Home Page   Contact Us    Service Times   Sermons   Are You Going To Heaven?

NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!

Introduction:

This lesson is going to deal with what is largely a misunderstood and/or missing element in Christianity today. The subject is one that is much talked about much, but little understood.

The subject is love. In particular, we want to approach this subject from the aspect of God's power for loving and the resultant power for loving we have from Him.

I.         LOVE DEFINED.

            Many are confused about the definition of love. It must be defined Biblically.

            “Love,” to human thinking, is a warm feeling or a sensual romantic thought.

“Love,” to this ecumenical generation, is broad-mindedness and non-judgmental acceptance of anyone who claims to know the Lord Jesus. This is not what the Bible says about love.

            Consider Philippians 1:9-10, 2 Thessalonians 3:4-6 and 1 John 5:3.

            A.        The English Word "Love" Defined By The Dictionary.

                        1.         A strong or passionate affection for a person of the opposite sex.

                        2.         A fond or tender feeling; warm liking; affection or attachment; strong liking.

                        3.         The kindly feeling or benevolence of God for His creatures, or the reverent devotion due from them to God.

            B.        Greek Words Translated Love.

                        1.         Eros. This is a sexual or sensual love (i.e. it is a fulfilling of a lust).

                                    This word is not used for love in the New Testament.

                        2.         Phileo. It means, “to be fond of or having affection for.” (John 15:19)

                        3.         Agapao. It is a supernatural love. It is seeking the highest good for another.

                                    ( John 3:16)

This lesson will be dealing with “agapao” or “agape” love. This is the word used in reference to God's love and also to the love that Christians are commanded to have.

II.       THE PLACE OF LOVE IN SALVATION.

            A.        Salvation Is Wrought By God’s Love.

                        1.         God is the source of love; it is His nature.(1 John 4:8, 16–“. . .God is love. . .”)

                        2.         God’s love is manifested by the salvation made available to us through Christ.

                                    (John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:9)

            B.        Salvation Is Evidenced By Love.

                        1.         Love is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. (Galatians 5:22)

                        2.         The world will know that we are Christ’s disciples by our love.(John13:34-35)

                        3.         We will know that we are Christ’s disciples by our love.

                                    (1 John 3:14; 4:7-13)

III.      THE PLACE OF LOVE IN THE BELIEVER’S LIFE.

            A.        The Words Of Christ Speak To Us.

                        1.         We are to love God supremely. (Matthew 22:37-40)

                        2.         We are to love the brethren as God has loved us. (John 13:34; 15:12)

                        3.         We are to love our neighbor as we desire to be loved. (Luke 10:27-37)

                        4.         We are to love our enemies and those who do us wrong. (Matthew 5:43-46)

            B.        The Inspired Words Of The Apostle John Speak To Us.

                        1.         We are to behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us.

                                    (1 John 3:1)

                        2.         We are to perceive the love of God and then manifest it.

                                    (1 John 3:16-18)

            C.        The Inspired Words Of The Apostle Paul Speak To Us. (1 Corinthians 13)

                        1.         Love is more important than our eloquence. (Vs 1)

                        2.         Love is more important than our spiritual gifts. (Vs 2) 

                        3.         Love is more important than our personal sacrifice. (Vs 3)

                        4.         Love is the greatest thing we can have. (Vs 13)

            RELATION TO JOHN 15:12.

            A.        God's love is inclusive of all the world.

Hebrews 2:9–“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”

1 John 2:2–“And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

            B.        God's love is exclusive of the world system.

1 John 2:15-16–“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

            C.        God's love for Believers and His Church is special.

                        1.         Christ gave Himself for the Church.

Ephesians 5:25–“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”

                        2.         He loves His own though they wander far away.

                                    (Exp. The prodigal son. Luke 15:11-32)

            D.        God's love is without end.

John 13:1–“Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.”

            E.        God's love is sacrificial.

2 Corinthians 8:9–“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

1 John 3:16–“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”

            F.        God's love is pure.

                        1 John 4:8–“. . .God is love”

            G.       God's love is unconditional.

Romans 5:8–“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

V.        THE BELIEVER’S FULFILLMENT OF THE COMMAND TO LOVE AS CHRIST LOVES.

            A.        In The Flesh We Are Incapable Of Such Love!

            B.        Through Christ We Are Capable Of Such Love! (Philippians 4:13)

                        1.         God is love and therefore the source of all love.

                        2.         The Holy Spirit gives love.

Romans 5:5–“And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

All true Christian love is a distinct manifestation of Divine love operating through the human heart.

