Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
— 1 John 4:7–11, ESV

God is love – what a remarkable thing to read. This is the attribute of God known by most and quickly embraced although not fully understood and often misused. The love of God is used for everything from excusing sin to saying that everyone will end up in heaven. God is love tells us that he is the first and most generous giver for the benefit of others. God's love is evidenced in the eternal love of the Trinity itself – Father, Son and Spirit. Jesus spoke of this love in John 17 when he said, “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24, ESV) Before the world was, God was love and there was a mutual giving within the Godhead. God is the origin, the basis, the guide, and source of love. This is why we are exhorted to love others and reflect the character of God.  

The Father has loved us and sent Jesus to redeem us. The Son has loved us, becoming like us, shedding his blood for us, and imparting his righteousness. The Holy Spirit has loved us, embedding eternal life and revealing the glories of Jesus. The powerful love of God can save, to the uttermost, all who are lost in sin. The love of God makes Jesus our brother, our mediator, our bride-groom.

The love of God is summed up well by Frederick M. Lehman when he wrote,

The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell,
It goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the lowest hell,
The guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win:
His erring child He reconciled and pardoned from his sin.


When years of time shall pass away and earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray, on rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure shall still endure, all measureless and strong:
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—the saints’ and angels’ song.


Could we with ink the ocean fill and were the skies of parchment made,
Were ev’ry stalk on earth a quill and ev’ry man a scribe by trade
To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry,
Nor could the scroll contain the whole tho stretched from sky to sky.
Chorus:
O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—the saints’ and angels’ song.

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