Are You Reaching the Stature That Belongs to Christ? -In What Ways Does Jehovah Love Us?

 "See what sort of love the Father has given us!" -1 JOHN 3:1


THE apostle John's statement found at 1 John 3:1 is truly worthy of our deep and appreciative reflection.  With the words "see what sort of love the Father has given  us,"  John was urging Christians to think about the nature and magnitude of God's love for them, to consider how God loves them. Comprehending Jehovah's love in those terms will surely deepen our love for him and strengthen our relationship with him.

To some, though, God's love for people is a foreign concept.  To them, God is to be feared and obeyed.  Or perhaps because of certain entrenched erroneous teachings, they feel that God is unloving, even unlovable.  On the other hand, there are those who believe that God's love is unconditional and that he loves them  regardless of what they do or fail to do.  As you  studied the Bible, you learned that love is Jehovah's paramount attribute and that his love moved him to give his Son as a ransom in our behalf.  (John 3:16; 1 John 4:8)  Yet, your feelings about God's love for you might be affected by your upbringing and background. 

In what ways, then, does Jehovah love us?  The answer to that question lies in understanding the basic relationship between Jehovah God and us.  Jehovah, of course,  is the Creator of all humans.  (Read Psalm 100:3-5.)  That is why the Bible calls Adam a "son of God," and Jesus taught his followers to address God as "our Father in  the heavens." (Luke 3:38; Matthew 6:9) Being the Life-Giver, Jehovah is our Father; the relationship between him and us is that of a Father to his children.  Simply put, Jehovah loves us the way a devoted father loves his children.  

Human fathers, of course, are imperfect.  Try as they may, they do not fully reflect the way Jehovah expresses his fatherly love. In fact, some individuals have dark memories of growing up in family situations  that have left them with deep emotional or psychological scars.  That is painful and sad, even tragic.  To be sure, Jehovah is not a father like that.  (Psalms 27:10)  Knowing how Jehovah loves and cares for us will surely draw us closer to him. (James 4:8)  In this article, we will examine four ways in which Jehovah shows his love for us.  In this following article, we will consider four ways  in which we can express our love for him. 

Next time: Are You Reaching the Stature That Belongs to Christ? -JEHOVAH IS OUR LOVING PROVIDER

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