God’s Love is the Cross

In this article I want to address what a lot of people misunderstand, God’s love. It is true that God is love, 1 John 4:8, but when people speak of God’s love in today’s culture they think of a love that will not let anything bad happen to them and everything they want will be given to them. This is a misunderstanding of God’s love as revealed in His Word. Jesus Himself said that the greatest love anyone can have is to lay down his life for his friends, John 15:13. Why? Because most of us count our lives precious, not wanting anything bad to happen to us, so we protect our lives at all costs. This being true, to give our lives for someone else is the greatest act of love because we give up our most precious possession our life.

The Bible declares that God’s love is the cross, which God saved us on by dying, Ephesians 5:2, 1 John 3:16. When Jesus gave His life for us it was not so we can have an easy life now or get everything we want, Jesus gave His life for us because of our sins, Romans 6:23, John 3:16. Jesus came to give His life as a ransom for us, Mark 10:45 and shed His blood for our sins, Matthew 26:28. By Jesus death on the cross God showed that He loves us, Romans 5:8. While it’s true that God doesn’t want bad things to happen to us, if anything does happen it doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love us, because He already showed us He does by dying for us, 1 John 4:9-10. Rather God has a purpose for everything, good or bad, that happens to those who are His, Romans 8:28. Though God promised His people suffering in this world, 2 Timothy 3:12, He has a reason(s) behind it, Romans 5:3-4. In the same token, we should not think of God acting like a genie granting our ever wish just because He loves us. We were created for Him Colossians 1:16, Revelation 4:11, not the other way around.