God's Love

[GreenMunchkin]

God truly, fundamentally, deeply loves us all, and I suppose am wondering, how aware of His love are you? Day to day, I mean. It's something I struggle with an awful lot.

And, also, how do we become more aware of it? Not intellectually, but in terms of really feeling it and living in it, what makes that happen?

Thank you berry much for any answers

 

[KD1998]

God truly, fundamentally, deeply loves us all, and I suppose am wondering, how aware of His love are you? Day to day, I mean. It's something I struggle with an awful lot.

And, also, how do we become more aware of it? Not intellectually, but in terms of really feeling it and living in it, what makes that happen?

Thank you berry much for any answers

Hi GreenMunchkin, I used to struggle with this too. In my mind I knew God loved me because His word says that He loved me and if someone were to ask me," do you know God loves you" I would say yes, but deep down inside I didn't fully believe that. For me, I truly believed that I had to earn His love, that I had to be good enough to receive it. That is a lie because no one is good enough and that while we were still sinners, Christ died. He loved and died for me even when I was still living in sin. That truth alone was life changing for me, when I accepted by faith, that He loves me just because He chooses to love, not because of anything that I have done. This made me want to live for Him,to serve Him, it does not give me a license to sin, no, but a renewed mind and spirit, knowing that this awesome God has chosen to love me. His love for us goes so deep, who can understand it? I just accept it and praise Him for it.

I hope this helps. Praying that you may be able to comprehend what is the width and length and depth and height, to know the love Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3: 18-19)

 

[desmalia]

Another great subject, Anna!

This is something that I struggle with sometimes. I know He loves me and it's more than just an intellectual understanding. But at the same time, I struggle with my emotions regarding this sometimes. I think it may actually be due to the strained relationship I had with my earthly father. While I knew for sure that he loved me, I really didn't feel it very often. That has an effect on other relationships. But I trust God to work that out in me. That song I mentioned in the other thread is a good example of how that part of me is being broken down. I'm finding more and more these days too that on those rare occasions that we sing really deep profound songs in church (usually hymns), I cannot get through the whole song without getting a little choked up. It's a strange thing for me (and I admit feels a little embarrassing at times), but I think it's also progress!

 

[razzelflabben]

I have been studying God's love for about two years now, fascinating study really. Well, I don't think we can ever fully understand day by day how much God really loves us. I do know that I understand better as I study what His love really is. Two of the most helpful questions I asked is 1. what are the characteristics of God's love and 2. how would I recognize that love when it touches me and flows through me.

As I learn more about that love, I become more aware of it and it's influence on me. I become more aware of it's transformation in my life.

Just some thoughts...

 

[Zecryphon]

God truly, fundamentally, deeply loves us all, and I suppose am wondering, how aware of His love are you? Day to day, I mean. It's something I struggle with an awful lot.

And, also, how do we become more aware of it? Not intellectually, but in terms of really feeling it and living in it, what makes that happen?

Thank you berry much for any answers

Prayer and reading God's word. The more time you spend with God, the more aware of His love you will become.

 

[desmalia]

Prayer and reading God's word. The more time you spend with God, the more aware of His love you will become.

Absolutely. Also when we live in obedience. Like in our relationships, for instance. Marriage that is lived for His glory gives us a powerful example of His nature and the workings of His love. I've heard many parents talk about how when they had children they developed a new awe and respect for the love of God the Father for us, His children. Genuine godly fellowship within the body shows us love in action. All of these things give us greater awareness of His love.

 

[GreenMunchkin]

Thank you so much for answering, everyone If it's ok, I wanted to discuss this bit more... but I don't want it to seem like am not grateful for your posts. Thank you very, very much

Prayer and reading God's word. The more time you spend with God, the more aware of His love you will become.

Hmm. You see, when I was thinking about this, this was the first answer I gave myself, but as I thought about it more, I realised it's not quite as simple as that.

