Transcript: Everlasting Love of God: A Biblical Perspective

Music Music The name of this message today is called, I Have Loved You With an Everlasting Love. And I wonder how many people sitting in the church today ever give thought to the price that was paid for the redemption of their soul. I wonder if they think that Christ owes them something for the space they occupy in the church every week because, after all they give some kind of offering or sing in the choir or do good things for people. God makes it clear in his word the love he has for his own people. But I wonder the majority of churchgoers, if they ever ponder the love they declare or say they have for God, if it's real or genuine love or not. In the Old Testament in Jeremiah 31 verse 3, God Almighty declares, yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness, I have drawn you. In Hosea chapter 11 verse 4, the word declares, I drew them with gentle cords, with bonds of love, and I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and I fed them. In Isaiah chapter 30 verse 18, the prophet tells us, Yet the Lord still waits for you to come to him so he can show you his love. He will conquer you to bless you, just as he said, For the Lord is faithful to his promises. Blessed are those who wait for him to help them. You see, God, through his word in the Bible, has a lot to say about love. We are told God is love in 1 John 4, verses 7 and 8. We need to first understand that love is the central and most principal characteristic of who God is. This truly defines God in his highest degree and characteristics of his nature. Everything God does is motivated and influenced by his love. The gracious love of God to mere creatures of clay called man, even to sinful men, is most strongly declared in both the Old and the New Testaments. For example, in John chapter 3, verse 16 tells us, For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that he even gave up his only begotten unique son, so that whoever believes on him, trusts in, clings to, and relies on him, shall not perish, come to destruction, or be lost, but have eternal, everlasting life. The love of God forms the foundation of all that he has done and is doing, and although many facts exist which we cannot understand regarding his love, because of our limited understanding, we believe by faith because his word never lies or will lead us astray. The highest and most complete proof of God's divine love is in the redemption of mankind. For instance, in Romans chapter 5 verse 8, the word declares, but God shows and clearly proves his own love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ the Messiah, the anointed one, died for us. Also, in 1 John chapter 4, beginning in verse 9, the word tells us, In this the love of God was made manifest, displayed where we are concerned, and in that God sent his Son, the only begotten or unique Son, into the world so that we might live through him. Verse 10, In this love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation, the atoning sacrifice for our sins. The reality and power of this love are only gained or understood under the influence of the Holy Spirit. The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans chapter 5 verse 5. You see, understanding this agape love and living in his love is a virtue of God which belongs only to him and him alone. This love is produced by the Holy Spirit and is enlightened and made known within our hearts by him. You nor I could ever muster up this privileged virtue which is owned by God alone and given by his nature to those who are hungry for Christ and his righteousness. The Bible uses several different words for love in the Hebrew and the Greek, and interchanges them depending on the context of the scripture. Some of these words mean affectionate love. Others indicate friendship. And another describes the distinct word for the type of love that God displays, and a believer, as they mature, they gain understanding and witness the presence of this God kind of love. Hallelujah. In the Greek, the word agape refers to the kind-hearted, bountiful, charitable love that seeks for the best for the loved ones. And there's a fitting true story of some little girls who were in a classroom. The testimony starts by telling a class of little girls was learning to spell a number of small words such as pig, cat, cow, dog, and amuse themselves by imitating the sounds that these animals make. Then little Mary was asked to spell love. She did not stop to give the letters, but ran and threw her arms around the teacher's neck and kissed her on the cheek. We spell love that way at home, little Mary said. The girls laughed, but the teacher said, well, that is a beautiful way, but do you know another way to spell love? Oh, yes, cried Mary. I spell love this way. And then she began to put the books in order on her teacher's desk. I spell love by helping everybody when they need me. This little girl, Mary, may not have known how to spell love. The teacher was asking her to spell, but she certainly knew how to demonstrate in action and deed from her heart. Hallelujah. You see, the agape love of God is the benevolent, kind-hearted, selfless love that God shows. And this is mentioned many times in the New Testament, especially in the love chapter found in 1 Corinthians 13. In 1 Corinthians 13, we see love's characteristics which are listed and says, Love is patient and kind. Love doesn't envy, boast, or dishonor others. Love is not proud or self-seeking. Love is not easily angered and does not keep record of wrongs and does not delight in evil. Rather, love rejoices with truth. Love always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13, 4-8 One of the greatest of God's gifts, faith, hope, and love, the greatest of these, the scripture tells us, is love. Dear one, God's love does not require us to be worthy to receive it. His love is truly kind-hearted and gracious. Romans chapter 5, verse 8 tells us, God demonstrates his own love for us in this. