THE LOVE OF GOD
PURPOSE:
To try to fathom the love of God.
DISCUSSION:
1. Packer says that “to know God’s love is indeed heaven on earth.” What three points about God’s love does Packer highlight from Romans 5:5?
2. On page 118, what criticism does Packer level at contemporary Christians? How do you react to this charge?
3. To avoid misunderstanding John’s statement “God is love,” what other two statements must we consider in conjunction with it? How does each one of these statements help us to understand God’s love better?
4. Packer has just said, “’God is love’ is not the complete truth about God so far as the Bible is concerned.” What does he mean by the seemingly contradictory statement that “’God is love’ is the complete truth about God so far as the Christian is concerned”? How does the love of God make a difference in your life day by day?
5. Packer’s definition of God’s love on page 123 is: “”God’s love is an exercise of his goodness toward individual sinners whereby, having identified himself with their welfare, he has given his Son to be their Savior, and now brings them to know and enjoy him in a covenant relation.” What does it mean to say:
that God’s love is an exercise of his goodness?
that God’s love is an exercise of his goodness toward sinners?
that God’s love is an exercise of his goodness toward individual sinners?
that God’s love to sinners involves his identifying himself with their welfare?
that God’s love to sinners was expressed by the gift of his Son to be their savior?
that God’s love to sinners reaches its objective as it brings them to know and enjoy him in a covenant relation?
6. Read silently the section titled “Amazing Love!” on page 127. Where in you life has God’s love not had its full effect?
SUMMARY:
In your own words, what is the love of God? In you own experience, what does the love of God mean?
