I John 4:7-10, 16
God is love. His love is beyond measure. His love is eternal. He loves all people. He is against sin, but loves the sinner. He loved us before we even loved Him. He sent His Son to die upon the cross for His enemies. Man makes many changes, but God's love never changes. Let's look at three phases of His love:
I. DIVINE LOVE
A. His Personality -". . . for God is love . . . - I John 4:7b. His love reaches to all people of all classes.
1. The high class - John 3:1-16. Nicodemus was a rich man.
2. - The outcast - Mark 1:41. Jesus touches and heals a leper.
3. - The low class - John 8:3-11. Time for the lowest of sinners - note: "Go and sin no more."
B. His Purpose - 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. It is His desire that all accept Him and His way of salvation. He doesn't want to see any lost.
C. His Patience - Romans 5:8. He died for us while we were yet sinners. He loved us and died to save us. How many of us would die for an enemy?
II. DEDICATED LOVE
A. To the Salvation of Man. "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ Ephesians 2:4-5. Man being lost is not God's fault, since He loves all!
B. To the Soul of Man - Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee... Here the Prophet says that God has loved man with an everlasting love. Though men may reject God, still He loves them. God loved the soul of man and sent Jesus into the world to save man's soul.
C. To the Security of Man - Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. This peace God gives us as a result of God's love to man.
III. DYING LOVE
A. Enduring Love - John 3:16. The greatest of all verses of the Bible.
1. Loving - "For God so loved the world." The word "world" here means all mankind.
2. Giving - "That he gave his only begotten Son." God's Son, who was with Him in heaven, came into a sinful world to suffer and die! Real love always gives!
3. Saving - "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. “all we must do is BELIEVE!
B. Eternal Love - John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Note the steps:
(1) Hearing His Word, (2) Believing on God who sent Him, and (3) Should not be judged, but have eternal life.
C. Enjoyable Love - John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends. Because He laid down His life, we may have life, an enjoyable life. Notice the words of John, "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren" - I John 3:16. The answer to the world's problems is for us as Christians to love God - Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind..
Then we will have a love for:
1. The church - Psalms 122:1 I was glad when they said unto me,
Let us go into the house of the LORD.. Church will be enjoyable
for us.
2. The Bible - Psalms 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart,
that I might not sin against thee.. We will long to hide it in
our hearts.
3. Prayer - 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing. We will
love to pray -
4. Others - Matthew 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou
shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.. God first, neighbor as self.