By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 

                                                                                                                     1 John 4:9 

Today, we conclude with a look at the final characteristic of love or as used in scripture, agape. Love is defined as affection, which should be our disposition toward others, goodwill, which should be our desire for others, and benevolence, which is what we are willing to do for others. Benevolence is the action portion of love. Today’s passage presents us with the benevolence of God in that He was willing to manifest or demonstrate His love by sending Jesus.

Benevolence can be defined as the desire to do good to others. God’s desire was for our spiritual benefit so He sent Jesus Christ to be a perfect sacrifice for the sins of mankind so that whoever would respond to Him would be saved. John says that Jesus came so that we might live. To live is to be full of vigor, to be fresh, strong, efficient, powerful, and efficacious (effective). The Christian life is one that is over and above, extraordinary, and uncommon. In a word, it is living life abundantly (John 10:10). This is the life that we enjoy when we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ and it is the type of life available to us as a direct result of God’s benevolence.

This is all possible because, in God’s perfect wisdom, He sent Jesus, who knew no sin, to become sin so that we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). The technical word for this transaction is propitiation. It is an important word because it accurately describes what took place on the cross. Jesus became the atoning sacrifice for our sin. Propitiation means to appease. God’s judgment was appeased at the cross for all who would believe. To appease is to bring to a state of peace, quiet, calm, and contentment. We can now enjoy a personal relationship with God and draw near to Him because of this appeasement and again, it is all because of God’s benevolence.

We see all three aspects of love demonstrated in the following verse:

For God so loved the world (affection), that He gave His only begotten Son (benevolence), that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (goodwill).

                                                                                                           John 3:16

Because of God’s great love, we too should love others with that same kind of love. Affection, goodwill, and benevolence; these are the characteristics of true love!

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

                                                                                                     2 Peter 1:5-8