Evans, Our God is Awesome: God's Love

Date

The Love of God

Thursday 10 March 2011

How would you define love?What, or who do you really love?Can you love a dog, a meal, an ice cream, a game, a dress...?


How would you define love?What, or who do you really love?Can you love a dog, a meal, an ice cream, a game, a dress...?


God is love. Evans defines the love of God as his joyful self determination to reflect the goodness of his will and glory by meeting the needs of mankindLove has to be rooted in God because God is love, without God love drifts into emotional sentimentalism or unfeeling duty


1. The joyful overflow of God’s will and glory

Eph 1:4-6We see God’s obsession with his glory revealed in his love.




1.a. Gods love and his glory




1.a. Gods love and his glory

...even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.


Verse 6 tells us that the working out of God’s will in love results in his glory - additionally shown in verses 12 & 14.

So to understand God’s love we must understand his purpose - and that is his passion to be glorified. Follow Evans’ thinking here:


Verse 6 tells us that the working out of God’s will in love results in his glory - additionally shown in verses 12 & 14.

So to understand God’s love we must understand his purpose - and that is his passion to be glorified. Follow Evans’ thinking here:

1. God has eternally been love - it didn’t start at creation.2. Therefore the only thing for God to love before creation was - himself! God is absorbed with his own glory.3. This would be a bad thing in sinful humans, but in God it is ok as he has perfect glory.4. God pursues his own glory because he could aspire to nothing better or greater than himself.


1.b. Gods love and you

What we say about God’s love for himself does not mean he is selfish in love - but the reason God can love you so much is that he loves himself so much.Because of God’s love for himself we get to enjoy all of his character attributes - in addition to his grace, power, purpose joy etc.


When you get the love of God you get love in a way you have never, nor could ever - have been loved beforeRom 11:36For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.God created the universe because the most loving thing he could do was to make something which reflected his glory - God loves us so much that he created us to bask in his glory.


2. God’s joyful love

When we talk of the love of God we are speaking of the joyful overflow or expression of his will and glory.So, for example, heaven enjoys the repentance of sinners - bringing people back to the will of God. God loves it and expresses love in it.


3. God’s love manifest

God’s love finds its fullest manifestation in the loving provision of salvation through Jesus Christ - you want to know love look at Jesus.Romans 5:1-5, 8


3. God’s love manifest

God’s love finds its fullest manifestation in the loving provision of salvation through Jesus Christ - you want to know love look at Jesus.Romans 5:1-5, 8

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.


True love is expressed - not just said.Consider creation - consider salvation.Invisible love is no love at all - people should not have to read your mind to know that they are loved, love produces constant action.Supremely in John 3:16

3.a. Visibly Expressed


True love pays a price - look at Jn 3:16What is the price tag of your love for the people you say you love? Do you sacrifice for the ones you say you love?Christ’s sacrifice is crucial to understanding God’s love for us:The Holy Christ lived a sinless life in a sin filled world for 33 years before the cross

3.b. Always Sacrificial


When falsely accused Jesus was beaten mercilessly with a whip embedded with glass and stone - it tore his flesh out of his back - he then carried the cross on his back.He was nailed to the cross through his wrists - palms would not bear the weight.His feet were placed over each other and spiked through - then he was dropped with a thud into the ground.He refused the gall and wine - no pain relief.


When falsely accused Jesus was beaten mercilessly with a whip embedded with glass and stone - it tore his flesh out of his back - he then carried the cross on his back.He was nailed to the cross through his wrists - palms would not bear the weight.His feet were placed over each other and spiked through - then he was dropped with a thud into the ground.He refused the gall and wine - no pain relief.


True love is not looking for self interest but for that of others - 1 Cor 13:5It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.What is the focus of your love? (even if we know we might benefit in some way) Rom 5:9 -Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!

3.c. Always Beneficial


Rom 5:8 tells us we were sinner before God - it was not our worth that made Jesus go to the cross. We did not deserve love but God gave it freely to us - we were unlovely!In Dt 7:7-8 God tells of his choosing to love Israel - true love is based on a decision to give it.

3.d. Unconditional


God’s love is not weak and accepting of all that people do - it is not true that “Love means never having to say you’re sorry” - that is really bad theology.1 Cor 13:6 -Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.Heb 12:6 -the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.

3.e. Judicial


God’s love is not weak and accepting of all that people do - it is not true that “Love means never having to say you’re sorry” - that is really bad theology.1 Cor 13:6 -Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.Heb 12:6 -the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.

3.e. Judicial

Love does not mean ignoring wrong - for God he does not put up with it, he corrects us.In act if you are not disciplined you have to ask if you are a child of God!


True love has powerful feelings.Php 1:8 - I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.Heb 12:2 - for the joy set before him

3.f. Emotional


4. God’s love and our welfare

God’s love reflects his determination to see the welfare (health, happiness, fortunes) his children.Rom 8:31-32


God’s love is comprehensive, every moment of every day, every situation - nothing is missed by God.Romans 8:32ff does not declare that we will not face trials etc. - but that in Christ there is always a way through because we belong to him.

4.a. Nothing overlooked


Why is it we don’t always feel the love of God in the way Rom 8 suggests we should do?Evans suggests that often we do not live passionately for God’s glory in every area of our life - and so don’t close the loop of the glory and love of God.E.g. Ps 37:4, 2 Cor 8:2, Php 4:4When we live for God’s glory we become far more aware of his love

4.b. Closing the Loop


If you live for yourself and not for the glory of God you will not know God’s joy in your life.Every area of your life has to be lived for the glory of God - work, family, marriage, leisure etc.

4.c. God’s joy


In every situation you face you are loved by God.Rom 5:1-5, 1 Jn 4:18Things that are a cause for concern should not overwhelm us because of the love God has for us

4.d. Consumed with his love


5. God’s love is the measure

How do we know what love is - by measuring it against God’s love1 Jn 4:7,8 - Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.Look at yourself - what are you like - do you know God?


You might claim you cannot love someone - and you are right! We only love with God’s love which radiates out from us.1 Jn 4:19-20We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

5.a. Loving others


5.b. Getting in the game

Too many Christians watch others waiting to be loved by someone.We are meant to be active in participating in, and giving out, the Love of God.


1. Think about how you have shown love to people in the last few days. Is it hard to remember?!2. How have you treated the unlovely - is it time to change what you do for them?3. Thank God for the assurance of his continual steadfast love.4. Thank God for his hand upon you now - whether it is light or firm.

Responding to the love of God


Spiritual

Evans, Our God is Awesome: God's Love