Does God Love YOU
Personally?
(Love of God: 3 of 3)
1 John 4:19 We love him, because he
first loved us.
Romans 5:6-9 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
That word “but” says a great deal about God!! ONLY GOD would die for you while you are still sinning! But we shouldn’t start so far ahead of ourselves…
Have you ever been invited to a birthday party for someone you didn’t really know?
Or a wedding by a friend of a friend?
-Sure, you are allowed to be there…
-The food and music are free…
But the party is not for YOU.
-It’s not your birthday party.
-It’s not your wedding.
This is a serious problem in the Church.
Many go to church services that aren’t for them.
-They hear about God the Father, but He’s not THEIR father…
-They hear about the Bride of Christ, but THEY are not the bride!
Knowing that you SHOULD be a Christian doesn’t help you to WANT to be a Christian.
And those that WANT to be Christians usually don’t understand why they AREN’T Christians. They’ve prayed prayers and asked God and read from the Bible. They’ve paid tithes and “been good”; gave up smoking, drinking, cussing, etc…
What’s holding them back?
Let’s go “back to church”…
If you want it to be YOUR birthday, you must be born again.
-God must adopt you and you must accept Him as your father.
If you want it to be YOUR wedding, you must marry Jesus.
-Jesus has proposed to you, but you must ACCEPT His proposal.
If you wish to marry someone, first you must love them. Before you can dare to love them, you have to check them out:
-If you are wise, you will first find out if they love YOU.
-You will see how they treat others.
-You will see how they treat YOU.
We are told that God loves us, but why don’t we love Him back?
Consider:
-If we ask our fiancée “Do you love me?” and she answers “I love everyone.” Hmmm… :-/
-If you ask your friend “Am I your friend?” and he says; “Everyone is my friend.” Hmmm… :-/
How can you tell that God loves YOU personally?
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
-Surely, God knows every language and can speak to any creature in their own tongue…but if He doesn’t love me; I’m not really
impressed.
-We know God understands all prophecies (even the false ones) and mysteries. We know that He knows EVERYTHING and put the
mountains where they are…but if He doesn’t love me; I will criticize how He runs things.
-He invented all of our food (turkeys and vegetables and fruits…) and gave it to us for free. He sent His Son to die on the cross…
but if He doesn’t love me I’m not interested in Him.
Let’s continue and see if God loves YOU…
1 Corinthians 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
(note: “charity” is often translated “love”. Strong’s Concordance
describes it as “strong affection or benevolence” not to be
confused with physical desire.)
-Does God “suffer long” with you? Does He keep trying to help you no matter how long it takes? (Yes, He does.)
-Is God kind to you? Has He given you (personally) good things in your life? (Of course He has!)
-Is God envious of you? Is He suspicious of you? Does He always expect you to do wrong? (No. He always treats you with respect.)
-Does God brag about how much better He is than you? Does He degrade and humiliate you? (Never!)
1 Corinthians 13:5-6 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
-Is God rude and insulting to you? (No.)
-Is God selfish? (Taking and not giving.) (No.)
-Is God quick to be angry with YOU? (NO.)
Doesn't God always:
-Look for good in you? (Yes!!)
Is God unhappy when people do wrong to YOU? (Yes. Very unhappy…)
1 Corinthians 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
-Does He help YOU when you fail, screw up, make mistakes?
-Does He see the best in you?
-Does He plan for YOUR success?
-Does He continue to love you:
-for richer or poorer?
-in sickness and in health?
-in good times and bad times?
-for as long as you live?
1 Corinthians 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
God’s love for you will NEVER FAIL!!
He loves YOU with all of His heart.
-He can be trusted with your heart.
-He can be trusted with your life.
If you ask Jesus to take your life into His care and to love Him:
He promises to love honor and cherish you the rest of your life.
He promises to give you eternal (unending) life.
He promises to give you His Holy Spirit.
Then when you go to Church, it will be YOUR birthday we are celebrating!
It will be YOUR wedding and YOUR joy that we will be thanking God for!!
Love God today, because
He Loves YOU!!
