Sovereign Redeemer

  “God is love.” (1 John 4:16) God is love Himself, not simply lov ing . Love pervades the whole of His infinite nature. Because He is the ultimate foundation of existence (this is also implied in the name, “I AM”) His love is the foundation of our existence. Think upon it if you will: God does not need creation. If He needed anything, He would not be God. God does not need His creation to be happy, for He dwells in perfect, everlasting bliss. He does not need His creation to be at peace, for He is peace (Luke 10:6), and His Son is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). So why did He create anything by His Son, the Word?  The answer is love. Love is generous: it seeks to give. Creation flows out of the love of God. Our whole reason for living is to be loved by God. This is why He made us in His image. This is why He saved us by His grace. This is how He glorifies Himself.  Creation is the expression of God’s love. Everything that happens in your love or mine, is part of that ...

  “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) Let me start by asking you a question: who is God? Who do you say that He is? You might reply that God is the foundation and cause of all reality, an Almighty, infinite and absolute being, unchangeable, timeless and immortal. You would be right. But if I were to ask you who you are, or about someone you know, your answer would probably not begin with, “I am a finite, sentient, mortal being, capable of imagination, creativity and speech, changeable, time bound and mortal.” All these things are important—vital in fact to who we are—but they lack, shall we say, personality.  God is a personal being. The first word of His name, “I AM” connotes as much; and since this name speaks of His fundamental nature, we may say that one of the most fundamental aspects of God is His personhood. Likewise 1 John 4:8, “God is love,” speaks of God’s personal love: it means that every purpose and imagination of God’s heart is loving. Even God’s hatred is loving, being...