Every Valentine’s Day, we focus on someone we love and try to shower them with affection to show how much they mean to us and to make them feel special. The scripture says that God is Love. He is the source of our own love and today I’d like to look at what God has to show us about love in His Word.
Most of the time, love is between at least two people. So, it is interesting that in the Bible we learn that God is One in Three Persons, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. At Jesus’ baptism, we see all three persons of the Trinity present in this important event. Matthew 3:16-17 shows us that as soon as Jesus was baptized and came up out of the water, the heavens opened and the Spirit of God “alighted upon Him” and the voice of the Father spoke from heaven stating, “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” In another translation, He calls Jesus His Beloved Son. The love that has existed between the Father and Son and Holy Spirit transcends time and is eternal. The love between the heavenly Father and Son is the source and model of the love between parent and child in this world, which in turn is the source and model for the love we eventually develop for others.
God not only has love within the Trinity but in Jesus and the cross He has made that love available to mankind as well. John says God “lavished” His love on us through Jesus, saying in 1 John 3:1, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” Indeed, through faith in Jesus, we have been adopted as God’s child. Paul stated in Galatians 4:6, “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts crying out ‘Abba, Father!’ Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son an heir of God through Christ.” This inheritance starts with our pardon and justification as God’s child and then includes the gift of God’s Holy Spirit in our hearts. His Spirit promises to guide us and comfort us and make us more like Jesus.
How do we respond to this love that God has shown us? We abide. In John 15:9-10, Jesus tells His disciples, “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” When we keep God’s commandments and do His will, we show Him love and reverence and respect—we fear or revere Him as the ultimate authority in our life. King David spoke of God’s love for those who fear Him in Psalm 103. This love precedes even Jesus and shows God loved both Israelite and Hebrew and Gentile all through time. Psalm 103:8-14 shows us the nature of this love, stating, “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy. He will not always accuse, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy and love towards those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our sins from us; As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.”
God loves us with mercy and compassion when we honor Him with respect and obedience, and He remembers that we are only human when we make mistakes and do wrong. When we come back to Him and apologize, He forgives us so completely that He doesn’t even remember our sins anymore. We too are called to love each other with this same love of God—to forgive our brother’s sins and to show compassion to one another. Indeed, in the same teaching we just looked at where Jesus told us to abide in Him to show our love, right after that He said in John 15:12-13, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” Just as Jesus called us His friends and laid down His life, so too we are called to do the same.
We may not actually die for one another, so how then do we lay our lives down for each other? By denying our selfish nature and living for each other in genuine Godly love. Paul shows us explicitly what this kind of love looks like in the 1 Corinthians 13. In this chapter, he tells us that it doesn’t matter if we have special spiritual gifts like speaking in tongues or prophesying or having faith or knowledge without love. Without love, we are nothing. In verses 4-8, he says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” So too we must realize every smile, kind word, hug, forgiveness, lending hand, and humble, grateful heart of compassion counts more than we can know fully. God is watching. He sees your love for Him and each other.
Finally, one last verse in Colossians 3:12-17 shows us how to love, saying, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect harmony. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
So this Valentine’s Day, let us form that chain of love that starts with the love of God and reaches out for the hands and hearts in our lives, those of our friends. Jesus has made us His friend and shown us His love. He has graciously given us His Spirit to help us love like Him. Let us thank Him for His ultimate Valentine’s Day gift—His sacrifice and love for us—and love those in our lives we are blessed to touch. Let us cherish in our hearts the love of God and praise Him always! Amen!