Two of the most profound words in the English language would have to be “God” and “love.” Yet, when the Bible states in I John 4:8 that “God is love,” many people presumptuously assume that they understand exactly what this entails. In reality, the depth of this proposition is hard to fathom, and as one considers the inspired message of the Scriptures, there arises a humble realization that we are entering the vast and awe-inspiring canyon of thoughts concerning the infinite and incomprehensible God of the universe and of His unfathomable, glorious love. We must, therefore, enter this topic with great care, lowliness of mind, and openness of heart. What these posts aim to show is that the statement that “God is love,” contrary to popular belief, cannot be taken simply to mean that He relates to all people in the exact same manner; rather, it refers to the reality that love is an essential and inherent aspect of His nature and that love characterizes His purposes and His relation to His creation.
The Source of God’s Love
In trying to understand the concept that “God is love,” it is essential to see how this correlates to His own Being. A common theme among Biblical theologians is that this statement alludes to the fact that God’s love is inherent to His divine nature. Lewis Chafer, for example, states, “God has not attained unto love, nor does He by an effort maintain love; it is the structure of His being.”[1] There is nothing outside of God which causes Him to love; He loves because it is a part of His very nature. John MacArthur concurs with this viewpoint and further states that God “has always loved, even from eternity past, before there was any created object for His love.”[2]
How is it possible for God to love apart from the objects of His creation? The answer is found within the doctrine of the trinity.[3] First of all, the Scriptures reveal that the Father loves the Son. Jesus said that the Father loved Him “before the foundation of the world.”[4] This reveals the amazing truth that God, within His very being, has possessed an eternal relationship of love. Reflecting on this truth, John Piper says, “[T]his ever-living God has not been ‘alone.’ He has not been a solitary center of consciousness. There has always been another, who has been one with God in essence and glory, and yet distinct in personhood so that they have had a personal relationship for all eternity.”[5] Piper goes on to show that the picture presented in Scripture is that God the Father has always delighted in the perfection of His glory reflected in the face of His Son,[6] leading Him to be eternally well-pleased in His Son.[7] He is, therefore, everlastingly fulfilled, or blessed, within Himself through this relationship of love.
This love of the Father for the Son is also reflected back in the Son’s love for the Father. This is evidenced in the Son’s perfect understanding of the Father and His perfect obedience to the Father.[8] Jesus Himself stated clearly, “But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do.”[9]
Finally, within the Trinity the concept of love must be related to the person of the Holy Spirit. Wayne Grudem points out, “The love between the Father and the Son also presumably characterizes their relationship with the Holy Spirit, even though it is not explicitly mentioned.”[10] He goes on to say, “This eternal love. . . makes heaven a world of love and joy because each person of the Trinity seeks to bring joy and happiness to the other two.”[11]
On other point that must be realized in relation to this intrinsic love of God is that God’s deepest and supreme love is for Himself,[12] one reason being that He is more beautiful and worth more than everything else. He is supreme perfection, and He delights in His own perfection within this inter-Trinitarian relationship.[13] Also, for Him to love anyone else above Himself would be to put someone unworthy in the place of the One who is truly the greatest and the only One who has the power, wisdom, and goodness needed to bring about what is best for the creation. Therefore, to love anyone or anything above Himself would be atrocious and would, in itself, be an act of idolatry.[14]
In examining the truth of the intrinsic, eternal, Trinitarian nature of God, what is discovered is that love is not derived from or caused by something external to God. Therefore, it is evident that the source of all love is God Himself.[15] He possesses a relationship of love within His Being. It is a love that Has no beginning and no end, and it is a love that is eternally fulfilled in the perfection of His own goodness. All of this is wrapped up in the statement that “God is love.”
[1] Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology (Binghamton: Vail-Ballou Press, 1947). Vol. I, 205.
[3] Ibid., 29.
[4] John 17:24.
[5] John Piper, The Pleasures of God (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 2000), 41.
[6] II Corinthinans 4:6.
[7] John Piper, The Pleasures of God, 42–43.
[9] John 14:31.
[10] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 199.
[11] Ibid., 199.
[12] Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, Vol. I, 206.
[13] John Piper, The Pleasures of God, 42.
[14] John Piper, The Pleasures of God, 43.
[15] Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, Vol. I, 205.
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