"LOVE AND ETERNAL LIFE"

>>>The month of February is being dedicated to the them of love.

>>>RECAP: Communion/True Love the past two weeks.

Luke 10:25–29 “And behold, a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” And he answered, “you shall love the lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” But wanting to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?””

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>>>Jesus’ response was the story of the Good Samaritan (man robbed and beaten/left on road/Priest and Levite did nothing/hated Samaritan helped and paid for medical treatment).

>>>Parable is not focus (will be in other passages).

Luke 10:25–26 “And behold, a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?””

>>>This lawyer was an expert in the Law of Moses.

*Lawyers served as scribes. Duties included copying material and teaching./interpreting Jewish Law.

>>>Lawyer asked what he could do to have eternal life (“doing” for eternal life is not main issue of passage).

>>>Jesus’ response was not a direct answer but a question about what the Law says.

*Jesus implies that eternal life can be seen in OT.

*Jesus appealed to lawyer’s expertise in how he interpreted the Law.

Luke 10:27–28 “And he answered, “you shall love the lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.””

>>>The Lawyer answers Jesus’ question, quoting two different Scriptures found in the Law (Deut. 6:5/Lev. 19:18)-Love God/others.

*“Love” (agapeo) is loyal love and care. It’s the same meaning as Hebrew word (‘hb)

*Out of all Scriptures that could have been chosen, the lawyer’s (correct) answer to eternal life has to do with love.

LOVE AND ETERNAL LIFE ARE CONNECTED.

>>>There is no love with no eternal life (1 John 4)(John 3:16). Obviously this all possible through Jesus.

>>>The lawyer asks question-Jesus-answers w/question-lawyer answers Jesus’ question with correct answer. He got it!

>>>Jesus confirms that if the lawyer loves God/others, he will have eternal life.

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>>>Lawyer’s question was asked/answered. One would assume the conversation is over.

Luke 10:29 “But wanting to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?””

>>>The lawyer keeps the conversation going, because he was wanting to “justify” himself.

*“justify” means to “vindicate”/“declare righteous”. The lawyer wanted to make himself seem righteous.

>>>The lawyer says nothing about loving God but was focused on the part about the neighbor. That is what he felt he needed to justify. Why?

*His focus on the part about loving his neighbor implies that is where his struggle was.

*He knew the correct answer to his question. It seems like he was wanting/expecting Jesus to tell him a different answer. He was not expecting the Law question.

*He was “loving God” (expert in Law), but his struggle to love his neighbor was an obstacle in the way of him exhibiting evidence of eternal life.

>>>“Love Lord your God” phrase is found 3x in Scripture.“Love your neighbor” phrase is found 3x-not including Jesus’/John’s repeated emphasis to love one another.

>>>If we are not loving God/others-as correctly answered by the lawyer, we are not showing evidence of eternal life.

>>>If we are not loving our neighbor, are we really loving God?

*Our growing love for God should overflow in a growing love for people.

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>>>The “spirit of the lawyer” is seen again in the church of Corinth.

>>>What problems weren’t in Corinth?

>>>Paul talked about the value of spiritual gifts in ch. 12 and prophecy/tongues in ch. 14. But he talks about love in ch.13.

1 Corinthians 13:1–3 “If I speak with the tongues of mankind and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give away all my possessions to charity, and if I surrender my body so that I may glory, but do not have love, it does me no good.”

>>>Paul describes the “spiritual” yet loveless person as a clanging symbol.

>>>(Illus.) Bang the cymbals.

>>>This is the person who is the lawyer/pastor/deacon/ss teacher/youth leader/servant/team member who is bitter towards spouse/hateful towards others/divisive to the church/disdain for parents/avoids the inconvenient.

>>>Paul says that the spiritual abilities, spiritual gifts, faith, and even the giving of one’s entire self means nothing without love weaving it all together.

>>>Paul described love as patient/kind/not jealous/not bragging/not arrogant/not acting disgracefully/not seeking own benefit/not provoked (seeking to justify)/not unforgiving/not rejoicing in unrighteousness/rejoices in truth/believes, hopes, endures all things.

>>>Paul was talking to Christians! Love is the evidence of eternal life-not Bible knowledge or ministry work.

LOVE IS THE EVIDENCE OF ETERNAL LIFE.

Galatians 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”

>>>Love is proof of the activity of the HS.

1 John 4:20 “If someone says, “I love God,” and yet he hates his brother or sister, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother and sister whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.”

>>>It is impossible to have a love for God if love for others is absent, because God’s work in a believer will result in loving others.

>>>Who do we love-our neighbors! And who are our neighbors (Luke 10)? Everyone!

*This is the evidence of eternal life in us-proof that we are Christians.

*Eternal life produces love. Love is the product of eternal life.

>>>The call for us to love goes beyond how the world says we should love.

*We should love our enemies/forgive others/reconcile/reach out/go above and beyond/put others first.

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>>>Eternal life and the love that results is only possible through a relationship with Jesus. The fruit of the Spirit is only possible through the Holy Spirit living in you.

*Do you have eternal life? Has the love of God changed your life, giving you a love for Him that overflows into a love for others?

*Repent of your sins and trust Christ as your Savior.

>>>If you are a believer, the love of God in us should be what drives everything you do, because the love of God should compel us to love others.

*Are you showing evidence of eternal life? Not through ministry or serving or teaching but through love of God that overflows into a love for others.

>>>This is an opportunity to repent and let the love of God move in you and flow through you, however that needs to look.