FAITHFULWORD.ORG | TEACHINGS

I John 1:1-5; John 3:16; I John 4:10; John 15:13; I John 3:16; Romans 5:6-11; I John 3:1; Ephesians 1:2-7; Ephesians 5:1, 2; I John 4:8-21; John 15:9-12; Ephesians 4:32; [Romans 2:4]; Romans 12:9, 10; [Psalm 103:12]; I Peter 4:8; Proverbs 17:9; I Corinthians 13:8; Romans 8:38, 39

God wants every individual to be in love with Him and sends His message of "Be My Valentine!" This wonderful God of light, love and mercy has extended to us all of His heart that we might in return enjoy a love relationship with Him. The scriptures are God’s valentine to us so that we may know of His love for us.

John 3:16 says God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son. I John 4:10 says that God loved us and gave His Son to be the propitiation (payment in full) for our sins. The love of God is in the heart and life of His Son, Jesus Christ. God initiated the plan of love and Jesus Christ was the "agent" who carried out the plan.

Romans reminds us of our state and how we were to become God’s valentines. We were without strength and ungodly. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. In I John 3:1, God tells us the manner of love He has bestowed upon us by calling us the "sons of God."

God did the choosing; it was His plan and desire. He knew what state we were in — in need of a savior — but also saw where we could be. When we accepted His gift of spirit, becoming His children forever, the Father’s heart must have been thrilled! Because we have been accepted in the beloved, we have an example of how to love as He does. We should have a sweetness and tenderness about us, even to the point of extending love to our enemies. Christ is our example. Because we are so loved, we can love also.

God’s Word commands us to love. We were brought from death unto life, from an evil nature to a new nature, from being unloved to being a child of God, accepted in the beloved. God gave us the example of a son of God in His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ’s love was unconditional, seeing beyond the ugliness, hypocrisy and error of people. This is the kind of heart we want to have — to recognize that as humans we are imperfect, and will be until Christ returns. Romans reminds us that the goodness of God leads to repentance. We are to love without hypocrisy, being kindly affectioned one to another in brotherly love. God’s love never fails.

We can be persuaded, as it says in Romans 8, that nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. God loves each of us and wants us eternally to be His valentine.