How Has God Loved You? Series

Introduction:

"The love which brought the Son of God's love from heaven to earth, from earth to the cross, from the cross to the grave, from the grave to glory - that love which was weary, hungry, tempted, scorned, scourged, buffeted, spat upon, crucified, pierced - which fasted, prayed, taught, healed, wept, sweated, bled, died, that love will eternally embrace you."

Richard Baxter 1600 English Puritan church leader, poet, hymn-writer, theologian

Why did God give us this passage?

He is addressing a wrong perception of Israel’s position before God… that of which not being loved.

What is God doing in this passage?

He is helping you understand your actual position before God so that your spirit (mood) will be corrected and empowered to love Him.

Why is this important to me?

Satan wants to rob you (Christian) of a right relationship with God, the joy of the Lord and the ability to glorify Him by causing you ( Christian) to doubt God’s love.

How has God loved you?

I. He elected you into His family! v. 2

A. Consider the position of your election: exceptional (Ro 9:7-14)

1. God draws people to Himself.

Joh 6:44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.

2. God’s love is everlasting.

Context: Restoration of Israel (600 B.C) Captivity 721 B.C.

Jer 31:3 The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.

3. God delights in you (2:17).

B. Consider the grace of your election: unmerited (Ro 9:15-18)

1. God grants mercy to those He chooses.

2Ti 1:9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,

2. God grants grace to you.

C. Consider the privileges of your election: spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:3-13).

1. Esau was father to a great nation and land.

2. Jacob was in the line of Abrahamic Covenant

II. He keeps you from being consumed! vv. 3-5

A. Esau heritage was consumed (3-4).

1. He was a fleshly man.

2. His heart and motives were perpetually set on the goals and rewards of this world.

3. His descendants opposed God’s people (Ge. 36).

4. His heritage was/is final.

B. Jacob’s heritage continues (5).

Gen 28:3 (1760 B.C.) "May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples.

Mic 5:4 (710 B.C.) … And they will remain, Because at that time He will be great To the ends of the earth.

1. He was in the line of the Abrahamic Covenant

2. Every Gentile child of God is engrafted into this same position at the moment of salvation.

Conclusion:

Praise the Lord for the Gospel!

What a privilege and blessing to be “in Christ”!

C.S. Lewis at a comparative religions conference…

States that Christianity uniquely claims God’s love comes free of charge, no strings attached. No other religion makes that claim.

Buddhists, eight-fold path to enlightenment. It’s not a free ride.

Hindus believe in karma, that your actions continually affect the way the world will treat you; that there is nothing that comes to you not set in motion by your actions.

Jewish code of the law implies God has requirements for people to be acceptable to him…

Islam God is a God of Judgment not a God of love. You live to appease him.

Only Christianity dares to proclaim God’s love is unconditional. An unconditional love that we call grace.