10250 North Freeway @ West Road
Houston, Texas 77037
Tel: (281) 447-8484
10250 North Freeway @ West Road
Houston, Texas 77037
Tel: (281) 447-8484
What We Believe and Why - Vol. II
Written by Dr. Lester Hutson
Copyright - Lester Hutson -
1982
This material is copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced without the express
written permission of Dr. Lester Hutson.
Chapter Forty Six
Love in Action
Part III
"The Love of God"
I. GOD'S LOVE IS EVERLASTING.
A. According to Jeremiah 31:3, the Lord loved Israel with "everlasting love." You can count on God's love. It isn't fickle and subject to change as is man's. As John 3:16 clearly shows, too, God's love is not predicated on man's obedience or goodness. God so loved "the world," and that covers a multitude of hideous crimes of all sorts and degrees. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
B. Man's love is fickle and often temporary. Peter proved that as the last few chapters of John show. (Revelation 2:4; Hebrews 13:1) If man's love was eternal, as is God's, there'd be no need for such statements and exhortations as these. They are never found in reference to God. Man often loves only when loved, or when he gets his way, or when he's being treated nice.
C. It is a comforting thought to know that God's love is eternal and not just like man's. It makes lots of difference to know that God's love will always be there. It will, for God doesn't change. (Malachi 3:6) He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. (Hebrews 13:8) His love for us will be tomorrow exactly as it is today, despite our shortcomings.
D. This means that as believers we are secure. Romans 8:35 asks, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" Then the remaining part of the chapter, through verse 39, names any possible source, and then concludes that nothing can do it. Jesus makes that clear in John 8:39. We are not being kept by our own merits and power, (I Peter 1:5), but by the power of the ever-living God. since His love is eternal, then neither we nor all hell's devils can shake it.
II. GOD HAS A MAXIMUM LOVE.
A. Note from a previous lesson that love can vary in degree. Men's love, like a thermometer, often rises and falls, depending on our environment. (Matthew 24:12, Philippians 2:2)
B. Now if God is always the same, then His love is of necessity always the same. It doesn't vary in degree.
C. By his own proof God's is the greatest of loves.
1. He said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)
2. Yet as God He exerted a greater love in that He lay down His life for His enemies. "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." (Romans 5:6) John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world (which means "mankind") that he gave his only begotten son."
D. Thus the event of the cross was the maximum display of a maximum love. It was the greatest show of love the universe has ever seen.
1. It was the giving by God of His only Son for the ungodly. (Galatians 2:20)
2. In this He becomes the really "good shepherd." (John 10:11)
3. The cross was not a high point of God's love, for it has no highs and lows. It is always maximum. God has always loved the world just as greatly as He did at Calvary. Calvary simply happened to be the date He chose to manifest His love which had always been there.
III. GOD PUT HIS LOVE IN ACTION.
A. As the preceding thoughts about maximum love show, Calvary was a display of God's love. Note some of these passages.
1. In Titus 3:4-6, note that from verse 6 He "shed on us" the love as seen in verse 4. The love portion of this text will be more clearly seen by reading verses 4 and 6 in that order.
2. In I John 4:9, John , in reference to Christ's death, points out that in it was "manifested" the love of God.
3. Romans 5:8 points out that God "commendeth" His love toward us.
B. I John 3:16 makes this most clear. How can I know that God loves me? Since I am human I cannot see the heart of God, thus, the only way I can know is by what He tells me or shows me. He showed me in the death of His Son. That's how I know God loves.
C. God in His wisdom knew I couldn't know unless He did show me. Yet how many of us are so naive today as to ignore this practical lesson and pattern to follow the Lord, and think the world can know we love and care about God and each other without our ever doing anything to prove it. The least we can do is pattern after our God to the best of our ability, for we are to follow "in his steps." (I Peter 2:21) We could well start being a little more Christ-like by showing some of our love, if we have any.
IV. WHO ARE THE RECIPIENTS OF GOD'S LOVE?
A. From a general standpoint the creation as a whole is a recipient.
1. Everything and everyone benefits from God's love. They all owe life to God who in love created them. (John 1:3)
2. Life benefits from the blessings from God's love. The rain and sun are for all. (Matthew 5:45)
B. From the standpoint of salvation and all that goes with it, believers are the recipients of God's love.
1. We become sons of God by belief. (John 1:12)
2. We are now sons, and all is due to His love. (I John 3:1-2)
3. This makes us heirs of God. (Galatians 4:6-7)
4. Note well that it is only through belief in Christ that salvation comes. (Ephesians 1:13; Acts 16:31; John 3:16; John 14:6; Acts 4:12)
C. "Whosoever" can benefit from and have God's love in salvation.
1. Both John 3:16 and John 4:14 say "whosoever" can have it.
2. "Any man" can have it. (John 6:51)
3. Romans 3:22 points out the truth quite well. The "righteousness of God" or salvation is "unto all." Note well that to this point there are no conditions. The statement is unqualified with no strings attached. Of course, when it comes to being "upon all" this part is very much qualified. The qualifying words "all them that believe" are immediately added. Only believers have known in this capacity the love of God, but any unbeliever could know it.
D. Note that He saves us as individuals the moment we believe. (John 3:36) An individual's new birth, (John 3:3), makes us individually new creatures in Christ. (II Corinthians 5:17) This brings us to this conclusion. That is that the love of God for us is an individual rather than just as general basis. He knows what you think and do and are, and loves you as such, not just as a part of a group which He knows little or nothing about. To illustrate let me cite this example. As a Christian, I love the people of India. But it is on a general basis since I don't know personally so much as one person from that country. I just know of them. But I love my family and on a much different basis. I know personally my wife and children and love them, not just generally but individually. And this is how God loves each of us as individuals. He knows us personally and is concerned about our personal needs.
E. To receive the love of God in salvation costs us nothing.
1. We are saved by God's grace. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
2. We are not saved by our efforts. (Titus 3:5)
3. Justification is free. (Romans 3:24)
4. God's love is not for sale. You can't work to get it.
V. WHAT SHOULD BE OUR RESPONSE TO GOD'S LOVE?
A. As has already been pointed out, we should pattern after God's love. No doubt this is what Jude meant when he said, "Keep yourselves in the love of God." (Jude 21)
B. We should love each other and always exemplify as much love in our lives as possible. (John 13:34; Ephesians 5:1-2)
C. We should help each other, (Galatians 6:2), and in so putting our love in action, "His love is perfected in us." (I John 4:12)
"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"