This book is a profound and thoughtful meditation on the love of God, by an author clearly moved by his subject. Each of the chapters consists of three sections: an explanation followed by an applicatory meditation and a prayer.
The author’s main concern is that the statement in the apostle John’s first letter that ‘God is love’ is often taken to mean that God’s love is just like ours. In fact, there remains an infinite difference between God and all his created things, including ourselves.
Being finite creatures blinded by sin, our thoughts of God are inevitably incomplete and impaired. To reveal himself to us, God speaks in ways we can understand. He does this by speaking analogically, that is, by using words and ideas that are familiar to us as humans.
These analogies involve similarity but not complete identification. Hence, just as there are indeed restricted similarities between God and a rock, so there are finite similarities between human love and God’s love.
The author explores the love of God in light of other divine attributes revealed in Scripture. He writes: ‘We discover the full meaning of the statement “God is love” when we read it alongside the other descriptions of God in the Bible’ (p.45).
These other descriptions cast further light on our understanding of God’s love, and in each case God’s love turns out to be totally different from ours. For instance, since God is unique and the only source of all perfection, it follows that it would be sinful for him not to supremely love himself.
God’s love is also explored in light of his fatherhood, omnipresence, eternity, sovereignty, immutability, knowledge, holiness, justice and grace. When I finished this book, I thought it would be well worth a second reading.
Brian Maiden
Kendal
