See Christmas like God does: LOVE

See Christmas like God does: Love

Titus 3:3-7

December 22, 2024

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A little crowd participation on this would help. We are going to vote by show of hands only. Please no comment just a show of hands. Raise your hands if you would say these statements are an act of love.

1. Is it loving to tell your loved one that they have a peace of lettuce stuck in their teeth in a public setting?

2. Is it loving to tell your kids the truth that they may not be the greatest at a sport and should consider another option?

3. Is it loving to finally tell the truth about Santa?

4. Is it loving to tell a loved one that they aren’t a good driver and should consider never getting behind the wheel again?

5. Is it loving to tell a friend or loved one that their view on God is so wrong that it is damming?

I have often struggled with all of these and countless others. It is far easier to not tell someone the truth to not hurt their feelings. But is that love?

Love is the final topic in our Christmas series, and to be honest, one message could never capture the weight of this word. We could spend weeks on this single concept because of its various applications and importance to the Christian life. My goal today is to narrow our study down to how Love applies to Christmas.

Over the last three weeks, we have looked at Christmas as God does. The first week we looked at Christmas through the need for Joy. We learned that God’s Joy for Christmas was sending His Son. The next week we looked at Christmas with Hope. The hope of the world provides peace to men/women in the form of a baby in a manger. Last week we looked at the hardest for all of us, patience and self-control. God’s divine patience with mankind through the birth of His son.

So, as a review, we have examined Christmas through the lenses of joy, peace (hope), patience, kindness, and self-control.

Galatians 5:22 reads: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control;[1]

We have used the fruits of the spirit (God’s Spirit) as a guide. Today we will concentrate on the most important one on the list and the reason it is first. It all starts with that first word, love. It is the door key to the rest of the fruits and the door key to understanding God’s heart towards not just Christmas but the entire plan from creation to salvation.

Our passage comes to us by the hand of Paul and is addressed to Titus, a pastor. Paul wrote it in 62-64 AD while Paul was between his 1st and 2nd imprisonment. It is important to know that Titus is a Gentile (Gal 2:3) so the themes are not overtly Jewish.

What is really cool is that Paul gave no correction to Titus, only mentorship. This is a letter you want to get from Paul. This means that Titus is theologically sound.

Some major themes include the importance of works and the soundness of doctrine. To Paul, doctrine was a must and not just a “churchy” word. It’s a key to understanding truth. Without doctrine, truth is relative. Without doctrine, LOVE is relative and open to interpretation. LDS, Catholic, JWs, Muslim, and Christian. Doctrine sets them apart. Correct Doctrine leads to salvation and the gospel of Love.

1. Where we should be:

Vs 1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people[2]

Paul constantly uses contrasts to teach. This is where you should be, and we will see in a few minutes, this is where you were. The extremes serve as a great way to sum up the entire Gospel message in just a few short verses. Why we picked these verses for today is important to understand because, believe it or not, you can’t have great news without knowing the bad news first.

Let’s break these verses down:

a. Submit to authority: This includes government, work, and parents. As a Christ follower, we are to be submissive to the authorities placed over us by God in patience and with joy.

b. Bridle our tongues: Vs 2 “to speak evil of no one, avoid quarreling and to be gentle…” Remember last week when we talked about complaining and grumbling? Paul is reminding Titus and us that we must be patient with all people (believers and nonbelievers alike.)

The first two verses do a great job of reviewing where we have been over the last several weeks. If we are submitting to the authority placed over us and we are not quick to argue and complain, we are showing first-hand fruits of the Spirit of God in our lives.

If we are doing what Paul is teaching, every person in the world should know us by our fruit. People should scratch their heads and say, that person has joy, hope, patience, kindness, and self-control. Why?

The why is because it was demonstrated to us by God the Father through Christ Jesus. When we demonstrate these fruits of the Spirit, we are most like God. We can’t help but have joy, hope, peace, and patience when God the Father has it with us! We are to be the showman of what was done for us! Out of joy of where we were, we should show the world!

