"Christ Like Love"

John 15:9 ESV

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.

God’s love is:

If you keep His commandments you remain in His Love. How do we abide in His Love keep His commandments.

Tough Love:

The Lord Disciplines Those He loves.

Discipline includes both positive and negative. The end result is our devlopment . whether by instruction or correction. Some people God can just instruct, sensitive to His voice, some He has to correct.

Hebrews 12:11 KJV

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Borrow money play with their money, pay bills with boworowed money.

Hebrews 12:6 ESV

For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”

God will allow certain things to come our way, just to get our attention.

A. The Lord disciplines his children because he loves them and wants the best for them. He is looking out for their good (see Rom. 8:28 niv).

B. We should thank God for his discipline because he is omniscient.

C. We can emulate God’s love by displaying tough love also. We should discipline our children with firmness and love and work courageously for the good of others.

II. Tender Love

“For thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to … thy tender mercies” (Ps. 69:16).

A. God’s love is not only tough but it is also tender. He cares, understands, and “is touched with the feeling of our infirmities” (Heb. 4:15).

In one way He’s like all of us, suffered, tested, tried, yet in another way He is like non of us, He has never sinned.

B. God’s love, mercy, and grace are extended to all people in all places, at all times.

C. Emulate God’s tender love. Heed his words: “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another” (Eph. 4:32).

Mercy: Is Not Getting What You Deserve.III. Trustworthy Love

Grace: Is Getting What You Don’t Deserve.

III. Trustworthy Love

“I have loved thee with an everlasting love” (Jer. 31:3).

Israel was in exile, and had been torn down, God promises that they will be rebuilt.

A. Today’s society is sadly lacking when it comes to trustworthy love. Divorce rates continually rise.

B. God’s love is trustworthy. He keeps his promises (see Eph. 2:7).

C. We should be steadfast and dependable also, loving “in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18).

IV. Triumphant Love

Achieved Victory or sucess.

“Charity [love] never faileth” (1 Cor. 13:8).

A. People, possessions, pleasures, and popularity fail, but God’s triumphant love never fails.

B. Before we can emulate God’s triumphant love, we need to possess his love. We must totally commit ourselves to God to be filled with his love.

C. God’s love is triumphant because “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). His love brings victory now and eternally. “The greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:13 niv).