But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 KJV
Oh my soul, there is no subject more worthy of study in Christendom than Divine love. It is also a subject where much harm has been done. There are those who try to separate God’s law and God’s love and put the two in conflict. There are some modern Preachers who think highly of themselves because they only preach love. Yet these two subjects are not in conflict. The preaching of the one without the other is incomplete. The law makes God known as light and Divine love makes God’s grace known. Divine law and love are inseparable because they both spring forth from God.
Oh my soul, our first point on Divine love is- it’s fathomless. Divine love is supernatural- brought down from heaven to us. It is a love so broad, so long, so high and so deep- it’s immeasurable. Comprehending the totality of Divine love is not possible. Divine love is eternal, it was before and shall be after any created being, therefore it cannot be fully known by any created being. Yet still the Divine love of God can be known- just not fully. The Apostle Paul prays that we “may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” (Ephesians 3:18,19 KJV)
Our second point- Divine love made known in the person of Christ. It is a great comfort to my soul when asked, what is love? The world my not know, but Christians do. Love is Jesus. The Scriptures say “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” (1 John 4:8 KJV) God is love, Jesus is God, therefore Jesus is love. Love is a person, the God-man, Jesus Christ. Whether it be His miraculous birth, His perfect, sinless life, His perfect ministry on earth, His atoning death, burial, resurrection, ascension or return- all bear witness to the fact that Jesus is love. If you want to know what love is like then just look to Jesus.
Our third point- Divine love is holy. Ask the worldly wisemen what love is, and their answer will resemble some form of passion or lust. Yet look to Jesus, there is nobody like Him. He is completely different from all else. He is so majestic and magnificent- so far better and above everything else there is. He is exceedingly and abundantly above all we can think. He is omnipotent, His power is matchless. He is omnibenevolent- He is always good, and moral, there is no immorality with Him. Jesus is omniscient- He knows everything, who is God’s teacher? He is omnipresent- all is present before Him. He cannot lie, nor can He sin. There is no love that comes close to love of Jesus- we love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).
Our fourth point- Divine love demonstrated by the salvation of sinners. Man ever since the fall has been born into a state of sin and depravity. We were born dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-3). We are guilty of sin, and even worse we are helpless to do anything about our condition. We cannot will ourselves out of a state of sin. We cannot will ourselves out of our lost condition. We are vile, horrible and abominable. To know our condition is the first part of understanding how God saves His people. It is the biggest part in understanding Divine love. God sovereignly chose the very people He would save before the world began- “He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4 KJV). He did so according to His own will and good pleasure not because of anything good He foresaw in His people- because “there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Romans 3:12c). Jesus Christ died for and redeemed His people, who are still sinners. Jesus did not die for those sinners who are under the wrath of God. Jesus actually accomplished all that was necessary to redeem those sinners whom God chose before the world began. “Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified” (Romans 8:30 KJV).
Our fifth point- Divine love is jealous. The Lord’s love is a jealous love, He will not share His glory with another. He wants His people to love Him only and not go whoring after other gods. “For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 4:24 KJV). It makes God jealous if and when His people run after strange gods. We- as His people- are to worship God, and God alone. “Jesus said unto Him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37 KJV).
Our sixth point- Divine love is faithful. Our Lord is faithful. Though we may have strayed 1,000 times, His love abideth still. Though we must confess that we have left our first love many times over, the Lord remains faithful. “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Deuteronomy 31:6 KJV). “Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:9). The love of the LORD is faithful, He will never leave His people in a lurch.
Our seventh point- Divine love is chastising. To chastise is to lovingly tell someone when they are in error and direct them in truth. Think about how much you have to love someone to humbly approach them and tell them that they are doing something wrong and then point them to the right thing. That is difficult in modern times and illegal depending upon where you live. “For whom the Lord loveth He chastiseth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth” (Hebrews 12:6 KJV). God disciplines His children, just like a loving father disciplines his children when they do wrong. “Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee” (Deuteronomy 8:5 KJV). “For whom the LORD loveth He correcteth; even as a father the son in whom He delights” (Proverbs 3:12 KJV). “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19 KJV). May we heed the Word of the Lord and quickly repent when the chastisement of the Lord be upon us.
Our eight point- Divine love is covering and cleansing. Ever since the garden, our patriarch and matriarch sinned against God, they went looking for something to cover their nakedness. Oh my soul, Jesus is my cover for all my sins, hid in Christ, my soul be safe. “Hatred stirs up strifes: but love covers all sins” (Proverbs 10:12 KJV). “And above all things have fervent love among yourselves: for love shall cover a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8 NKJV). The Lord- our cover for sin- also demonstrated His love toward us when He cleansed us from sin with His blood by dying for us. “But God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 KJV). “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18 KJV). “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and will not remember thy sins” (Isaiah 43:25 KJV). “Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7 KJV). With the Lord, oh my soul, let us be cleansed every whit.
Our ninth and closing point is quoted from- It was the Golden Link of Love! by Thomas Brooks
"May you have power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge." Ephesians 3:18,19
Oh, such was Christ's transcendent love- that man's extreme misery could not abate it. The deploredness of man's condition did but heighten the holy flame of Christ's love. It is as high as heaven, who can reach it? It is as low as hell, who can understand it?
Heaven, with all its glory, could not contain Him. Neither could all hell's torments make Him refrain! Such was His perfect matchless love to fallen and miserable man. That Christ's love should extend to the ungodly, to sinners, to enemies who were in rebellion against Him; yes, not only so—but that He should hug them in His arms, lodge them in His bosom—is the highest degree of love!
It is astonishing . . .
that Christ should come from the eternal bosom of His Father—to a region of sorrow and death;
that God—should be manifested in the flesh;
that the Creator—should be made a creature;
that He who was clothed with glory—should be wrapped with rags of flesh;
that He who filled heaven—should be cradled in a feeding trough;
that the God of strength—should be weary;
that the Judge of all men—should be condemned;
that the God of life—should be put to death.
That He would do all this for man, for fallen man, for miserable man, for worthless man—is beyond all conception!
The sharp sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, from the cradle to the cross, does above all other things, speak out the transcendent love of Jesus Christ to poor sinners.
That wrath, that great wrath, that fierce wrath, that pure wrath, that infinite wrath, that matchless wrath of an angry God—which was so terribly impressed upon the soul of Christ—all this wrath He patiently underwent, that sinners might be saved, and that "He might bring many sons unto glory."
Oh wonder at the greatness of His love—which made our dear Lord Jesus lay down His life—to save us from hell, and to bring us to heaven! Oh unspeakable love!
It was the golden link of love, which alone fastened Christ to the cross, and made Him die freely for us! Christ's love is beyond all measure, for . . .
time did not begin it, and time shall never end it;
place does not bound it;
sin does not exceed it;
tongues cannot express it;
minds cannot conceive it.
Well may we spend all our days in admiring and adoring of Christ's wonderful love—and be always ravished with the thoughts of it.
"May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it." Ephesians 3:19