GOD’S LOVE
JOHN 15:9-16
Introduction:
Here the Lord discusses the greatest need among His people – to love one another. That love is based on His love for us. He gives us an example by showing us His love for His Son, Jesus Christ.
We see God’s love in His sending “His only begotten Son” to die for us. Here we will look more closely at His love and how it should be manifested in us as His children.
I. “GOD IS LOVE”
1 John 4:8, “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”
A. “The Father LOVES the Son,” John 5:20, “For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.”
B. “God so LOVED the world,” John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
1. We who believe are called to live in a fellowship of Love with God AND our fellow-believers, John 13:34, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”
2. And our fellow-men, 1 Thessalonians 3:12, “And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:”
3. This IS NOT following a NATURAL inclination, Romans 5:5, “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
4. But it expresses our NEW NATURE in FELLOWSHIP with our Lord as we walk in the Spirit, Galatians 5:13, 22, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,”
II. WALK IN LOVE,
Ephesians 5:2, “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.”
A. It is the BOND (that which binds together) of PERFECTION (moral and spiritual), Colossians 3:14, “And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.”
B. We are TAUGHT of God to love one another, 1 Thessalonians 4:9, “But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.”
III. TO HAVE LOVE IS TO ACT LOVINGLY
A. As God does towards His ENEMIES, Romans 5:6-8, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
B. “As I have love you,” John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
C. Loving one another fulfills the Law, Romans 13:8, “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” See 1 John 4:7-21.
D. Such Love is a RESPONSE to God’s Love for us, John 14:15, 21, “If ye love me, keep my commandments. 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”
E. It is our DELIBERATE CHOICE to share our life with Him IN OBEDIENCE, John 14:23, Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”
1. This is good evidence of salvation, 1 John 2:5, “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”
2. His commandments are not GRIEVOUS or BURDENSOME, John 5:2-3, “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 grievous.”
a. An obedient believer will seek the welfare of all, LOVEABLE or NOT, as found in Romans 15:1-7:
b. He seeks NOT to please himself, v. 1, “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”
c. But to please his NEIGHBOR, v. 2, “Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
d. Christ pleased not himself, v. 3, For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.
e. The Lord has INSTRUCTED us in His Word, vs. 4-7,For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.”
CONCLUSION:
The actions listed are good in themselves but Paul reminds us that without love they are useless. Using them in Love gives value to gifts, devotion, and sacrifice. They see themselves as spiritual in things they are proud of.