Is man pursuing God, or is God pursuing man? Because 1 is religion the other is Grace!

The old song asked the question: "I want to know what love is".
Maybe its the wrong question, and rather should be:

"I want to know WHO LOVE is"


Its all about HIS love! "We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19...
JESUS came and loved us (and still loves us more than anything) when we were still sinners even! Rom 5:8

Here's the deal, when you realize how much HE loves you , and that every sin (past, present and future) is already pardoned, and that HE calls you 'righteous' Rom 9:30 so much righteous its like in HIS eyes, you've never sinned! (that is what justification means Rom 5:16-18) - then your automatic response is to love HIM back. (when you rest in HIS love you will hardly sin).
When a child is loved by mother, it doesn't 'have to' love back it simply wants to! Love is always about 'others' (its outward) if its inward then love becomes lust. Love always wants what is best for the other person (never for itself).

Now love is a person; "GOD is love" 1 John 4:8, and HE only wants what is 'best for you'. HE thinks everything good about you (Psalm 139: 17-18), that you are already HIS forever, and that you are beautiful in HIS sight. A loving mother wouldn't say to their child 'one day you will be beautiful' but rather says 'you are already very beautiful!' (to our boys we say - 'you are precious, much loved and very handsome boys).

Want some more fuel for the fire?
Here it is in a nut-shell: "Love and do whatever you want". Augustine said it and I believe it.