HOW does God love us? (part 1)
The world will know us, as His disciples, by our love—not our ability to sing, pray, produce albums, build buildings or large ministries—they will see Christ in us as we love with the same love we’ve been loved. Those things mentioned are okay as long as they’re born from and remain rooted in agape love.
“So I give you now a new commandment: Love each other just as much as I have loved you.” John 13:34 (TPT)
In this passage (John 13), Jesus takes love to a whole new, radical level. Where He once says “love your neighbor as yourself,” He’s now calling them higher—to love as you have been loved. To love as we love ourselves is good, but to love as we’ve been loved…well, that’s glorious.
Keep in mind, Jesus had just washed all of the disciples’ feet, including Judas’—the very one who would betray Him. Jesus didn’t rebuke nor did He shun when He encountered the weakness of Judas, Peter or any other disciple for that matter—instead, He broke out the basin and began to wash their feet. Wow, what a demonstration of agape (other-centered, self-giving) LOVE!
This is HOW He loved the disciples… He charges us to love one another in the same manner!
Knowing how He loved the disciples and how He loves empowers us to model the same.
HOW DID/DOES HE LOVE US?
I would suggest that it’s not enough to simply know we are loved, we must know how we are loved. In his third epistle, John says “what manner of love is this…” (1 John 3:1). “Manner” in the Greek means “kind, quality, sort,” and is very specific—used other places in Scripture to describe people, nations, groups, etc.
It’s almost as if John is saying, “beloved, see HOW He loves us…behold the kind and quality of love He has displayed!”
Asking “How does He love me?” requires that we step back and look at ways in which God loved us.
Let’s look at what Paul says in Romans…
“For if, while we were God’s enemies (hateful, opposing God in the mind), we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” Romans 5:10 (NIV) *emphasis mine
While we were enemies, He died for us
Paul makes two things clear:
Mankind was an enemy, hostile and hateful towards God. In this posture of a distorted mindset (of God), we persecuted and killed the very One He sent. As C. Baxter Kruger says, “Our only contribution to the gospel was killing Jesus.”
Yet, the Father—in Christ—submitted to our rage and violence (see John 18). In total, unconditional and surrendered (agape) love, Christ laid down His life to bring us into encounter with perfect Love!
A TESTIMONY OF HOW HE LOVES US
A few months ago, the world was alerted of Afghanistan being under attack of the Taliban (Islamic militant and political jihadist group). It was on that following Sunday morning that we began to pray for the people of Afghanistan—asking that the Father release peace into that land. We prayed for fathers, mothers, sons and daughters—entire families and groups—to be protected while also feeling and encountering the embrace of the Father. We dispatched angels, calling on God to invade that locked-down land with the help of heavens hosts.
Soon, and out of the blue, I felt the Spirit urge us to pray for the Taliban. What was intended to be a prayer for Christians and the innocent, soon turned into a prayer of blessing the enemies (those who were attacking the people of Afghanistan). We didn’t see that coming! Nonetheless, we leaned in and began to pray for our “enemies.”
Interestingly but not surprisingly, as we prayed for the people of Afghan to encounter the love of God, I could feel the heart of Jesus for the Taliban group. I could feel the tenderness of the Fathers heart to bring all people—even our enemies—into a living encounter with the good news. The prayer meeting turned into a time of prophesying goodness over the land, including any and all terrorist groups. It was quite honestly, one of the most engaging and possibly the most powerful prayer meeting I had ever been a part of. We were being encountered with the love of God in Christ.
Inside of this, I began to realize that I was once an enemy of the gospel—being reminded of the verse mentioned above (Romans 5:10). I was (and probably still am from time to time) hostile toward God in my thinking, and possibly in my conduct.
Following service, Ryan (my brother) said he heard the Lord say, “Now that was the most holy prayer ever prayed at the house of prayer.” I would have to agree on that one!
I am so thankful for the Father’s heart to encounter us that morning with His perfect love—a love that can and will arrest the world away from the enemy (adamic) nature. I know He did it for me and He can do it for you (as well as anyone you know).
Maybe, just maybe, He wants to release a love movement through us, as we love our enemies—as we lay down our life for one another as Christ has so willingly done!
-RA
