Can we say that "Love is God"?

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SHoJjhmou

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God is love. We all know that.

But do you think the statement is reversible? Can we say that Love is God?

And, if we can say that, that means we worship love, right?

I honestly don’t think we could just flat out say that love is God, maybe instead say that all love is from God.

I think I heard somewhere that God is, in essence, love. I think that’s true, although I’m not 100% sure. I don’t think we can reverse that statement truthfully, though.

What do you all think?
 
SHoJjhmou said:
God is love. We all know that.
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Was it God’s plan before the creation of the universe, that he would love each and everyone of us, as he loves himself, despite our failings and diverse beliefs.

Can God love us more than he loves himself?

What came first, God or love?

just some thoughts…
 
Eric_Hyom said:
****Can God love us more than he loves himself?
I think, if I’m not mistaken, God loves himself the most, justly. After all, He is the most worthy of love.

What came first, God or love?

God is love.
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SHoJjhmou said:
I think, if I’m not mistaken, God loves himself the most, justly. After all, He is the most worthy of love.
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Possibly the greatest commandments can be used to describe God.

God loves all that he is, with all his heart, soul, mind and strength.
God loves each and everyone of us as he loves himself.

Possibly, the greatest commandments could describe how Christ is one with the Father.

Jesus loves God the Father with all his heart, soul, mind and strength.
Jesus loves us as he loves himself.

God the Father, loves God the Son with all his heart, soul, mind and strength.
God the Father loves us as he loves himself.

Jesus taught the greatest commandments, if they are greatest for him as a man, could these commandments have a greatest meaning for Jesus - God

Are we created in the greatest image of God - The greatest commandments?

just some thoughts…
 
All our descriptions of God are inadequate in some way or other. How can words p(name removed by moderator)oint divine perfection? Every statement we make is an approximation to the truth which exceeds our understanding. The best we can do is use the words of Jesus to guide us but even they are expressed in human language and not intended to be literally true.
 
tonyrey said:
All our descriptions of God are inadequate in some way or other. How can words p(name removed by moderator)oint divine perfection? Every statement we make is an approximation to the truth which exceeds our understanding. The best we can do is use the words of Jesus to guide us but even they are expressed in human language and not intended to be literally true.
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I fully agree that we cannot understand the extent of God’s love for us. Jesus taught us about the greatest commandments, so he would have lived them, but how did Jesus love all his neighbours as he loved himself? Those who condemned him to death and nailed him to the cross.

We know he prayed forgive them Father, could the forgiveness of sins hang and depend on the greatest commandments, nothing should stand in the way of Jesus loving us as he loves himself.
 
Eric_Hyom said:
I fully agree that we cannot understand the extent of God’s love for us. Jesus taught us about the greatest commandments, so he would have lived them, but how did Jesus love all his neighbours as he loved himself? Those who condemned him to death and nailed him to the cross.

We know he prayed forgive them Father, could the forgiveness of sins hang and depend on the greatest commandments, nothing should stand in the way of Jesus loving us as he loves himself.
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👍 The saints have demonstrated that we too can love others more than ourselves.
 
Eric_Hyom said:
I fully agree that we cannot understand the extent of God’s love for us. Jesus taught us about the greatest commandments, so he would have lived them, but how did Jesus love all his neighbours as he loved himself? Those who condemned him to death and nailed him to the cross.

We know he prayed forgive them Father, could the forgiveness of sins hang and depend on the greatest commandments, nothing should stand in the way of Jesus loving us as he loves himself.
Click to expand...
👍 The saints have demonstrated that we too can love others more than ourselves.
 
tonyrey said:
👍 The saints have demonstrated that we too can love others more than ourselves.
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I disagree that you say God loves others more/ just as much as He loves Himself.

Here is something from the Summa Theologica:

God loves Christ not only more than He loves the whole human race, but more than He loves the entire created universe: because He willed for Him the greater good in giving Him “a name that is above all names,” in so far as He was true God. Nor did anything of His excellence diminish when God delivered Him up to death for the salvation of the human race; rather did He become thereby a glorious conqueror: “The government was placed upon His shoulder,” according to Isaiah 9:6.
 
SHoJjhmou said:
I disagree that you say God loves others more/ just as much as He loves Himself.

Here is something from the Summa Theologica:

God loves Christ not only more than He loves the whole human race, but more than He loves the entire created universe: because He willed for Him the greater good in giving Him “a name that is above all names,” in so far as He was true God. Nor did anything of His excellence diminish when God delivered Him up to death for the salvation of the human race; rather did He become thereby a glorious conqueror: “The government was placed upon His shoulder,” according to Isaiah 9:6.
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I was referring to Christ rather than God the Father. 🙂
 
tonyrey said:
I was referring to Christ rather than God the Father. 🙂
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I’m sorry, but I can’t agree that God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) loves us more than Himself.

God must be loved the most. He is the most worthy of love, and, while He died for us, He still loves Himself the most. “Creature cannot be loved more than God.” (Bookcat said that :))

It just proves to us how good God is…He suffered all that suffering on Calvary for us… it’s impossible to imagine God’s love for Himself. It’s even impossible to imagine His love for us.

The Catholic Church sure is awesome. 😃
 
Bookcat sent me this quote from the Catechism, and I think it’s a good one for this discussion.

CCC 221 But St. John goes even further when he affirms that “God is love”: God’s very being is love. By sending his only Son and the Spirit of Love in the fullness of time, God has revealed his innermost secret: God himself is an eternal exchange of love, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and he has destined us to share in that exchange.
 
SHoJjhmou said:
God is love. We all know that.

But do you think the statement is reversible? Can we say that Love is God?

And, if we can say that, that means we worship love, right?

I honestly don’t think we could just flat out say that love is God, maybe instead say that all love is from God.

I think I heard somewhere that God is, in essence, love. I think that’s true, although I’m not 100% sure. I don’t think we can reverse that statement truthfully, though.

What do you all think?
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As the CCC#255 says, in God everything is one except the distinction of the persons. Accordingly, whatever perfections or attributes we apply to God such as love, knowledge, wisdom, truth, life, power, justice, mercy, etc. are not distinct from God himself nor are they really distinct from one another in God. God’s wisdom, love, justice, truth, life, etc. are God. Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” So, if we talk about love in God, the phrase “Love is God” doesn’t appear to me to be erroneous for God and His love are identical, indeed, they are one reality in God. Love is also one of the names in the christian tradition of the Holy Spirit and in this sense it is certainly correct to say that Love is God.
 
SHoJjhmou said:
I’m sorry, but I can’t agree that God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) loves us more than Himself.

God must be loved the most. He is the most worthy of love, and, while He died for us, He still loves Himself the most. “Creature cannot be loved more than God.” (Bookcat said that :))

It just proves to us how good God is…He suffered all that suffering on Calvary for us… it’s impossible to imagine God’s love for Himself. It’s even impossible to imagine His love for us.

The Catholic Church sure is awesome.
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When Jesus chose to suffer and die for us He obviously put us before Himself. He certainly didn’t do it because He loved Himself more than us nor because He expected a reward. He told us there is no greater love than to give one’s life for others. It shows we are prepared to lose everything for others regardless of what happens to us. One great saint was even prepared to go to hell if it could save another person…
 
tonyrey said:
When Jesus chose to suffer and die for us He obviously put us before Himself. He certainly didn’t do it because He loved Himself more than us nor because He expected a reward. He told us there is no greater love than to give one’s life for others. It shows we are prepared to lose everything for others regardless of what happens to us. One great saint was even prepared to go to hell if it could save another person…
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You are right…He put us before Himself…but it still doesn’t mean that He loved us more than Himself…it just shows how good God is.

Which is very, since God is Love. 🙂
 
SHoJjhmou said:
You are right…He put us before Himself…but it still doesn’t mean that He loved us more than Himself…it just shows how good God is.

Which is very, since God is Love. 🙂
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**In His humanity **Jesus loved us more than Himself. Of that there is no doubt at all. Divine attributes did not apply to Him when He was on this earth. He was a man like us in all things but sin.
 
tonyrey said:
**In His humanity **Jesus loved us more than Himself. Of that there is no doubt at all.
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👍
Divine attributes did not apply to Him when He was on this earth. He was a man like us in all things but sin.
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It only seems to make sense if the sacrifice of Jesus; was planed before the creation of the universe began. In other words the creation of the universe and life hangs and depends on Jesus agreeing in advance to his sacrifice; a profound thought.

But Jesus will come to judge the living and the dead, there is the still question of heaven and hell. How do you love a serial rapist and murderer, more than you love yourself? Presumably, not all of them will repent, where will they end up?
 
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