How God Loves

I wanted to read a definition of the word "love" today, so I powered up my computer and went to urbandictionary.com.  In my limited experience, I've found that the internet is the only reliable source of information, especially if that information is open sourced.  Anyways, here are 5 helpful* definitions:

1. Either a horrible disease or a blessing.
2. Nature's way of tricking people into reproducing
3. Most people use the word "love" to get into someone else's pants.
4. A zero score in tennis.
5. A word used by many, but understood by few.

My favorite is number 4, although I can really resonate with number 5.  I personally use the word "love" to describe a wide range of emotions.  For example:

"I love tacos."  
This is probably the one I use the most.  Many times I'm merely exaggerating, although I do love tacos...

"I love you man."  
Usually the way I say "thank you," in response to a kind act.

"I love you, Ashley."
This allows me to encourage my wife without having to exhaust a lot of my resources.

It's clear that there are various levels of meaning behind the word "love," and with this is mind, what do phrases like: "God is love" or "For God so loved the world..." actually mean?  Lets use the examples that I provided above.

• Is God's love an exaggeration of truth?  
• Is God's love based on His appreciation for something we do?  
• Is God's love a substitute for actually demonstrating concern?

I've never thought about this before, but Good Friday reveals that God has a unique definition for the word, "love."  Good Friday shows that God wasn't using hype to sell us a bunch of junk.  It shows that He wasn't trying to thank us for acting nicely.  It also shows that He wasn't taking the easy way out.  Good Friday shows that God's definition requires action, and this is how it looks:


God created humans to spend eternity in relationship with Him. The only stipulation was that Humans had to obey God and treat one another with love and equality. Humans rejected that plan, and decided to be their own bosses instead. Their choice resulted in a painful existence where people hurt God, hurt each other and hurt the rest of creation. Justice demands punishment for the perpetrator, and protection of the victims. Because everyone is both a victim and a perpetrator, the only just punishment is total isolation. This punishment broke God's heart, so He created a rescue plan. God was the only victim who was not guilty of hurting others, so He was the only one who didn't deserve punishment. God used His opportunity to take the punishment for people by coming to earth as a man named Jesus, and allowing people to kill Him. This action maintained justice and taught victims how to forgive their perpetrator. In order to prove that justice was served, Jesus rose from the dead three days later, and appeared to 500 people. Today it's possible for anyone to have a relationship with God if they chose to accept Jesus' sacrifice as their punishment. They do this by acknowledging their disobedience, asking God for forgiveness, submitting to Jesus as their boss and choosing to forgive other people. People who refuse these terms will face a just punishment, which results in isolation from God and others.


This year, remember that "love" meant a whole lot to God.

God's Loving Plan for Battling Sin: Day 3

I've learned three things about being a christian over the years.  First, it’s hard to live in an honorable way.  Humans like to do things their way.  We want to rebel and serve ourselves.  It's hard to show God the love He deserves, especially when He asks us to love our enemies.  With that being the case, the Christian life is a life of war.  We need to constantly fight against our natural tendency to sin.  

The second thing I've learned is that God is always with me.  It might not feel as though God is always there, but I know He is.  He loves us and has given each of us various gifts so that we can help other people. 

Finally, God also taught me that He is patient and willing to help me overcome my weaknesses if I am willing to turn to Him for help. This means that I can fight against the greed in my life by using the weapons He provided: prayer, reading the bible, and remembering that He has already forgiven me through the sacrifice of Jesus.

As we end our bible study, we need to remember the importance of God's love and forgiveness. God has forgiveness us because He loves us, and that love and forgiveness should encourage us to turn away from sin when we recognize it in our lives. Jesus died for us so we can live for Him, so let's thank God for His amazing love by choosing to love Him and love other people.

Read Paul's final greeting in Ephesians 6:21-34 (NLT):

To bring you up to date, Tychicus will give you a full report about what I am doing and how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper in the Lord’s work. I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you.

Peace be with you, dear brothers and sisters, and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness. May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.

Answer the following questions:

1. What is Tychicus commended for?
2. Why did Paul send Tychicus to the believers?
3. What is Paul's final prayer for the believers?
4. How have you grown in your understanding of God's love?

God's Loving Plan for Battling Sin: Day 2

I mentioned earlier that I felt a strong desire to quit my former sales job after I began growing closer to the Lord.  I don't know if that's common, but for me it came down to two main reason. Initially, I wanted to run from the temptations I felt at work, but God taught me that sometimes I need to fight against sin instead of running from my problems.  Then I began to desire full-time ministry work, but that required a fight as well.

I can still remember the resistance I faced as I began moving from sales into ministry; financial issues, relational issues, scheduling issues, etc.  Although these were valid concerns, it seemed as though my excitement was able to override them.  Unfortunately there was one problem that my excitement couldn't solve: my terror. 

My fear was usually strongest during the night as I laid alone in the dark.  I felt as though my mind was interrogating me as I thought about my upcoming mission trip. 

"Is your God big enough to save you, Josh?"

"Does your God love you, or is He merely using you to accomplish His mission?"

Other times my thoughts would blatantly lie to me:

"You are going to die on your trip Josh"

"God doesn't love you."

I couldn't find rest even upon falling asleep, because usually my dreams resulted in nightmares that woke me up.  I was sleeping only a few hours a night, and dreaded being alone.  It was scary, discouraging and tiring, but in the midst of it, God helped me realize that something sinister was happening.  I was being attacked, and there was only one way to fight back.

Read Paul's instructions for Spiritual Warfare in Ephesians 6:10-20 (NLT):

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.

Answer the following questions:

1. What does Paul reveal about the Christian battle?
2. What is the purpose of spiritual armor?
3. List each piece of armor and what it's used for.
4. Paul tells us to pray for all believers. Who do you pray for regularly?

Weekly Challenge:

Paul was a strong leader who endured suffering and persecution in order to share the good news that God loves people. Paul remained humble by remembering that his success was dependent upon God, and therefore, he needed prayer for strength. Take time to pray for your church leaders, and write an encouraging note to your pastors in order to thank them for boldly sharing the gospel with others.