GOD'S HOLY LOVE: INTIMATE

Recently I’ve written two blogs on God’s holy love guided by two Hebrew words for love found in the Old Testament: hesed meaning steadfast, loving kindness and covenant loyalty you can depend on, and aheb meaning practical love reflecting personal commitment and responsibility.  God’s holy love is both steadfast and dependable yet also practical and responsible.

God’s holy love is of a third kind found in the New Testament we may know best, agape.  God’s agape love is unconditional and self-giving, sacrificial and other-centered.  It is more than friendship, compansionship, family love (phileo). It is love seeking ever increasing intimacy with God.  Agape love is deeper, purer, and transforming.  It is the kind of love that is pure and purifies when implanted in the hearts of those whose obedient faith seeks the infilling of the Holy Spirit.  It is obedient love  given over to God and others living life in the likeness of Christ to the glory of God.

Hesed, aheb, and agape are three words used in the Bible to capture the essence of God’s love and may be used as descriptors of God’s nature, the essence of his holy love.  His love for us is steadfast, dependable, and never changing.  It fails not.  His love is personal and intimate.  He cares for you and me.  In response to His love, he desires our love in return to him, for him, and to others.  His love is unconditional, other-centered, self-giving, and sacrificial. 

Amazing love how can it be

That Thou, my God, should die for me?

- Charles Wesley

O Love that will not let me go,

I rest my weary soul in thee

That in thine ocen depths its flow

May richer, fuller be.

- George Matheson