Carolinsblog

God – love itself. In the first letter of John 4,8 it says: “God is love”.

God does not just love, He does not just feel love now and then, He does not exercise love occasionally or knows love… no. He is love. We can not fathom what that does mean in its realest sense that God is love itself, nevertheless it is true and God revealed it openly to us through John, who wrote that letter.

The logical conclusion hereof is: we love our neighbor because we are loved.

Verse 12: If we love one another, God resides in us, and his love is perfected in us… so His love is then brought to perfection.

Perfect, pure, true love we find in Jesus, our Lord. God is love itself. God – father is the lover who loves Jesus, His son. Therefore is God – son, Jesus Christ, the beloved… and God – spirit, the Holy Spirit, is the spirit of love. God can be love itself because he unites these three components of love in himself… He is in himself complete and is of no need of anything additional in order to be complete in this love.

God loves you, not your future self who you want to become one day. He loves you – exactly how you are now.

Romans 5,5 speaks of the fact that God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

We are loved by God… and nothing can separate us from this love. Paul states this in Romans 8,38-39.

Isaiah writes (chapter 43) that God calls us by our name and that He calls us His beloved. In Him we find rest, peace and we can be with Him just as we are because He knows us. He is the reason we do not have to be afraid (2. Timothy 1,7).

Forgiveness… a simple word what indeed can change so very much. We live in the knowledge that we are justified through faith (Romans 5,1). (This means, we are  absolved of our guilt, we are already forgiven and that is why there is therefore no condemnation for God’s children – Romans 8,1).

Mercy… an ancient word what contains so much beauty. Compassion and help – to see others and to care – this has a lot to do with that  love which is in a merciful person.

The amazing thing about a Christian’s life is that the closer we get to Jesus, the further away we sometimes feel, because we realize more and more how corrupt and unworthy we are, contrary to Him who is perfect and perfectly pure.  

And then we sense that a broken heart and a tear-stained eye is the fitting answer to His love towards us, unworthy people.

We can not accomplish it! Therefore the cross. Therefore this love and God’s spirit who lives in us. Therefore this mercy, this forgiving love and His abundant  grace – new every morning (Lamentations 2,23).

He will perfect this work which He has begun in us (Philippians 1,6 / 2,13).

God did not give us a spirit of fear or one of bondage, but a spirit of sonship through whom we were adopted and were made His children and in whom we can say: “Abba, dear father” (Romans 8,15).

God is our loving father to whom we have a loving relationship… without accusation.

“Perfect Love” from Austin French is a song that is exactly about this perfect, merciful, forgiving and wonderful love of God… and it goes like this:

Perfect

Spent my whole life chasing perfect

Fall down, beat myself up, repeat

Fall down, beat myself up, repeat

Head bowed

Guilty whispers in my ear now

Messed up is all you’re ever gonna be

Fall down, beat myself up, repeat

Something happened when You

Called my name, called my name

Lifted up my head and all my shame washed away

When a perfect love found a wounded heart

Said, “Get back up, let Me show you who you are”

There’s no such thing as good enough

I may be far from perfect

But I’m loved by Your perfect, loved by Your perfect love

Mercy

No more perfect, there’s just mercy

The more I live, the less I understand

How I’m the reason for Your nail-scared hands

Freedom

Oh, Your scars, they are my freedom

I’ll never know why You paid my price

All I know is that You changed my life

When Your perfect love found a wounded heart

Said, “Get back up, let Me show you who you are”

There’s no such thing as good enough

I may be far from perfect

But I’m loved by Your perfect

Loved by Your perfect love

To accept this love, to speak honestly and without fear about one’s own shortcomings and unworthiness is the absolutely best and most freeing thing because His love does not accuse (1. John 3,20 / Romans 8,34).

That is what I wish for you…

Be dearly greeted,

Carolin