Bible Studies

The Purpose of Free Will

by Cecil Maner
02/12/26
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Created in Love, Called to Love: Reflecting God’s Desire in Marriage and the Church

The Bible declares that humanity is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27, KJB), and that “God is love” (1 John 4:8, KJB). From these foundational truths, we can reasonably infer that our capacity and desire to give and receive love are reflections of God’s nature. As humans, one of our deepest longings is to be loved, a desire that mirrors God’s own relational longing to be loved by His creation. This divine desire is not born of need, for God is self-sufficient (Acts 17:25, KJB), but of His relational character, which seeks a freely chosen love from His people. This dynamic is beautifully illustrated in the marital relationship, where husbands are commanded to love their wives (Ephesians 5:25, KJB), desiring a voluntary response of love, and in the spiritual relationship between Christ and His bride, the church, who is invited to choose Him in love. Through these parallels, we see that our desire to give and receive love reflects God’s image, and His desire to be loved is mirrored in both human marriage and the divine relationship with the church. 

Humanity’s Desire to Love: A Reflection of God’s Image

Being created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27, KJB) means we bear aspects of His character, including His relational nature. The Bible defines God as love itself: “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love” (1 John 4:8, KJB). Our ability to love others sacrificially and our longing to be loved in return are direct reflections of this divine attribute. The apostle John further connects human love to God’s initiative: “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19, KJB). Just as God initiates love toward us, we are created with the capacity to initiate love toward others, seen vividly in the command for husbands to love their wives (Ephesians 5:25, KJB). This desire to give love is not merely a human trait but a divine imprint, reflecting God’s own loving nature.

Moreover, our deep yearning to be loved mirrors a divine longing. While God is complete in Himself, needing nothing from His creation (Acts 17:25, KJB), He consistently expresses a desire for a loving relationship with His people. This is evident in His command to Israel: “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deuteronomy 6:5, KJB). Jesus reaffirms this as the greatest commandment (Mark 12:30, KJB), indicating that God values and desires the heartfelt love of His people. If we, created in His image, long to be loved, it is reasonable to conclude that this desire reflects God’s relational nature, which seeks a voluntary, reciprocal love from His creation.

The Marital Analogy: Husbands, Wives, and Chosen Love

The relationship between husband and wife provides a tangible illustration of this divine-human dynamic. The KJB explicitly commands husbands to love their wives: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25, KJB). This command is reiterated: “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies” (Ephesians 5:28, KJB) and “Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them” (Colossians 3:19, KJB). The husband’s love is to be sacrificial, unconditional, and modeled after Christ’s love for the church. Notably, the KJB does not use the same explicit language to command wives to “love” their husbands. Instead, wives are instructed to submit and respect: “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22, KJB; cf. Colossians 3:18, KJB). This distinction suggests that the husband’s love creates an environment where the wife is free to choose to respond with love, respect, and devotion.

This dynamic mirrors God’s relationship with humanity. Just as a husband desires his wife to choose to love him, God desires His people to freely choose to love Him. The husband’s sacrificial love, when faithfully expressed, invites a voluntary response from the wife, reflecting the divine pattern where God’s love precedes and enables our response: “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19, KJB). This parallel underscores that our human desire for mutual love in marriage is a reflection of God’s image, as He too desires a chosen, heartfelt love from His people.

Christ and His Bride: The Ultimate Expression of Divine Love

The relationship between Christ and the church, His bride, elevates this analogy to its spiritual fulfillment. Ephesians 5:25-27 (KJB) describes Christ’s love for the church: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Christ’s sacrificial love is the ultimate act of giving, offering Himself to redeem and purify His bride. Yet, this love is not coercive; it invites a response. The church is called and “hath made herself ready” for the marriage supper of the Lamb: “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready” (Revelation 19:7, KJB). This preparation reflects the church’s voluntary choice to love and honor Christ, responding to His initiating love.

Jesus Himself expresses this desire for reciprocal love: “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15, KJB). The invitation to abide in His love—“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love” (John 15:9, KJB)—emphasizes that Christ longs for His bride to choose Him through obedience and devotion. The imagery of Christ standing at the door, seeking fellowship—“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20, KJB)—further illustrates His desire for a mutual, loving relationship. Like a husband who loves sacrificially and hopes for his wife’s chosen love, Christ loves the church unconditionally and desires her to freely choose Him.

God’s Desire to Be Loved: Relational, Not Needy

Is it unreasonable to say that God desires to be loved, just as we do? The KJB suggests it is entirely reasonable, as this desire aligns with His relational nature and our creation in His image. God’s command to love Him (Deuteronomy 6:5; Mark 12:30, KJB) and His portrayal as a betrothed lover—“And I will betroth thee unto me for ever… and thou shalt know the Lord” (Hosea 2:19-20, KJB)—reveal His longing for intimate, faithful love. Even in the face of unfaithfulness, God’s love persists, as seen in His call to Israel: “Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel” (Hosea 3:1, KJB). This relentless love seeks a response, not out of divine need, but as part of God’s design for relationship.

God’s self-sufficiency ensures His desire is not one of lack: “Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25, KJB). Yet, His relational nature is evident in Jesus’ prayer: “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory” (John 17:24, KJB). This longing for communion reflects a divine desire for love, mirrored in our human yearning to be loved, which we inherit as image-bearers.

Conclusion: Love as a Divine Reflection

Our desire to give and receive love is a profound reflection of being created in the image of a God who is love (1 John 4:8, KJB). Just as husbands are commanded to love their wives sacrificially, desiring a freely chosen response of love (Ephesians 5:25, KJB), Christ loves His church and longs for her to choose Him in return (Revelation 19:7, KJB). Our human longing to be loved mirrors God’s desire for a reciprocal, loving relationship with His people, seen in His commands to love Him (Mark 12:30, KJB) and His portrayal as a bridegroom seeking His bride’s devotion (Hosea 2:19-20, KJB). This parallel affirms that our relational desires are not merely human but divine, rooted in the image of a God who loves and desires to be loved. As we live out love in marriage and faith in Christ, we reflect His nature, fulfilling the purpose for which we were created—to love and be loved in communion with Him.