Supernatural Love

Introduction

Today we will discuss the Supernatural Love God’s Chosen Exclusively Posses [1 Peter 1:22-25]

This love Religious Zealots, Bible Theologians, Church Attendee’s, Sunday Workers, Rule Followers, Scripture Quoters, Denomination Adherents, Legalistic Lawyers, or Graceful Pragmatists…etc…DO NOT HAVE

Jesus told the afore mentioned most religious leaders of His day Jn 5:42 “but I know you—that you have no love for God within you.”

This love The down trodden, the poor, The Hurting, the humbled, the children, the simple and ‘those people’ are closest to it...

Yet most of those close will seek refuge in physical distractions, harmful relationships, ruinous addictions, or Deliberating Commiserations

This Love is a Supernatural gift given to an Exclusive group of people by an Eternal Creator God

Sadly Few will ever know it…

But everyone who owns this gift knows others with this gift [or not]

That is why WE meet here on Sundays…[others visit]

Four verses [1 Peter 1:22-25] will answer four Important Questions:

Slide [Supernatural Love] TAB- TAB-

So we already know What we are talking about today....Supernatural Love

When were believers enabled to love?

Who are believers to love?

How are believers to love?

Why are believers to love?

How did we get here?

Context plus Content equals Meaning [Not My Meaning]...Review

Slide [Promises 1-12]

Promises of our Great Salvation

[vs 1-2] Our Great Salvation IS Predestined & Foreknown by a Sovereign God

His Sovereign ‘Plan A’ is our CONFIDENCE

TEMPORAL LIFESTYLE Today...

SETTLED ETERNITY Tomorrow...

We daily do what we do because of who we are…

[vs 3-5] Our Great Salvation IS Preserved by the Power of God

I cannot lose what I could not attain...

2 tim 1:12 “... I am not ashamed, because I know the One I have believed in and am persuaded that He is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day.”

Song... know whom I have believed

[vs 6-9] Our Great Salvation IS Proven by the Trials from God

We don’t ask why God?

We ask what am I to learning here God!

[vs 10-12] Our Great Salvation was Predicted by the Prophets of God

We are being transformed into HIS SOVERN PLAN A

Slide [Obligations 13-17] Tab- Tab - Tab

Obligations/Responsibilities to our Great Redemption

[vs 13] We respond by Living Confidently in His Hope

Witness by reflecting His light into a dark world

[vs 14-16] We Daily Seek to Walk in His Holiness

Refuse to partake in darkness

[vs 17] Give Back the blessings He has generously poured into us...

No legalistic rules but gracious offerings...

????Some today preach legalistic tithes and gracious offerings at the same time????

Not one New Testament reference to a believers requirement to tithe

Many references to Pharasees hypocritical tithing

Try and out give God

Slide [Wonders 18-21] TAB - Tab - Tab

Last week we learned more about the Wonders of God’s Great Salvation

[vs 18] Live out the Practical Results of our Redemption

Live above circumstance in this fallen world

[vs 19] Understand the Sacrificial Cost of our Redemption

Live thankful lives instead of selfish lives [expand]

Light over Darkness

Selflessness over Selfishness

Fellowship over Isolation

Revelation over Reason

[vs 20] Rejoice in the Sovereign Timing of our Redemption

We are so lucky to live in these last days!

Look around for the MANY opportunities to witness hope for the hopeless!

Purpose over Evolution

God’s Created Plan over Mother Nature’s Randomness

Absolute Truth over Relative Lies

Eternal Principles over Political Turmoil

[vs 21] Thankful for the Holy Purpose of our Redemption

Our life has Eternal Purpose

For HIS GLORY

Our life has Holy Attributes

For HIS GLORY

Our life has Righteous Standards

For HIS GLORY

Possible Thomas Watson Quote ???

Slide [Supernatural Love]

Today Supernatural Love [Close Ch 1]

Slide [1 Peter 1:22-25 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because “All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the LORD endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

Pray this is the only gospel preached today...

Slide [Supernatural Love 1]

When were Believers Enabled to Love? [Let’s look to scripture..]

Slide 1 Peter 1 22 ”Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth…[HINT: Ever since]

Scripture repeatedly says that the unconverted person cannot love...

(John 5:42; 1 John 2:9, 11; 3:10; 4:20; cf. Job 14:4; Ps. 58:3; John 15:18, 25; Rom. 8:7–8; 1 Cor. 2:14; 2 Cor. 3:5)

To the most religious people on earth Pharasees, Jesus said: Jn 5:42 “but I know you—that you have no love for God within you.”

1 Jn 2:9 “The one who says he is in the light but hates his brother is in the darkness until now.”

1 Jn 2:11 “But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and doesn’t know where he’s going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”

1 Jn 3:10 “This is how God’s children—and the Devil’s children—are made evident. Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother.”

Scripture repeatedly makes clear believers will love one another...

(John 13:35; cf. John 14:21; 2 Cor. 5:14; 1 Peter 1:8; 1 John 2:5; 4:12, 19; 5:1).

[Slide] Jesus made clear who His disciples are Jn 13:35 “By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.””

Earlier we read 1 Peter 1:8 “You love Him, though you have not seen Him. And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy,”

[Slide] Jn 14:21 “The one who has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me. And the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father. I also will love him and will reveal Myself to him.””

Slide [1 Peter 1:22] Look again...

Believers received the capacity to supernaturally love when they evidenced [Obeyed] obedience to the truth…[Were Saved]

Therefore they purified their souls ; Because of who they already are in Christ!

Purified (hāgnikotes) is a perfect participle that describes a past action with continuing results.

Not only did God cleanse Christians’ impure past

He also gave US ALL new capabilities for the present and future (2 Cor. 5:17; cf. Rom. 6:3–14; Col. 3:9-10; 2 Peter 1:4–9)

[We all know] 2 Cor 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.”

