Why is Love the greatest of these?
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· 9 viewsThanklessness is at the core of human nature. We are born thankless, and that is at the core of all the things that put us at ementy between us and God. It is easy to nod and say yes humanity is really evil. But when the tables are turned, when we have to look at ourselves, thanklessness and the sin that stems from it does not seem so bad. We just make mistakes from time to time. We must recognize that at the very core of our being is a will to be self ruled. A will that is totally hostile to God. A Christian has been given a new nature that stands at odds with this old nature. A new nature that wars with the old nature. The reason that love is the greatest of these is that faith can be thankless, hope can be thankless, but no true expression of love can be without heartfelt thankfullness.
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Why is Love the greatest of these?
Why is Love the greatest of these?
Over the last few weeks Pastor Randy has been taking us on a detailed tour of the tapestry of Biblical love and how it touches every area of our lives. I wanted today to shine a light on the opposite of love. Francis Schaeffer in “The God Who is There” makes a powerful argument that we as humans must draw comparisons in order to understand anything. He calls this antithesis and that is what I want to do today.
Let us pray.
That condition we are all in: sin (Thanklessness)
That condition we are all in: sin (Thanklessness)
That condition we are all in: sin (Thanklessness)
I am a thinking Christian. I do a weekly live cast on YouTube called Think About That because I think we should be thinking Christians. The question I have for you today is Why is Love the greatest of these? (Quote )
1.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
1. Serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field
1. Serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field
In that he said:
That condition we are all in sin (unthankfulness)
A lack of proper thankfulness was at the core of their [Adam and Eve] sin. God gave them unspeakable riches and abundance, but forbade them the fruit of one tree. A proper thankfulness would have led our first parents to avoid that fruit at all costs, and to obey the Lord’s command. Taken further, this first sin was also a lack of thankfulness in that the decision to eat the forbidden fruit indicated a lack of thankfulness that took the form of an assertion that we creatures — not the Creator — know what is best for us and intend the best for us.1
3. serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field
a. The devil is an enemy and he is a trickster and liar. Jesus told us he was a liar and a murder from the beginning. ()
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
b. He starts with a trick question meant to cause confusion
2. You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree
2. You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree
a. Notice Eve’s answer here is a demonstration that she knows what God has said.
b. But the core of the human fall is already at work here.
c. Eve demonstrated she knew the rules, but she was not offended by the question.
d. That is a challenge for us, are we offended at the thought of offending God? Or are we comfortable talking about the rules.
English Standard Version Chapter 3
You will not surely die.
3. You will not surely die
3. You will not surely die
a. Now the devil lies, and its the worst kind of lie because it is also a half truth. (They didn’t “die” and God later said “Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. (.))
c. You will see our world is full of these half truths. The devil has not changed how he operates and he has not because the weakness that our first parents had is alive and well in use today.
I get to define my... you fill in the blank. We even fall prey to this lie in the church when we get wrapped up in what we want to do and forget to be flowing with the spirit.
4. Good for food, delight to the eyes, make one wise
4. Good for food, delight to the eyes, make one wise
a. What is Eve thinking about here?
b.
We know she knows the rules
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .
4. Albert Mohler (Pres SBTS) wrote an article this week called. “They did not honor him or give thanks: why thanksgiving is inescapably theological.”
Albert Mohler (Pres SBTS) wrote an article this week called. “They did not honor him or give thanks: why thanksgiving is inescapably theological.”
In that he said:
A lack of proper thankfulness was at the core of their [Adam and Eve] sin. God gave them unspeakable riches and abundance, but forbade them the fruit of one tree. A proper thankfulness would have led our first parents to avoid that fruit at all costs, and to obey the Lord’s command. Taken further, this first sin was also a lack of thankfulness in that the decision to eat the forbidden fruit indicated a lack of thankfulness that took the form of an assertion that we creatures — not the Creator — know what is best for us and intend the best for us.1
Thanklessness is us
Thanklessness is us
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Mohler quote about how Adan and Eve should have be to thankful to take the fruit.
English Standard Version Chapter 3
No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 in their paths are ruin and misery,
17 and the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
1. They did not honor him as God or give thanks to him
1. They did not honor him as God or give thanks to him
a. Paul does not charge the people with sinning here. He calls them thankless. He said everyone is without excuse when it comes to being thankful.
2. All, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin
2. All, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin
“None is righteous, no, not one;
all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
no one does good,
not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
No one has an excuse not to be thankful
14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 in their paths are ruin and misery,
17 and the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
3. We have a nature of thanklessness
3. We have a nature of thanklessness
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .
Why is Love the greatest of these?
Why is Love the greatest of these?
1. Only love can transcend that unthankful condition we are all in.
1. Only love can transcend that unthankful condition we are all in.
2. You can believe (have faith) and be unthankful.
2. You can believe (have faith) and be unthankful.
God thanks for saving me, but why can I not have that car, house, thing that is more important than just being thankful.
I know God exists and I hate him
3. You can hope in something and not get it.
3. You can hope in something and not get it.
“hope deferred makes the heart sick” ()
4. But you cannot love and be unthankful, because a heart that loves cannot betray.
4. But you cannot love and be unthankful, because a heart that loves cannot betray.
(Spouse metaphor)
3
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
Your enemy is you, and your victory is the cross
Your enemy is you, and your victory is the cross
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
Your enemy is you, and your victory is the cross
Your enemy is you, and your victory is the cross
1. Why did Jesus say “Whoever finds his life will lose it” ()
1. Why did Jesus say “Whoever finds his life will lose it” ()
a. Because we cannot be thankful, we need the Spirit of God to do it through us.
b. We need to look to the cross of Jesus and call out, make me thankful.
Closing here, every single one of us has this unthankful problem. It is our nature. The wonderful thing is that if you can see that unthankfulness in yourself right now, that is God’s doing. Some of us need to go home and get alone with God and ask him for the heart of stone to be changed into a heart of flesh. Others in here right now need to come to these altars and just cry out to God, I need you to make me thankful. Do not wait, today is the day for salvation. God said
English Standard Version Chapter 49
8 Thus says the LORD:
“In a time of favor I have answered you;
in a day of salvation I have helped you;
I will keep you and give you
as a covenant to the people,
to establish the land,
to apportion the desolate heritages,
9 saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’
to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’
They shall feed along the ways;
on all bare heights shall be their pasture;
10 they shall not hunger or thirst,
The call of God is here right now. He wants to put away the plans you have for you life and be thankful. Run to him, enjoy him, he knows what is best for you.
God said
English Standard Version Chapter 36
25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
This is a promise to you. Come to these altars today and see what God will do in your heart.
1. "They Did Not Honor Him or Give Thanks - Why Thanksgiving Is Inescapably Theological." AlbertMohler.com. Accessed November 24, 2018. https://albertmohler.com/2015/11/23/they-did-not-honor-him-or-give-thanks-why-thanksgiving-is-inescapably-theological.