I think spening time in His presence - prayer, worship, reading the Bible - brings us closer to Him, absolutely. He draws us in and it grows our faith and strengthens the relationship between... but being able to accept and feel His love is something very different. If, as Desi said (and I have *exactly* the same feelings on it as you, sis), there's a lack of love from our earthly father, for example, believing God could love us is much, much harder.

So while we know He does, and while we can grow closer and closer to Him, really feeling like we're living in His love is different, and much, much harder. Most people feel fundamentally unworthy of love - it's why we have drugs and addictions and STDs. So if we feel unworthy of love, truly feeling loved by the Lord is very, very difficult.

 

[razzelflabben]

Thank you so much for answering, everyone If it's ok, I wanted to discuss this bit more... but I don't want it to seem like am not grateful for your posts. Thank you very, very much Hmm. You see, when I was thinking about this, this was the first answer I gave myself, but as I thought about it more, I realised it's not quite as simple as that.

I think spening time in His presence - prayer, worship, reading the Bible - brings us closer to Him, absolutely. He draws us in and it grows our faith and strengthens the relationship between... but being able to accept and feel His love is something very different. If, as Desi said (and I have *exactly* the same feelings on it as you, sis), there's a lack of love from our earthly father, for example, believing God could love us is much, much harder.

So while we know He does, and while we can grow closer and closer to Him, really feeling like we're living in His love is different, and much, much harder. Most people feel fundamentally unworthy of love - it's why we have drugs and addictions and STDs. So if we feel unworthy of love, truly feeling loved by the Lord is very, very difficult.

Most people think that love, including but not limited to God's love is about this warm fuzzy feeling. Problem is, that isn't what love is at all. This is why I said that it is important to understand what love is and how to recognize it when it comes to us and flows through us first.

Let me see...an example...love is about allowing us to face the consequences for our mistakes so that we can learn not only from our mistakes, but also that we can learn the wisdom of God's instructions to us. Now that facing of our consequences isn't some warm fuzzy feeling, but it is love and if we learn what love is, then when it comes to us, we have a greater opportunity to recognize it.

Another classic example is the things that are real dangers verses the things that we fear. Love protects us from the real dangers in this world, not all the things we fear. The real dangers are those things that can separate us from God. How many times has God protected us, and we never see it because our eyes are on the physical world not the spiritual world. The more we then become aware of the spiritual world, the more our eyes are opened to the love given us in the spiritual world.

These are only two examples but help to explain what I am saying in greater depth. The problem often times is that we are looking love in the face but don't recognize it because we don't know what love is or what it looks like.

 

[GreenMunchkin]

Most people think that love, including but not limited to God's love is about this warm fuzzy feeling. Problem is, that isn't what love is at all. This is why I said that it is important to understand what love is and how to recognize it when it comes to us and flows through us first.

Let me see...an example...love is about allowing us to face the consequences for our mistakes so that we can learn not only from our mistakes, but also that we can learn the wisdom of God's instructions to us. Now that facing of our consequences isn't some warm fuzzy feeling, but it is love and if we learn what love is, then when it comes to us, we have a greater opportunity to recognize it.

Another classic example is the things that are real dangers verses the things that we fear. Love protects us from the real dangers in this world, not all the things we fear. The real dangers are those things that can separate us from God. How many times has God protected us, and we never see it because our eyes are on the physical world not the spiritual world. The more we then become aware of the spiritual world, the more our eyes are opened to the love given us in the spiritual world.

These are only two examples but help to explain what I am saying in greater depth. The problem often times is that we are looking love in the face but don't recognize it because we don't know what love is or what it looks like.

Had never really though of it like that... I kind of want the warm, fuzzy feelings... so, do you think feeling loved by God is in part an intellectual thing? Having faith but not literally feeling it?

Sorry I'm asking so many questions. Just, finding this quite interesting.

 

[Zecryphon]

Hmm. You see, when I was thinking about this, this was the first answer I gave myself, but as I thought about it more, I realised it's not quite as simple as that.

