My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
| 182 |
| God of Love |
| 2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. |
| He is the God of Love. No matter how you cut it, He is the God of Love. Not only is He the source of all that is considered love, but He is the very definition of what true love is. But in the interest of this verse, lets take a few moments and consider what Paul may be saying here. Paul admonishes these believers to rejoice. In all of the council Paul has had to offer these believers, all the rebukes and reproaches, he ends with an admonition to rejoice, for in all of the interpersonal issues that have erupted between him and the Corinthian church, all the disciplinary stances he has had to take with this church, he is encouraging them to rejoice. No matter the situation, in the end, there is always reason to rejoice, for we have a God that is over all the storms in our lives, and settles those hearts that look to Him. He is good, and for that simple fact, we should rejoice. The next thing Paul speaks of is the goal of restoration. There have been relationships strained to the point of breaking in this church, and this is not God’s ideal. Paul directs his saints to aim for restoration, to find ways to make relationships whole, to seek others for the sake of peace. Might he even be suggesting the giving up of rights in order to be peace makers? To die to their own desires for the sake of others? You may have a hard time convincing me otherwise! The NASB and the RSV actually translates “aim for restoration” as “mend your ways”, for the ways of the saint needed mending. The comfort/encouragement may not be self directed, but intended for saint to provide to others. Two verses earlier in the chapter, Paul is praying for restoration to occur in this church. They need it! 2 Corinthians 13:9 For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for. Comfort one another. This is another phrase that may be translated other than it appears. It seems a few of the common translations suggest that Paul is asking the saints to “listen to his appeal”. He has provided God’s will for the people, but if it is ignored, all the counsel in the world will count for nothing for these dear saints! As if he simply cannot get off the unity theme, his next phrase to admonish and encourage this church of strife is that they are to agree with one another. As an out growth of this call to agreeableness with one another, or as a final admonition for these saints, is to live in peace. After all of these admonitions, encouragements, directions and counsels, he adds that if they obey, if they seek to follow, then the God of Love and Peace will be with them. (Why would the God of Love and Peace be with a fractious warlike congregation?) After the effort is expended to find restoration, peace, agreeableness and peace amongst themselves, this church will experience the God of Love. It is not that God is not the God of Love until they get straight. No no no. Let us not suggest such silliness. No – God is the God of Love, but due to the sin in the group and amongst the brothers, they have cut themselves off from the experience of God’s peace and love in their personal and group life. They sacrificed the knowledge of the God of Love to exercise their selfish desires. He is the God of Love, and in His person perfect love is found. For the God of Love is found most clearly in Jesus, who is the sum total expression of the Love of God! |
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
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