Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

1 John 4:8-9 (ESV)

Knowing God is love itself secures us to Him.

We don’t have to fear God because it was God Himself who initiated His love towards us. God loves us because we are His. From all eternity God recognised each of us as belonging to Him, and He has endeavoured for us to find our place of belonging through Christ. Through His sacrificial love, Jesus made a perfect way for us to be reconciled with God. He bridged the gap between our sinful nature and God's perfect holiness through His finished work of the cross.

God's love for us is unconditional and unwavering. It surpasses our sinful flaws and failures, and it is not dependent on our actions or achievements. Despite our imperfections, God's love remains steadfast. When we truly know and understand God's love, we are set free from condemnation. We no longer live in fear and doubt, but instead we find redemption and restoration.

Abiding in God’s pure and perfect love is the foundation of the Christian life.

As we learn to grow in our understanding of the gospel and respond accordingly, we will be amazed again and again by the greatest and generosity of His love for us. The one who knows God’s love lives confidently with joy. But if we live in fear and doubt of God's love, we will not be able to fully appreciate and experience the true effects of the gospel.

When we diminish God’s love, we diminish the gospel. This is why both legalism and license are incredibly damaging to the Christian faith. Not only do they misrepresent the gospel, but they also distort the depth and breadth of God's unfailing love. We are set free from the constraints of legalism and the excesses of license when we allow ourselves to embrace the fullness of God's love and grace.