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𝑷𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝑨𝒅𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒚𝒐 𝑶𝒍𝒖𝒈𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒂 (𝑷𝑰𝑪𝑷)

Topic: UNDERSTANDING THE LOVE OF GOD

Text: Revelation 2:1–5; 1 John 4:19

Preacher:  Pastor Adebayo Olugbenga (PiCP)

The foundation of every believer’s salvation experience rests upon the love of God. There is no redemption story without His initiating love for humanity. In ourselves, we lack the ability to love God until we have first received and experienced His love.

John 3:16 declares that eternal life itself is built upon the love of God for mankind, while 1 John 4:19 affirms, “We love Him because He first loved us.” Therefore, our love for God is not self-generated, it is a response to the love He first demonstrated through Christ Jesus. It is therefore crucial that every believer seeks to understand the love of God, for only then can we respond to it in the right way.

The Nature of God’s Love

i. God’s very nature is love: Love is not merely an attribute of God, it is His essence (1 John 4:8). Everything He does flows from this nature of love.

ii. God’s love for humanity is everlasting: “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3). His love never ceases, because He created us in His image and for His pleasure (Revelation 4:11). Out of this love, He continually extends mercy and salvation to all who will receive Him (Psalm 136:1–3).

iii. God’s love is His greatest strategy for winning humanity: Through love, He draws men to Himself (Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:10). We could not reach out to God in our sin, so He reached out to us through His love.

iv. God’s love is sacrificial: Love gives. God proved His love by giving His only Son to die for our sins (John 3:16–18; Romans 5:8). True love expresses itself in action, and Jesus’ sacrifice was the ultimate demonstration of that love.

v. God’s love is assuring: His love casts out fear (1 John 4:17–18). If God did not withhold His Son, then we can rest assured that He will also freely give us all other things pertaining to life and godliness (Romans 8:31–39).

vi. The benefits of God’s love are experienced through salvation: Only those who receive Christ by faith can fully enjoy the blessings of God’s love; peace, provision, and protection (Romans 8:37; Psalm 103:17).

How do we respond to the Love of God

God has already demonstrated His love by sending Jesus to redeem us from sin, destruction, and eternal separation. The right response is to receive His love, grow in it, and live by it. We express our love for God through faith, obedience, and service.

i. Believe in His Love – (John 3:16; Romans 5:1–5):  Our first response is faith, believing in the finished work of Christ. Salvation begins when we accept His love by trusting in Jesus.

ii. Know and Understand His Love: (2 Timothy 1:7): Paul prayed that believers would comprehend the depth, length, and height of God’s love. Understanding His love brings confidence, boldness, and a sense of completeness in Him (1 John 4:17–18).

iii. Praise and Thank Him for His Love: Gratitude is a natural response to love. As we recognize His goodness, we are called to praise and thank Him continually for salvation, deliverance, provision, and protection.

iv. Imitate and Walk in His Love: (1 John 4:11; John 13:34): Love must be lived out. We are called to reflect God’s sacrificial love by showing compassion, forgiving others, and serving selflessly, even when it costs us (Ephesians 4:31–32).

v. Tell Others About His Love: The great commission is the extension of the love of God to others. We are ambassadors of His message, urging the world to embrace the same love that has redeemed us (2 Corinthians 5:11).

We love God because He first loved us. His love is the reason we are drawn to Him, sustained by Him, and transformed through Him. Our calling, therefore, is to live in continual response, to love Him back through obedience, to reflect His character in our actions, and to share His love with a world still in need of it.

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