Fruitful Living
WHAT IS THE LOVE OF GOD? (PART 1)
God is love
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in His love – John 15:9-10
INTRODUCTION
Remain in my love – Jesus calls us to a life of holy intimacy and personal devotion to Him. This is possible because of God’s love for us, which he has poured into our hearts by the holy spirit (Romans 5:5). God demonstrated His great love through Christ’s dying for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). We remain in Jesus’ love by pursuing spiritual intimacy and communication with Him, and by obeying His commands, just as He did with the Father.
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. – 1 John 3:1
CHILDREN OF GOD
The truth that God is our Heavenly Father and we are His children is one of the greatest revelations in the New Testament.
1. Being a child of God, adopted in Christ as His very own (Ephesians 1:5), is a high honour on privilege of our salvation. (Galatians 4:7).
2. Being a child of God is the basis for our faith and trust in God (Matthew 6:25-34) and our hope of glory for the future. As God’s children, we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17; Galatians 4:7).
3. God wants us to be increasingly made aware through the Holy Spirit, the “Spirit of Sonship” (Romans 8:15) that we are His children. The Spirit produces the cry “Abba, Father” in our hearts (Galatians 4:6) and gives us the desire to be “led by the Spirit” (Romans 8:14).
4. Being a child of God is the basis for our discipline by the Father (Hebrews 12:6-7-11) and the reason we live to please God.
God’s ultimate goal in making us His children is to save us forever (John 3:16) and to conform us to the likeness of His Son (Romans 8:29).
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love is an activity and behaviour and not just as an inner teaching or motivation. Other aspects of love are characteristics of God Himself who has been revealed by our Lord Jesus Christ.
The love of God is His passion to sustain and uphold and exalt His holiness and His Son for your everlasting enjoyment. If you put yourself at the centre, you’re suicidal because it robs you of the very glory of God and his enjoyment.
1 John 4:8 describes one of God’s primary attributes as love. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” This verse does not define God as love; it describes God’s love as permeating His essence in all He is and all He does. As for today’s headlines tout stories of scandal, tragedy, and war; believers can be confident knowing all they need is God’s love.
I agree with the Theologian A.W. Tozer once stated, “Nothing God ever does, or ever did, or ever will do, is separate from the love of God.” Everything He has ever done has been out of love.
THINGS WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE LOVE OF GOD
1. God’s Love Is Incomprehensible. – “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” – Ephesians 3:17-18.
2. God’s Love Is known and Proven – “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”. – John 3:16.
3. We Can Trust In God’s Love.
4. God’s Love is Pure.
5. God’s Love is Perfect.
6. Our Salvation Is An Expression Of God’s Love.
7. Our Ability To Love Is Enabled Through God’s Love.
8. We Can Rest In God’s Love.
9. We Can Have Confidence In God’s Love.
Satan tempts Jesus with the offer of rulership over all the kingdoms of the world, a proposal that Jesus rejects. This could be viewed as an appeal for material wealth, possessions and power.
Jesus’ kingdom in this age is not a worldly kingdom. Throughout His ministry, Jesus would refuse to seek a kingdom for Himself by the worldly methods of compromise, earthly power, political maneuvering, external violence or personal popularity.
Jesus’ kingdom is a spiritual one, established in the hearts of His people, who have also refused to follow the ungodly ways of the world. As a heavenly kingdom,
- It is gained through suffering, self – denial, humility and meekness – the opposite of how worldly people pursue power;
- It requires surrendering ourselves as living and holy sacrifices completely devoted and obedient to God and His purposes; Romans 12:1 – Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
- It involves a battle against Satan, sin, temptation and evil using spiritual weapons. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. – Ephesians 6:10-20.
- It means resisting conformity to the beliefs, behaviours and lifestyles that are common in the world. Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. – 1 John 2:15-17
Satan’s appeal to worship Him was an attempt to get Jesus to take a quick route to a world domination – to avoid the humility and sufferings that would lead to Jesus’ death on the cross. This is to say, the devil was trying to get Jesus to lay aside His entire purpose for coming to earth. Christ’s willingness to face all the difficulties that lay ahead is an example to all believers. He taught us that there are no shortcuts to fulfilling God’s perfect purposes for our lives, no matter how tempting the options may seem.
Stay Blessed!
By Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee
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Preparing for Ramadan through the month of Sha‘ban
THE month of Sha‘ban, which precedes Ramadan, serves as a spiritual training ground. The Prophet (s.a.w.) devoted significant attention to this month, fasting frequently and encouraging heightened acts of worship. ‘Aishah (r.a.) narrated:
“I did not see the Messenger of Allah complete fasting in any month except Ramadan, and I did not see him fast more in any month than in Sha‘ban.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
During Sha‘ban, Muslims are encouraged to:
• Observe optional fasts,
• Increase Qur’anic recitation,
• Engage in charitable deeds (ṣadaqah),
• Strengthen community bonds and service.
These acts gradually condition both the body and soul for the rigours and blessings of Ramadan.
Scholarly guidance and community sensitisation
Across Muslim communities, scholars and religious leaders organise lectures, workshops, sermons, and media engagements to educate the Ummah about Ramadan. These initiatives address:
• The jurisprudence (fiqh) of fasting,
• The obligation to make up missed fasts from previous years,
• The ethical conduct expected during Ramadan,
• The spiritual, social, and health benefits of fasting.
Modern studies have also affirmed that fasting, when properly observed, contributes to improved self-discipline, metabolic balance, and emotional regulation—findings that align with Islamic teachings on moderation and self-control.
The role of parents and families in Ramadan preparation
Preparation begins at home. Parents play a vital role in nurturing a Ramadan-conscious environment by:
• Encouraging children and young adults to try voluntary fasts,
• Training family members to wake up for Tahajjud (night prayers),
• Establishing regular family supplications and Qur’an reading sessions.
Such practices help instill lifelong spiritual habits and strengthen family unity through shared worship.
By Imam Alhaji Saeed Abdulai
