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Love Series # 1 - Part 2

The tape ran out again, I was watching it so it wouldn’t run to the end but it ran to the end, so I guess I don’t know why I watch it. Ok, verse 3, “And every man that hath this hope in him,…” It’s got to be in you. “…Purifieth himself, even as He is pure.” How does he do that? How does he do that? He overcomes the world, ok.

Let’s go to 1 John 4. Because you trust in the love of God, that’s how you do it. That’s how it’s done brethren. 1 John 4:19, “We love Him [or, that is God], because He first loved us.” And when did He first love us, and how did He first love us? We’ll find out in a little bit.

Let’s go back to verse 5, “They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.” It sure does. “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.” (vs. 5-6). And we’re going to have to come back here when we start dealing with some of these false doctrines. Because first of all before we start dealing in them and going into them, what I’m going to do is go through and do a survey of the New Testament and show the forewarning of the different doctrines that would come. And they’re all there, believe it or not. And what we’ll be dealing with in every one of these things is no different than what has gone on from almost time immemorial, but because we haven’t been exposed to all of those, therefore it seems new to us, ok.

Verse 7, “Beloved, let us love one another:…” And that’s what we need to do in the church, brethren, wherever we are. As we’ve nicknamed our church here “the little no hassle church” because we love each other. And part of that love is that we understand we may have problems and difficulties, but we don’t go running galloping around with a huge great giant mouth and the sledgehammer of self-righteousness and destroy each other. And it can be done, so we don’t do it. Doesn’t that make it a lot better with each other and the brethren? And I can see one of the reasons why in church groups that there become cliques and there become groups that sort of get together, and that’s because they’re on the same gossip loop. And that’s the worst thing that can never take over a church, ok. Because then people become busybodies in other people’s business when maybe it’s between God and the person. Pray for them rather than talk about them. And I’m not saying this because we have any gossip; I’m saying this because we don’t have any, ok. And keep that in mind.

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that [loves] loveth is [begotten] born of God, and knoweth God. He that [is loving] loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” Remember, when all else fails, God loves you. And that is the key and important thing to keep in mind. “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” When did He send Him? We’ll find out a little later, not when we were perfect, ok. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (vs. 7-10). And that means a continuing ongoing basis even now.

Now let’s come down here to verse 16. “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.” And do you know and believe that love that God has to us? And that’s what we need to really capture brethren. That’s what we really need to hold on to, otherwise we’ll end up just playing religion like everyone else, and trying to be good people because they want to be good.            And that’s not all there is to life, and that’s not the righteousness of God. You know, sometimes the greatest righteousness of God can be worked after you realize how miserable you are, not how good you are, ok.

“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that [is dwelling] dwelleth in love [is dwelling] dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect,…”, you see, “…that we may have boldness in the day of judgment:…” And we can have that, and judgment is now upon the house of God. We can now have boldness toward God now. “…Because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love” (vs. 16-18). And that’s what we need to have, and sometimes it’s hard to do. Sometimes it’s difficult to come by, you see. And sometimes you’ll almost literally be spit in your face when you try and show it. But be of good cheer, God loves you in spite of everything. Let’s go on.

Let’s go back to verse 4, and here is the key. Here is the very key. Verse 4, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them:…” That is all the false prophets and false spirits in the world. “…Because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” And that is tremendous to know and understand. Christ is in you, and He’s greater than anything that’s in the world, or anything that the world can do to you.

Let’s go to the Ephesians 2, and let’s see this love in action in us, in spite of what we were, in spite of what we are. Now why do I say that? Because only God can change us, you know that? Ephesians 2:2, “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our [conduct] conversation in times past,…” And still have our troubles overcoming the flesh, and overcoming the world, and overcoming Satan, and so forth. “…In times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, Who is rich in mercy,…” In spite of all else, know that God loves you. “…For His great love wherewith He loved us,…” Now you see that’s the most important thing for you to understand and realize, ok, that God loves us. “…Even when we were dead in [our] sins,…” Now that’s when God loved us, when we are dead in our sins, ok. “…Hath quickened us together with Christ, ([for] by grace ye are saved;)…” (Eph. 2:2-5). And that is, having been saved from the world, having been saved from Satan. So now you’re on that Rock, and let the floods come, and let the wind blow, and let it beat against it because you’re on the Rock and there isn’t anything that’s going to move you. Because by God’s divine grace you are saved.

“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come,…” That’s when we’ll be there in those heavenly places, you see. But in effect having God’s Holy Spirit in us, as we see in the first chapter, that is the down payment, the earnest of that, so in a sense then we have those heavenly things, that is God’s Spirit in us. “…That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith;…” And that is “having been saved”, past tense, from Satan, from the world, from the prince of the power the air. “…And that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:…” That’s why in spite of yourself, in spite of anything that goes on in your life, God loves you. Remember, when all else fails God loves you. “Not of works,…” Has to be of a broken heart and a contrite spirit, not of works. What can you do for God? “…Lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (vs. 6-10). And so you can take cheer, you can be encouraged, you can be thankful, you can praise God.

