How Deep is His Love

Remember that 70s song, "How Deep is Your Love"? The singer describes the depth of his love, but he's wondering if his beloved loves him just as deeply. There's a little insecurity there about the substance and reality of love. Sometimes we wonder the same thing about God's love. We get a little insecure when all we need to do is open up His Word and see that His love is so deep, there's really no end to it.

Receive

First, remember that God is love. 1 John 4:7-8 says "Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love" (NLT, emphasis added). God is love, completely and totally. He can never be other than that, just as He can never be something other than God. And as the very essence of love, He is also the source of love.

So, how do we see the depth or extent of His love? While the Bible is filled with God's love revealed, John 3:16 offers a succinct description: "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life" (NLT). God's love for you--and every other person in the world--is so deep, He made the ultimate sacrifice so that you can live forever with Him. Jesus is the Son (also God) who willingly died to pay the penalty for your sin. Love that sacrifices its own life is deep love!

1 John 4 underlines it: "God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love--not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins" (1 John 4:9-10, NLT). Even if we didn't return His love, God still loved us enough to make this sacrifice. "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners" (Romans 5:8, NLT).

Reflect

Love wants the best for the beloved; it gives its all. God did that in sending Jesus; Jesus did that in dying for our sins. But wait, there's more! Read these verses and jot down the gifts you're given because God loves you.

Romans 5:5
Titus 3:4-7
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
Ephesians 2:4-5
Ephesians 3:17-19
Isaiah 63:9

• What does God's love give you that no other love can?
• How does that influence your view of God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit?

If you're worried that something will block God's love, read Romans 8:35-39.

Respond

This depth of love is extraordinary, and our challenge now is to love as God loves. Remember 1 John 4:7-8? "Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God." (NLT). John goes on to say, "Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us" (1 John 4:11-12, NLT). That's our part--to love each other deeply, to be willing to sacrifice and serve and to show those around us that God is love and He's in us.

• So how deep is your love for God? For other people?
• What are you willing to sacrifice in order to live out this love?
• What needs to change in how you operate now?

This isn't easy and you'll probably never be "perfect" at it. But you can grow in love. Go back to 1 John 4:7-21 and read it a few times. Write it out and post it where you'll see it frequently. Ask God to help you demonstrate His deep love as you go about your day.