So, What Kind Of Love Is That?

“So, What Kind Of Love Is That?”

Romans 5:1-11

David P. Nolte

What the world needs now is love -- not giddy, heart-throbbing, feels-like-a-belly-full-of-cold spaghetti puppy love; not lustful, stolen-bread-is-sweeter love (though that doesn’t discount the genuine love between a man and a woman); not greed driven desire-for-the-world's-goodies love. There is too much of that now. John said, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” 1 John 2:15-16 (NASB).

What the world needs now is love -- God's love. Love that sent His Son to die for us. Love that surpasses human comprehension. Love that reaches the worst of us. Love described by the song as "His Kind Of Love!"

In the text Paul show us how great that love is and how it works in our lives. "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation." Romans 5:1-11 (NASB).

What is His kind of Love and how does it work?

I. IT IS AN EMBRACING LOVE:

A. Let’s search the text to see how wide and long and deep and high His love is: Paul wrote that His love embraced:

1. The weak and helpless. We couldn’t save ourselves if we had a millennium to try. He embraces the weak.

2. The ungodly. Those who turn from God to idols and the world’s lusts and desires. He embraces all who turn from idols to God.

3. The sinners. That’s all of us. We have all spurned His way to go off on our own ways. He embraces all who repent of sin.

4. His enemies. Those who were estranged, alienated and broken away from Him. Even these He wants to embrace!

B. People are so different. We

1. Love the lovely and loveable.

2. Love those who love us.

3. Love those who measure up:

a. “I’ll love you if (you do what I want you to; you give me what I want; you always let me have my way.”).

b. “I love you because (you are so handsome/beautiful; rich; strong; generous.”).

c. “I’ll love you until (you lose your attractiveness; someone else comes along; you don’t give in to me.”).

C. Those types of love are fragile, faithless, fickle and failing because when the criterion for being loved goes away so does the love.

D. God loves us though we fail in all those points and more. His love embraces those who fail, fall short, and forsake Him.

E. A man who claimed to be a Christian but was dictatorial and despotic frequently had his wife and children in tears with his criticism and demands. One day he was ranting and raving at his children. His smallest daughter, about 4 years old, walked over to him, put her arms around his leg and said, “I love you, Daddy!” and she nestled close to him. He suddenly stopped ranting and tears flowed down his face. He sobbed, “You love me when I acted so mean? You still love me?” And he resolved to change his ways. When God throws His arms around us, sinful and ruined as we are, says, “I love you!” that should motivate us to any change He wants to make in our lives. His is an embracing love and:

II. IT IS A RESTORING LOVE: