Heart and Soul... What Wondrous Love is This!

John ("the disciple whom Jesus loved", in his own words) twice writes "God is love" in the first of his three letters in the New Testament (1 John 4:8 and 1 John 4:16). What a glorious and magnificent statement! And yet, it is now so often mis-used and almost universally mis-understood as to have become commonplace and seemingly impotent.

Please do not conclude that I think ANY of God's Word can truly and finally become impotent -- it is, after all, divinely inspired and therefore divinely protected. God's Word is not just a book "of historical significance" or words on a page -- it is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword. And yet, for God's own purposes, according to His sovereign will, He allows Satan (the prince of this world) and those of this world to twist and bend and pervert even Scripture to suit themselves (Matt. 4:6, Luke 4:10, etc.). Complacency and lack of wise discernment with regards to God's Word are just as effective in keeping even true Christians from being useful to God as are outright sinfulness and pride -- for who can share a Gospel they don't know, or make disciples for a Master whose commands and statutes they don't take the time, or make the effort, to learn?

Contemporary Christians usually, if not always, take John's words to mean that God can be understood, at least in some ways, in the "light" of a human understanding of "love". Yet between the two statements, John points first not to any love that we have "inherently", but to love that has been revealed in us and given to us (as Christians), "not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation concerning our sins" (1 Jn. 4:10). ("Propitiation" -- what a great, strong word! I am grateful that limited use has made it mostly uncompromised!) John therefore does NOT in any way seek to define God by our limited understanding of "love" (nor does any other part of God's Word!), but, conversely, defines love in terms of God's active grace on the behalf of His elect (I would say His "children", but that term, too, is mis-used and mis-understood). It is only in the light of this grace that we can ever truly understand true love -- the sort of love that creates life (Genesis 1 and 2), judges it (Genesis 3 and 18:20-33), destroys it (Genesis 6 and 19), preserves it (Genesis 6 - 9, 45-50, Exodus 3 - 14), draws it to itself (Genesis 11 - 17, 28, Exodus 19), teaches it (Exodus 20-31), burns with righteous anger against it (Exodus 32:1-10), has mercy upon it (Exodus 32:11-14), and allows his servant to carry out His judgment upon it (Exodus 32:19-28). (All this in the first two chapters of God's Word, even before specific mention is given of the greatest act of love of all, in Christ's propitiation and atonement!)

How could we possibly convey such a tremendous and glorious love by telling people that "God loves you" (a statement which deserves the mockery that it evokes, when put forth to comman man without any background of Scripturally true love), or do it any justice with puny human contrivances such as "the Roman's Road" or the "ABCs of Salvation"?!?



What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul.

When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul.

To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing.
To God and to the Lamb Who is the great “I Am”;
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing;
While millions join the theme, I will sing.

And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be;
And through eternity, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And through eternity, I’ll sing on.

Words: At­trib­ut­ed to Al­ex­an­der Means.
Music: From The South­ern Har­mo­ny and Mu­sic­al Com­pan­ion, by Will­iam Walk­er (New York: Hast­ings House, 1835); ar­ranged by Will­iam J. Rey­nolds (1920-).
Thanks to www.cyberhymnal.org (http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/w/h/a/whatwond.htm).