God Is Love

Introduction – This paper was written by a high school and college mathematics instructor.  It was not written or produced by any particular church or denomination.  It is provided free of charge as an expression of God’s love for mankind.
 
What is the true God really like?  God is love! Love comes from God.  "⁷Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  ⁸He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.  ⁹In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son in the world, that we might live through him" (I John 4:7-9 KJV).  God extends His love to everyone in the world to every nation and every race.  "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16 KJV).  God loves those who are lost.  "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10 KJV).  "But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8 KJV).
 
I talk to a lot of people about the love of God.  Many reject His love or call it an ancient superstition.  In fact, open rebellion against God and/or organized religion seems to be on the rise.  I often hear a common response, "If there is a God, why doesn't He stop war, hunger, disease, and many of the other problems that plague mankind?"  You may not like the answer.
 
God is love.  However, He is something before love.  First and foremost, He is God.  He is the almighty, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, sovereign God.  When Moses asked for the name of God, "God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you" (Exodus 3:14 KJV).

Unfortunately, too many people want to be their own god.  There are even counterfeit religions and cults that promise that you can be a god some day.  From the very beginning in the garden of Eden, the devil has promised that man could be a god.  Satan made the following statement to Eve, "For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5 KJV).  I recently returned from ministry in several large urban areas.  Trust me, man knows good and evil, especially evil, and it has not made him a god.  Adam and Eve "did their own thing" and their sin and rebellion did not make them gods.  It made them ashamed and destroyed their fellowship with the one true and living God.

Hear the words of Isaiah chapter forty-five.  "⁵I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.  I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, ⁶so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me.  I am the Lord, and there is no other.  ⁷I form the light, and create darkness: I bring prosperity and create disaster; I the Lord do all these things" (Isaiah 45:5-7 NIV).  God has a master plan and it is not subject to our review or approval.  God issues a warning to those who rebel.  "Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!  Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth.  Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?" (Isaiah 45:9 KJV).  It is so easy to become wise in our own eyes, but we are like clay debating with the potter.
 
God's perspective is infinitely greater than ours.  We see such a microscopic frame of time and space.  It really is ridiculous to think for a moment that we could offer God any kind of corrective insight.  "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.  For it is written, he taketh the wise in their own craftiness" (1 Corinthians 3:19 KJV).

Sadly, most of the world will ultimately reject God, His love, and His amazing grace.  Jesus said, "¹³Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  ¹⁴Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" (Matthew 7:13-14 KJV).  God sent His Son into the world to seek and to save the lost.  He was crucified.  He gave His all to redeem mankind from the curse of sin and separation from God.  All those who reject His grace will be condemned.  "¹⁷For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  ¹⁸He that believeth on him is not condemned:  but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  ¹⁹And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil" (John 3:17-19 KJV).
 
Millions today walk in spiritual darkness.  They are blind to the truth that is all around them.  God's hand of creation is seen; it is clearly seen.  Look around!  "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1:20 KJV).  How foolish to say that the order and precision of the universe is the result of some ancient massive chaotic explosion.  For decades, man has sought to discard the only true moral and spiritual compass.  Now he doesn't know where he came from or where he is going.  The arrogant attitude of postmodern society is accurately described in Romans 1:25 (KJV):  "Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever.  Amen."     
 
"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (2 Corinthians 4:4 KJV).  I pray that today is your day to see the light.  Moses was literally on the backside of the desert, tending the flock of his father-in-law, when God called out to him from a burning bush that was not consumed.  While the burning bush was a special revelation, God does speak to the hearts of men and women every day.  You may feel like you are living on the backside of the desert as you toil with your particular situations and challenges, but there is hope.  There is a way that leads to eternal life and joy unspeakable.  "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Peter 1:8 KJV).  There is only one road to heaven.  There is only one way to eternal life and His name is Jesus Christ.  Call on His name and be saved.  "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13 KJV).  "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12 KJV).  "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6 KJV).

If the Spirit of God is speaking to you today, then today is your day of salvation.  Second Corinthians 6:2 says that at just the right time, God heard you.  If you cry out to God, He will hear you.  On the day of salvation, He will help you.  He will send the Holy Spirit to guide you and draw you to Him.  Certainly, the "right time" is now.  Today is the day of salvation!  There is no guarantee of tomorrow.  Your heart may become hard and your ears deaf to His call.  Today, if you are fortunate enough to hear His voice, I urge you to say yes to Christ and His love.
 
You can experience a spiritual rebirth today.  Romans 10:9 (KJV) says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
 
Will you pray today and begin your journey with Christ?  “Lord Jesus, I confess with my mouth today that You are the only begotten Son of the living God.  I repent and turn from my sins.  I believe that You died on the cross to save me from my punishment and I receive You as Savior and Lord of my life.  Please help me to grow in Your fellowship and serve You all the days of my life.  I ask these things in Jesus’ name.  Amen.”
 
If you prayed that prayer today from your heart, then you have become a child of God.  You have been born again and your adventure with Christ begins.  Read the Bible each day, beginning with the book of John.  Talk to God each day and ask for His help.  Find a church that loves Jesus, loves people, worships God with enthusiasm, and teaches the Bible.  They will help and encourage you on your journey with Christ.

©2017 Ken Campbell – Permission is hereby granted to print copies of this tract in complete unedited form for free distribution.