The Love Of God To Us # 2

 The Love Of God To Us # 2

Clearly that lays me under a thousand time greater obligation to love, serve, and glorify Him - than had He loved me for the first time when my heart was won. All of the acts of God to His people in time, are the expressions of the love He bore them from eternity. It is because God loves us in Christ, and has done so from everlasting, that the gifts of His love are irrevocable. They are the bestowed of "the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

The love of God indeed makes a change in us when it is "shed abroad in our hearts," but it makes no change in Him. He sometimes varies the dispensations of His providence toward us, but that is not because His affection has altered. Even when He chastens us, it is in love (Hebrews 12:6), since He has our good in view.

Let us look more closely at some of the operations of God's love.

First, God's love manifested in election. "We are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit (His quickening) and belief of the truth" (2 Thessalonians 2:13).

There is an infallible connection between God's love, and His selection of those who were to be saved. That election is the consequence of His love, is clear again from Deuteronomy: "The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people" (7:7). So again: "In love, having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will" (Ephesians 1:4-5).

Second, God's love manifested in redeeming. As we have seen from 1 John 4:10, out of His sovereign love God made provision for Christ to rendeer satisfaction for their sins, though prior to their conversion He was angry with them in respect to His violated Law. And "how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32). This is another clear proof that His Son was not "delivered up" to the Cross for all mankind. For He gives them neither the Holy Spirit, a new nature, nor repentance and faith.

Third, God's love manifested in effectual calling. From the enthroned Saviour the Father sends forth the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:33). Having loved His elect with an everlasting love, with loving-kindness He draws them (Jeremiah 31:3), quickens into newness of life, calls them out of darkness into His marvelous light, and makes them His children. "Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God" (1 John 3:1). If filiation does not issue from God's love as a sure effect, to what purpose are those words?

Fourth, God's love manifested in healing of backslidings. "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely" (Hosea 14:4), without reluctance or hesitation. "Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it" (Song 8:7).

Such is God's love to His people - invincible, unquenchable. Not only is there no possibility of its expiring, but also the black waters of backsliding cannot extinguish it, nor the floods of unbelief put it out.

Nothing is more irresistible in the natural world than death. In the realm of grace, nothing is so invincible as the love of God. Goodwin remarked: "What difficulties does the love of God overcome! For God to overcome His own heart! Do you think it was nothing for Him to put His Son to death? - When He came to call us, had He no difficulties which love overcame? We were dead in trespasses and sins - yet from the great love with which He loved us, He quickened us in the grave of our corruption, even then did God come and conquer us.

After our calling, how sadly do we provoke God! Such temptations that if it were possible the elect should be deceived. It is so with all Christians. No righteous man, but he is scarcely saved, and yet saved he is, because the love of God is invincible - it overcomes all difficulties."

An application is hardly necessary for such a theme. Let God's love daily engage your mind by devout mediations on it, so that the affections of your heart may be drawn out to Him. When cast down in spirit, or in sore straits, plead His love in prayer, assured that it cannot deny anything good for you. Make God's wondrous love to you the incentive of your obedience to Him - gratitude requires nothing less.

~A. W. Pink~

(The End)