            C.        The Appropriation Of God’s Power For Loving.

                        1.         Yielding is necessary to have God's power for loving.

                        2.         Humility is necessary to have God's power for loving.

                        3.         Forsaking the world system is necessary to have God's power for loving.

                        4.         A broken and contrite heart is necessary to have God's power for loving.

                        5.         Faith is necessary to have God's power for loving.

                        6.         A Spirit filled life is necessary to have God's power for loving.

                        7.         Application of the principle of 1 John 4:19 is necessary to have God's power for loving.

                                    1 John 4:19–“We love Him, because He first loved us.”

            D.        The Manifestation Of God’s Power For Loving.

                        1.         It is manifested in love for the brethren.

                        2.         It is manifested in love for the Church.

                        3.         It is manifested in love for lost souls.

            A.        Love Is Longsuffering. (Romans 2:4-5)

“Longsuffering” means patience; to bear with; forebearance; long-tempered.

Longsuffering is that quality of self-restraint in the face of provocation which does not hastily retaliate or promptly punish; it is the opposite of anger, and is associated with mercy, and is used of God. (Vine)

1 Peter 3:20–“Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.”

2 Peter 3:9–“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

            B.        Love Is Kind. (Luke 6:35)

“Kind” means favorable; charitable; disposed to do good to others, and to make them happy by granting their requests, supplying their wants or assisting them in distress; having tenderness or goodness of nature; benevolent. (Webster)

Ephesians 4:32–“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

            C.        Love Doesn’t Envy. (James 3:14-16)

To “envy” means to feel uneasiness, mortification or discontent at the sight of superior excellence, reputation, or happiness enjoyed by another; to repine at another’s prosperity; to fret or grieve one’s self at the real or supposed superiority of another and to hate him on that account. Envy springs from pride, ambition, or love mortified that another has obtained what one has a strong desire to possess.

                        (Webster)

1 Corinthians 3:3–“For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

                        Rachel envied Leah. Joseph’s brothers envied him. The Pharisees envied Jesus.

            D.        Love Doesn’t Vaunt Itself, Is Not Puffed Up. (1 Peter 5:5-6)

                        “Vaunt” means to boast; to brag; to make a vain display.

                        To be “puffed up” is to be proud ; to be swelled up with conceit.

                        These both are the opposite of being humble.

            E.        Love Doesn’t Behave Itself Unseemly.

                        “Unseemly” means improperly; unbecomingly; indecently; or with impropriety.

                        i.e. Conduct unbecoming of a Christian.

2 Thessalonians 3:7–“For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;”

            F.        Love Seeketh Not Her Own.

                        (1 Corinthians 10:23-24; 12:25-26; Romans 14:12-15; 15:1-2)

Galatians 5:13–“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.”

            G.       Love Is Not Easily Provoked.

James 1:19–“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:”

                        Proverbs 14:17–“He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly:”

            H.       Love Thinketh No Evil.

Love does not invent or devise any evil; or, does not reason on any particular act or word so as to infer evil from it; for this would destroy his love to his brother; it would be ruinous to charity and benevolence.

Job 21:27–“Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me.”

            I.         Love Doesn’t Rejoice In Iniquity, But Rejoices In The Truth.

                        A good example is the problem of immorality and lack of discipline of it in

                        1 Corinthians 5:1-13.

            J.         Love Beareth All Things, Believeth All Things, Hopeth All Things, Endureth All Things.

                        “Beareth” here means “to roof over, that is, to cover with silence (endure patiently)”

                        “Believeth” does not mean gullibility. It means, rather that the believer is not to be

                        suspicious. If, however, sin is evident, the believer must judge it and support its

                        discipline.

                        “Hopeth” means to anticipate; to have expectation or confidence in.

“Endureth” means to stay under, that is, remain; figuratively to undergo, that is, bear (trials), have fortitude, persevere.

            K.       Love Never Faileth.

“Faileth” means to drop away; specifically be driven out of one’s course; to lose,

Conclusion

Colossians 3:12-14–“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

Home Page   Contact Us    Service Times   Sermons   Are You Going To Heaven?

NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!