January 20 – Because of His Great Love For Us

January 20 – Because of His Great Love For Us

Ephesians 2:4-7

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

We've been talking in class about the attributes of God. One of the questions was regarding what we believe to be His most important attribute. Personally, I find it difficult to separate one from any of the others because He is made up of so much … more than mere words of mine can describe.

Theologians have split His characteristics into two categories: firstly from the standpoint of God as Creator, secondly He is the Redeemer.  Characteristics of God which fall under the image of God as Creator are such things as omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence (He rules all, knows all, is everywhere), His immutability – the fact that He never changes and then the truth that He is eternal.  Redeemer characteristics are things such as holiness, righteousness and love.  Love is also described using words such as grace, mercy, patience, benevolence, forgiveness and kindness.

Now, how would you answer the question?

In these verses from Ephesians 2, Paul writes of God’s great love.  One of the most amazing things about God’s love is that it is all about the relationship.  John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, He gave His only Son.”  God wants to have a relationship … a friendship with each of us and He doesn’t wait for us to figure it out and love Him first, He did it before time began. He loved.  It’s part of His very being.

This passage says that God has great love for us and that He raised us up and seated us with Him.  His love has a bigger purpose than we can imagine.  He loves us so that He can love us some more as we enter into this friendship with Him.  He creates a cycle of love that only needs His work to perpetuate itself.  He doesn't require us to do anything, He will always love us.  Whether or not we return His love does not change the fact that He is love and that He loves us.

What is the most important of God's attributes?  I can't decide for everyone, but His love is foundational in my own life.