1 John 4:7-8
God is LOVE
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Since God is LOVE, LOVE is a Grand Theme throughout the Bible...There are many verses about God's Agape LOVE and love...Since God is LOVE, love permeates throughout us and our lives...Since we are made in God's Image, who we love, how we love, and God who LOVES us as His children is a fundamental purpose in Scripture...Love helps give life meaning...
So there are many, many verses about love and love is a powerful theme in the Bible...Created in God's Image we are called to love Him with all of heart, soul, mind, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5)...This love is not based on merit or performance, but on God's Unconditional LOVE for us...We are also called to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:39)...This love extends to all people, regardless of their background, beliefs, or actions...
Scripture teaches that love is not just an emotion, but an action...True love is characterized by selflessness, sacrifice, and forgiveness...It is not always easy to love others and to love our enemies...This is especially true when they have hurt or offended us...But God's LOVE is our model for us, and He calls us to love others as He LOVES us...
God's LOVE for us is perhaps the most profound and transformative truth of the Christian faith...The Bible tells us that God LOVES us so much that He sent His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16)...God's act of sending His Son to the cross for us demonstrates the depth and breadth of God's LOVE for us...It is a LOVE that is Unconditional, Unfailing, and Everlasting...