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The Bible says that since true love is part of God's nature, God is the source of love. So it's important for you to know that God alone is the initiator of a loving relationship with us. Any love we have for God simply is a response to his sacrificial love for us. We learn this by his word in 1 John 4, verse 10, which says, This is love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. You see, by our human understanding of love, it is flawed and weak and incomplete. But the more we study the word of God and have personal fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ, the better we understand and experience the true love of our precious Savior. Did you know that this abundant love that God the Father has for us is poured out on those who are, hear this please, in Christ? I repeat that this love he pours out on us are for those who are in Christ I really want to emphasize and stress that this love that Jesus has for his own people is found in him and in him alone Jesus said in chapter 15 verse 4 dwell in me and I will dwell in you. Live in me and I will live in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in and being vitally united to the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in me. Verse 5, I am the vine, you are the branches. Lives in me and I in him bears much abundant fruit. However, apart from me, cut off from me, vital union with me, you can do nothing. Jesus has given us a command and that is to abide or dwell in him. We are at first, in our character and temperament, possessed by the powers of this natural world. These all control our affections, our moods, and carnal minds, which are subject to the power and the influence of the prince of the power of the air, who is no less than Satan the devil. And this is saying that our hearts, our minds, and souls, unregenerate from the privileged miracle-working power of the Holy Spirit, to bring the restoration and regenerate knowledge of his grace, to purify, to cleanse and sanctify all of the faculties of our minds and hearts and souls and mold us into the beautiful image and character of our precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is all brought about by the awesome power of the Holy Spirit of God in a sincere believer who is hungry and thirsty for the things of God in their lives. You see, we are naturally in the flesh, influenced and governed by the body, its appetites and senses. We learn this by the truth in Genesis chapter 6 verse 5 which declares, The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and every imagination and intention of all human thinking was only evil continually. But with the rebirth and the conversion of the new life of Jesus Christ in our lives now, we must constantly live in the Holy Spirit, which means that we will willingly submit to the influence and leading and government of his control. his influence in our lives bring us into a deeper longing and desire according to the teachings of his holy righteous living found in the bible this is called putting on christ this means that our old carnal nature has no more desire to satisfy the things of the flesh which are listed in the scripture as lust of the eye lust of the flesh and pride of life. This all brings the necessary renewal of our bodies, our souls, and spirits, which ultimately bring change and affects the inward change of the way that we think and we act and what we say. John chapter 3, beginning in verse 5, Jesus said, I assure you most solemnly, I tell you, unless a man is born of water, even the spirit, he cannot ever enter into the kingdom of God. What is born of from the flesh is flesh, of the physical is physical. And what is born of the spirit is spirit. Verse 7. Marvel not, do not be surprised or astonished at my telling you. You must all be born anew from above. You see, we are by nature born into the world which belongs to the evil one called Satan the devil. People are inspired and deluded and corrupted by Satan without the wonderful saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, salvation, working wonders in their souls to redeem them from Satan's power hold that he has on them. Ephesians chapter 2, verse 2 declares, in which at one time you walked habitually, you were following the course and fashion of this world, were under the sway, the tendency of this present age, following the prince of the power of the air. You were obedient to and under the control of the demon spirit that still constantly works in the sons of disobedience, the careless, the rebellious, the unbelieving, who go against the purposes of God. And also in 1 John chapter 5, beginning in verse 18, we see the contrast here with a believer who is renewed in their body and soul and spirit. They guard and protect their hearts from sin. Verse 18, we know absolutely that anyone born of God does not deliberately and knowingly practice committing sin. But the one who was begotten of God carefully watches over and protects him. Christ's divine presence within him preserves him against the evil. And the wicked one does not lay hold, get a grip on him or touch him. And continuing in verse 19, we see the believer who does watch over their soul by refusing to sin. Peace and joy that they have in knowing they belong to God. Verse 19. We know positively that we are of God, and the whole world around us is under the power of the evil one. Verse 20 And we have seen and know positively that the Son of God actually came into this world and has given us the understanding and insight progressively to perceive, to recognize, to come to know better, and more clearly Him who is true. And we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ the Messiah. This man is the true God and life eternal. 