Sacrifice, the love language of the divine

Background

John 15:13: Greater love has no one than this than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

1John 4:9-10 & 16-18 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

Love is the ultimate nature of God, which has also become the standard by which man can be measured based on his conformity to that very nature. This is also the main cause of the many dealings of God with man. The turnout of events in the scriptures is to the end that men would know God through His immeasurable love, by which He has loved the man whom He made, …let’s get into the Word.

From the first scripture of study, the bible makes us understand the greatest measure of love. As Jesus describes nothing showcases an immersive love for one than to lay down one’s life, which is a true act of sacrifice. Compared to the character of love in 1 Cor 13:4-8, love is more than an emotion but exhibits selfless acts, purity, persistence, and hope as well as an eternal character. The eternal character of love derives from a sacrifice made which can never be erased or reverted. We have heard and seen life issues of how a person would donate a body organ to another to save their lives, and even years later would be reconciled and share a bond of remembrance based on that sacrificial act. The love of God changes and redefines mankind from his dreaded nature, as 1 John 3:1 elaborates behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God. If we give good things to our children how much more than the Father himself, who would give a snake to a child when they ask for bread (Luke 11)?

In this present age, many throw around the word love and are never able to fulfill its requirements nor know how to showcase it. The requirement we see in our second verse of study is this, a sacrifice and surrender of the priceless and precious for the good of all. He sent His only begotten Son that we will have life through him. In the scripture, when the Lord requested the sacrifice of Isaac from Abraham, I wonder the relief Abraham had when the Lord redirected Him to a ram. However obedient he was, I am sure he felt some what pain but trusted that the Father was worth the sacrifice, trusted and had faith that from the Father comes every good and perfect thing, how much more than to give Him what He requires. God was pleased with Abraham’s proof of love, that he would not withhold anything including his very own son from Him(Genesis 22) and this was the exhibition of how He was going to give Himself to us.

Beloved this is the love of God, in 1 John 4:2 Jesus came in the flesh as the incarnate of God Himself. Sacrifice is not worthy unless it is freely given but costly in the heart. What do I mean by this? God felt the pain of the suffering He had to endure for man’s sake, but yet went through with it. Jesus on the cross cried out Father why have you forsaken me(Mathew 27:46), when the time of the cross drew near He prayed until His sweat turned blood(Luke 22:44), He prayed that this bitter cup he to suffer be taken from Him(Mathew 26:39). But then He remembered that man needs this, man is worth it, man needs to be restored, man needed saving. Yet not my will but your will be done He affirms,and paid the price(Mathew 26:42). Beloved if you are reading this, this love manifested in sacrifice was made perfect in so that we may have the confidence on the day of judgement. Judgement is not to be feared where we have been perfected in love. There is indeed no fear in love, God’s sacrifice is not to instill fear in man but to perfect man in love (I John 4:17-18).

If then this is the love of God towards us, this is the love we ought to show before men. In a world where the love of God being demonstrated , there is no envy, no selfishness, no lies, no boastfulness and no evil because men understand the sacrifice of one’s very own body for all. If we are given to all we have no indication of withholding from another that which is benefiting or uplifting.