Love is...

In the Bible, it tells us that ‘God is love’

Love, in human terms, is generally intense affection felt for someone either in our family or a friend or partner or something or someone we enjoy. We love because someone is related to us, or they make us happy or good about ourselves, or we find someone or something attractive or loyal or funny or enjoyable.
But loving someone because of another reason makes it ‘conditional’ – it is based on a condition such as being a parent or being attractive.

Imagine a love where it doesn’t matter who you are, what you did, what you were like, where you were from, what you believed, what you achieved.

A love that began before you were even born and lasted forever.

This is hard for any of us to grasp, especially for people like Nicole, who never knew love as a child.

The greatest expression of love that we can understand is dying for someone else. You’ve maybe heard the bible quote: Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
To die in the place of a loved one like this is quite a feat of unselfishness.

But imagine if someone died in place of his enemies?

The bible tells us in Romans 5 that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
God doesn't say, "as soon as you clean up your act, I'll love you" nor does He say, "I'll love you if you promise to love me."

In fact, in Romans 5:8, we find just the opposite. God wants us to know that His love is unconditional, so He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us just as we are.

We didn't have to get clean, and we didn't have to make any promises to God before we could experience His love. His love for us has always existed, and because of that, He did all the giving and sacrificing long before we were even aware that we needed His love.

There is no sin, no flaw, no belief nor unbelief, no circumstance in life that can stop God from loving you.

How does that make you feel?

(acknowledgements to Barry and AllaboutGod)