Almost everybody claims to
love God. Surely the great number of folks associated in some way with religion
do. But according to the word of God, the people of God love Him for a
particular reason. "We love him, because he first loved us." (I John 4:19) Did
you hear that? "Because He first loved us!" Yet most of these professing
religionists do not know or either deny what the Scriptures tell about God
"first" loving His people. God's love for His people is an "everlasting love"
exhibiting itself in divine election. That is, the choosing by God of a number
which no man can number out of Adam's fallen race to be the recipients of His
grace. He is not obligated to save any. All are sinners and justly deserve His
wrath. So the great love His people have for Him "because He first loved us." He
loved us when we did not love Him, loved us who are unlovely, and loved us and
gave His Son for us. But oh to remember that He FIRST loved us! "According as he
hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy
and without blame before him..." (Eph.1:4) The Apostle Paul says to all
believers in Colossians 3 "Put on therefore, as the ELECT of God, holy and
BELOVED, bowels of mercy..." In Thessalonians, "Knowing, brethren beloved, your
election of God." Hear his particular thanksgiving, "But we are bound to give
thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from
the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and
belief of the truth:" God's love is also first in predestination. "In love
having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." (Eph.1:5) God is love
determining all things to assure His glory and the salvation of His elect. He
"loved us and gave Himself for us." We love God "because the love of God is shed
abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." (Rom.5:5) Before
the world began, before we were born, and while we were yet spiritually
dead...God "first loved us." It is because of this that nothing "shall separate
us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus." Can anybody love God who
denies HOW God first loved us?