The Love of God For Believers Pt2: What It Is

"...to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 1:

This verse will begin to give us a clue as to what the covenant love of God is all about. I used to read right over this verse trying to get to the "meat" of the book until someone showed me how to slow down and reach each verse by itself, trying to get the meaning out of each verse. I praise God I learned this habit, for I would have forever missed something wonderful in this "introduction" verse.

Two things should jump out at you in relation to God's love in this verse. Firstly, Paul is writing to the saints (believers) in Rome. That much is fairly obvious. Secondly, Paul calls them beloved of God. This is an interesting word to use. Does this mean the same thing as the love of God in John 3:16? Or is there some kind of significance in this verse?

Well, the word used in this verse is agapetos, which in Greek means "esteemed, dear, favorite." I think this is very important. I think the saints of God are indeed held in higher esteem than the rest of the world. I think that God views us with a richer, deeper love than He holds for the rest of the world. We should always remember that God's love is many times reckoned to that of a bridegroom to His bride. This is a very special love.

Think of it this way. Many people think of God's love like this: "God loves everyone. I am part of everyone. Therefore God must love me." This is the way God loves in John 3:16. But for the believer, it should be more than that. If you are married, does your wife\husband think that way? No! They would more think, "The love my spouse has for me is special and different from the love they have for others. It is an intimate love meant for only the two of us." I urge you, brethren, to ponder this love. I plan, for the next few days, to continue looking at verses that examine the aspects of God's love.