GOD'S LOVE TO MANKIND

Hello Steemians, may the peace of the lord be with you all. today I will be sharing with us Gods love to mankind

Do we deserve His love? Romans 5:8 clearly teaches, "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." We had not even been born yet, and God was already at work to provide a way for us to spend eternity with Him ( John 3:16 ). Jesus even noted that He is preparing a place for those who love Him ( John 14:3 ) where we will dwell in His presence forever.

Romans 5:2-5 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

God loves unconditionally. What does unconditionally mean? We could say that God’s love has no bounds, is unchanging, and without limitations. Unconditional love is sometimes defined as a love that is “given freely” to the loved one “no matter what.”

Each of us has sinned, and sin brings separation from God, and there is nothing we can do by ourselves to repair that breach. Nevertheless, God loves us. His love isn’t dependent on us, as we can’t earn His love.

The life of Jesus exemplified the heart of God and His love for humanity. He laid down His life for us and showed us what unselfish love was like. The Bible tells us in 

1 John 3:1-3 “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

"Why does God love us?"

First John 4:8 and 16 tell us that “God is love.” Never was a more important declaration made than this—God is love. This is a profound statement. God doesn’t just love; He is love. His nature and essence are love. Love permeates His very being and infuses all His other attributes, even His wrath and anger. Because God’s very nature is love, He must demonstrate love, just as He must demonstrate all His attributes because doing so glorifies Him. Glorifying God is the highest, the best, and the most noble of all acts, so, naturally, glorifying Himself is what He must do, because He is the highest and the best, and He deserves all glory.

What is the source of godly love?

Love is a uniquely human trait that cannot be explained away as the end result of an evolutionary process. This trait comes from the Creator God.

Genesis 1:26 tells us God’s words at the creation of humanity: “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” Since human beings have the capability to love, and since we are made in the likeness of God, He must be the source of love.

The differences between human love and God’s love.

Characteristics of human love 

It is selfish and gain based Sacrificial

It has strings and expects something in return

It is conditional 

It could partial and unholy 

It is sensual 

Gives to get

Expects returns from recipients

Characteristics of God's love 

No strings attached

 It is unconditional

 Gives to be a blessing

It is spiritual 

Expects returns from God

1 John 2:15 – Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Like children, some of us return God's love, and some do not. Nevertheless, He loves all of us. God's gifts of love and salvation are freely offered to all, even to those who choose the path of wickedness.

 He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (NIV, Matthew 5:45)

In conclusion,  God’s unconditional love for us infintiely exceeds our own capability to love. But the Father also loves man, His creation made in His image and likeness, and loves man infinitely. God cannot love any way other than infinitely. God cannot love anyone 'just a little bit'.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8–9)

Thanks for reading