1 John 4:8 states, “God is love.”
It is not simply that God “loves,” but that He is Love itself. Love is not merely one of His attributes, but His very nature.
There are many today who talk about the love of God, who are total strangers to the God of love.
The Divine Love is commonly regarded as a species of amiable weakness, a sort of good-natured indulgence. It is reduced to a mere sickly sentiment, patterned after human emotion.
Now the truth is that on this, as on everything else, our thoughts need to be formed and regulated by what is revealed thereon in Holy Scripture. That there is urgent need for this is apparent not only from the ignorance which so generally prevails, but also from the low state of spirituality which is now so sadly evident everywhere among professing Christians.
How little real love there is for God. One chief reason for this is because our hearts are so little occupied with His wondrous love for His people.
The better we are acquainted with His love—its character, fullness, blessedness—the more will our hearts be drawn out in love to Him.