Characteristics Of God's Love

CHRISTMAS THOUGHTS : CHARACTERISTICS OF GOD’S LOVE

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OUTLINE

1.PROVEN LOVE

2.PURE LOVE

3.PERFECT LOVE

4.POWERFUL LOVE

5.PROTECTIVE LOVE

6.PATIENT LOVE

7.PROVIDING LOVE

THE MESSAGE

CHRISTMAS THOUGHTS : CHARACTERISTICS OF GOD’S LOVE

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1.PROVEN LOVE

The love of God is a proven love.It is not merely deceiving words but proved by the the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross.We can be certain that God loves us when we see how He sent His only Son to die for us.Let us also prove our love for Christ.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

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John 3:16-17

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

I John 4:9

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

Romans 5:7-8

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Proverbs 27:5

Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

Matthew 10:32-33

"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.

But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.

2.PURE LOVE

The Love of God is a pure love. It has no ulterior motives.The Lord has shown His pure love to us by making us His children and joint-heirs with Christ. The world is filled with love with hidden motives. But the love of God is pure and unselfish. He loves us in order to bless us and to do good to us. God wants us to have the same pure love towards Him as well as towards others.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

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1 John 3:1

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Romans 8:16-17

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Ephesians 3:19

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,

may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,

and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Matthew 22:37-40

Jesus replied: " ’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

This is the first and greatest commandment.

And the second is like it: ’Love your neighbor as yourself.’

All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

II Corinthians 6:6

in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;

II Corinthians 8:8

I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.

Romans 12:9

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

I Peter 1:22

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.

3.PERFECT LOVE

The Love of God is a perfect love. It is not like the imperfect human love. It would be vain to search for perfect love in any human relationship.There would always be flaws and disappointments in human love. The only place to find perfect love is in the Love of God.It is only in God’s love that the perfections of Love can be experienced.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

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I John 2:5

But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:

I John 4:12

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

I John 4:8

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 John 4:18

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.