Lent Book: https://www.thegoodbook.co.uk/an-ocean-of-grace
My jottings:
(Comments welcome)
Ocean of Grace (36): WEDNESDAY – The
History of Love (p121ff)
God is love (1 John 4). Jesus is God. So we
might say Jesus is love.
But God is One. He is not made up of parts. (Theologians
call this the doctrine of God’s Simplicity – he is not complex or compounded but
essentially one). We cannot divide up God and we cannot play off one attribute
or characteristic of God against another.
God’s love is a just, wise, holy, powerful,
good love. These are all different aspects or ways of looking at God’s perfect
being and character.
God’s love actually requires his wrath. He
hates sin because he cares. He is angry at sin because he loves. God’s wrath is
his holy love in relation to sin.
* * *
Can you think of ways the love of Christ is
shown? In his incarnation, birth, life, teaching, actions, death, resurrection,
reign in heaven and return? What incidents in the gospels stand out for you as
showing the love of Jesus?
Who does Jesus love? Why? How?
Who may come to Christ? Why should they come?
What will they find when they do?
“Christ loves you and Christ is lovely” could
be something to cling on to today.
The love of Christ should cause us to love him
and to love others.
1 John 4:7-end (on God and love) would make
excellent further reading.
The Song of Songs is a vivid portrayal of the
love of Christ for the church, his bride.
I have been
enjoying Julian Hardyman’s book, Jesus, Lover of My Soul: Fresh Pathways in
Spiritual Passion (IVP) https://www.10ofthose.com/uk/products/26584/jesus-lover-of-my-soul
Also excellent is Dane Ortlund’s Gentle
and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers (Crossway,
2020)
See further:
https://marclloyd.blogspot.com/2020/08/dane-ortlund-gentle-and-lowly.html
Hymn: O The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPXapfFfesA
Words: https://hymnary.org/text/o_the_deep_deep_love_of_jesus
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