Eternal Love

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 1 Corinthians 13:8.

Only with a deep knowledge of God and a clear concept of what His true character is like will we be able to stand through the time of probation and and obtain salvation.

Let's look at the Bible's description of God.

For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29.

For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” Revelation 6:17.

When presented with such images it is easy to believe in a God who is frightening, angry and ready to bring everyone to judgment.

I do not know what terrible deceptions Lucifer used to convince the angels that God was unfair and His law burdensome. But he continues this deception even using the Word of God.

But our concept of who God is and what His character is like should be clear, even in the midst of trials and tribulations.

We are not to think of God only as a judge and to forget Him as our loving Father. Nothing can do our souls greater harm than this, for our whole spiritual life will be molded by our conceptions of God's character... *1

How great is God's love for us?

Now let us improve the precious opportunities to become acquainted with our heavenly Father, who "so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish..." Wondrous love that God, the infinite God, has made it our privilege to approach Him by the name of Father! No earthly parent could plead more earnestly with an erring child than He who made us pleads with the transgressor. No human, loving interest has ever followed the impenitent with such tender invitations... *1

It is worth pausing everyday to consider the fact that love is the foundation of everything. The end-time in which we are living in does not change this fact.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing...Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 1 Corinthians 13:2, 8.

Understanding all mysteries, having the gift of prophecy, having all knowledge and even faith are all still secondary to love and this is due to the simple fact that love is eternal!

His word is pledged. The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but His kindness shall not depart from His people, neither shall the covenant of His peace be removed. His voice is heard, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love" (Jer. 31:3). "With everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee" (Isa. 54:8). How amazing is this love, that God condescends to remove all cause for doubt and questioning from human fears and weakness and takes hold of the trembling hand reached up to Him in faith; and He helps us to trust Him by multiplied assurances and securities. He has made us a binding agreement upon condition of our obedience, and He comes to meet us in our own understanding of things. We think that a pledge or promise from our fellow men, if recorded, still needs a guarantee. Jesus has met all these peculiar fears, and He has confirmed His promise with an oath: "Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:..." What more could our Lord do to strengthen our faith in His promises? * 1

We live in troubled times. From now on things will only go from bad to worse. The trials, tribulations and pain will only increase. But amid all this, God's eternal love shall manifest!

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39.

What will the coming of the Lord be like?

Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence as fire burns brushwood, as fire causes water to boil to make Your name known to Your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Your presence! When You did awesome things for which we did not look, You came down, the mountains shook at Your presence. For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him. Isaiah 64: 1-4.

It will be a terrible time for anyone who has rejected His gracious invitation.

But for the Christian who has learned to walk with the Lord, he will face the time of tribulation and shall live with the consuming fire for all eternity because he knows that eternal love!

THE LORD IS COMING SOON, AMEN, YES, COME LORD JESUS!

1 * That I May Know Him, "What is God Like?", Ellen G. White