The Loving Godhead
Introduction
No man or woman involves himself or herself in an intimate relationship with another unless he or she understands the other in some degree. No relationship will ever work out unless there remains a personal relationship between the two persons. If a son meets his father the first time in his life, he will find a difficult time in immediately bonding with the father. The father could buy anything the child desires, but if no connection is met between the father and son, the relationship will not be as loving as it could have been. This analogy is also true between the Godhead and us. The Godhead works together in love for one another as well as for us.
In every relationship, love manifests itself through the benevolence done to others. Love does not intentionally seek his own good because “It does not insist on its own way (1 Cor. 13:5).”[i] Therefore, love must be shown to the public or shouted on the rooftops to everyone listening. Love must manifest itself because love cannot be contained. Love is like a fire �" it spreads and must catch someone on fire.
Defining Love
Since this book is based on love, we should look at an accurate definition of love. Oxford dictionary defines love as “an intense feeling of deep affection.” What exactly is affection? Jonathan Edwards defines an affection as follows: “The affections are no other than the more vigorous and sensible exercises of the inclination and will of the soul.”[ii] As we see, love’s definition surpasses the realm of feelings because love is based on the will of a man. Sensual or physical activity, these two, falls short in what true love means because “love never ends” (1 Cor. 13:8). Because love is based on “the inclination and will of the soul”, love fulfills the end of a man’s interest. For example, as I write this, I am debating to go raid the pantry for Love is the end in all things.
Wherever you are in life, one thing is true: God is a God of love. All that God does expresses who He Himself is. When God made the world, He manifested what He himself desired. “Love seeks not his own,” says 1 Corinthians 13:5. Therefore, how did God show forth love when He created the world. Well, that is what the Trinity is all about. In the Trinity, love is manifested in a circular pattern through the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Through this relationship, love cannot be merely expressed through an internal relationship with each other, but it must be spread externally. Thus, this loving relationship among the Trinity is made revealed to angels as well as the animals and even us. In this chapter, you will learn the love that God has to us towards the unity of the Trinity and the individual parts of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit.
It is important to know what love is all about in every perspective of life. Because love is how we live. As Ted Dekker says, ““Love leads to the Creator and . . . the discovery of love is the point of our lives.” Knowing what is love by the One who best demonstrated love is the best way to learn what love is. This is why we are examining love. So we will first go to the Trinity. So here is the question: how did the Trinity love each other in eternity past. In eternity past, nothing was. Only God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit existed. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Also, in Colossians 1:16 it says, “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.” As for when angels were created, this is a mystery because Genesis does not explain away the creative process of angels. However, angels could be created before the Genesis account because Satan had to have a place to indwell after he had fallen. So assuming that angels were created before what we know, did angels exist eternally? No because they were created being who had a beginning. The Trinity loved each other in the process of creation. This is the first process of their manifestation in the age of dispensation. Previously, to this is an uknown dispensation (what is it called). Now before the dispensation of creation (beginning with the angels), we must define what the Trinity did among and between each other in order to identify the acts of love displayed. We know that all Christ wanted to do was please the Father. We also know that the Son was made in the likeness of God. Christ did not have flesh quite yet. Christ glorified the Spirit somehow. God glorified the Son by giving all power to Him. God glorifies the Spirit by giving power to Him also somehow. The Holy Spirit glorifies God the Father and God the Son by emanating from them. But since the Holy Spirit emanated from God the Father and God the Son from eternity, there was something to do from eternity to the act of the creation process. How the Trinity manifests love to one another in eternity is quite mysterious and must be researched in order to understand love.
Because God is love we can live. 1 John 4:16 expressively states that God is love. If God were not love would that make God the Father any less God? (Research) No, I believe He would still be God. Because justice needs to be in tact but God having grace and mercy shows His love. Does this mean that God’s love is greater than His wrath? No, because God’s wrath is still poured out in despite of His love displayed. I say this for Jesus Christ, our Advocate and Atonement, has taken the full brute of God’s wrath. So we don’t experience God’s wrath but rather we experience His love. God is love in giving us grace and mercy in our life. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us than with confidence come before the throne of God that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” God daily gives us graces. Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Yea, not only does he not give us what we do deserve but also he gives us what we don’t deserve. God gives food to the birds. And like Jonah, he proves us shelter from the heart in life. The graces that come in daily living are all acts of love from God. And the mercies from God that allow us to not be destroyed are abundantly flowing to us. Every day is considered to be merciful because that is the day when we are not plunged into the fires of hell. God not only gives us grace and mercy but he also gives us wisdom. Although, we may not know the will of God exactly, we know where we want to go to. God gives us revelation and guidance to make us do the things we are called to do. For instance, God revealed to Paul that he was called to show God forth plainly to the Gentiles. Another instance, is God using Joseph to save those who would perish by the plague God sent in the world. The last instance of God guiding us is God guiding the judges in the Old Testament era to do that which God wanted to accomplish. God’s love is made manifest through how God deals with us and how we act. As Jesus said, “Ye can do nothing without me.” However, the question must be asked? Why is God doing all this good to us? I mean all of this love? God is God, so He is fully independent. He doesn’t need us. So does God only give us love for His benefit? As Ted Dekker says in his book Showdown, “I don’t think the Creator is so selfless. I think he created the world for his pleasure. In fact, I don’t believe the kind of love you speak of �" this completely selfless nonsense �" even exists.” God’s love is a love that is not selfish at first appearance. However, in order not to commit the sin of idolatry, God must love Himself over everyone and everything else. God’s aim of love is to love Himself. Does that make God selfish, of course not.
Not only does God the Father show forth love toward us, but also, Jesus Christ Himself shows us His love toward us. Christ’s love was displayed to it’s max during His life on earth. When Christ came here from heaven to earth, he displayed His love by subjecting Himself to the flesh of a man. Jesus life on earth was a manifestation of His love. He also manifested His love towards us by revealing to us the Father. As the light, the light has to show forth its radiance somehow and it giving brilliance to us is a sign of light. Also, Jesus just being our example for a model of a Christian life is a sign of love. However, Jesus maximum love was displayed at the cross. There He bore our sins and His righteousness was imputed onto us and He took our sins. Christ’s love does not end here for Christ continues to show forth His love until the end of the age by interceding for us and answering our prayers. Moreover, Jesus’ love continues even until the end of the age and into eternity future. Christ’s sacrifice of Himself was a sacrifice of love for He did not search for His own glory but of Gods. God in the end glorifies the Son. But the actions done were for the good of humanity.
God the Father and God the Son partake of the love given to us and to each other, but God the Spirit also expresses His love. God the Spirit since in the beginning was involved in the act of Creation, but He also moved through people to accomplish the will of God. Examples of this can be seen through the judges and the prophets that the Holy Spirit empowered. The Holy Spirit’s love is made known by His empowerment in the Old Testament. However, the Holy Spirit’s love is also seen through His indwellment through the life of Jesus Christ. But it wasn’t until Acts chapter two when the Holy Spirit was experience by all Christians regardless of gender and race. The Holy Spirit’s love remains shown through the power He has given to us. The Holy Spirit gives us the mind of Christ. Therefore, we can understand the hidden things of God. Also, we can understand the Word of God for it is opened up to our mind to understand. Also, the Holy Spirit allows us to please God by giving us the fruits of the Spirit.
[ii] Edwards, Jonathan. Religious Affections. Goodyear: Diggory Press, 2007. 9. Print.
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