21. Little children, keep yourselves from idols, false gods, and anything and everything that would occupy the place in your heart due to God from any sort of substitute for him that would take first place in your life. Did you see in verse 21, the word admonishes us to keep ourselves from idols. And idols are anything that occupy first place in our hearts and act as a substitute for God's attention and love. Jesus wants to be the centerpiece of your lives, dear church. The question is, how do we keep ourselves free from the interferences of anything that breaks our focus and attentions from our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? You see, we do this first by growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior. Apostle Paul describes this best when, through the Holy Spirit, he reveals a most powerful prayer through him in Philippians chapter 3, beginning in verse 8. Yes, furthermore, I count everything a loss compared to the possession and priceless privilege, the overwhelming preciousness and surpassing worth and supreme advantage in knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with him, of perceiving and recognizing and understanding him more fully and clearly for his sake. I have lost everything and consider it to be mere rubbish in order that I may win and gain Christ the anointed one. Verse 9, saving faith. Verse 10, for my determined purpose is that I may know him, that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with him, perceiving and recognizing and understand the wonders of his persons more strongly and more clearly, and that I may at the same way come to know the power outflowing from his resurrection, which it exerts over believers, and that I may so share in his sufferings as to be continually transformed in spirit into his likeness to his death in the hope. So we see here the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul in these verses in how we keep ourselves free from the interferences of anything that breaks our focus and attentions upon our precious Savior, Jesus Christ. Paul prays several times in this prayer that he may progressively, hear that, he may progressively grow in the knowledge of the Lord and that he longs to be more intimately acquainted with Christ and know the fellowship of his suffering. These major points are outlined for us in these verses, dear ones. And one of them is that we grow in this knowledge by having faith in Christ And the second one is that we have genuine love for him And three is that we continually have heartfelt interest by our attentions being focused upon him. Dear listener, these are not suggestions. These are really commands. Commands for all true believers who are in Jesus Christ. Remember the title of this message is, I have loved you with an everlasting love. How do we remain in this love for our God and our Savior? This truth is outlined for us in these verses. Listen closely. what this command implies is that we are to retain this knowledge, faith and love and interest. And yes, this union with Jesus Christ. Otherwise, scripture tells us it may be lost. That's a frightening thought. I think we could lose what we have grown to know. in Colossians chapter 1 beginning in verse 21 the word declares and although you were at one time estranged and alienated from him and were of hostile attitude of mind in your wicked activities yet now has Christ the Messiah reconciled you to God in the body of his flesh through death in order to present you holy faultless irreproachable in his the father's presence verse 23 and this he will do provided hear that word there it's like a contingency provided that you continue to stay with and in the faith in jesus christ well grounded and settled and steadfast not shifting or moving away from the hope which rests on is inspired by the glad tidings of the gospel, which you heard and which has been preached and being designed for and offered without restrictions to every person under heaven and of which the gospel I, Paul, became a minister. And also in John chapter 15, beginning in verse 9 and 10, we see where Jesus tells his disciples, I have loved you just as the father loved me. Abide in my love. Continue in his love with me. Verse 10. And if you, there we go again with another contingency there. If, if, if you continue to obey me and my instructions, you will abide in my love and live on in it just as I have obeyed my father's commandments and live on in his love. Remember the title of our message again is called, I have loved you with an everlasting love. My point in adding these scriptures is to point out the importance that you do not neglect or misunderstand that you and I have personal responsibility to be habitually consistent in maintaining and growing in our relationship and fellowship with our precious Savior Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. And this is called growing in maturity and perfection of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is what yours and my Heavenly Father looks for in his truly redeemed children, dear church. And this is called putting on Christ, or the renewal of the mind and the heart. And was mentioned, Jesus said, If you keep my commandments, if you continue to obey my instruction, you will abide in my love and live on in it, just as I have obeyed my Father's commandments and live on in his love. The little word, if, that I have emphasized several times, that word speaks volumes in the fact that there is a possibility that some people would not remain faithful to obey the Lord's instructions and live on in his love. And these scriptures don't sound like John Calvin's false doctrine which says once saved always saved does it? In fact the