The Love of God-part 1

I am currently reading Knowing God by J.I. Packer. For a variety of reasons, this book is taking much longer to finish than most. One reason, I am sure, is that a book on the character of God is, by nature, going to be long and intense. Many good books have been written in attempt to tell about God's nature, but none can ever completely explain Him. God is indescribable and incomprehensible! As each chapter of Knowing God carefully and biblically tells of the incredible nature of our God I am reminded of the hymn by Frederick M. Lehman.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

These words are so beautiful and so true. We could never write the totality of the character of God. So far, my favorite chapter in Knowing God is titled "The Love of God." I learned, and was reminded, of some awesome truths. Here are some points Packer made in that chapter:

1. God's love is an exercise of His goodness.

2. God's love to sinners was expressed by the gift of His son to be their Savior.

"The measure of love is how much it gives, and the measure of the love of God is the gift of His only Son to be made man, and to die for sins, and so to become the one mediator who can bring us to God."

3. God's love to sinners reaches its objective as it brings them to know and enjoy Him in a covenant relation.

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If the love of God ended in these three points that would be enough to leave us speechless and in awe of His wonderous character. But that barely begins to explain how great He is. Looking into the nature of God must draw us to our knees in repentance and open our hearts to pour out praise and honor to His holy name.