My Summary of Christian Doctrine : d.The Love of God.

The Doctrine of God His Communicable Attributes : the Love of God is associated with His Grace, His compassion, His Mercy and His Long-Suffering.

Communicable means able to be communicated or given to men. So God grants us His Love and overflows us with His Grace and compassion. Here are the Words of Zachariah, the Father of John the Baptist, after He was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to Prophesy.

Luk 1:68  "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people, …...

Luk 1:72  to perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant,

Luk 1:73  the oath which He swore to our father Abraham:

Luk 1:74  to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear,

Luk 1:75  in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.

Luk 1:76  "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,

Luk 1:77  to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins,

Luk 1:78  through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;

Luk 1:79  to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Zachariah Prophesying

(Notes from Louis Berkhof's Summary of Christian Doctrine p.36)

The Love of God is often referred to as the central attribute of God. However it is doubtful whether it should be regarded as more central than other perfections of God’s character.

In virtue of the Love of God He delights in His own perfections and in man as the reflection of His own Image.

Here we look at the Love of God from different points of View.

1. The Unmerited Love of God which reveals itself in pardoning is called His Grace.     

Eph 1:5  having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

Eph 1:6  to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He bestowed favor upon us in the Beloved.

Eph 1:7  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace  See also Ephesians 2:7-9; and Titus 2:11

2. 

   His Mission to sinful mankind was pure MERCY

   That Love relieving the misery of those who are bearing the consequences of sin is known as His Mercy or tender compassion.                                                           

Luk 1:77  to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins,

Luk 1:78  through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;

Tender mercy of our God. throughG1223 feelings of compassionG4698 of mercyG1656 of our God,

See John Gill’s Commentary “ "bowels of mercy", to which the forgiveness of sin is owing; the source and spring of pardon, is the free grace and abundant mercy of God; it takes its rise from thence, though it is channelled in the blood and sacrifice of Christ; and which no way derogates from, but rather heightens the riches of God's grace and mercy: for it was mercy that moved God to enter into a covenant with his Son, in which forgiveness of sin is promised; and it was mercy to set forth his Son, in his eternal purposes and decrees; and to send him forth in the fulness of time, to shed his blood for the remission of sins; it was the mercy of God to us, that provided a lamb for a burnt offering, and then accepted of the sacrifice and satisfaction of his Son, in our room and stead,

Compare also Romans 15:9; 9:16,16,18; Ephesians 2:4-6 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the intense love which He bestowed on us,

Eph 2:5  caused us, dead though we were through our offences, to live with Christ--it is by grace that you have been saved--

Eph 2:6  raised us with Him from the dead, and enthroned us with Him in the heavenly realms as being in Christ Jesus,

3. When the Love of God bears with the sinner who does not heed the instructions and warnings of God it is named His Long-suffering or His Forbearance.

Rom 9:22  And what if God, while choosing to make manifest the terrors of His anger and to show what is possible with Him, has yet borne with long-forbearing patience with the subjects of His anger who stand ready for destruction,

Rom 9:23  in order to make known His infinite goodness towards the subjects of His mercy whom He has prepared beforehand for glory,

1Pe 3:18  because Christ also once for all died for sins, the innocent One for the guilty many, in order to bring us to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit,

1Pe 3:19  in which He also went and proclaimed His Message to the spirits that were in prison,

1Pe 3:20  who in ancient times had been disobedient, while God's longsuffering was patiently waiting in the days of Noah during the building of the Ark, in which a few persons--eight in number--were brought safely through the water.

2Pe 3:15  And always regard the patient forbearance of our Lord as salvation, as our dear brother Paul also has written to you in virtue of the wisdom granted to him.

And account that the longsuffering of our Lord,.... Not his longsuffering towards the wicked, and his forbearance with them, for that is not the means of, nor the way to, nor does it issue in, their salvation, but in their sorer punishment and greater damnation, see Rom_2:4; John Gill.

Listen to Pastor Johnny Hunt on Vimeo.com speaking on God's Forbearance

<https://vimeo.com/136544107>

Have you experienced the Love and Mercy of God poured out into your life. You can be flooded with God’s wonderful love right now if you will repent and turn to Christ for Forgiveness and Grace. God is patiently waiting for you to come.