神的爱
为甚么神对人感觉兴趣呢？最大的原因，因为神是爱，同时因为神爱世人。如果神不爱人，神就用不着救人。救恩所以成功，一方面因为人有罪，另一方面因为神有爱。如果人没有罪，神的爱就无所表现，也无从表现。如果人有罪，而神没有爱，你看见事情也就算了。今天所以有救恩的发生，所以有福音的传扬，就是因为一方面神有爱，一方面人有罪。
人的罪给我们看见人的需要，神的爱给我们看见神的供给。救恩所以成功，福音所以传扬，就是因为在宇宙里有两个最大的事实。第一就是人有罪，第二就是神爱人。这两个是永远不可推翻的事实。这是圣经里所注重的两个事实。神有爱，人有罪，所以才有救恩，所以才有福音。
关于神的爱，在圣经里是一直讲的。关于神的爱，有三方面是不能不说的：第一，神就是爱；第二，神爱世人；第三，神爱的表显，乃是在基督的死里。
神就是爱
我们现在来看：第一，神就是爱。这一句话是在约壹四章十六节。它不是说神爱，也不是说神会爱，也不是说神能爱，也不是说神爱了，也不是说神要爱；它乃是说，神就是爱。神就是爱是甚么意思呢？意思就是：神的自己，神的本性，神的本身就是爱。如果说神有性质的话，神的性质就是爱。
新约圣经里一个最大的启示，就是给我们看见神就是爱。这一个启示是人类最需要的。我们人最需要这个启示。因为人对于神有许多推想，有许多理论。我们在那里想，到底神是怎么一回事？到底神存的是甚么心？到底神对我们人有甚么意思？到底神自己是怎样的？世界上的偶像，世界上塑出来的神，都是人想出来的。人想神是这样凶的神，人想神是那样厉害的神。人这样想，人那样想；人都是在那里推想，在那里揣摩。为着更正世人对于神各种各样的猜想，神就在福音的光中显现，给人看见神不是不可亲近的，神不是不可捉摸的。
神是甚么呢？神就是爱，意爱就是神的性质，神从里面到外面都是爱。神就是爱，在这里爱是名祠。爱是圣经里最大的启示。每一个基督徒最大的认识，就是认识神是爱。神就是爱，虽然是顶简单的四个字，但是给我们看见一个最大的启示：神的性质，神生命的本质就是爱。祂不能作甚么别的，祂是爱的，同时祂就是爱。
信息重点：救恩的发生基于两个事实：人有罪，神有爱。人的罪显明人的需要，神的爱带来神的供给。更深一层，神不只是爱我们，神就是爱；爱乃是神的性质，是祂生命的本质。
应用祷告：主耶稣，感谢你使我看见自己的需要，也使我认识神就是爱。求你除去我对神错误的猜想，使我更多认识、相信并接受你的爱，安息在你爱的性质里。阿们。
请享受诗歌 (点击诗歌名）
The Love of God — 1 John 4:16
God’s Love
Why is God interested in man? The greatest reason is that God is love, and at the same time God loves the world. If God did not love man, God would have no need to save man. Salvation is accomplished, on the one hand, man has sin, and on the other hand, God has love. If man had no sin, God’s love would have no way to be manifested. If man has sin but God has no love, then you can see that the matter would simply be over. The reason why salvation happens and the gospel is proclaimed, is that on the one hand God has love, and on the other hand man has sin.
Man’s sin shows us man’s need; God’s love shows us God’s supply. Salvation is accomplished, and the gospel is proclaimed, these are two greatest facts in the universe. The first is that man has sin, and the second is that God loves man. These are two facts that can never be overturned and the Bible also emphasizes them. God has love, and man has sin; therefore there is salvation, there is the gospel.
Concerning the love of God, the Bible continually speaks of it. Concerning the love of God, there are three aspects that must be mentioned: first, God is love; second, God loves the world; third, the expression of God’s love is in the death of Christ.
God Is Love
Let us now look at the first point: God is love. This verse is in 1 John 4:16. It does not say that God loves, nor that God will love, nor that God can love, nor that God has loved, nor that God is going to love; it says that God is love. What does it mean that God is love? It means that God Himself, God’s nature, God’s very being is love. If we may speak of God’s having a nature, it is love.
One of the greatest revelations in the New Testament is that God is love. This is the revelation humanity needs most — the very thing we require above all else. People harbor so many speculations and theories about God. We wonder: What is God really like? What is His heart toward us? What are His intentions for mankind? What is His true nature? The idols and gods fashioned by the world are merely products of human imagination; people conjure up images of a fierce or formidable God. They speculate and conjecture in all sorts of ways. To correct these varied human assumptions, God has revealed Himself in the light of the gospel, showing us that He is neither unapproachable nor beyond our comprehension.
What is God? God is love, it is his nature; from within to without, God is altogether love. God is love — here “love” is a noun. Love is the greatest revelation in the Bible. The greatest realization for every Christian is knowing that God is love. God is love — though these are the simplest three words, they show us one of the greatest revelations: God’s nature, the very essence of God’s life, is love. He cannot be anything else; He is love, and at the same time He is love itself.
Message Main Points: Salvation comes about based on two facts: man has sin, and God has love. Man’s sin reveals man’s need, and God’s love brings God’s supply. On a deeper level, God does not merely love us — God is love; love is God’s nature, the very essence of His life.
Dally Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for showing me my own need and for causing me to know that God is love. Remove from me my wrong speculations about God, and make me to know, believe and receive Your love more, resting in the nature of Your love. Amen.