Title: 13
Author: JBG
Last saved by: Auth User
Company: Auth CO

© 2000  Joe Griffin

00-08-01.JSH-353 /

The Inscrutable Question: Conscience & Personal Love for God: The Love of God in the Infinite Past: Personal Love Compared with Unconditional Love
1 John 4:19 -	We love [ reciprocally ] because He first loved us [ eternally ].
1.	Our love for God is based on the fact that He loved us first.  This in itself is a tandem principle.
 2.	The love that comes first is the undiminished love of God for the human race that has always existed back into the infinite past.
3.	When we become aware of the love of God through spiritual growth then we develop the capacity to express love for God in a system of reciprocity.
4.	Our knowledge of the love of God for us is brought to our attention by means of a demonstration that is referenced in:
Romans 5:8 -	But God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died as a substitute for us.
5.	This verse contains information that teaches us something about the love of God.  It teaches us that the love God demonstrated at the cross was not personal love for us but rather unconditional love.
6.	The verse makes it clear that the love demonstrated was indeed “toward us” but it occurred “while we were yet sinners.”
7.	The verb “love” is ¢g£ph / agape / and it is transitive, meaning that it must have a subject and an object.
8.	However, the emphasis may be placed on either the subject or the direct object.  
9.	Stress on the subject means that the subject possesses the attributes of divine integrity and thus may direct his love toward unworthy objects, that is, those who do not have virtue.  Such love is classified as unconditional love.
10.	Stress on the direct object means that the object possesses the attributes of divine integrity and thus the subject may direct his love toward worthy objects, that is, those who have virtue.  Such love is classified as personal love.
11.	Now to whom may God direct His personal love without compromising His Own integrity?  The only worthy objects in eternity past were the other two Members of the Trinity, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
12.	All three Members of the Godhead possess perfect love which constitutes the integrity of God.  Each Member of the Trinity possesses perfect righteousness and perfect justice.
13.	When mankind became an issue the omniscience of God was able to perceive the presence of sin in each and every member of the human race beginning with Adam.
14.	As a result the love of God could not maintain its uncompromised virtue if it directed its personal love toward a sinful humanity.
15.	Therefore, the integrity of God had to come up with divine solutions for the total depravity of mankind that would be compatible with divine love and not compromise its composites of righteousness, justice, and grace.
16.	A composite is according to:
Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “composite”:
Made up of various parts or elements; belonging to the terms collectively but not to each separately; a collective.
17.	Therefore, love is not one thing; it is made up of several things.  It may be defined as the integrity of God however that integrity has several composites.  These composites actually include four divine attributes: righteousness, justice, grace, and omniscience.

www.gdcmedia.org	www.joegriffin.org