HOW Can We Love God? (Love of God; 2 of 3)
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
The purpose of God for us is clearly that we love Him. It’s also clear that God wants more than feelings of love from our flesh, more than fleshly worship and more than works of the flesh.
John 4:23-24 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
When we read the scriptures, we understand that we ought to love everyone, but above all the Lord… If we don’t love everyone, we don’t love God. (John 4:16-21)
Let’s read the “chapter of love”, but this time don’t think so much of loving others, but loving God…
1 Corinthians 13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity (love for God), 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 (love for God), 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 (love for God), it profiteth me nothing.
4 Charity(love for God), suffereth long, and is kind; charity (love for God) envieth not; charity(love for God) vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 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;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity (love for God) 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.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth (stays forever) faith, hope, charity(love for God), these three; but the greatest of these is charity(love for God).
What is that which is perfect? LOVE is perfect!!
This chapter can be used as a measuring tape to determine if we love God or not:
Do we suffer for God?
At times we will suffer persecutions or sacrifices for God…
Are we kind to God?
We always treat God very well. Jesus is our best friend!
Do we envy God?
We don’t rob God of His glory, thanks or blessings (taking credit for
the things that God has done).
Do we boast about ourselves?
We are humble and meek when we serve God.
Are we selfish with God?
We ask for gifts and help for others. We don’t worry about ourselves
(Matt. 6:31-34).
Do we get angry at God?
We know that God is always good, but we don’t understand
everything that’s going on in the world around us. In the times that
so many things bother us, we trust in the Lord.
Do we resent what God does or does not do?
If God lets us suffer pain or the loss of precious things, we know that
Jesus knows what is best for everyone. Even when we feel deep
sadness, we are happy with our Savior.
Do we ask God to do wrong to cover our sins and mistakes?
We prefer to face the truth and suffer the consequences of our sins.
We are delighted to let the truth be known.
We suffer all things and love God.
We believe all the things that God promises.
We wait upon God in all things.
We never lose hope in Christ, because we love Him!
Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
That which is perfect is love!!
Galatians 5:13-14 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Why did Jesus suffer and die for us?
To give us liberty to love God!
Many teach that Jesus died to pardon our sins. This is true, but it is “as a child” (1 Cor. 13:11). The purpose of His sacrifice was to give us liberty to LOVE GOD.
Luke 7:36-50 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
Those of us who know that we have sinned great and terrible sins, when we are saved; We GREATLY love the Lord!
But who has not sinned great and terrible sins?
The truth is that ALL OF US have. AND we've sinned a great deal. But some of us don’t believe that our sins were SO BAD. We want to think that the Lord will love us more if we weren’t SO wicked… It’s because of this that many of us don’t LOVE GOD very much.
1 John 4:7-10 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 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.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
When we realize how great God’s love is for us, we realize HOW GREAT our SINS are.
-if Jesus could have bought our salvation by sacrificing some animals
or paying a fine; our sins would not be very big.
-if we could find ONE man (out of billions) that could settle the
account of his sins (just one!); our sins would not be very big.
-if we could find a way to pay for even ONE SIN (just one!); our sins
would not be very big.
Let’s think about this a bit more:
If we tell a lie, how can we get this sin erased?
Yes, we can ask forgiveness, but;
-people now know we are liars.
-people will no longer trust what we say.
-people now know that we don’t love them or trust them.
And how many lies do we tell every year? Ooooohhh!!
We can’t do anything because we are flesh (carnal). If we promise that we won’t lie anymore, who will believe us? If they say that they will forget it, we know that they are lying, too…
Romans 5:8-11 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.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
How sweet is the love of God!
How precious is the Salvation that He offers us!
How much we love Jesus Christ for dying for us!
We ought to let Jesus rule over our lives.
Please accept this great salvation today.
Ask for forgiveness and salvation from Jesus our only Savior.
Ask Jesus to be your Lord!!
