MADLY IN LOVE

Song of Solomon 4:10 “…your love delights me, my treasure, my love.”

Human words cannot express the love God has for every person on this planet. Love is a realm that transcends all human mental comprehension and understanding. Attempts at explaining this with expressions such as lovesick, desperate, hopeless, romantic, passionate, ravished, etc, are inadequate to describe His magnificent love. God’s very essence is love. He has always been love, even before He created mankind. He has always sought to have a close relationship with mankind. Human beings were made for this love. The entire story of humanity is wrapped up within it. Love is why humans were created, and in love is their eternal destiny. This truth is taught throughout Scripture beginning with Adam in the Garden of Eden.

When God created Adam, He said to him, "I will make a partner suitable to you." (Genesis 2:18) God was declaring the hidden purpose of His heart from eternity past, the mystery of the ages. The Holy Spirit reveals that this promise ultimately speaks of Jesus and the Church. God proved He is love by sending Jesus to walk among mankind and die in their place. He now reaches out in tender affection with nail pierced hands in the most pure and intimate way.

Sadly, there are many who are not yet able to experience the fundamental reality that God loves and enjoys them. There are those who would argue that God could not possibly be in love with them. What a person believes about God is the most important thing contained in their mind. It affects everything about them. For too many people, God seems remote, impersonal, and unknowable. Because of that, many suffer from an inability to feel forgiven, nagged by doubt and mistrust of Him. A dysfunctional picture of God results in a dysfunctional way of praying. Jesus revealed this truth; "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?" asked Jesus. "Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him"?

The Bible speaks of "agape" and "phileo" love. "Agape" has been defined as a self-sacrificial love committed to the highest good. It is a love not dependent on the emotions. Without it no one could be saved. With "Agape" love God set aside His wrath against mankind and poured it out on the Beloved Son. "Phileo" love is best defined as tender affection; love from the emotions in a person’s soul. It is that kind of love which responds to love from another. It is the love of true friends; love of a child for his parents or for another child; love between a husband and wife. This kind of love can be casual or intense. “Phileo” love can’t be relegated to just human emotion. Jesus used this word in describing the Father’s love for Him. "Phileo" is used in describing the Father’s feelings toward the Son’s disciples.

The revelation of His affection and enjoyment for every individual on this planet is vitally important for emotional and spiritual health. The Great Commandment is the foundation of the Christian walk. The reason God wants Christians to love Him with all their heart, soul, and mind is because that is how He loves them. When a person comes to see the Lord for who He really is - LOVE incarnate - they can truly understand and "rely on the love God has for us," because, "God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." (1 John 4:16)