Now let’s go to Romans 8 for just a minute. Romans 8:28, very key important verse. “And we know,…” It’s something you have to know and comprehend, and sometimes it’s difficult to do when you’re going through it, ok. “And we know that [everything] all things…”, that’s what “all things” means - everything. “…[Everything works] together for good,…” You might have to insert there, “in the long run”, after the raining, after the flooding, after the beating. It works “…together for good to them that love God,…” And so in that raining, and flooding, and beating, then you determine whether you love God with all your heart, and mind, and soul, and being, ok. “…To them who are the called according to His purpose….” Now let’s continue on verse 29, “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son,…” Great and fantastic destiny that God has for you. “…That He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” That is, the firstborn from among the dead (Colossians 1). “Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified.” Not yet happened, but it’s going to. “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who [or what] can be against us?” (Rom. 8:28-31). The answer is brethren, nothing.

Let’s go to Romans 5, and let’s see how this love of God to us, works in us. Romans 5:1, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by Whom also we have access by faith into this grace,…” And that’s a tremendous thing. That grace covers all. It covers the sins and problems and difficulties that you get into. And God can get you out of them. Obviously not the unpardonable sin, but I don’t think anyone here is wanting to do that, do you? If they were they wouldn’t be here, correct? I don’t think anyone listening to the tapes is ready to do that, because if you were you wouldn’t be listening to the tapes, correct? “…And rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also:…” And that’s awfully hard to do, but looking back you can. “…Knowing that tribulation worketh patience [or, endurance]; and [endurance] patience, experience;…” (Rom. 5:1-4). And that’s what we’re going through brethren, God is giving us experience. And that is what is so important.

Now sometimes we don’t like the experiences. I look back and see some of the things that I’ve gone through. I didn’t like them at all, but I can look back and say now that those were exactly what God wanted me to go through. Because I’ve learned by experience. Now in that experience, and you also by your experience in the things you’ve gone through, you can talk to people not from a point of view that it’s academic in the head, ok. You can talk to them from the heart because you’ve experienced it. And that means a whole lot more.

And that experience then, produces hope. Because when all else fails, remember God loves you, and that’s what gives you hope. “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God [or, God’s love] is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy [Spirit] Ghost which is given unto us.” Because God loves you. “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” And the word there “in due time”, it means “at the set time” or, “at the ordained time”. “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (vs. 5-8). Now that’s how much God loves you. And even not only while we were yet sinners, but before we were even born, you see, Christ died for us.

Now God doesn’t have any pleasure sin. Let’s go back to Genesis 1. Not the first chapter but the 6th chapter, beg your pardon. The first book of the Bible, Genesis 6. And even when it got so bad that God said, “I’m going to destroy all flesh with the Flood…” Ok, verse 5, “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth,…” And it’s that way today. It is terrible. You know, I’m sure the time is going to come when you know, the time has already come. There are times when I feel like just taking a 45 gun to the TV. Since I don’t want to pay for that, and my wife would not put up with it, and my kids would be enraged, I use the channel switcher and the mute, and that takes care of it, ok. But it is compounded, it is multiplied, it is expanded through all the media, and the education, and everything as never before. We are almost right here at this same point today. Remember Jesus said, “As it was in the days before the flood in the days of Noah,” here it is right here. And, “…the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Continuously. Now how did God feel about this? “And it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart” (Gen. 6:5-6). And yet in spite of all of that God still loved the world. And He loved it enough to save it through Noah and his family. And He loved enough to promise never to flood it again. So remember, when all else fails God loves you.

Now let’s go back to 1 John 5, and this becomes important for us to understand. Because we can overcome it all, brethren. We can. And that’s the important thing. We can overcome it all. Now, it’s going to take some work. It’s going to take some dedication. It’ll take some suffering. It’ll take some agony. It’ll take pulling hearts strings, pulling emotions, and the whole thing. But in the final analysis we can overcome it all, without a doubt. Because God is God, and God is for us, and God will help us, and God will be with us.

Let’s pick it up here 1 John 5, and let’s pick it up in verse 2. “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments.” And that’s what we’re trying to do. That’s the whole reason why we’re here. You know, I’ll just have to say here, if anyone preaches or goes to church for any other reason, they’re only kidding themselves and God knows it. Doesn’t God know all the thoughts of every heart? Sure He does, sure He does.

 “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous [or, burdensome].” What has God ever asked you to do that’s real burdensome? Not a single solitary thing. Whatever God has asked us to do is for our own good. Now verse 4, “For whatsoever is [begotten] born of God overcometh the world:…” Now you notice in the King James the “eth”. “Whosoever is begotten of God is overcoming the world.” And we are overcoming it, and we have to fight it. We have to be against it you know, and all that sort of thing. But we are overcoming the world. “…And this is the victory,…”, which is the result of overcoming, “…that [is overcoming] overcometh the world, even our faith” (vs. 3-4).

