How great the Fathers love; lavished!
There are some truly magnificent things that can happen in a person’s life. The foundations of true friendship as you meet people for the first time and you know that there will be a bond between you. I have friends like this that after years we can get together and take up where we left off. Another thing I think that is great is the earth, God’s creation; to look out on the expanse of the Pacific Ocean or across the McKenzie Country and just take in the magnificence, the vastness, the life and drama the reflected light and the knowledge of the danger that lurks below the surface or in a freezing south-westerly blizzard. The love of a wife or husband or parents for children that gives assurance and understanding, a union of understanding, the sort of love that gives more than it takes, that delights in the other persons company. Perhaps to follow the growth of a seed to maturity and the blooming, and development of more seed, of food and nourishment from a very small beginning.
These are things that I consider outstanding, splendid things, for some it may be a well written song, the sound of a valley of bellbirds as they welcome the sun into the day, for car enthusiasts it could be the sound of a finely tuned V8 purring onto a raceway after many hours in the workshop, while for others it may be the silence of a time alone - but together with God.
In Johns first letter, which incidentally we are doing a series on. This great apostle says this. 1 John 3:1-10.
So from that reading we see the role of The Father, of Jesus and The Holy Spirit, the three persons of The Trinity in our salvation the position the Father has put us in because of his great love. The interesting thing is that often it is thought that we are the instrument of our own salvation. When in fact it is God who made it possible, in doing so: As the Father
A)
1) He bestows his love upon us (3:1a). It was a choice of the Father to give us His love and the word that is used in the NIV translation is that His love was lavished on us, this means he bestowed in generous or extravagant quantities on us His love!
2) That we might be called His own children (3:1b-2a). John goes as far as to say, ”And that is what we are!” As you will know the doing of this was no mean feat for Jesus. There’s also a little pointer in verse one that the world has not got the gist of this, as it has not got God sussed. With being God’s children we have an inheritance, an eternal inheritance.
3) There is also a mystery about eternity, in that John says “what we will be has not been made known”. But now that we are His own Children one day we will be like God (3:2b–3). In this case I’m not talking about the long hair and the beard that is often portrayed as what Jesus looks like. And incidentally I still recon that what Jesus does look like will probably surprise many. I personally can’t see him being a blue eyed blond. Where I think John is going here is towards us being perfected in resurrection at the end of the age. God has lavished great love upon us though Jesus!
God as the Son, as Jesus:
B)
1) Died for our sins (3:4–5). Before coming to God through Jesus none of us was spotless. Jesus came so that we could have freedom from sin and the guilt that comes with that sin. Shame that comes from guilt is an insidious thing that drags a person down.
This about shame from the staff of Nicholls State University. “Shame is at the root of low self-esteem. People who feel shame feel bad about who they are. This differs from feelings of guilt, which are related to thoughts, feelings, and actions. Those who experience the pain of shame have negative erroneous beliefs about their inherent abilities and worth. Large doses of unhealthy guilt can cause one to feel shame and its negative effects.
Social abilities are impeded when one feels burdened by shame. A person may have a pattern of avoiding social interactions, which can lead to lack of development of social skills. They may avoid intimacy with others and have only superficial relationships, which deteriorate in times of stress. Isolation and loneliness are serious consequences of shame. Self-condemning attitudes and negative self-talk reinforce the shame and ultimately lead to self-loathing and self-sabotaging behaviour.” http://www.nicholls.edu/counseling/newsletters/effects-of-shame-unhealthy-relationships/. (Sited 02/10/2012
How great is the love of God for us that this is an issue that Jesus removed.
As we accept the love that the Father has given to us through Jesus we find Jesus takes the guilt of sin from us as well as the resulting shame. This is the love that the Father has lavished upon us allows us to be set free from our sin. This is something that happens in our mind and spirit, this is something that releases us in the physical and emotional Burdens are truly lifted.
2) Jesus destroyed the works of the Devil (3:8). So John points out in verse eight that the reason Jesus appeared was to destroy the work of the devil. I was interested in the passage from the university that I just read where they discuss how those “Those who experience the pain of shame have negative erroneous beliefs about their inherent abilities and worth”, about who they are. In the spiritual this is often reinforced by those powers and principalities that we are battling with. Even as believers we will be reminded in the spiritual by the devil of things we have been forgiven of by Jesus. These works of the devil have been destroyed by Jesus, we are wise to remind the devil of that, I find speaking it out is sufficient. The scriptures tell us "submit yourselves then to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)
I was recently able to listen to a representative of an organisation called INVADE talk of how he and others are working to free women and children from being trafficked in South East Asia. In his talk he discussed that originally he was concerned that he might be found out as an operative and harmed. He however realised that it was those who carried out this forced sexual exploitation and their clients that should be fearful of the light of God in the dark places these people inhabit.
