Our Loving God
I know I got a lot of mileage last week out of turning 40 but I thought I’d begin this morning with a story about what happened when a young couple invited their aging pastor over for Sunday dinner. While the parents were in the kitchen preparing the meal, the minister asked their son what they were having for dinner.
The little boy replied, “Goat.” The pastor was surprised and said, “Goat? Are you sure about that?” To which the boy responded, “Yep, I heard my dad tell my mom that we might as well have the old goat for dinner today as any other day.”
This morning we come to the conclusion of our 12 part series that we’ve called, “Getting to Know God.” While we certainly haven’t exhausted the depths of who God is, I trust that you’ve gotten to know Him better during these last 3 months. To know God is the highest aim of our Christian life and should be a life-long pursuit. Hopefully this series has primed the pump for you so that you will continue in your knowledge and service of God for the rest of your life.
I purposely decided to preach on the topic of God’s love at the end of this series because love is an essential attribute of God, the capstone of His personality. Having said that, I feel overwhelmed and challenged by the task of trying to put into words this incredible doctrine.
A.W. Tozer, who forgot more about God than I will ever know, struggled to explain God’s love as well: “I can no more do justice to this awesome and wonder-filled topic than a child can grasp a star. Still, by reaching toward the star the child may call attention to it and even indicate the direction one must look to see it. And so, I stretch my heart toward the high, shining love of God so that we may be encouraged to look up and have hope.”
As we look up this morning, we learn that love is the supreme expression of God’s personhood and flows out of His goodness. It affects all His other attributes.
When you think about it, God’s love is the only reason we exist. His power is the how of creation and His love is the why. Love demands an object you and I are that focus of God’s affection. Love flows from Him as a pure river of grace and mercy without detracting in any way from His holiness and righteousness. As we understand and experience His love, we find that this attribute is a doorway to knowing God intimately.
Summary of Series
Each of the topics we’ve discussed in this series are fully expressed by God’s love:
- Our Loving God of the Second Chance because He is our loving God, He promises us a fresh start whenever we need one.
- Our Loving Knowable God His love reaches down to us so that we can actually get to know Him He initiates the process.
- Our Loving Holy God His holiness is linked to His love so that we can be overwhelmed by His majesty, drawn to His mercy, and motivated to be involved in His mission.
- Our Loving Creator God We see God’s creative beauty all around us and recognize His unique loving care for the preborn.
- Our Loving Omnipresent God We can count on God’s love to be with us no matter where we are because God is everywhere present at the same time.
- Our Loving Omniscient God God knows all things and knows everything about us and is still totally and unconditionally committed to us.
- Our Loving Omnipotent God God’s absolute power is unleashed and motivated by His love on our behalf.
- Our Loving Faithful God God’s faithfulness is linked to His love so that we can always count on Him to be there for us.
- Our Loving Just God God’s justice and God’s love are fully expressed by the sacrificial death of Christ.
- Our Loving Sovereign God God’s control over all things is motivated by His love for us so that we can lovingly submit to His lordship in our lives.
- Our Loving Unchanging God Because God does not change in His love for us, we can be changed from the inside out.
By the way, in order to help you remember this series and to grow deeper in your knowledge and understanding of God, we’ve included a small card in your bulletin this morning. Please take this out and put it in your wallet or your Bible.
Scriptural Survey
In the New Testament, there are three primary words for love:
- Eros romantic love
- Phileo brotherly love
- Agape unconditional love
Our culture today is primarily focused on romantic or brotherly love but God’s love is agape, the purest, deepest and most unconditional kind of love. If you were to do a search for the word “love” in the Bible, you would come up with over 550 references. Here are just a few of the verses:
Zephaniah 3:17: “The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
Psalm 36:7: “How priceless is your unfailing love!”
Isaiah 38:17: “Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.”
1 John 3:1: “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God! And that is what we are!”
Psalm 63:3: “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.”
John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Sense and Nonsense
Without a doubt, there is no attribute of God that is so widely believed as the love of God. At the same time, there is no attribute of God that has been so badly misunderstood as God’s love. Here’s a very common but wrong take on God’s love:
God’s love means that everyone will go to heaven. Many non-Christians have the idea that when they get to the gates of heaven, God will smile and say, “Oh, you’ve been a pretty good person, come on in.” This is the heresy of universalism while this sounds attractive, it’s completely at odds with what the Bible teaches. Only those who put their complete faith and trust in Christ will be saved.
What Love Is
So what is the love of God? How do we define it? Human love is generally a response to the conditions and circumstances around us. We love because someone pleases us or because they’re good looking or because they make us laugh. By contrast, God loves us because that’s the kind of God He is. Period. Nothing in us causes Him to love us. Matthew Henry has said that, “The great God not only loves His saints, but He loves to love them.”