parable of the sower in Matthew chapter 13 taught by our Lord, Jesus tells us that the first three castings did not take, but it was only the fourth one that did because God's people took serious their calling when God said, come forth and take a hold of your eternal inheritance through the free gift of eternal life, which I grant to those who love me and the commandments that I require for the salvation of your souls. You see, the free gift of salvation is a gift to those who are faithful to Christ and to his commands to the end of their lives. This gift did come with a very high price. And this high price was the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, dear listener. Jesus died a horrible, agonizing death when he was nailed to the cross. He suffered untold beatings and whippings and was mocked and spat upon. Dear listener, Jesus was God Almighty, called the word who spoke the world into existence and was in agreement with his heavenly father when it was decided that he, who is God, would lower himself in human flesh and come into this world in the form of a servant and die a horrible death as a sacrifice for the atonement of man's sins. I hope that goes deeply in your hearts and that you truly understand. Do you realize that Jesus committed no sin? That he was like a pure little lamb who went to the slaughter on behalf of all of mankind? Listen to what God Almighty says to Jeremiah the prophet who has echoed this truth through all the ages. In Jeremiah chapter 31 verse 3, the Lord appeared to me from old saying, yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness, I have drawn you and continue my faithfulness to you. How many know that God never ceases to be faithful in all of his promises? It is we human creatures of clay who are unfaithful when we choose to go off the pride and true path of righteousness. Deuteronomy chapter 7 beginning in verse 8 declares, but because the Lord loves you and because he would keep the oath which he has sworn to your fathers. The Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, redeemed you out of the house of bondage from the hand of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Know and recognize and understand therefore that the Lord your God, he is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love and mercy with those who love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations. Verse 10, and repays those who hate him to their face by destroying them. He will not be slapped to him who hates him, but will require him to his face. Verse 11. You shall therefore keep and do the instruction, the laws and precepts, which I command to you this day. Verse 12. And if you hearken to these precepts and keep them and do them, the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love which he swore to your fathers. You see, God never changes. He still keeps covenant of love with those who truly love him and keep his commandments. In John chapter 14, verse 15, Jesus says, If you really love me, you will keep, you will obey my commands. Jesus makes it very clear that if anyone steadfastly believes in him and obeys his commands, they show that they love him. the most solid proof anyone can give of their attachment and affections for jesus is to keep his commandments dear believer sincere genuine obedience will be the greatest proof of your love and affection for jesus christ more than all of your tears genuine obedience is not picking a few of Christ's commands and obeying them and thinking this is good enough, but it is obedience across the board because you dearly love your Savior with all of your heart and soul. Obedience brings conformity to the one who gives the commands of righteousness, which he alone outlines for his followers. These make us pure in heart with a personal hatred for sinful pleasures and greed of all kinds. And finally, someone asked, how do I keep and maintain my part in this union or this covenant with God? Well, let us first understand, please, the promise in this union with Jesus Christ is made to those who keep it and continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of their precious Lord and Savior. And these are those whom the divine, holy, and precious word of God are aimed for And again these words are I have loved you with an everlasting love And Jesus says in Matthew chapter 4 verse 4 It has been written man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone but by every word of God that comes forth out of the mouth of God. And this was Jesus' rebuttal to Satan the devil who was tempting him in the desert. Jesus was speaking about the bread of life to Satan the devil. In John chapter 6 verse 35, Jesus, when speaking to the Pharisees, declared, I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry. He who believes in and cleaves to and trusts in and relies on me will never be thirsty anymore at any time. Dear one, when you feed upon the almighty and precious word of God, you find that this bread gives spiritual life and preserves you from eternal death. Once you taste and you see that the Lord is good, you'll never want anything the world offers you. You never want to go back to your old life again. In 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 and 17, the word tells us, Every scripture is God-breathed, given by his inspiration, and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline and obedience, and for training and righteousness in holy living and conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action. Verse 17. So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well-fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work. so dear listener by Christ's word his teaching instructing and directing and strengthening encouraging and comforting you it is most important and imperative in maintaining your union and