And our faith becomes stronger when we love God. And our faith becomes stronger when we know that God loves us. And when we understand in spite of everything, your own sins, and your own circumstances, and your own difficulties, that God still loves you, then you can have even more faith. Isn’t that so? You may have to go off to a private place, or climb atop of a hill, or go someplace alone and pour out your heart before God, as it says there in Psalm 62, and let the tears flow and let everything, every emotion in you. Remember you start out that you love God and God loves you, and then you can have more faith. You can overcome the world. “Who is [the one] he [who is overcoming] that overcometh the world, but he that [is believing] believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (vs. 5). That’s the one, and of course again on an ongoing believing, overcoming basis.

Now, what if Satan is right there, right there at the very throne of God? And he is there, Revelation 12, and he’s right there verse 10. I’ll just refer to it. Satan is there before the throne of God accusing us day and night saying, “See, see, look at that, look a there, look a there, look at that, look at this. God, how dare You put up those people.” But through Jesus Christ and the grace of God, God sees you as His sons and His daughters, and in His family, and glorified with Him. And there is no problem that cannot be overcome. But here’s how you overcome - verse 11, “And they overcame him [and his accusations day and night] by the blood of the Lamb [because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ], and by the word of their testimony [because of what you speak and believe]; and they loved not their lives unto the death” (Rev. 12:11). Because they love God with all their heart, and mind, and soul, and being, and strength. Now that’s why, and that’s how, and that’s the way it needs to be.

Now let’s go to Ephesians 3. And this chapter is what I call the lifting up of the feeble hands. You know, of Hebrews 12, lift up the feeble hands, because of what you go through. Let’s pick it up here in verse 4. “…Whereby, when ye read [that is, read this epistle], ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)…” And it certainly is a tremendous mystery isn’t it? That God could love us before we were even born. That God could love us while we were yet in our sins. That God can love us even though Satan accuses us day and night. That God loves us in spite of all of our mistakes and difficulties that we go through. That is a mystery. “…Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men,…” Now aren’t you glad you were born after Christ? And aren’t you glad that God called you? What would you do if you were in some of these past civilizations, which didn’t know, which God didn’t reveal? “…Was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;…” And remember it says in John 16 that the Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth and will reveal things to come. And part of that is drinking out of the word of God all that God inspired and put in there by His Holy Spirit. “…That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel: whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power” (Eph. 3:4-7). You know no minister knows anything but by the grace of God. No minister can preach but by the grace of God if he can truly preach. So that means that the minister is nothing more than what God wants him to be, to preach His Word.

“Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God,…” That’s quite a thing. You know, if you want to have hope in God, remember that He’s revealed the greatest secret in the world to you, and to those that He has called. And that it was hid from the beginning of the world until the preaching of the gospel. Which “…hath been hid in God, Who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:…” And God has that purpose for you, and that calling for you, and that love for you, and a place in His kingdom, which He’s already reserved for you. Which Jesus said, “In My Father’s house are many mansions, and I go to prepare a place for you.” “…In Whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him. Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory” (vs. 8-13).

And you read some of things that Paul went through and you would think, looking at it strictly from a human perspective, that God was against him, but God wasn’t. God was with Paul in the deep. God was with Paul when he was being stoned. God was with Paul when he was beaten five times, 39 stripes. And I bet his back was sore, and I bet he had scars. And God was with him and loved him in spite of the fact that He didn’t heal him of his eye affliction, and God loved him even though the brethren turned against him. So in spite of it all, remember that God loves you. So if you have difficulties or tribulations, don’t faint at them even though they’re faintable. Don’t give up because of them. Ask God to help you see the solution. He will.

“For this cause…” The purpose of God, what God has done, and He loves us in spite of everything. “…I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of Whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory,…” The very glory of God. All the wealth and power of the universe and the glory of God. “…To be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man;…” That you have that conviction and love. That in spite of everything, you know God loves you. In spite of everything, you know that God is right, and that you have the experience, and the patience, and let God’s Spirit work in you. And verse 17, “…That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,…” And again, this love works both ways - from God to you, and from you back to God, and you being rooted and grounded in that, on that Rock. (vs. 14-17).

That you “…may be able to comprehend with all saints,…” Now this is what we need to grow into brethren. This is what I hope we can grow into brethren, in these next few months. Grow a little more in it, again this year to learn more of God’s plan, learn more of God’s way, learn more of God’s love, learn more of God’s faith and hope for us. That you “…may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;…”, of the very purpose of God. Which is revealed by God with His spirit as we’re strengthened with might, with the very power of God. “And to know the love of Christ, which [surpasses] passeth knowledge,…” You cannot know the love of Christ when compared to knowledge. That you “…know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God” (vs. 18-19). And that’s a tremendous and wonderful thing to contemplate and understand. And that’s why I say that, in part, is the pick up your feeble hands, and strengthen the feeble knees, and lift up your heart and mind and attitude, because God still loves you in spite of everything.

And verse 20, “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” (vs. 20-21). So remember, when all else fails, God loves you.

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