1. God is love and experiences love eternally within the Trinity
Love always requires an object. You have to love someone or something. One does not simply love as an emotion or force of will; they direct love toward an object. 1 John 3 tells us that ‘God is love’. God isn’t just loving. He is the very definition of love. God is love! But how could God express that love before anything else but God existed? Did he create angels and people so he could love something? No. God has been expressing love eternally within the Trinity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. It is perfect love.
2. God loves all people in his image generally
God didn’t create us because he needed someone to love. He doesn’t get lonely. He is totally sufficient in himself and needs no part of creation to fill any lack in himself.
Rather, God created us because he delights to share his love. He did this freely and not because there was any necessity for him to do so. He created all things for his glory, but human beings in particular so that we might enjoy the riches of his love and so love him in return and bring him glory. God made us all. Therefore, each person is unique; each person is valuable. Everyone is made in God’s image, a child of God by right of his being our Creator. So God is kind to everyone. He provides, protects, nourishes; he gives life and the things necessary for life.
3. God loves you mercifully
The sad truth is that the world generally, because of sin, does not love God in return. This is the great tragedy of life in the world and is the source of all its woes: Those whom God created to bless and experience his love have rejected him. So how does God respond? By all rights, we should perish. Yet he is even kind to his enemies, to those who do not even believe he exists.
Luke 6:35 – “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.”
In a general sense God loves us all and any love that anyone experiences is mercy. None deserve it. Though for many, sadly, the most they will ever know God’s love is his temporary kindness and mercy in this life.
4. God loves some intentionally and specifically
God loves some more than others. Here’s what I mean by this: God created mankind to be in relationship with him, but as a whole, we’ve rejected God as he is. God’s desire is still to create a family, a kingdom of sons and daughters whom he will bless, and love, and show all his glorious attributes to. And so God chose out of the mass of humanity those whom he would set his redeeming love upon to ensure his will be done. He chose who his beloved children would be, and he left the rest of humanity to live in the rebellion they have chosen. His choice isn’t based on any good or bad thing anyone has done, but because of his own wisdom, grace, and counsel.
Eph. 1:4 – “even as he chose us in him [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. ”
Election is often the subject of theological debate among Christians. But we should remember that God’s election is an act of love.
5. God loves you savingly
The problem of sin remains though for those whom he set his electing love upon. So God sent his Son to die for you specifically. Jesus died for all people in some way, but he died for the people he chose specifically, effectively, and savingly. In order for you to know God and enjoy his love, your rebellion, guilt, sin, and brokenness had to be dealt with. Therefore, God sent Jesus on the greatest rescue mission to make sure that each and every person he chose would have their crimes forgiven and dealt with by his death on the cross. God the Father did not spare his own eternal Son, but sent him to die for you. That is how much he loves you.
6. God loves you overwhelmingly
Just because Jesus died for your sins, does that mean you would receive that forgiveness and love God? Is it possible that those whom God chose as his people would fail to hear this good news and respond in faith? Is it possible that they whom God chose to save would reject him? No! The Father and the Son have sent the Holy Spirit into the world to turn your hearts towards God. Many people hear the good news of Jesus and don’t believe, or have a kind of belief for a short time but then fall away. God ensures that those whom he chose and sent his Son to save will respond in love. So at just the right time, when you heard the gospel, God turned your heart towards him in faith. He removed the blindness and hardness that sin creates so you could see and respond unfailing to God.
7. God loves you entirely
He cares about all your life and all of you – body, mind, and soul. God doesn’t just care about your religion. He loves you entirely. That doesn’t mean he loves your sins or foolish decisions (love takes no delight in wrongdoing). However, he loves you faithfully through it all. Night and day, highs and lows, when you are strong or weak, when you are happy or sad, when you have much faith or are weak, when you are obedient, when you are wayward. He has you and holds you.
8. God loves you daily
Every morning God delights to shower you with new mercies, most of which you aren’t even aware of. You are the apple of his eye, his cherished son or daughter. He protects and provides for you. He may send challenges your way to test and to strengthen you, and all the way he sustains you. He may even let you wander for a time, but always brings you back. He is your teacher, your father, your friend, your king. He hears your prayers and answers from heaven.
9. God loves you faithfully
Since God chose you in love before the foundation of the world and Christ died for you and the Spirit has given you new life, God will never, ever, ever forsake you. He is forever faithful. He will not abandon you, forget you, reject you, hate you, nor allow you to fall forever from him. God’s choice of you is his solemn oath. He has said of you, ‘You are my beloved child and belong in my family and kingdom. I will never leave you. I will love you now and forever.’
10. God loves you into eternity
All were made to enjoy the love of God forever. However, because of sin, it is now only for those to whom God has chosen to give, while the rest who reject God will never fully enjoy it. But you in Christ will experience the boundless joy of God’s love forever and ever and ever. God has chosen you, Christian, to experience joy and glory and peace and happiness in God’s presence with his people forever. You have done nothing to deserve this blessing. Rather it is the goodness of the love of God that has been poured out for you.
1 John 4:9-10 (CSB) – “God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
So be encouraged. When we say ‘God loves you,’ it is no small thing. It’s not a trite slogan empty of meaning. There is no more meaningful thing you will ever hear or could ever hear. God’s love for you is older than the earth and will far outlast it. So rest in God’s love.