For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. – 1 John 4:7-8
Have you ever had a time when you really let someone down? Not with just a minor mistake, but one of those moments where you wish you could rewind time? One where you expected anger, disappointment, or even rejection, and instead the person looked at you and simply said, “I still love you.” Maybe you have been that loving and forgiving person.
It may seem like it doesn’t make sense. We don’t earn that kind of grace, but that’s when we catch a glimpse (albeit a very miniscule one) of the kind of love God has for us.
John 3:16 is probably the most quoted verse in the Bible, but its power never fades. “For God so loved…” that’s the foundation. He didn’t wait for us to clean up our act. He didn’t wait for us to be worthy. He loved, so He gave.
And 1 John 4 takes us deeper. “God is love.” It doesn’t say love is something God does occasionally. It says it’s who He is. Love is not just part of His character. Love is His character. Every action He takes, every promise He makes, every boundary He sets flows from this core reality.
That changes everything.
When life is hard, when prayers seem unanswered, when suffering doesn’t make sense, the only way to process any of it is through this lens: God is love. He cannot act contrary to His nature. We may not always understand His ways, but we can trust His heart.
The same love that sent Jesus to the cross now lives in us. We are called to love one another with that same self-giving, undeserved, unwavering love.
That’s a powerful and humbling reality! I believe it speaks to three life altering truths.
- God’s love is sacrificial.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…” – John 3:1
The cross wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t a last-minute rescue plan. It was love in action… God’s choice to give the most precious thing He had for people who had nothing to offer in return. That love didn’t wait for us to become lovable. It met us at our worst.
And here’s what’s astonishing: the exact quality of love – unearned, unstoppable, self-giving – is what God has poured into the hearts of believers.
2. God doesn’t just love us – He lives in us.
“God is love…Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” – 1 John 4:16
“…God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 5:5
When we come to know Christ, His spirit comes to live within us. That means we don’t just experience God’s love as outside observers. We’re actually filled with God’s Spirit! The same love that chose to endure the cross now dwells in us.
That’s not a metaphor. That’s real.
So, when we feel like we can’t love someone, when forgiveness feels impossible, when compassion runs dry, we’re not limited to our own strength. We can draw from His love living within us. It’s not about trying harder to love like Jesus. It’s about letting His love flow through us.
3. We are called to love like Christ.
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” – 1 John 4:11
“Walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us.” – Ephesians 5:2
This love we’ve received isn’t just a gift – it’s a calling. We’re not meant to hoard it, but to reflect it. That means loving sacrificially, loving when it is inconvenient, loving without strings attached, even loving those who may never love us back. It sure isn’t easy, but it’s possible because the very love that carried Jesus to the cross lives in us.
The love that sent Jesus to die for us is the same love He now wants to express through us. That’s not just beautiful – it’s transformative. It means our lives, our relationships, our words… everything can become a reflection of the heart of God Himself. That’s powerful!