Elder Arnold Gopeesingh
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38 &39)
“For 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).
The authors who penned the above words, inspired by the Holy Spirit, clearly emphasise God’s love for the human race. What I am constantly reminded of as I search the Scripture under the heading of God’s love is the fact that it is an all-inclusive love, and once you are part of the “world”, His love is extended to you.
The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2: 4&5: “But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”
As I reflect on God’s love for mankind, I realise that try as hard as I may, I simply cannot comprehend the depth of this “Agape” love towards us all, which is deeper than anyone can imagine. God’s love goes beyond the pages of the Bible, for you can see it demonstrated in many ways as you journey on planet Earth. Your very life, if you take a close look, will be a reflection of the love of God through His patience, mercy and grace, showering us with the promise of eternal life as we follow Him. Through His love, we are taught how to love others selflessly. We read in 1 John 4:20: “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? Permit me to share three characteristics of God’s love that we should practice if we truly understand the depth of the Father’s love.
Firstly, His love is not territorial; by this I mean confined to one or a few spaces. I cannot overemphasise the vastness of God’s love; it is universal and encompasses all ethnicities and races. With this in mind and knowing that we should demonstrate the God that is in us, it becomes ungodly for any form of dislike or racism to be alive in us.
At times, it is beneficial for us to assess the state of our hearts. We cannot be confessing love towards all men and, on the other hand, despising others for various reasons. If we are practising this type of behaviour, God’s love is not truly resident in us. It is God who saw it fitting to populate the Earth as it is. Who are we to despise others who may not be like us? God remains supreme, the Creator, and He is the everlasting Father.
Secondly, God’s love is unconditional; the Scripture declares in the book of Romans 5: 6 to 8: “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” God is not in search for a perfect human being; one song says “Just as I am”, for if you are waiting to become good then to come to God you can have a problem. Jesus Christ came not to call the righteous but the ungodly, and there are no conditions attached to God’s love towards you. He loves you when you are up, down, or entangled in life’s crisis, even when you are far removed from Him. That is the depth of God’s great love towards you; it is unconditional. While He is against all sinful acts, His voice says, “Turn away from them and come unto me.”
In the very same way Jesus Christ is calling, we must also do the same, encouraging those we meet to walk in God’s love.
Finally, God’s love is characterised by compassion, mercy, grace and forgiveness. The Apostle Paul wrote in Hebrews 4:15: “For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
When we look at the life of Jesus Christ closely, it is quite recognisable that compassion, mercy, grace, and forgiveness formed His daily routine towards mankind.
If we are truly walking with God and believe the Holy Scripture, we also must practice these traits. I must emphasise that this is not just to a selected few friends and family members but to all men, as Jesus did. There is no space for any form of discrimination when walking with God.
Let us show forth the beauty of God through the way we treat others as we carry on our daily life duties. May God continue to richly bless and keep you; stay strong, my friend.
