This is the most crucial question anyone can ask. John, the beloved disciple, gives us a simple yet infinitely deep answer: “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16, BSB). But this love is not a fleeting sentiment or a mere attribute among many; it is the eternal reality of His very being. Because God is Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—love is not something He acquired, nor did He begin to love at some point. Love has forever existed in the perfect, unbroken communion of the Godhead, unchanging and unchangeable.
When we speak of love, we often think in human terms—of affection, kindness, or even sacrifice. But God’s love is infinitely purer, higher, and more complete. His love is holy, righteous, and entirely self-giving. It is not a passive affection but an active force, governing all He does. If we fail to see love as central to God’s nature and His dealings with creation, our understanding of Him falls woefully short.
Sadly, many speak of God’s love as if it stands in contrast to His justice, holiness, or wrath, as though these attributes compete with one another. But such thinking betrays a deep misunderstanding. Love is not the absence of justice; it is the very reason justice must exist. A love that overlooks sin is no love at all—it would be moral indifference, an abdication of righteousness. Sin, in all its forms, is an assault on love, a rebellion against the very nature of God. It must be addressed, or love itself would be compromised.
Yet here is the wonder of the gospel: God, in His love, made a way for sinners to be redeemed without violating His justice. He did not set aside righteousness to be merciful; rather, He fulfilled righteousness in the most merciful way possible. The Father sent the Son into the world, not merely to teach or heal, but to bear sin’s penalty in our place. On the cross, Jesus—fully God and fully man—endured the wrath that love demands against sin. Justice was satisfied, and mercy was unleashed. Love and holiness met in perfect harmony.
This is the love that defines God, a love that does not excuse sin but deals with it at infinite cost. It is a love that not only forgives but transforms, drawing the redeemed into the very communion of the Trinity. Those who abide in this love abide in God, and He in them (1 John 4:16, BSB). How does this truth shape your view of God? Have you received the love He has poured out through His Son?
“But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, BSB). “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; loving devotion and faithfulness go before You” (Psalm 89:14, BSB).
Paul, in Philippians 3:3-10 (BSB), speaks of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. He once had reason to boast in his religious heritage and accomplishments: “circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” Yet all these things, which once seemed valuable, he now considers loss for the sake of Christ.
Paul’s testimony echoes the truth that no human effort, no religious status, can earn righteousness before God. True righteousness is not found in the law but through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God. To know Christ is to experience both the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death so that we might share in His life.
This passage calls us to examine what we hold dear. Do we cling to our own righteousness, or do we count all things as loss for the sake of knowing Christ? Have we, like Paul, found our greatest treasure in Him?
Ed Ross (Guest Writer)
Learn Christ 