I think spening time in His presence - prayer, worship, reading the Bible - brings us closer to Him, absolutely. He draws us in and it grows our faith and strengthens the relationship between... but being able to accept and feel His love is something very different. If, as Desi said (and I have *exactly* the same feelings on it as you, sis), there's a lack of love from our earthly father, for example, believing God could love us is much, much harder.

Be very careful here. You're looking for two different things now. You're chasing a feeling that you think you should have because you pray, worship and read the Bible. Such a feeling is not promised in scripture as a reward, if you will, for doing these things. This idea that you should feel God's love because you do something is straight from the touchy-feely modern Evangelical camp.

Also, a lack of love from your earthly father will not somehow be erased by the intellectual knowledge that comes from reading what God has done for us in His written word through His Son Jesus Christ. We see all throughout the Bible God's love for His people, but that's intellectual knowledge really. You're after a feeling, it seems, and there's no formulaic way to achieve that. It's not like if you read your Bible for x amount of hours and pray x amount of times a day, you will feel God's love increase for you in a week or something.

So while we know He does, and while we can grow closer and closer to Him, really feeling like we're living in His love is different, and much, much harder. Most people feel fundamentally unworthy of love - it's why we have drugs and addictions and STDs. So if we feel unworthy of love, truly feeling loved by the Lord is very, very difficult.

Of course we feel unworthy of love. Scripture tells us what we deserve due to our sins. But you need that feeling of unworthiness to help you understand just how awesome and grand God's love for us is. If you remove that feeling of unworthiness completely, what Christ did on that cross for us, loses its sweetness and beauty. He died for us while we were yet sinners and unworthy of God's love. Christ reconciled us back to God the Father. You can't have this euphoric feeling of love, without knowing that you don't deserve it and can't earn it. Because once you do remove that, then your gratitude towards God for what He has done through Christ, may be replaced by an attitude of entitlement. Like God has to love you because you read your Bible, pray and worship Him.

 

[desmalia]

Be very careful here. You're looking for two different things now. You're chasing a feeling that you think you should have because you pray, worship and read the Bible. Such a feeling is not promised in scripture as a reward, if you will, for doing these things. This idea that you should feel God's love because you do something is straight from the touchy-feely modern Evangelical camp.

Also, a lack of love from your earthly father will not somehow be erased by the intellectual knowledge that comes from reading what God has done for us in His written word through His Son Jesus Christ. We see all throughout the Bible God's love for His people, but that's intellectual knowledge really. You're after a feeling, it seems, and there's no formulaic way to achieve that. It's not like if you read your Bible for x amount of hours and pray x amount of times a day, you will feel God's love increase for you in a week or something.



Of course we feel unworthy of love. Scripture tells us what we deserve due to our sins. But you need that feeling of unworthiness to help you understand just how awesome and grand God's love for us is. If you remove that feeling of unworthiness completely, what Christ did on that cross for us, loses its sweetness and beauty. He died for us while we were yet sinners and unworthy of God's love. Christ reconciled us back to God the Father. You can't have this euphoric feeling of love, without knowing that you don't deserve it and can't earn it. Because once you do remove that, then your gratitude towards God for what He has done through Christ, may be replaced by an attitude of entitlement. Like God has to love you because you read your Bible, pray and worship Him.

Well said.

 

[razzelflabben]

Had never really though of it like that... I kind of want the warm, fuzzy feelings... so, do you think feeling loved by God is in part an intellectual thing? Having faith but not literally feeling it?

Sorry I'm asking so many questions. Just, finding this quite interesting.

I love questions, ask away. Some parts of God's love are "warm fuzzies" but just like marriage, it isn't all warm fuzzies. The problem with the warm fuzzy ideas of love is that they are fleeting, God's love is anything but fleeting.

There are (at least that I can find) 10 love notes from God to us. These are pictures of love. Like father love, King love, Bridegroom love, etc. Of these we draw different pictures or aspects as it were of the depth and bredth of this love. If we limit ourselves to the warm fuzzies we miss most of the love God shows us.