One of the clearest passages in the New Testament on God’s love is Romans 5:6-8. If you have your Bible please turn there.
In these three verses, Paul focuses on the death of Christ as the supreme manifestation of God’s love: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 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 were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8)
Let’s break down this passage by looking at 4 truths about who we are:
1. Verse 6 says that we were “powerless.” To be “powerless” means that we can’t change our basic nature on our own. This word in the New Testament is usually applied to the sick and feeble, to those who have been wiped out by some kind of disease. It’s also used in the moral sense to denote an inability with regard to any undertaking or duty. Specifically it means that we have no power to come up with a plan of justification on our own left to ourselves, none of us is able to do even one small thing to please God or achieve salvation.
2. The phrase “ungodly” in verse 6 means that we had no desire to change in the first place. We are not only helpless, but also vile and obnoxious. The word “ungodly” indicates that we were both irreverent and impious, and have deliberately withheld from God what is rightfully His.
3. The third truth is seen in verse 8 we are “sinners,” meaning that we were desperately in need of a change that we couldn’t make and didn’t want to make. We were neither righteous nor good when Christ died for us. We had totally missed the mark.
4. The fourth phrase is even stronger and is found in verse 10: we were “enemies” of God. Because of our powerlessness, our ungodliness, and our sinning ways, we were considered to be enemies of God not a very popular teaching, especially when we’re focusing on God’s love this morning. Ephesians 2:3 adds that we were by “nature objects of God’s wrath.” The truth of the matter is that we have rebelled willfully against God’s commands, broken His moral law, and acted in total defiance of His known will for us.
You may wonder why I’ve hit on our condition so hard this morning. Let me tell you why:
- That’s what the Bible teaches
- It helps us see the depth of God’s love
- It helps us see that we don’t have any claim on His love we don’t deserve it. God’s love is not dependent on anything in you because there is nothing in you that forces God to love you.
There is no reason for God to love us. You are not a naturally lovable person and neither am I. Sin has infected our lives so much that it has distorted even the parts we think are beautiful. Sin “uglyfies” everything it touches.
And so, there is no reason for God to love us, except this: That’s the kind of God He is. He loves us because God is love and He can’t help loving us even when we are His enemies. His love is greater than our sin and He loves us in spite of our sin.
If you find all this discouraging, remember this: If God loved you only when you were lovable, then when you stopped being lovable, then God would have to stop loving you! It’s better to admit the truth, isn’t it? God loves us in spite of our unloveliness. We can count on His love because it doesn’t depend on anything we say or do.
God’s Unconditional Love
Now that we’ve established the truth about who we are, let’s look at God’s incredible solution to our impossible problem. Romans 5:7-8 reveals the unconditional nature of God’s love.
1. He Went Far Beyond What We Would Do. Take a look at verse 7: “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.” As I’ve thought about this passage, I’ve wondered how many people I would be willing to die for. It’s actually just a handful. Each of us is probably willing to die for a couple people, but certainly not for a bunch of people, especially those we don’t know.
This verse is telling us that God’s love is not like that. You’ve heard of examples of someone covering up a grenade in order to save a few other people, but God’s love is much greater. God went far beyond what we would do. We would never think of doing what He did.
2. He Did What We Would Never Do. “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (verse 8). The emphasis in this verse is on the fact that we were still sinners when Christ died for us. The wonder is not that Christ should die for us but that He should do so while we were powerless, while were ungodly, while we were rebellious sinners, and while we were enemies of God! He didn’t die for his friends. He died for his enemies. He died for those who crucified Him.
Friends, any time we are tempted to doubt God’s love for us, we need to go back to the Cross that’s one reason our next sermon series is called, “Walking to the Cross.” If you don’t really believe that God loves you, think about this: If God loved me enough to give His Son to die for me when I was His enemy, surely He loves me enough to care for me now that I am His child. Having given such a priceless gift as His Son, He will most definitely give all else that is consistent with His glory and my good.
Look at it this way. “Lord, how much do you love me?” “This much,” he said. Then He stretched out His arms, bowed His head, and died.
Our Response to God’s Love
Biblical love always leads to action. Love is always incomplete alone it requires some kind of movement. It’s impossible to just say you love someone without demonstrating that love in tangible ways. God loves you so much that He was moved to action He did something on your behalf. Remember John 3:16 -- “God so loved the world that He gave …” What are we to do in response to His initiative?
1. Love Him Wholeheartedly. Matthew 22:37-38 raises the bar for us. If we say we love God, we need to demonstrate it with everything we’ve got: “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.” The Bible makes it clear if we say we love Him, then we better put Him first by obeying Him.
2. Love Others. 1 John 4:11: “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” Our love for God should lead us to love others who have been created in His image and who are the objects of His affection. This involves serving those we claim to love. Husbands, are you serving your wives and loving them as much as Christ loves the church? Wives, are you looking for ways to put your husbands first? Do you love your kids unconditionally regardless of how they behave? Teenagers, do you love and honor your parents? Do you love your co-workers and neighbors like Christ does?
3. Love Ourselves. Matthew 22:39: “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” God loves you and accepts you as you are there is no reason to dislike yourself when your Creator has demonstrated unconditional love for you. You are complete and have tremendous value and breath-taking dignity as a child of God. You really do matter to the Almighty!
Friends, on the authority of the Bible, you need to know that God loves you! God loves you! God loves you! Or in the words of Bill Hybels, “You matter to God more than you will ever know.” Or, in my own words: “He’s crazy about you even if you’re an old goat!”
4. Love our Enemies. Matthew 5:44: “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” I read this week about a Baptist pastor who was a friend of George Washington and lived in a small Pennsylvania town during the American Revolution. In that same town there was also a man who constantly opposed and humiliated the pastor. His name was Michael Wittman, and he was an evil kind of guy. One day Michael Wittman was arrested for treason and sentenced to die in Philadelphia. When the pastor heard about it, he traveled 70 miles on foot to plead for the life of the traitor.
The minister went up to George Washington and asked that Mr. Wittman be set free. Washington said, “No, Peter, I cannot grant you the life of your friend.” The preacher shouted out, “My friend! He’s the worst enemy I have.” Washington was flabbergasted and said, “What? You walked 70 miles to save the life of an enemy? That puts the matter in a different light. I’ll grant your pardon.”
The pastor took Michael Wittman back home that day no longer an enemy but as a friend. What about you this morning? Is there anyone that comes to your mind who is difficult for you to love? Anyone in the church you have a conflict with? Anyone in your job or at school that you would consider to be an enemy? The Bible is clear you are called to unconditional love. Just as Christ loved us when were at war with Him, so too we are to love our enemies.
5. Love Compels us to Tell Others. 2 Corinthians 5:14 and verse 20: “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died…we are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” Because we have been the recipients of His incredible love, we are called to be ambassadors of that love and share it with others.
That’s why we partner with missionaries who take the gospel around the world and why we’re setting aside next weekend to celebrate God’s work and encourage those who have been sent out from us. I hope you’re planning to take every advantage of what will be offered during the conference. That’s also why we’re always looking for creative ways to tell our community about Christ one way that we’re thinking about getting involved is by doing what we can as a church to get the Jesus video in every home in Pontiac this June.
Have you been so moved by God’s love for you that you can’t help but tell others about Jesus? If not, don’t just try to fire yourself up to do more evangelism. Instead, look for ways to fall more deeply in love with our loving God. When you do, you will want to tell others and you will tell others. Remember, as Joe Aldrich says, “Evangelism is what spills over when we bump into someone.” Allow God’s love to fill you up then spend time with lost people, and watch His love spill over into their lives!
6. Love calls people to salvation. In the passage from Romans 5 that we looked at earlier, the word “for” is used 4 different times. The meaning is so broad that no one English word can convey what it really means. Here’s how it should be translated, “for the benefit of” or “on behalf of” or “instead of.” When the Bible says that Jesus died for you, it means that He died on your behalf, in your place, so that you can enjoy all the benefits of His work.
Let me paraphrase Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died instead of us for our benefit, and on our behalf.”
Bruce Davis, a follower of Charles Manson, and dubbed Manson’s “right-hand man” has been behind bars for 3 decades for his part in the murders of several people. While in prison, Davis came to the point where he recognized his need for forgiveness. For many years, however, he held out fully surrendering to Christ. Here’s what he said in a recent interview: “I wanted to reject God’s moral demands, especially that His [love] required my submission to the Lord Jesus Christ.”
He finally came to the point of surrender and said this to God: “Okay, God, you say you love me and we both know that I don’t love you. You say you want to help me, but I don’t believe it. I’ve never done anything for you. But if you still love me, and still want to help me, then do whatever you can.”
Bruce Davis was saved at the age of 32 because God’s love broke through his hard heart.
How about you? Do you have a hard heart this morning? As we wrap up this series on the attributes of God, in reality the first step in getting to know God is to respond to Him in salvation. You won’t know Him until you’ve received the free gift of Jesus Christ. There’s no way you can earn God’s love because it’s not for sale nothing we do can make God love us any more than He already does and there is nothing we can do to make Him love us any less.
I want to close this morning by reading a very moving passage of Scripture in the Message translation. I’d like you to just close you eyes and drink deeply from the truth of Romans 8:31-39:
“So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing Himself to the worst by sending His own Son, is there anything else He wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The one who died for us who was raised to life for us! Is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture…none of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.” Amen.
