Loving God
Many people claim to love God, but Jesus tells us how to know the we are loving
God, He said “he that has My commandments, and keeps (obey) them, he it is that
loves Me, and he that loves Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and
will manifest Myself to him” (John 14:21) and “if you keep My commandments, you
shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in
His love” (John 15:10)..
Jesus also tells us to love even our enemies (Matthew 5:43-45) “you have heard
that it has been said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say
to you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate
you, and pray for them, which despitefully use you, and persecute you. That, you
may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for He makes His sun to rise
on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust”. We
have to remember that God doesn’t want any to perish, but that all would come to
the knowledge of the truth.
Our heavenly Father says to Ezekiel “they come to you as the people come, and
they sit before you as My people, ad they hear your words, but they will not do them,
for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts goes after their
covetousness” (Ezekiel 33:31). God talking about Caleb and Joshua said that they
“wholly followed the Lord Yahweh”. Wholly means totally.
People who want to practice Christian love are to love God, and love others in the
same way that God does. When asked which is the great commandments? Jesus
said to him, you shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart, and with all your
soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the
second is like to it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two
commandments hang all the laws and the prophets” (Matthew 22:36-40).
Obedience to the law of love, will determine each person’s eternal destiny, in
Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus separates the sheep on His right hand, from the goats on
His left. The sheep He says come you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom,
prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave
Me meat, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger, and you took Me in.
Naked and you clothed Me, I was in prison and you came to Me. And the righteous
asked Him, when they had done these things to Him, and He answered them, saying
verily I say to you, inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these, My
brethren, you have done it to Me. Then He says to them on the left hand, depart
from Me you cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. For I
was hungry, and you gave Me no meat. I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink. I
was a stranger and you took Me not in, naked and you clothed Me not; sick and in
prison, and you visited Me not. Then they asked Him, Lord when saw we You
hungry, or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not care for
You? Then He answered them saying, verily I say to you, inasmuch as you did it not
to one of the least of these, you did it not to Me. And these shall go away into
everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal”. We are loving God as
we love others.
We received this commandment from Christ, “that he who loves God should love his
brother also”. If one closes his heart against his brother or sister, “how does God’s
love abide in him?”
I believe completely in grace, and I thank God that we are saved by grace through
faith and not of ourselves, but grace does not render the commandments of God
null and void (Matthew 5:17-18) says “think not that I am come to destroy the law, or
the prophets, I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily, I say to you, till
heaven and earth pass, one jot or one title shall in no wise pass from the law, till all
be fulfilled” We are set free from the curse of the law, take a look at Deuteronomy
chapter 28 which shows all the curses in verses 15-68.
Our love reflects the love first poured into our hearts (Romans 5:5) “the love of God
is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us”. And our love is
directed toward Jesus Christ. The only way we know about love at all is because
Christ laid down His life for us. Love should be the fundamental belief of all
Christians, because God is love. I John 4:7-11 says “beloved, let us love one
another; for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows
God, he that loves not knows not God, for God is love. In this was manifested the
love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world,
that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He
loved us, and sent His Son to be a propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved
us, we ought also to love one another”.
We know this by Jesus’ coming to earth and by His death on the cross. Because of
these things, we know the love of God. It follows that “he who is born of God knows
God, he who does not love does not know God. God abides in us and we are able
to have a close relationship with Him.
For Paul writes that love is “the law of Christ” (Galatians 5:14 and 6:1-2) “for all the
law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you which are spiritual restore such an
one in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself, less you also be tempted. Bear
you one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ”.
Paul also writes that the only thing that avails in Christianity is “faith working through
love”. You have to know that the devil comes against people to get them out of the
love walk. All Christians should desire, the more excellent way of love (I Corinthians
13:3), which says “though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have
not charity (love), I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though
I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge and
though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am
nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and tough I give my
body to be burned, and have not charity, it profits me nothing”.
He goes on to explain what charity (love) is in verses 4-7 “charity suffers long, and is
kind; charity envies not; charity vaunts not itself, is not puffed up. Does not behave
itself unseemly; seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil. Rejoices
not in iniquity, but rejoice in the truth. Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all
things endures all things”. He ends the chapter by comparing love with faith and
hope, the other enduring elements of Christianity and he says that love is the
greatest of all.
John in his writings, writes quite a lot about what our love of God involves. It
demands that we “do not love the world”, remember that the devil is the god of this
world. We are to keep His word and His commandments, and that we love our
Christian brothers and sisters. When John describes love in action, he recalls
Jesus’ words about “keeping commandments” (John 15:13); and laying down our life
in sacrifice. He also mentions how love notices a brother’s need and share what he
has to help anyone in need (I John 3:18) “but whoso has this world’s good, and sees
his brother have need, and shuts up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwells
the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue,
but in deed and in truth”.
As we consider and take an overview, God loves the whole world and everybody in
it. Jesus paid the price for the sins of the whole world. However many people have
not heard the good news. Our loving God will drive us to agree with Him, that none
should perish; and then do what ever we can do to speak to people, telling them the
good news. We are to love those that God loves.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: February 27, 2009
Many people claim to love God, but Jesus tells us how to know the we are loving
God, He said “he that has My commandments, and keeps (obey) them, he it is that
loves Me, and he that loves Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and
will manifest Myself to him” (John 14:21) and “if you keep My commandments, you
shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in
His love” (John 15:10)..