Rom 6:3-14 I have already done...

[Slide] Col 3:9-10 “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator.”

We are growing [Slow/Fast] but we are growing...

Most interesting OT writer Ezekiel looked forward to this NT reality [NEW COVENANT]

[Slide] Ezek 36:25-27 “I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place My Spirit within you and cause you to follow My statutes and carefully observe My ordinances.”

Clearly Purification is God’s work alone! [Not Ours]

PAUL wrote...1 Cor 1:26 “Brothers, consider your calling: Not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth.” 1 Cor 1:30-31 “But it is from Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became God-given wisdom for us—our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, in order that, as it is written: The one who boasts must boast in the Lord.”

Faith here is already assumed… Like James said James 2:18-20 “But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith from my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe [i.e. Faith]—and they shudder. Foolish man! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless?”

Slide [1 Peter 1:22]

Obedience is clearly a synonym with faith!

Faith has never been a human initiated work of man [Eph 2:1 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins”

But ANYONE gifted with God’s faith will result in OBEDIENCE...

Slide [Supernatural Love 2]

So we know Believers Immediately when SAVED will be empowered with Supernatural Love...

[Tab] Who are Believers to love? [Look Again]

Slide [1 peter 1:22b]

through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren… [LOL---Some people need more Spirit!!]

At salvation we become members of Christ body!

[Unified in His Love]

loving each other in unity!

love of the brethren [Philadelphia] is sincere [Without Hypocrisy]

Because Jesus left nothing up to chance He made it possible only through the Spirit [Humanly Impossible]

List [Slide] of Spirit empowered examples of love...(Rom. 5:5; 1 Thess. 4:9; 1 John 3:14, 23; cf. John 15:12; Phil. 1:9; 1 John 3:18; 4:7–8; 5:1–2)

On back of Bulletin

We witness best when we witness love for one another...

Slide [Supernatural Love 3] Tab Tab

We Witness Supernatural Love immediately when saved…[TAB]

We Witness Supernatural Honest Love towards our Brothers and Sisters in Christ Immediately...

[TAB] How are believers going to Love a Supernatural Love?

Slide [1 Peter 1:22c] Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart

love one another fervently with a pure heart

Love [Agapeo] is the new word here…[Sacrificial Love]

It is exercised by the will instead of the emotion...

fervently [ektenos] means to stretch to our capacity...

We see the possibilities in others as we encourage their growth!

His Love put in motion by our will to love Brothers and Sisters Passionately by way of His Pure Heart!

Slide [Supernatural Love 4]

We Immediately Witness Supernatural Love

Its an Honest Supernatural Love towards all Brothers and Sisters

Its a STRONG Supernatural Love from a Pure Heart..

Finally - Why are Believers to Love? [Tab]

Slide [1 Peter 1:23-25] having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

We love each other to the max because that is who we now are!

We always do what we do because of who we are… [Short cycles of being something else]

1 Jn 3:14 “We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.”

having been born again,...

The new birth was [PERFECTLY DONE] in the past, with ongoing results today

Pauls perspective Rom 6:3-4 “Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life.”

No water just INCORPORATION or COMPLETE EMERSION

not of corruptible seed but incorruptible...

Everything on this earth passes on corruptible seed..

Humans

Animals

Plants

All Physical Life…is part of God’s physical creation and will eventually die…[Corruption]

What could God do to overcome this ubiquitous corruption??? What is incorruptible??

through the word of God which lives and abides forever…ABSOLUTE TRUTH

The Bible never changes because its writer never changes [Immutable]

Witness Jesus by His own word [Not our opinion]

James said James 1:18 “By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the firstfruits of His creatures.”

We not only will live forever…we will ABIDE forever…[Personal]

NOTE: Adam was simply a gardener in paradise until the tree of knowledge was pointed out to him...

Then Adam abode with God Himself in that garden...

All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever...

[TAB] Isaiah 40:6-8 “A voice was saying, “Cry out!” Another said, “What should I cry out?” “All humanity is grass, and all its goodness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flowers fade when the breath of the Lord blows on them; indeed, the people are grass. The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever.””

Our world cannot tolerate the Word of God [Absolute Truth over Relativity] [Revelation over Reason] [Fact over Feeling]

Peter isn’t making that point here but I am...

We preach an unpopular but consistent message [Repent and be Saved]

We live an impossible lifestyle [Never running out of Love for each other]

We serve an incomprehensible Savior [He gave His life for us so we could live this short time for Him]

Slide 1Peter 1:22-23]

Peter is making clear:

All of God’s creation is equally beautiful but limited by corruption

God supernatural word however endures forever

Slide 1 Peter 1:23-25]

Finally, Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you...

The same good news you love is the same good news the world needs...

The reason [Summation of Why] for displaying [vs 23-25] our frailty and His greatness is to give God glory...

We Immediately Witness Supernatural Love

We Immediately Witness Honest Supernatural Love towards all Brothers and Sisters

We Immediately Witness Honest and Exceptionally STRONG Supernatural Love towards all Brothers and Sisters from a Pure Heart..

We Immediately Witness Honest and Exceptionally STRONG Supernatural Love towards all Brothers and Sisters from a Pure Heart. to glorify the creator God and His Redeeming Son who Endures Forever

[Tab] What will this message challenge you to do tomorrow? Next week?

Show a Supernatural love for fellow believers...

Be Daily Thankful for an Eternal New Life in Jesus Christ

Resolve to daily read His Eternal Truth [Bible] that never changes

These are but a few Effects God will have on your life

Know God you will know life

No God no life

Ginny come play…Love

I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to say “I love you.”

William Shakespeare