Love of God in Christianity

God the Father by Cima da Conegliano, c. 1515

The love of God is a prevalent concept both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Love is a key attribute of God in Christianity, even if in the New Testament the expression "God is love" explicitly occurs only twice and in two not too distant verses: 1 John 4:8,16.

The love of God has been the center of the spirituality of a number of Christian "mystics" such as Teresa of Avila,, Madame Guyon, and Brother Lawrence. Watching the video links for Teresa of Avila, Madame Guyon, and Brother Lawrence will illustrate the reality of the love connection to God which they enjoyed and experienced through faith, but those will not specifically tell you how to rise to that yourself. For this to happen a person must understand and apprehend particular scriptures which speak of intimacy with God. These scriptures are numerous.

Although by conventional definition, a mystic is someone who seeks a direct and personal experience of the divine or ultimate reality, and this may often involve profound spiritual experiences, visions, or a deep sense of connection with God, the word mystic can be altogether misleading. The possibility and probability of a close bond with God is clearly taught by the Apostle Paul in the canonical scriptures appearing in his letters to the churches he founded on his missionary travels. Notably, his prayers for the Ephesians in Ephesians 1:15-23 and Ephesians 3:14-19 stress his desire and prayer to Almighty God that they, the Ephesians, would experience through personal knowledge the presence, love, and power of God as God's children. And it must be stated outright that the Apostle Paul discouraged thinking of the intimate experience and knowledge of God's love as anything other than the privilege of every "saint" (the Biblical term for a born again Christian), as stated clearly in verses 18 and 19 of Ephesians 3. Memorizing these prayers of Paul's and meditating on them deeply will help the believer's mind to be "renewed", a spiritual concept Paul also teaches in Romans 12:1-2, and help them seek the Father's strengthening of their faith through God's presence in their "inner man". It is likely that people use terms like "mystic" and "mysticism" to refer to things they don't understand.

Old Testament

See also: Christian views on the old covenant

The Old Testament uses a rich vocabulary to express the love of God, as a concept that appears in many instances.[1] For example, the prophet Isaiah states, "For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 54:5), using the analogy of a husband-wife relationship to describe the intimate love between God and Israel (or the love between God and the individual created by him). Likewise, the prophet Hosea saw God's love as the basis for the election of Israel (cf. Hosea 11:1)[2] and describes Israel's idolatry (worshipping other gods) as spiritual adultery (Hosea 3:1). In Isaiah 38, God expresses his love for individuals as well. Many Christians see the relationship between Solomon and the Shulamite woman from the Song of Songs as symbolizing Christ's relation to his church.[3] The love of God appears in a number of texts (e.g. Hosea 1–3, and then in Ezek 16 and Isa 62, etc.); however, modern scholars claim that the exegesis of the love of God in the Old Testament presents problems for them in resolving the references to produce a consistent interpretation, which has been subject to debate.[4]

New Testament

See also: Great Commandment

Both the terms love of God and love of Christ appear in the New Testament. In cases such as in Romans 8:35 and Romans 8:39 their use is related in the experience of the believer, without asserting their equality.[5][6] In John 14:31 Jesus expresses his love for God the Father.[7][8] This verse includes the only direct statement by Jesus in the New Testament about Jesus' love for the God the Father.[8] The love of the Father for his Son (Jesus Christ) is expressed in Matthew 3:17 by a voice from Heaven during the Baptism of Jesus.[9][10] The same sentiment is later expressed during the Transfiguration of Jesus in Mark 9:7, where a voice from Heaven tells the three disciples: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"[11]

Love is a key attribute of God in Christianity. 1 John 4:8 and 16 state that "God is love; and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him."[12][13] John 3:16 states: "God so loved the world..."[14]

In the New Testament, God's love for humanity or the world is expressed in Greek as agape (ἀγάπη). The same Greek word agape is used also of the love of Christians for one another and for other human beings, as in 1 Thessalonians 3:12: "May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else."[15] The corresponding verb agapō (ἀγαπῶ) is used not only of God's love and of the mutual love of Christians, but also of Christians' love for God, as in 1 John 4:21: "And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."[16]

Christian mysticism

The experience of God's love is a central part of most traditions of Christian mysticism. This experience of God's love plays a central role in the Spiritual Exercises, which are the foundation of Ignatian spirituality. God's love also plays an important part in the writings of Medieval German mystics, such as Mechthild of Magdeburg and Hildegard von Bingen, who describe divine love as a burning passion. Julian of Norwich expresses the same sentiment in her Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love (c. 1393).

Thomas Aquinas taught that the essence of sanctity lies in the love of God, and Thérèse of Lisieux made the love of God the center of her spirituality.[17]

See also

References

  1. ^ Theology of the Old Testament, Volume One by Walther Eichrodt 1961 ISBN 0-664-22308-7 pages 250-251
  2. ^ Zondervan NIV (New International Version) Study Bible, 2002, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA; footnote to Hosea 11:1.
  3. ^ Feinberg, John (2006). No One Like Him. Crossway. p. 351. ISBN 978-1581348118.
  4. ^ Theologies in the Old Testament by Erhard Gerstenberger 2007 ISBN 0-567-08812-X page 87
  5. ^ Romans 8:39
  6. ^ The Epistle to the Romans by Douglas J. Moo 1996 ISBN 0-8028-2317-3 page 547
  7. ^ John 14:31
  8. ^ a b Preaching the Gospel of John: proclaiming the living Word by Lamar Williamson 2004 ISBN 0-664-22533-0 page 192
  9. ^ Mathew 3:17
  10. ^ Lectures in Systematic Theology by Henry C. Thiessen 1989 ISBN 0-8028-3529-5 page 86 [1]
  11. ^ Mark 9:7
  12. ^ 1 John 4:8 and 16
  13. ^ Christian Theology by Millard J. Erickson 1998 ISBN 0-8010-2182-0 page 318 [2]
  14. ^ John 3:16
  15. ^ 1 Thessalonians 3:12
  16. ^ 1 John 4:21
  17. ^ The Story of a Soul
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_of_God_in_Christianity