2. Where we shouldn’t be.

Vs 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another[3]

Again, Paul uses contrast to teach the importance of the message. For some of us in this room, you can remember a time when this list would describe you to a T. You could remember when you were foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to the sin of pleasure, and so forth. I would challenge you all, no matter your age, remember that time when this would characterize your life. If you can’t remember it, I would challenge you to pray that God reveals to you the areas that would fit those descriptions.

You see, God’s Word paints a clear picture that we have all come from these sins into a new creation. We will remember our sins as we should because it assures us when we doubt just how far God has brought us. God views our sins as “dealt with” by His Son.

Romans 6

6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

Have you put off that old self, that old man that pursues sin? Church, I am getting ready to speak to you in true love. This is like me saying, you have lettuce in your teeth, you have a bugger in your nose. If you are living in disobedience and think you are “good” with God, then you have a wrong view of truth.

If you do not or have not put off that old self and are still walking in a sin nature. If you look at your life and can’t make any differentiation between the first category of people Paul describes and these, then I am lovingly telling you, that your path leads to death.

Love, true love, is not telling you a false truth. True love tells you the entire truth. It frustrates me when the gospel message is presented like this: “Hey God has a great plan for your life and He loves you.” all the while nothing is said about sin and death. The old preacher saying “What you win them with, is what you win them to” is how I would describe much of the preachers today.

You see, true Love is not that! Ladies and gentlemen, that is NOT the Gospel!

The truth with LOVE is you and I have a sin problem that will lead you to death (eternally) and something MUST change! That change happened when God stepped into human history and provided a path for you and me to salvation.

1 John 4:9, 10

9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins[4]

Look at this Loving truth! Who is the one doing the actions? God made manifest Christ, God sent Christ. Why? So that we might live through Him. This does not say so that we can continue to live through us. No, through CHRIST! Now, verse 10 “this is LOVE” by HIS action. “NOT that we have loved God, but that He loved us…” Church, who started the love action first? GOD!

This is the Gospel (good news). If you are ever in a church and hear a gospel message other than the one I am presenting, you have my permission to get up and not go back to that church. The gospel message is this. “You may hear someone present the gospel message better than me, but you will never hear a better gospel message.”

The issue is that we think that the definition of “love” means we can only be nice and only give our views so long as it is not uncomfortable. That is not love. Love is God sending His son into human history with all of it’s filth and sin so that they can experience true Love, Christ. This message of true Love is divisive and to the nonbeliever, it’s not a “nice” message because it confronts their sin.

I would go so far as to say, If God does not intervene, we would never know what Love is. True love screams that God found us in our old self. God finds us all here. No one is seeking after God and no one is cleaned and ready to be saved. In this state, we are living a life that God had to act because there is no way that we act.

Please look back at our verse in Titus:

Vs 4 “4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared[5]

Merry Christmas indeed! When the GOODNESS AND LOVING KINDNESS OF GOD OUR SAVIOR APPEARED.” That right there is the greatest Christmas story of all time. It is not about a nativity scene, or Satan’s overly calorically challenged knockoff! It is about the savior of the world showing up in loving kindness to people who could not, would not, and will not come to truth unless He acted.

He never found anyone on the other side of the fence and said, “Oh, you are already here?” We were so far gone that it had to be God moving! We were born on the wrong side of this fence and it had to be God who came and got us.

Again, true love may not be comfortable to hear but that does not change the fact that it is not love. What I am presenting is the greatest love that you and I cannot fathom.

I was praying this week, “Lord, how do I get people to move this idea and concept of Love from their heads to their hearts? Lord, how in the world do they hear it, ponder it, then, in faith understand it?” In this prayer, I have come to the conclusion that it's not my job to put it in your hearts. It is the Word of God, for the people of God. It must be your food to your soul and then, it is on you to respond to this Love.

3. Know the riches of His Love.

Vs 5 “5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit[6] 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,[7]

One word in all of these verses sums up the action of what God did. Look, I know there is a TON of doctrinal truth here. But one word sticks out that may be overlooked. It is the word “poured”.

