To answer the question ‘Who did God love before the beginning, before the creation?’ the Monotheist might say ‘God loved himself before he created life.’ But that doesn’t really work if you think about it. Can you really truly love yourself? The Bible tells us what love is.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
So no, you really cannot love yourself. Or wait… Can you? Someone with a mild knowledge of the Bible (including myself) might say, ‘Whoa whoa whoa! What about when Jesus says;
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
~ Mark 12:31
‘Love “YOURSELF”! See! It says it right there! What about that? Huh?’ Okay, okay. I had the same question. So lets look at this verse in context. ** TANGENT ALERT! TANGENT ALERT! ** (I do this a lot. Sorry.) Jesus is asked a question; “Of all the commandments, which is the greatest?” To which Jesus answers;
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
~ Mark 12:29-31
It is important to note that Jesus is telling His listeners to 1) Love God above everything and 2) Love others. There is no command or suggestion or hint anywhere in the Bible that teaches anyone to love themselves. The only thing He is saying here in verse 31 is that instead of putting yourself first, you must put others before you. And so I still hold firm to the belief that you cannot truly love yourself.
Still not convinced? Ask yourself this question. ‘Would I die for myself?’ Is there a greater act of love than to give your life for someone else? Jesus says;
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
~ John 15:13
I doubt anyone would disagree with that. Without belaboring the point any further I think it is safe to say that the Monotheistic god could not love himself before creation. In fact I believe a more realistic answer from this worldview would be that ‘God created, that he might love what he created.’
So we come to the Trinitarian worldview which is the Christian worldview. One God in three distinct Persons. I can go into the mind numbing conversation of a Triune God some other time, but let me assure you, dear reader, the God of the Bible is unquestioningly a Triune God. As I mentioned in my last post this means He is one God in three Persons. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Each equal and each distinct and all God. In this case and only in this case it is possible that God was loving before there was a creation. The Father, Son, and Spirit loving Each Other in a Holy, eternal Community before there ever was a creation. Do you see this? Only in the Christian worldview can love precede life.
So that begs the question; ‘Who cares? What difference does that make? So what?’ Well, I’m glad you asked. I will save the answer to that question for my next post.
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