Biblical love does not rely on behavior. A helpful example is the love of a parent for a child. It doesn’t matter what the child does, the loving parent still loves.
God is a loving Father.
This was perfectly illustrated by Jesus in the well know parable of the Prodigal (lost) Son. When he finally came home, broken and penniless, his father received him gladly. After being forsaken, he still loves that son.
Think of the many stories about men who are incarcerated and forsaken by society. There is one person who never gives up, the mom. She loves him. No matter what.
At the end of chapter 8 of Romans, Paul says.
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,
‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:35-39 ESV)
On the way home from church we talked about this with the grandsons. In their respective groups, the limitless love of Christ was the theme. When asked how big is the love of God, the 6 year old said “bigger than the whole universe!”
That just about does it.
All of the things Paul lists are within the created universe.
We’re safe.
Nothing in this whole universe can take us away from God.
We are safe.
Rejoice in this friend.
You are loved.
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