Jesus also tells us to love even our enemies (Matthew 5:43-45) “you have heard
that it has been said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say
to you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate
you, and pray for them, which despitefully use you, and persecute you. That, you
may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for He makes His sun to rise
on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust”. We
have to remember that God doesn’t want any to perish, but that all would come to
the knowledge of the truth.
Our heavenly Father says to Ezekiel “they come to you as the people come, and
they sit before you as My people, ad they hear your words, but they will not do them,
for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts goes after their
covetousness” (Ezekiel 33:31). God talking about Caleb and Joshua said that they
“wholly followed the Lord Yahweh”. Wholly means totally.
People who want to practice Christian love are to love God, and love others in the
same way that God does. When asked which is the great commandments? Jesus
said to him, you shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart, and with all your
soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the
second is like to it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two
commandments hang all the laws and the prophets” (Matthew 22:36-40).
Obedience to the law of love, will determine each person’s eternal destiny, in
Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus separates the sheep on His right hand, from the goats on
His left. The sheep He says come you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom,
prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave
Me meat, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger, and you took Me in.
Naked and you clothed Me, I was in prison and you came to Me. And the righteous
asked Him, when they had done these things to Him, and He answered them, saying
verily I say to you, inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these, My
brethren, you have done it to Me. Then He says to them on the left hand, depart
from Me you cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. For I
was hungry, and you gave Me no meat. I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink. I
was a stranger and you took Me not in, naked and you clothed Me not; sick and in
prison, and you visited Me not. Then they asked Him, Lord when saw we You
hungry, or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not care for
You? Then He answered them saying, verily I say to you, inasmuch as you did it not
to one of the least of these, you did it not to Me. And these shall go away into
everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal”. We are loving God as
we love others.
We received this commandment from Christ, “that he who loves God should love his
brother also”. If one closes his heart against his brother or sister, “how does God’s
love abide in him?”
I believe completely in grace, and I thank God that we are saved by grace through
faith and not of ourselves, but grace does not render the commandments of God
null and void (Matthew 5:17-18) says “think not that I am come to destroy the law, or
the prophets, I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily, I say to you, till
heaven and earth pass, one jot or one title shall in no wise pass from the law, till all
be fulfilled” We are set free from the curse of the law, take a look at Deuteronomy
chapter 28 which shows all the curses in verses 15-68.
Our love reflects the love first poured into our hearts (Romans 5:5) “the love of God
is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us”. And our love is
directed toward Jesus Christ. The only way we know about love at all is because
Christ laid down His life for us. Love should be the fundamental belief of all
Christians, because God is love. I John 4:7-11 says “beloved, let us love one
another; for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows
God, he that loves not knows not God, for God is love. In this was manifested the
love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world,
that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He
loved us, and sent His Son to be a propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved
us, we ought also to love one another”.
We know this by Jesus’ coming to earth and by His death on the cross. Because of
these things, we know the love of God. It follows that “he who is born of God knows
God, he who does not love does not know God. God abides in us and we are able
to have a close relationship with Him.
For Paul writes that love is “the law of Christ” (Galatians 5:14 and 6:1-2) “for all the
law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you which are spiritual restore such an
one in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself, less you also be tempted. Bear
you one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ”.
Paul also writes that the only thing that avails in Christianity is “faith working through
love”. You have to know that the devil comes against people to get them out of the
love walk. All Christians should desire, the more excellent way of love (I Corinthians
13:3), which says “though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have
not charity (love), I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though
I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge and
though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am
nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and tough I give my
body to be burned, and have not charity, it profits me nothing”.
He goes on to explain what charity (love) is in verses 4-7 “charity suffers long, and is
kind; charity envies not; charity vaunts not itself, is not puffed up. Does not behave
itself unseemly; seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil. Rejoices
not in iniquity, but rejoice in the truth. Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all
things endures all things”. He ends the chapter by comparing love with faith and
hope, the other enduring elements of Christianity and he says that love is the
greatest of all.
John in his writings, writes quite a lot about what our love of God involves. It
demands that we “do not love the world”, remember that the devil is the god of this
world. We are to keep His word and His commandments, and that we love our
Christian brothers and sisters. When John describes love in action, he recalls
Jesus’ words about “keeping commandments” (John 15:13); and laying down our life
in sacrifice. He also mentions how love notices a brother’s need and share what he
has to help anyone in need (I John 3:18) “but whoso has this world’s good, and sees
his brother have need, and shuts up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwells
the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue,
but in deed and in truth”.
As we consider and take an overview, God loves the whole world and everybody in
it. Jesus paid the price for the sins of the whole world. However many people have
not heard the good news. Our loving God will drive us to agree with Him, that none
should perish; and then do what ever we can do to speak to people, telling them the
good news. We are to love those that God loves.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: February 27, 2009