Poured: (ekcheō): vb. cause to flow out, pour out cause to fully experience, the figurative extension of “to pour out”[8]

Imagine please you are dead and your body is being prepped to go to the morgue. But, before you are loaded up, someone (God) comes to you and opens your hand, and places a cup in your hand. Instead of putting just a teaspoon of medicine in your cup, He fills it to the brim, but He does stop, it gushes all over you. You drink it but it keeps flowing. It is an extravagant outpouring that never stops!

Church, God, according to His mercy uses this outpouring to wash you and regenerate you. To regenerate (palingenesia). rebirth, regeneration, renewal.

To use my analogy, you are no longer dead because you are a new creation. He doesn’t give health that is temporal; He gives you NEW birth! Please look back at those two verses 5 and 6. This is solely an act by your heavenly Father out of such Love that He acted. Your actions are not listed in these verses. More specifically, Paul writes that YOU don’t do anything except contribute to the problem (sin).

Vs 5 not because of works done by us in righteousness[9]

A clarifying verse that supports Paul’s point would be Romans 3:27:

27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith[10]

What we contribute to this loving act is only in response to His Loving action of pouring His Spirit into dead corps. Then, in faith, we respond to His work. I am hoping that this paints the Love that God pours out to you a little bigger and more extravagant! Ask yourself why did He do it? Ask yourself why He chose to save a sinner like you. When you ask that question in light of your sin, you will start to see the gravity of this love!

Out of His loving kindness, God moved when we could and would not. Why? It is all out of His mercy. You know, mercy is a special word. (eleos). compassion.

Church this is a noun, not a verb. In Greek, mercy is a description of God’s character or quality and is masculine. When we try to understand mercy, we stumble because, like love, it is something only truly understood in the heart. Oh, I can define it, but can you, by faith, have it embedded into your heart? I would argue, that only by the move of the HS can mercy truly be grasped in the heart of the believer.

Nowhere in that definition does it say that it is owed or mandated. It is a work of compassion towards man by a graciously loving father.

Conclusion:

This is not a Christmas card! Knowing God’s true Love could cover lifetimes of pain, lifetimes of failure, and lifetimes of disappointments. Our goal is to have you know how richly blessed you are through Christ Jesus. This salvation is not a group sale! God distinctly and directly loved you enough to send Christ to YOU individually.

An orphan child understands these concepts firsthand. Imagine please a child coming from an environment of pain and abuse. In a work of individual love, a loving parent goes to that child and says, “You are my son, you are my daughter and I love you specifically.” That love that the orphan experience for the first time in their lives is outpouring and merciful and unique to them. As they grow in their new family, this unique and specific love is clung to and you would never convince them that it was a group sale.

There are people in this room searching for this type of unimaginable love. If that is you, please know that you can experience this love as well. In love, I would say, your filth of sin separates you from God. But, He being loving, sent Christ in a manger to fix that filth you have enjoyed your entire life.

Now, I am telling you, know His mercy and respond! Know His Love and believe in the LORD Jesus Christ and you will not long be that orphaned child. You will be a son or daughter of the Most High.

For those who would say, Von, I know I am saved. I do recognize Him as Lord but now what? I want each of us to Know the richness of this blessing! You can’t possibly leave here today without having a bigger understanding of this Love and blessing!

Think about an adopted child holding onto this promise with the memory of being an orphan on the forefront of your mind! Live under the umbrella of this great and distinct love that He has for the adopted son and daughter of the Father.

This is such a blessing of mercy that we cannot possibly leave here today without understanding this mercy and love. There are people who get it and you can hear it in their prayers. They will pray:

“Lord, thank You for your Son, thank You for our salvation, Lord, thank You for saving sinners like me.” We have prayers like that here today and I would love to tell you who but do not want to embarrass them. My point is this, they “get it”. They see the love of God uniquely given them unto salvation and that CHANGES them! There is a change in heart and being. It changes their daily actions!

Does that make them perfect? No! But they see life through Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, and self-control all the while exhibiting the HOPE of their salvation through Jesus Christ their Lord. These are the ones who see Christmas Like God does. I want that for all of us! See Christmas as He does!