Audio - The Love of God

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The First Sunday After Trinity
May 25, 2008
The Love of God

Knowing God through Love
 
One of the greatest verses in Scripture is in this reading—God is Love!—the Apostle John wrote
 
TEXT:  NKJ 1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
 
From verse 7—“everyone who loves is born of God and knows God”—consider Nicodemus’ lesson from last week—Jesus told Nicodemus “you must be born again to know the Kingdom of God
 
NKJ John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" 5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
 
The Apostle John is teaching that every Christian is born again into the love of God—each of us is baptized with the water and the Word—and through baptism we receive the Holy Spirit—just as Jesus did at His baptism—and it is through the gift of the Holy Spirit that we know God and the things of God—and we are filled with the love of God
 
NKJ Matthew 3:16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
 
But the Spirit of God does not sit upon us as the dove sat upon Jesus—the Spirit dwells within us because we each become a temple of God
 
NKJ 1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
 
We know we are filled with the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit reveals Himself to us
 
NKJ 1 Corinthians 12:3 …no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
 
We are filled with the Holy Spirit—and the Holy Spirit is God—therefore we are filled with the love of God—and from us come the fruits of the Spirit—we perform acts of love because we are filled with love—and that is how we love our neighbor—but the love of God within us—around us—and that love is revealed when we understand the true love of God—that He gave His only Son to be the Sacrifice for our sins
 
NKJ John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
 
Seeing God through Love
 
TEXT:  NKJ 1 John 4:12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
 
Let Scripture answer Scripture
 
“No one has seen God at any time”…
 
NKJ John 1:18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
 
NKJ 1 Timothy 6:16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.
 
NKJ 1 Timothy 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
 
NKJ Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
 
“If we love one another, God abides in us”…
 
NKJ John 14:20 "At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."
 
NKJ 1 John 3:24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
 
If we believe Jesus is the Son of God—sent by God the Father to be the Sacrifice for our sins—and the Holy Spirit abides in us—and we therefore have the genuine and sincere love of God within us—then we live in His love and we love with His love—we walk within His sphere of love to accomplish the things for which He sent us
 
The Perfect Love of God Comforts Us
TEXT:  NKJ 1 John 4:17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us. 20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
 
Anyone who abides in the love of God will not be ashamed when Jesus returns in judgment—we have nothing to fear on judgment day—we will be going home where we belong
 
NKJ Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
 
Referring back to verse 8, God is love—there is no love outside of God—if you have love, then you also have God—if God is in you—then love is in you—John suggests a test of our love—if we hate our brother, we cannot love God—for God the Son says love your neighbor as yourself—consider the exchange between Jesus and the young lawyer trying to trick Him by asking which is the greatest commandment
 
NKJ Matthew 22:37 Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 "This is the first and great commandment. 39 "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
 
Obedience by Faith
 
NKJ 1 John 5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
 
John was writing his letter to the Church to give his witness of the things of Christ—John was an apostle—an eyewitness to the ministry and events of Jesus the Christ—he could see the Gnostic movement beginning to form—men who were teaching that Jesus was not a man at all—that He did not suffer and die—but came as a spirit—went into the body of a man—and departed when the body was hung on the cross—John wrote his letters to the Church to set the story straight
 
Jesus’ victory is our victory—Jesus came as a baby delivered by a virgin—and was raised as a humble man until His ministry began—He was a carpenter’s son—just as the Scriptures foretold—and just as the prophecy was fulfilled—the residents of His hometown, Nazareth, were skeptical and rejected Him—but Jesus was, and is the Son of God—and He continued His ministry throughout the area of Galilee
 
NKJ Mark 6:1 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. 2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! 3 "Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" And they were offended at Him. 4 But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house." 5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.
 
It’s the message—not the messenger that is important—what a lesson our Lord gives
 
ALL GLORY BE TO GOD!