This week, we turn our attention to one of the most profound truths in Scripture: the love of God. Scripture tells us, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6). This reminds us that the effectiveness of our faith is dependent on our understanding of God’s love, agápē.
While human affection, phileō, often depends on performance, emotions, or circumstances, God’s love is unconditional and unwavering. It is not diminished by our failures nor strengthened by our achievements. Romans 5:8 declares, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Before we ever sought God, He loved us and gave His us very best – His Son, Jesus. Saints, the revelation of this love is the fuel for our faith. Our faith cannot function properly when we are in doubt about God’s love for us. The enemy knows this and often attacks our faith by making us question whether God truly cares. But we must never use our feelings as the standard for measuring God’s love, because feelings fluctuate, but God remains constant. Scripture affirms this, saying, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation, the atoning sacrifice, for our sins” (1 John 4:10). If God did not withhold Christ from us, we can be confident that He will not withhold any good thing from us. His love is sacrificial and extravagant. This is why our Lord declares, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). Agápē is not merely a feeling; it is a decision and commitment. When we are secure in this love, we approach God with confidence rather than fear, trusting Him for healing, provision, and breakthrough – that is what makes our faith effective!
Hebrews 11:6 reinforces this truth, saying, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Faith rests in the assurance that God is both good and generous. Once this conviction settles in our hearts, timidity gives way to boldness and unshakeable confidence. Apostle Paul captures this beautifully in his prayer for the believers in Ephesus, saying, ”I bow my knees to the Father… that He would grant you … to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3: 14-16). We must be strengthened in the inner man – heart and soul – because that’s where we fight the greatest battles, where fear, worry, and anxiety attempt to take root. But the Holy Spirit fortifies us so that when adversity comes, we do not collapse inwardly. Paul continues, saying, “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love …” (vs.17). Christ dwells in our hearts through faith, not feelings, which are fickle and lead to instability. But when we are rooted in God’s love, we are no longer tossed to and fro (Ephesians 4:14), but are “able to comprehend … what is the width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge” (Ephesians 3:18-19a). The word ‘know’ here is ginōskō, an intimate and experiential knowledge that surpasses intellectual understanding; a revelation that there is no distance God cannot cross to reach us and no depth from which His love cannot lift us. When it dawns on us, we are “filled with all the fullness of God” (vs.19b).
Saints, God is on our side. Romans 8:32 declares, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Likewise, Jesus assures us that if earthly fathers know how to give good gifts, “how much more will our Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11). God knows us intimately, even numbering the hairs on our heads (Luke 12:7). Psalm 139 shows the care with which we were formed, saying, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they were all written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them” (vs.14-16). You are not an accident. You are God’s workmanship, His masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus for good works (Ephesians 2:10); made in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26) to fellowship with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17; 1 John 4:17). When we fully grasp this, we stop striving for acceptance because we know we are loved. We approach the throne of grace boldly, without fear or condemnation (Hebrews 4:16), confident in the One who calls us His own.
So you see saints, the issue has never been whether God loves us – the Cross settled that once and for all (Romans 6:10; Hebrews 10:10-14; 1 Peter 3:18). The question is whether we have truly believed and received this love. Let us therefore meditate on His agápē, so that our faith is strengthened and our hearts are stabilized. Hallelujah!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us with an everlasting and unconditional love. May we grow in our comprehension of this love, and live each day with the assurance that we are deeply loved by You. Holy Spirit, help us to be rooted and grounded in this truth, so that our faith can be effective. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
