“God is love.”

These three simple words, which come from 1 John, are incredible powerful. But they have been so overused that it is often easy for us to forget their meaning.

What is so powerful about this phrase is what we would probably view as the least important word.

“God IS love.”

The reason why the word “is” is so important is it tells us that “love” is not just something God does, but who He IS. Love is not an emotion that God feels some of the time; love is the very core of who God is.

Why is this important? Because when we read the Bible, especially the Old Testament, it’s pretty easy to establish a way of thinking that says God is angry and perhaps even mean. But just because God WAS angered doesn’t mean that He IS angry. God is not defined by His anger, but by His love. We do not serve a God who is sometimes angry and sometimes loving, but a God who is fully love.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t think it would be accurate to say, “Jared is love.” You could say, “Jared loves,” or “Jared is becoming love,” or “Jared is learning how to love,” but to boldly declare “Jared is love” would be quite inaccurate.

To say “God loves” is a cautious and conservative way to approach the love of God. But God’s love is not cautious or conservative; God’s love is wild and extravagant. To say “God IS love” is bold and daring, and it is a statement that John dares to make not just once, but twice, in 1 John 4 (Verses 8 and 16).

Our words often reveal the deeply held beliefs of our hearts. If you find it easy to say “God loves,” but a bit more difficult and awkward to say “God is love,” it may be because you have seen the Father incorrectly. And how we see the Father is crucial, because it will affect how close we allow ourselves to get to Him.

Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that. ~ Ephesians 5:2, The Message