GOD'S LOVE IS THE CAUSE OF CONVERSION-Part 2

As we said, in our last post, John 3;16 begins in Eternity with God, and ends in Eternity with Man.

God's Love, in Time, comes to ransom, a host of believing souls.

Now, if The Eternity of God is understood, one will easily interpret John 3;16.
The duration of Divine Existence is from Eternity, according to our finite way of understanding
Eternity.
Divine duration must be considered as wholly permanent, and the ever-present ''Now'', not capable of division, into parts, any more than The Divine Existence Itself.

Thus, things future to us, are present with God.

The Eternal God co-exists with faith, but faith does not co-exist with God.
Jeremiah 31;3-''The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee.''

God's Love is Uninfluenced-
Romans 5;6-8-''For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.''

Human love is reciprocal. We love because we are loved.

But God's Love is not, a response to something, outside of Himself.
God loves, because that is His Nature.

You see, Love is God's Character, but not His characteristic-
I John 3;16-''Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.''

Next, We find that, God's Love is Infinite-can we know The Unknowable/
Ephesians 3;19-''And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.''

One, born of God, readily admits that he has done nothing, to commend himself to God.

We can know by grace, what we can't know by Nature.
We can know by faith, what we can't by Reason. . .

We can know the effects, without comprehending the cause.

We can know The Reality of God's Existence, without understanding Its Nature.

We may know increasingly, what can't be known, perfectly-

Proverbs 4;18-''But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.''
The Wisdom of God's people increases.

Our ideas of love may be more clear and consistent in the future, than they are today.
Our hearts need to be firmly established.

Now, a principle slumbering in the head, is quite different, from being alive in the heart-
Ephesians 3;19-[Turn].

Man, in his natural condition, is empty of God.
Man, in his glorified state, will be full of God-He is All in All.

However, in the state of grace, man has a degree of both his original emptiness, and his final fitness.
Man is not what he was, neither is he, what he will be.
He's thankful, for what he has, but he wants more of The Presence and Fullness of Jesus Christ.
Love, therefore, constrains to a life of holiness and service.

Next, God's Love Is IMMUTABLE-
James 1;17-''Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the
Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.''

God doesn't love all men, in the provision of salvation, and hate those, Who reject it.

God's Love Is ETERNAL... Since it has no beginning, it can have no ending.

Next, God's Love is HOLY;
It is not regulated by passion, or sentiment, but by principle.

God's Love never conflicts with His holiness, and will never wink at sin.

The Cross is the highest manifestation of God's Love.

The Source of God's Love is God Himself.

Now Get this principle; Self-Love is in all intelligent beings, and it is not condemned, when it is carried on, in its proper channel.
You see, People are not obligated to love others MORE than themselves, but AS THEMSELVES-
Matthew 22;37-40-''Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.''

God, first, and chiefly, loves Himself. Thus, He has made His Glory, The Chief End of all His Works in Nature, Providence, and in Grace--
Proverbs 16;4-''The LORD hath made all things for himself; yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.''

Romans 11;36-''For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things; to whom be glory for ever. Amen.''

Revelation 4;11-''Thou art woorthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.''

Ephesians 1;6-''To the praise of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.