Jesus has destroyed the work of the devil. This is a victory we should claim again and again as we encounter any dark thing in our lives.
I really like C S Lewis depiction of Jesus as Aslan the Lion in “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe”. When Susan asks the Beavers’ about Aslan, she asks if Aslan is a man, Mr. Beaver replies.
"Aslan a man!" said Mr. Beaver sternly. "Certainly not. I tell you, he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea...."
"Ooh!" said Susan, "I'd thought he was a man. Is he--quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."
"That you will, dearie, and no mistake," said Mrs. Beaver, "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly."
"Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy.
"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver. "Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."
The world has an understanding of Jesus victory even though it does not always accept it. Accepting the victory of and being subject to the victory of the King of Kings are two different things. Eventually everyone will accept and be subject to Jesus. Philippians 2:10; Tells us “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” At some stage every non-believer will bow their knee to Jesus.
Later in this letter John tells his readers that they will encounter spirits that are opposed to Jesus, but to remember; “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4).
The love of God through Jesus is victorious! We should live in that victory, with that knowledge, living victoriously. In addition we have God’s, Holy Spirit, this sometimes perceived as being the mysterious person of The Trinity. The Holy Spirit who has a very personal role in our lives.
C) The role of God the Holy Spirit (3:24b): Is that he now indwells us. Last week Jocelyn gave us a brilliant illustration of how this occurs using two containers and some water, that we are filled with the Spirit of God, and that the Spirit of God also surrounds us.
I have discussed a couple of times in this series how we have Jesus God the Son as our advocate with God the Father, who in turn and as a response to our desiring to know God and to be filled with God’s love, wisdom, gifts and fruit sends His Holy Spirit, God the Holy Spirit to be with us as our encourager, comforter, helper and friend.
So as believers we have a God who lavishes us with these things, things we could not possess in any great measure without his pouring them into our lives. So what is to be our response?
Well the first clue that John points out is this.
D)
1) No one who lives in God continues sinning. Well I know the Spirit of God, I know that he lives in me but occasionally I also know that I make mistakes. Though I can say that will his guidance these are getting fewer and further apart. There is something about living right with God that makes a person understand that they have messed up, they can then repent and again be in a right relationship with God.
I look at it this way; if your intention is to sin, you don’t really understand the value of the relationship that you have with God or could have with God. The love that he lavished on us, the love that continues to be as we live with Him directing our lives is worth more than anything that would and I’m talking about sinful actions here, anything that would get in the way of that incredible love. Because if you truly know that love…you don’t want anything in the way of it. Sin verses lavished love - no comparison.
John also tells his readers not to let anything lead them astray; that the person who intentionally sins is of the devil. But the one born of God does not sin and God’s seed remains in them. Now it is likely that we will occasionally sin, but to live a life characterised by sin is not a life lived with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. (Repeat sentence).
What is it that your life is characterised by?
John sums it up fairly well when he gives us the nod on what constitutes someone who is a child of God and compares that to a child of the devil. Now I’d just like to say here that this is not something that has to remain fixed for your whole life. If you are keen to give up a way of living that you know is a slap in the face of God it just takes repentance to accomplish this. This from Psalm 5:14 “Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.” Psalm 51 is a Psalm that David wrote in knowledge of being an adulterer and a murderer and it is all about coming back to God. This is a song about the actions of a man’s heart in returning to God, about life in again lived in The Spirit.
Doing the right thing and loving one another are both things that indicate love for God and the love of God that he has given to people to share with other people. The vision of; “Living for God, serving all people” becomes evident. Love that is given to others out of an understanding of the love God has lavished upon us. When we realise our place before God as loved, very well loved, immensely loved, incredibly loved, overwhelmingly loved, greatly loved. Loved so much that God lavished love upon us so that we might be called His children. When we realise that love, we can live in the freedom that this love of God brings.
So going forward; to those who are Sydenham Sallies, those who count themselves as members of this congregation – we had that news this week of Rochelle and I moving in the New Year. You are children of God in this place, he brought you here, he will take you on. I know that the officers replacing us have the Spirit of God with them for the advancement of God’s kingdom here. Show them how much love God has lavished upon you with the love you show them. Continue to show that love to one another, to this community of Christchurch to this broken city that needs the love of God for healing. This will not be the last time you hear this prior to our leaving. God brought you to this place to serve, serve well. Continue the work he has started in you.
To the congregation of the Samoan Assemblies Of God and to visitors from other congregations continue in your support of one another and your Pastor, the love that God has lavished upon you is evident, may you be blest as you share it.
To those who may only now be becoming aware of the love of God;to those who may be here for the first time whose lives may be characterised by something outside of God’s desire for you; his desire to lavish His love upon you so that you too may be called his child. There is a place here where you can publically declare your desire to live a life that is free to love and be loved, a life free from sin, a life of understanding and showing understanding the greatness of God’s love.
