The Father’s Love: Part 1

     God is Agapē. “God is love.” —1 John 4:8. Agapē

not only defines what God does—it defines who God is.

Everything He does flows from this love: His mercy,

patience, correction, and forgiveness. To see the impact of

this love, look to its highest expression at the Cross:

     “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that,

while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” —Romans

5:8

     God’s love is not a response to our goodness; it is

pure grace. “I have loved thee with an everlasting love:

therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

—Jeremiah 31:3

     In his book, Walking in Love, the revered

theologian, A.B. Simpson, wrote, “Love is the greatest thing

in God. … God is righteous, holy, wise, and mighty … but … If

you were to look at an embodiment of justice, it would not

be God; it would only be one side of the mountain,

precipitous and majestic, but terrible. But could you behold

perfect love embodied, you would have God in all His

fullness.

     The predominant element in God is not righteousness,

but love. Everything He has and does is dominated,

controlled, and colored by love. He is just, because He is

love, and because injustice would be an injury and wrong to

the creation. Where He can be just and also merciful, mercy

rejoices against judgment.

     God’s story of redemption, while it exhibits His holiness

most marvelously, the picture of His love exceeds all else,

and we are compelled to see what love is: ‘This is love:not

that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as

an atoning sacrifice for our sins’ (1 John 4:10).… Even those,

who … perish through their unbelief, are the objects of His

tenderest compassion. They perish against His will, and

receive even in their ruin the tears of His tenderness and

sorrow and the parting words [of His great sorrow; I take no

delight in the death of the wicked … why will you die, oh

man?]”

     And C.H. Spurgeon commented: “No one point in

theology is of more importance than this: that God is love.

You may sum up the gospel in a single word — love.”

—C. H. Spurgeon, Sermon: “The Love of God” (1861)

 

YOU MATTER DEEPLY TO THE FATHER

 

     Because God is love, you matter to God. You are

precious to Him. The Father is not distant or indifferent—He is

deeply and emotionally concerned about you. One of the

greatest needs of the human heart is to know what it means to

be loved by the Father.

     When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, He revealed the depth

of that love: “For God so loved the world that He gave…” The

word “so” carries the weight of divine passion. It isn’t a casual

affection—it’s a love beyond measure, love that acts, gives, and

sacrifices.

     As only C.H. Spurgeon can, he pierces the heart with

this comment: “You stand before God as if you were Christ,

because Christ stood before God as if He were you.” That is the gospel in its purest form — love that traded heaven’s glory for a cross. Love that took your guilt so you might share His

righteousness. Love that will never let you go.

     Jesus didn’t just tell us that the Father loves; He showed

us the Father’s love. This love compelled Him to send His Son,

not out of duty, but out of overwhelming compassion. And even more astounding, Jesus declared, “The Father has loved [you] as [He has] loved Me” (John 17:23).

     Let this truth settle into your heart today: You matter

deeply to God. He so loves you that nothing can separate you

from His embrace. Rest in the certainty that you are eternally

loved, cherished, and never forgotten by your Father.