The LOVE STORY - 1

GOD’S LOVE FOR HUMANITY

March 2020

What is man? What claim has one so weak, and frail, and short-lived, to be remembered by time? What is there in man that entitles him to so much notice? Why has God conferred on him so signal honor? Why has he placed him over the works of his hands? Why has he made so many arrangements for his comfort? Why has he done so much to save him? He is so insignificant his life is so much like a vapor, he so soon disappears, he is so sinful and polluted, that the question may well be asked, why such honor has been conferred on him, and why such a dominion over the world has been given him.

Why should a God who is so vast and glorious, and who has all the starry worlds, so beautiful and grand, to claim his attention - why should he turn his thoughts on man? And especially why should he honor him as he has done by giving him dominion over the works of his hands? What was man, as he was originally made, that such exalted honor should have been conferred on him; and what has any one of his descendants become, in virtue of his native faculties or acquired endowments, that he should be thus honored?

David said in the book of Psalms, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visit him?” This was a question by some angels to the sovereign God. They had observed something different about the relationship between God and man. This relationship was built upon a strong foundation of love. God’s thought is always about man! Man!! and man!!! Why is this so? The angels were curious to know. The phrase in the above scripture, “That thou visit him” means God is not forgetting him; not leaving him; not passing him by. The word used here is the Hebrew word - פקד pâqad – which properly express a visitation for mercy; for friendship. Here it refers to the attention bestowed by God on man in conferring on him such marks of favor and honor as he had done - such attention that he never seemed to forget him, but was constantly coming to him with some new proof of favor.
The question is - why is this so? Why did God love man so much? – because man is the apex of God’s creation. Man is the summary of God’s eternal counsel. The kingdom of God was meant to be a colony of man’s dominion.

Interestingly, God created the angels before man. They were created as ministering spirits. But for who? For God and for Man! God had another picture in mind as he was creating the angels - Man was created in the Image and Likeness of God. Man was made to be like God himself in dominion and authority. This is the first clue in understanding God’s love for humanity. Man was God’s offspring brought into physical existence for a purpose of relationship and government. Man evolved out of the Godhead. Before time began, man was in the mind and plan of God. God told Prophet Jeremiah for example, that he (God) knew him (Jeremiah) and also that he (God) ordained him (Jeremiah) before he was formed in his mother’s womb. When God said in Genesis, “Let us make man…” he was only mentioning a concluded agreement among the Godhead. They must have discussed about man long before this time. If I would paraphrase the sentence, it would read “And God said, the man we discussed about and we agreed upon, let us make him in our own Image and Likeness”. So God brought man (already existing in him) into physical existence. God’s love for humanity is vested upon the truth that he created man for the sole purpose of relationship and family. Man was the apex of God’s creation. As seen by John, the twenty-four elders in the book of revelation said “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” Just in case you have never thought of it, all of God’s creation was just because of man. The earth and everything in it was created for man. Man has a special place in the heart of God. Therefore humanity must come to this understanding.

I have taught this many times, that – God performed two experiments with two of his top creations – Angels and Man. Talking about the rebellion of the fallen angels; I have called it the experiment of Holiness. This is because when the angels thought to lead a revolt against God’s kingdom, they were banished, expelled forever out of God’s presence. As close as their leader (Lucifer) was to God, he casted him away. On the other hand, God performed another experiment with man. It is the experiment of Love. He manifested his love through man. God chose to reveal his love nature to all his creatures but through man. See what man did compared to the angles - Man handed the dominion of the earth to darkness (Satan). Yet, God chose to forgive him. Man committed treason, but God chose to love him unconditionally still. “For God so love the world …” This is love! We understand the love dimension of God more than the angels do. They are creatures subject to the beholding of God’s holiness, we are creatures bound together in love with God. God’s family is a family of love.

This love is unconditional, indescribable, intentional, overwhelming, great, superb, unexplainable, awesome, outstanding, pure and powerful! Halleluyah!

If we understand the magnitude of his love, we would be able to respond accordingly also in love. Love is the lifestyle of the new creation. Love is the lifestyle of the Kingdom. John the beloved said "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us..." Take note of the phrases "great is the love" and the word "lavished". They are deeper revelations of God’s eternal purpose demonstrated as a dimension of love towards us his creation - Man.
Dear reader, have you ever wondered if you are loved by people around you? Never mind, God loves you deeply. No matter your background, no matter your wretched lifestyle, no matter your state of poverty, no matter your imperfections, no matter your sins, no matter your criminal acts, no matter your addiction to drugs, no matter your addiction to pornography, no matter your wayward lifestyle, no matter your indulgence in cultism or voodoo, no matter your struggles or shortcomings. God loves you and does so dearly and deeply. He thinks about you just the same way a father thinks cares about his infant child. You are always on his mind. His heart is wide enough to carry your thoughts. He knows what you are going through and he cares for you. God loves you! You need to know this! You don’t need to live right to earn his love. He loves you even in your imperfections. This love is the greatest love ever to be shown. 

This is the love story that humanity must hear, that God loves man so much and very much than all of us could ever imagine.

TO BE CONTINUED…