Daily Devotionals

Grace for Today

Devotional: September 26th

Ephesians 2:4

‘His great love’

Read 1 John 4:1-21

Everyone talks about the love of God. We all know those scriptures that tell us ‘God is love’ (1 John 4:8). ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life’ (John 3:16). ‘God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us’ (Romans 5:8). ‘Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us’ (1 John 3:16). Love is not a fickle, sentimental passion in God, like it is with us. It is not an emotion of his heart, but an attribute of’ his nature. ‘God is love!’ Love is an essential part of God’s character. I rejoice to declare to men that the God of heaven is love. He is a God who delights to show love, mercy and grace to men. In the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary, as the sinner’s Substitute, the infinite, magnanimous love of God for his people is most clearly revealed, John wrote, ‘In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins’ (1 John 4:9-10). God’s love towards us is free, sovereign and gracious. We did not love him, but he loved us. Our love for God is preceded by and caused by his love for us. ‘We love him, because he first loved us’ (1 John 4:19). God so loved us that he willingly sacrificed the Lord Jesus Christ, his own well-beloved Son, to satisfy his own justice in our place and redeem us. Who can comprehend, or explain, the love of God for us?

Could we with ink the oceans fill, And were the skies of parchment made, Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade: To write the love of God above Would drain the oceans dry, Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky!