The Love God Hates Series

A group of children were once asked, “What does ‘love’ mean?” Here are some sample answers:

Rebekah, 8, said, “When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time—even when his hands got arthritis, too. That's love.”

Billy, 4, said, “When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.”

Tommy, 6, says, “Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.”

Cindy, 8, says, “During my piano recital, I was on a stage, and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me, and I saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. And I wasn't scared anymore.” (Mark Buchanan, in the sermon “The Greatest of These,” www.PreachingToday.com)

I love these descriptions of love, especially that last one, because it is a picture of our Heavenly Father’s love for us. His perfect love casts out our fear (1 John 4:18) and gives us the courage to overcome any obstacle. God’s love gives us the strength to succeed at anything He calls us to do.

Is that what you want? Then turn with me to 1 John 2, 1 John 2, where we see how God’s love makes us overcomers.

1 John 2:12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. (ESV)

John addresses all believers as “little children” seven times in this little book. Every one of you, who have put your trust in Christ, are children of the Heavenly Father. You are children in God’s family, whose sins are forgiven. Literally, your sins are sent away. They are dismissed or divorced from you forever.

A pastor’s six-year-old son once used super glue on a model airplane he was building; but in less than three minutes, his right index finger was bonded to a shine blue wing of his DC-10. He tried to free it. He tugged it, pulled it, and waved it frantically; but he couldn’t budge his finger free. Soon, his dad found a solvent that did the job and ended their little crisis.

Later, that pastor visited a new family in their neighborhood. The father of the family introduced his children:

“This is Pete. He’s the clumsy one of the lot.

“That’s Kathy coming in with mud on her shoes. She’s the sloppy one.

“As always, Mike is last. He’ll be late for his own funeral, I promise you.”

Thinking about his own son’s experience with super glue that morning, the pastor thought, “This dad has done a thorough job of gluing his children to their faults and mistakes” (James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited, 1988, p.200).

Let me tell you. You’re Heavenly Father is NOT like that. He never glues his children to their mistakes. On the contrary, He divorces your sins from you and declares you righteous the moment you put your trust in His Son. That’s because Jesus already paid the price for your sins.

So if you want to overcome the evil one and live in victory, start there. Realize that your Heavenly Father has freed you from your sins. Accept the fact that God no longer holds your sins against you. Welcome His forgiveness!

Then enjoy fellowship with your Heavenly Father. Relish the relationship you have with the Eternal God! Appreciate your companionship with Him.

1 John 2:13a I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. (ESV)

The old men in the church know One far older than they. The fathers have a relationship with their Heavenly Father, who has no beginning. The older believers have a bond with God that has only grown deeper over the years. Every believer has a personal relationship with God, but those who are more mature in the faith have grown to appreciate that relationship.

Dr. Larry Crabb, a Christian counselor, writes about a friend of his who was raised in an angry family. Mealtimes were either silent or sarcastically noisy. Down the street was an old-fashioned house with a big porch where a happy family lived. When Dr. Crabb’s friend was about ten, he began excusing himself from his dinner table as soon as he could without being yelled at. Then he would walk to the old-fashioned house down the street. If he arrived during dinnertime, he would crawl under the porch and just sit there, listening to the sounds of laughter.

Dr. Crabb asked his friend to imagine what it would have been like if the father in the house somehow knew he was huddled beneath the porch and sent his son to invite him in. Dr. Crabb asked his friend to envision what it would have meant to him to accept the invitation, to sit at the table, to accidentally spill his glass of water, and hear the father roar with delight, “Get him more water! And a dry shirt! I want him to enjoy the meal!” (Larry Crabb, Connecting, Word, 1997; www.PreachingToday.com)