Love is not god, God is Love

Love is not "If you do this for me or that for me, if you satisfy my desire, I will love you and be your friend."

Love is not "I love you BECAUSE you always treat me so nicely and pay attention to me."

Love is not " in SPITE (vexation, hatred, rancor, malice, malignity, malevolence) of all the terrible things you said and did about me, yet I will continue to love you and do all I can to help you achieve the greatest happiness and the highest blessings."

God, WHO IS LOVE, places such a value on others that He seeks the welfare, the blessing of the other without demanding or seeking or expecting anything in return. God WHO IS LOVE, God's love is eternal and unchanging (Jer. 31:3; Mal. 3:6; Rom. 8:38-39; Ja. 1:17).

God's love finds value in its object (Isa. 43:4).

God's love is independent of the behavior or attractiveness of its object (Deut. 7:7; Ezk. 16:8-14; Hos. 3:1; Rom. 5:6-10; Eph. 2:4).

God's love desires and delights to bless (Deut. 23:5; Is. 43:4-6; Hos. 11:1,4; 1 Jhn. 3:1).

God's love may have to bring pain to its object so He can bless (Pr. 3:11-12; Heb. 12:6).

God's love is self-sacrificial (Jhn. 3:16; Rom. 5:8; 1 Jhn. 4:7-10).

What greater love is this--the love of God the Father toward His Son?! So great is Christ's love toward us. The love of Christ passes ever coming to the end of knowing and experiencing. Rather than forcing His will on us, without regarding His gift to us of free will, when we choose the greatest gift of His love, His only Son, He constrains us to be obedient to Him, not out of fear of punishment. He encourages and challenges us, by reminding us of His tremendous love to us, to live in His love for us, to live for Him (Eph. 3:19; 2 Cor. 5:14).