God is love

There are many who are convinced that God is truly an almighty Being, the One who is Ruler of the entire universe, yet still, they will not serve Him. Why? The reason is that they do not know the kind of Person that God is in His character. Some view Him as a tyrant who is happy to destroy men for the slightest reason, a harsh demanding dictator whose pleasure it is to roast men in a never-ending fire. Others see Him as a pretender who says one thing, but means something else, who misleads men by making statements which are not really true (such as the statement that Christ is His begotten Son). With this kind of ignorance of God, it is impossible to learn to love Him and to trust Him. The Psalmist declares, "And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee:" (Psalms 9:10). God's name is His character. To know Him is to love Him, because He is eminently lovable. The love and mercy revealed in God's character is beyond the ability of man to comprehend but like Moses, we may plead, "I beseech Thee, show me thy glory," and we may have the privilege of beholding all that man may see and live.

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (1 John 4:8)

"God is love" is written upon every opening bud, upon every spire of springing grass. The lovely birds making the air vocal with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air, the lofty trees of the forest with their rich foliage of living green -- all testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God and to His desire to make His children happy." _ Steps To Christ, p. 10

"All the paternal love which has come down from generation to generation through the channel of human hearts, all the springs of tenderness which have opened in the souls of men, are but as a tiny rill to the boundless ocean when compared with the infinite, exhaustless love of God. Tongue cannot utter it; pen cannot portray it. You may meditate upon it every day of your life; you may search the Scriptures diligently in order to understand it; you may summon every power and capability that God has given you, in the endeavor to comprehend the love and compassion of the heavenly Father; and yet there is an infinity beyond. . . ." _ Testimonies for The Church, Vol.5, p. 740

What is the greatest demonstration of the love of God? John 3:16; 1 John 4:9,10

The Eternal Father, the unchangeable one, gave his only begotten Son, tore from his bosom Him who was made in the express image of his person, and sent him down to earth to reveal how greatly he loved mankind. He is willing to do more, "more than we can ask or think." An inspired writer asks a question which should sink deep into every heart: "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Shall not every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ say, "Since God has done so much for us, how shall we not, for Christ's sake, show our love to him by obedience to his commandments, by being doers of his word, by unreservedly consecrating ourselves to his service?" _ Review and Herald, RH, July 9, 1895

"You may study that love for ages; yet you can never fully comprehend the length and the breadth, the depth and the height, of the love of God in giving His Son to die for the world. Eternity itself can never fully reveal it. Yet as we study the Bible and meditate upon the life of Christ and the plan of redemption, these great themes will open to our understanding more and more. . . ." _ Testimonies for The Church, Vol.5, p. 740

Such love is without a parallel. Children of the heavenly King! Precious promise! Theme for the most profound meditation! The matchless love of God for a world that did not love Him! The thought has a subduing power upon the soul and brings the mind into captivity to the will of God." _ Steps To Christ, p. 15

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The Gospel of Love

The single Bible verse which, perhaps, more than any other summarizes the gospel is John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

In order to understand, receive and be saved by the gospel one must have a knowledge of both the God who "so loved" that "He gave" and the Son of God who was given for our sakes. Accordingly, Jesus prayed "And this is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." John 17:3.

In the world today, there is much confusion concerning the concept of God. Many will confess that they know not who or what God is. Yet , they still worship! Indeed, many are like the woman of Samaria to whom Jesus declared: "Ye worship ye know not what" John 4:22.

This tract is dedicated to the knowledge of "the only true God" to whom Jesus prayed and His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. The reason for this focus is that it is such knowledge which constitutes "life eternal". John 17:3.

The Only True God
‘The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork" Ps. 19:1.

Since "No man hath seen God at any time" (John 1:18) and He is "the blessed and only Potentate the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see" (1 Tim. 6:15, 1 6), human beings can only obtain a knowledge of Him based on His own revelation of Himself. This He gives through His word, His handiwork (the universe which He created and over which He presides) and His Son Jesus Christ who is "the express (precise) image of His person" Heb. 1:3.

Even a small glance at the vast universe is sufficient to impress the human mind with our utter incapacity to fathom the greatness and magnificence of the Great King of the universe who is called by such superlatives as the Almighty, the Most High, the Highest, the Ancient of Days, the God and Father of all (Rev. 21:22: Luke 8:28; Luke 1:32; Dan. 7:9,10,13.14; Eph. 4:6; Ps. 83:18).

Scientists declare that this earth is a part of a galaxy called the Milky Way. This galaxy is so large as to contain over one hundred billion (100,000,000,000) stars, many of which are so huge and brilliant as to make the sun of this solar system pale into virtual insignificance by comparison. It is estimated that it would take over one hundred thousand (100,000) years to travel from one end of the Milky Way across to the other if one was travelling at the speed of light (186,206 miles per second). Yet, as large as is this galaxy, the Milky Way is only one of over a hundred billion (100,000,000,000) galaxies that scientists have detected, many of which are as large and contain as many stars as given. Indeed, it raises a question as to whether it was really a Son that was given.

To make the Son absolutely co-equal with His Father eliminates all possibility of the one being begotten of the other. Thus, that which is presented to humanity as the measure of God’s love for us - namely the sacrifice of His only begotten Son for our sakes is all but nullified if Jesus is not truly and literally the begotten Son of God.

Furthermore, such an idea denies that Jesus truly died. If Jesus is absolutely co-equal with "the blessed and only Potentate .... Who only hath immortality" (2 Tim. 6:15, 16), who absolutely cannot die, then Jesus did not truly die, but continued to live on some different plane while appearing to be dead. This would make all our professions about death and resurrection of Christ mere vanity and illusion.

Finally, the Trinity concept denies that Jesus is the Comforter. The Greek word (Parakletos) which is translated Comforter (John 14:16) is the same Greek word (Parakletos) which is translated Advocate (1 John 2:1). Thus, the One who is the Comforter is the same One who is our Advocate who promised "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matt. 28:20) and is the same One who offers to live in human hearts, saying "Behold, I stand at the door and knock" (Rev. 3:20). Accordingly, Jesus said "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." John 14:18. Jesus promised another Comforter because it was in another manifestation that He would return to offer further comfort, that is, in His glorified state (John 7:39).

To explain the mysterious Trinity concept, some persons liken God to a mixture of ice, water and water vapour. When God is likened to such inanimate things, should there be any wonder that the personal attributes of a loving God are little appreciated? Others say that there are three divine co-equal Beings who have simply been playing roles as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. When God is perceived as being simply an actor who pretends that one is Father and another is Son when such is not the substantive reality, should there be any wonder at the height of hypocrisy that is sometimes evident among professed Christians?

Jesus warned: "Take heed that no man deceive you." Matt. 24:4. Let us not be like those who worship they know not what but let us worship God in spirit and in truth and in accordance, with the truth of Jesus’ prayer: "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." John 17:3.

The fundamental truth upon which the gospel is based is that Jesus is the Son of God and that God loved us to such an extent that He gave His only begotten Son to save us. The gift of His only begotten Son represents the ultimate and most precious that God could have given. "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" Rom. 8:32. When we come to appreciate the sacrifice that was made on our behalf at Calvary we can reasonably respond in no less a way than did the song writer who declared "Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my life, my soul, my all."

(Source: Restoration Ministry)