fellowship with Christ that you grow in understanding of his precious truths in order to be complete in his side and also to be productive and thoroughly equipped for every thing that the Lord has for you to do for kingdom's sake. You and I have personal responsibility in maintaining and holding fast to all of Christ's doctrines, to his precepts and his promises in our union with our precious Savior. And another thing important in keeping and maintaining yours and my part in this union or covenant with God is that we must guard against hypocrisy, straddling the fence or being double-minded and having a lukewarmness in this journey of faith, all of which grieve the Holy Spirit. God is looking for true habitual sincerity with passion and enthusiasm in your quest to fervently know and love him more and more. And the last thing to mention in keeping and maintaining your part in this union with God is that you must guard against an evil heart of unbelief and love for the things of the world. In Hebrews chapter 3, verse 10, the word tells us, So I was provoked, displeased, and sorely grieved with that generation and said, They always err and are led astray in their hearts, and they've not perceived and recognized my ways and become progressively better and more experimentally and intimately acquainted with them. Accordingly, I swore in my wrath and indignation, they shall not enter into my rest. Therefore, beware, brethren, take care, lest there be any one of you a wicked, unbelieving heart, which refuses to cleave to, trust in, and rely on him, leading you to turn away and desert or stand aloof from the living God. The warning here is that people never grew in their relationship with God. because they were more interested in earthy things. They didn't have the love and appreciation for God's goodness and his fatherly affections and concern he had for their well-being and mainly for their eternal salvation. Remember, God changes not. Remember that he continually remains faithful, and scripture tells us that he is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The Bible tells us that God's love for us is in Christ and has resulted from our being brought into his family. Scripture says, see what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. The Bible says that we are to love others in the way God loves us. We are to love the family of God. We are to love our enemies. That is, we are to actively seek what is best for them. How do you measure up to this one? How do I measure up to it, I must ask myself. And as we show the kind-hearted, selfless love, we reflect God's love to a lost and dying world. We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4.19 Neither you nor I can have true fervent love for God and his precious son unless we know him and are growing in obedience to his way found in the word of God and implementing these truths daily in our lives. The Bible says that our love for God is related to our obedience to him. For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5, 3. We serve God out of love for him, and his love for us motivates us to obey him freely, without the burden of guilt and fear and punishment. The Bible also says that nothing can separate a true, genuine believer from the love of God in Christ, and that is found in Romans chapter 8, verses 38 through 39. Understand, please, that God's love does not wax cold. It doesn't fade away. It is not fickle or emotional or sensational. God's love for sinners is why Jesus Christ died on the cross. Herein is love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4, verse 10. God's love for those who trust in Christ, his Son, is the reason why he holds them in his hand and promises never to leave them or forsake them. John 10, verse 29 declares, My Father, who has given them to me, is greater and mightier than all else, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. How comforting. How wonderful. Hallelujah. You see, it is God's eternal love for us, not ours for him, that ensures our final blessing, which is the entrance into eternal life, where we will live forever in eternal joy and bliss. In a nutshell, this message today is all about the love of God for we mere creatures of clay. We reiterate the scripture in Jeremiah chapter 31 verse 3 which says, The Lord appeared from old to me saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love and therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you and continue my faithfulness to you. Well finishing this teaching today about the everlasting love of God for his people, I read from Deuteronomy chapter 7, beginning in verse 8, leaving you with hope, encouragement, and yet a warning. The scripture says, But because the Lord loves you, and because he would keep the oath which he has sworn to your fathers, the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the house of bondage from the hand of Pharaoh the king of Egypt. Know and recognize and understand, therefore, that the Lord your God, he is God, the faithful God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love and mercy with those who love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations, verse 10, and repays those who hate him to their face by destroying them. He will not be slack to him who hates him, but will requite him to his face. You shall therefore keep and do the instructions, the laws and precepts which I command you this day. Do you see? Did you hear? Who God keeps covenant with? He keeps covenant and steadfast love and showers mercy on all those who love him and keeps his commandments. may God grant us all true introspection of our own hearts and consciences to evaluate our own faithfulness and love to God and judge whether we honestly are obedient in keeping and honoring his precepts and ways according to biblical standards Thank you.