Religion & Spirituality
The basis of God's love is His nature. God is love (1 John 4:8, 16); therefore, He loves. He acts, demonstrates, and shows His love. Love acts; it expresses itself. Love does not sit still, doing nothing. It is not dormant, complacent, inactive. If love actually exists, it has to act and express itself; it has to do something good. Love is loving; that is, love is always demonstrating love to others. Therefore, God's love acts and reveals Him to be love. The word gave (edōken PWS: 1641) has a twofold meaning. God gave His Son to the world, and He gave His Son to die. The idea of sacrifice, of great cost, is in both acts. It cost God dearly to give His Son up to the world and up to the cross.