: The love of God is frequently poured in my heart and expressed through my life by the agency of the Holy Spirit. It is unconditional, pure, divine, true and everlasting. It's so great that He gave up His only Son to die for me. The evidence of God's love is seen in every aspect of my life and its characterized by grace, prosperity, abundance, health, and protection and victory. Praise God!