New City Churchs Summer 2012 Online Book Club

JI Packers Knowing God ~ Chapter 12: The Love of God Before reading: How do you understand the love of God? How do you know that God loves you? What are some mistaken views of the love of God common in our culture?

Purpose: To plumb the depths of Gods love for us (or at least try to)

Outline: I. II. III. IV. The Love of God A Flood of Love Love, Spirit, Light Defining Gods Love

Gods love is an exercise of His goodness Gods love is an exercise towards sinners Gods love is an exercise of His goodness towards individual sinners. Gods love to sinners involves His identifying Himself with their welfare. Gods love to sinners was expressed by the gift of His Son to be their Saviour. Gods love to sinners reaches its objective as it brings them to know and enjoy Him in a covenant relation V. Amazing Love Key Quotes: St. Johns twice-repeated statement, God is love, is one of the most tremendous utterances in the Bibleand also one of the most misunderstood. False ideas have grown up round it like a hedge of thorns, hiding its real meaning from view. To know Gods love is indeed heaven on earth. The love of God who is spirit is no fitful, fluctuating thing, as the love of man is, nor is it a mere impotent longing for things that may never be; it is, rather, a spontaneous determination of Gods whole being in an attitude of benevolence and benefaction, an attitude freely chosen and firmly fixed. Gods love is an exercise of His goodness towards individual sinners whereby, having identified Himself with their welfare, He has given His Son to be their Saviour, and now brings them to know and enjoy Him in a covenant relation. It is staggering that God should love sinners; yet it is true. God loves creatures who have become unlovely and (one would have through) unlovable. There was nothing whatever in the objects of His love to call it forth; nothing in man could attract or prompt it. Love among men is awakened by something in the beloved, but the love of God is free, spontaneous, unevoked, uncaused. God loves people because he has chosen to love themand no reason for His love can be given save His own sovereign good pleasure. God was happy without man before man was made; He would have continued happy had He simply destroyed man after man had sinned; but as it is He has set His love upon particular sinners, and this means that, by His own free voluntary choice, He will not know perfect and unmixed happiness again till He has brought every one of them

to heaven. He has in effect resolved that henceforth for all eternity His happiness shall be conditional upon ours. Thus God saves, not only for His glory, but also for His gladness. Reflection Questions: 1. The author contends that to know Gods love is indeed heaven on earth. What does he mean by this? 2. When our culture defines the love of God, what erroneous conclusions are usually drawn from it? 3. What aspect of the definition of the love of God particular resonates with you? Why? 4. Read again last section titled Amazing Love. Where in your life has Gods love not had its full effect? Review these questions, and let them direct your thoughts, prayer, and praise.