Reality of HEaven

   God is Love. This is one of His many names. In 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 (NLT), we read: "If I could speak all of the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it, but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing."

   "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."

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   The love spoken of here is the love in the earthly realm. Some say this is God's love but this isn't true. There are characteristics of God within this passage, certainly, but these are instructions and a guide for us to follow with one another, as this applies to what God requires of us.

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   Most of the time, when we become angry, it is an unholy version of what exists within God. That is, God can become angry, but unlike us, His anger is Holy. For example, when He pours out His wrath upon those left behind after the Rapture, He is angry. But this anger is a direct result over those who have rejected or revolted against His only begotten Son in whom He sent to us as a living sacrifice for our sin. Of course, God is angry about this. And He rightly and justly has every reason to be so. In this case, we can catch a glimpse of what Holy anger is.

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   When we become angry, however, our anger is very seldom Holy like God. Our anger is more than likely to yield the hurting of others, ourselves, and/or of God.

 

We. also, see that this passage of scripture speaks of jealousy. It states that love is not jealous. Human jealousy is unholy. It can cause us to become depressed, envious, angry, deceptive, cruel, and mean; among other unholy attributes.

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   But like we saw in an earlier article on idolatry, we find that one of God's many names is Jealous. He is a jealous God who does not know how to share our hearts with things that compete for His attention.

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   Now, to be clear on this subject, when we love our children and others in our lives this is not a competition with God. We are loving others. So, this attribute within our heart aligns with God and who He is. As such, when we love others within our hearts we are closer to God than if we yield spitefulness and hate. This is because our heart aligns with His. God is not jealous of these people in our hearts because we love them as He does.

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   But when we love things of this world more fervently than the time we set aside to love Him; then indeed, those things are idol worship and God becomes Jealous because He is Jealous. He will never compete for those things within our hearts. He only steps back from us, withdrawing. This is because we are hurting Him.

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   When it comes to God's love, we can't begin to grasp the perfection and wholeness of His love, within its entirety. For example, imagine that you had the power to create an entire universe. Within it, you made many premium groups. One of the groups you made, however, you would make them in your image. Not only this, but you knew if you placed them onto the same planet you cast Satan and his angels (demons) down to, they would revolt against you.

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   Us as humans, more than likely, we would not even create that premium group in the first place. Or if we did, we would place them onto a planet where Satan did not reside. But God is not us. He is perfect; all-knowing, all-present, and all-powerful. He is Love.

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   Also, as humans, we sometimes get it in our mini-working brains that we need God's love; yet, we do not consider that God needs our love, as well. We worship Him, pray to Him, and love Him, but never consider that God needs our love. But He does.

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   God needs our love because God desires to be loved; just as we do. After all, we are made in His image. Instead of separating us from the planet where Satan resides, He decided to send His only begotten Son to cover our sin after we fell. Moreover, He decided to do this long before He ever made the universe and before Satan revolted (rebelled). Remember, God is all-knowing.

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   With our limited brainpower and our broken state of being as part of a fallen group, we cannot begin to understand the love it took for God to follow through with this plan; even before the universe was spoken into existence. It is inconceivable within our minds; beyond our limited understanding. But even before He made the universe, He knew this to be true:

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   John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever would believe, would not perish, but have eternal life."

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                                            This is how much God is Love.