Love Is In The Air

Valentines Day is right around the corner. This will serve as a great opportunity to show how much we love our wife or husband. I have learned that chocolate and jewelry are always big winners in my home (although I haven't bought my wife much jewelry lately).



The Bible has a great deal to say about love. We are told in I John 4:8 that 'God is love.' We are taught that of the three great spiritual gifts: faith, hope and love, love is the greatest gift. Paul teaches us in Romans 13 not to owe anyone anything but love. We are taught to love one another and if we fail to properly love one another the love of God is not in us. We are taught to love our enemies (that is hard to do but necessary as a follower of Christ). We are taught to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. We are taught not to love the world or the things of the world.



In my opinion, the greatest lesson of love in God's Word is found in the following verses (this is certainly not an exhaustive list):

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.

Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

Jeremiah 31:3 - I have loved you with an everlasting love.



These verses, and others like them, teach us that God loves us and He loves us with an everlasting love. A love that never ends. A love that keeps on loving even if we are not lovable. WOW!!! That is great stuff. These verses teach us that He shows this awesome, incredible, unconditional, everlasting love through action. Specifically, through the sending of His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us. Knowing in eternity past that man, God's greatest creation, would rebel against Him, knowing that our sin would separate us from Him, He decided in eternity past that He would send His only Son to pay the penalty for our sin and rebellion. In love for us God sent His Son to the cross where He would pay our sin debt. God's Word teaches us that God sent His Son to the cross (Isaiah 53:10, Acts 2:23; Romans 3:21-26) so that, in love, He might redeem sinful man back to Himself.



As we pause to celebrate the love in our lives this Valentines Day let me ask, have you embraced the love of God? Have you accepted God's unconditional love that is offered through the person and work of Jesus Christ?



Remember, God loves you (no matter what and it is everlasting no matter what) and He demonstrated this love in death, the death of the cross.