As to the intellectual part of love, I don't think it is, it transcends emotions, intellect, actions. God's love is so much more than any of these things and it is even more broad than all of them put together.

As far as faith goes, the bible tells us that faith, hope and love remain, but the greatest of these is love. Basically that means that faith is not love and love is not faith. Hope is not love and love is not hope. They are intertwined and connected and flow from each other but they are all separate things.

 

[razzelflabben]

Of course we feel unworthy of love. Scripture tells us what we deserve due to our sins. But you need that feeling of unworthiness to help you understand just how awesome and grand God's love for us is. If you remove that feeling of unworthiness completely, what Christ did on that cross for us, loses its sweetness and beauty. He died for us while we were yet sinners and unworthy of God's love. Christ reconciled us back to God the Father. You can't have this euphoric feeling of love, without knowing that you don't deserve it and can't earn it. Because once you do remove that, then your gratitude towards God for what He has done through Christ, may be replaced by an attitude of entitlement. Like God has to love you because you read your Bible, pray and worship Him.

What most people do here is try to attribute our evil condition to love or lack thereof. What the bible really comes down to when studying love is that sin, sinful nature, etc. removes from man his worth. God's love worth is so great that any understanding of that love return value to man. That is why it is not only important to understand but also why it is fruitless to proclaim how unworthy we are. You see, God looks at man and sees something of tremendous value, He sees Jesus in every man, a reflection of God's very heart is within each of us. That is a value of huge proportions. But sin devalues man, it clouds the image of God on our lives. It separates the image of God from man and it is God's love that restores that image and shines the mirror of Christ within. This is vital to understand when talking with people of low or no self worth. (just a side note). If you were of no value, Christ wouldn't have come. What you mean to say is that we have not earned that love. A very different thing.

One more note here, God's love is a transforming love. It is a love that changes our situation and transforms who we are. This transformation is that very image of Christ, reflected, shined, and boldly proclaiming the true value of each and every one of us.

 

[Blank123]

good discussion. Love really isn't a feeling, its a choice to commit every day whether or not we feel like it. Feelings do play a part, just like in a marriage, i don't actually know one couple who doesn't have some sort of feelings for one another, be they good feelings or bad feelings. Feelings are just a part of human nature and play a part in all of our relationships.

i think the danger is in allowing those feelings to be the sole defining point of love - thats why we end up with so many broken families and friendships, even in the church - because they stopped feeling those warm fuzzies they took it as an indication that they no longer loved or were loved but real love goes soooo much deeper than feelings, its what keeps the relationship grounded during the periods where the warm fuzzies fade or are replaced by angry/bad feelings and thats the danger in applying it to our own relationship with the Lord. Its not wrong to feel those things towards God but if you reach a place where the feelings aren' as strong or they've faded that doesn't mean there's something wrong with the relationship. our love for God needs to be gorunded on something much deeper than feelings.

i hope that made sense

 

[Zecryphon]

I said what I meant to say. I disagree with your assertion that it is fruitless to say we are unworthy of God's love when the scriptures themselves tell us that very thing by telling us how we are all born in sin, separated from God, deserving of death, that there is none righteous, none who seek after God and how all have turned away. That is what a person must have revealed to them by scripture and the Holy Spirit, before they can hear the good news of Jesus Christ. You're getting close to that dangerous area of feeling like you're entitled to God's love. What have you done that God has to love you for? The thing that makes God's love so amazing and mind-blowing is that He loved us first and that He came to save us. Your posts are very misleading and extremely dangerous to the unsaved who may be lurking here. Those people could easily conclude that since they have a great worth to God they don't need to be drawn to or call upon the name of Christ in response to God's grace, because God somehow sees Christ in them already, so they're good to go. The thing that makes God's love so amazing and mind-blowing is that He loved us first and that He came to save us.

 

[Stephen Kendall]

When we come to the place that hearts can die and we sink below our understanding, we cry out for the need of change and desire to be unlike the reasons for our condition. We cry out for the love that we need in us to live. We struggle with guilt and the heavy burden of constant shame. We are in a place that God looks beautiful to us. We hope in the promise that others scoff at. We desire to be changed for His purposes in us. We are at the bottom of live and looking up to the light of God. We hope in His love and Christ. We walk in sober understanding of our weak and frail human spirit. We cling to the love of God, to the understanding of change. We live to not die again.

This is just a taste of what it is to hope in the Gospel, when we met our very low self image. We walk in trembling and fear before God, trusting in His love through Jesus Christ.

Why would God send us His son to suffer and die for us? When you have been so low and hate it, you are saved by His love for us, you cling to this hope for salvation and change. Fear and trembling is your respect of your human difference (weaknesses) and need to be with Him.

The love of God is a miracle to our ugliness. It is the way home, generously & lovingly given. If we can love like that, then indeed, we have learned and been born again. Praise God.

 

[JustAsIam77]

I said what I meant to say. I disagree with your assertion that it is fruitless to say we are unworthy of God's love when the scriptures themselves tell us that very thing by telling us how we are all born in sin, separated from God, deserving of death, that there is none righteous, none who seek after God and how all have turned away. That is what a person must have revealed to them by scripture and the Holy Spirit, before they can hear the good news of Jesus Christ. You're getting close to that dangerous area of feeling like you're entitled to God's love. What have you done that God has to love you for? The thing that makes God's love so amazing and mind-blowing is that He loved us first and that He came to save us. Your posts are very misleading and extremely dangerous to the unsaved who may be lurking here. Those people could easily conclude that since they have a great worth to God they don't need to be drawn to or call upon the name of Christ in response to God's grace, because God somehow sees Christ in them already, so they're good to go. The thing that makes God's love so amazing and mind-blowing is that He loved us first and that He came to save us.

You're on to something my friend. God loves the elect. The heathen no. We are rightious in His eyes because we believe in the atonement of Jesus by faith alone. Before the foundations of the world we were elected to be saved by His grace. Gods love for us is amazing.

 

[porterross]

You're on to something my friend. God loves the elect. The heathen no. We are rightious in His eyes because we believe in the atonement of Jesus by faith alone. Before the foundations of the world we were elected to be saved by His grace. Gods love for us is amazing.

*Emphasis mine*

God's love for ALL of us is amazing. Focusing on His grace is more right than trying to limit it's availability to everyone by limiting our focus to His sovereignty. This was Christ's message and none of us is any more worthy of His grace than the other.

True, He knows who His sheep are because He knows who will and who won't reject His grace, but why would He create beings only to condemn them? That doesn't sound like the actions of a very loving god to me and God is the very definition of love.

 

[JustAsIam77]

*Emphasis mine*

God's love for ALL of us is amazing. Focusing on His grace is more right than trying to limit it's availability to everyone by limiting our focus to His sovereignty. This was Christ's message and none of us is any more worthy of His grace than the other.

True, He knows who His sheep are because He knows who will and who won't reject His grace, but why would He create beings only to condemn them? That doesn't sound like the actions of a very loving god to me and God is the very definition of love.

God condemns all. We are all unworthy. Only the elect are saved by His grace and spared the torment we all deserve. The question is why do ANY escape His judgement as we're all sinners? Who can question what the potter does with his clay? It's beyond human comprehension.

 

[ReformedChapin]

God condemns all. We are all unworthy. Only the elect are saved by His grace and spared the torment we all deserve. The question is why do ANY escape His judgement as we're all sinners? Who can question what the potter does with his clay? It's beyond human comprehension.

Exactly...
Romans
Not only that, but when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, 22 our ancestor Isaac – 9:11 even before they were born or had done anything good or bad (so that God’s purpose in election 23 would stand, not by works but by 24 his calling) 25 – 9:12 26 it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger,” 27 9:13 just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 28
9:14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not! 9:15 For he says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”