THIS AIN’T NO ORDINARY LOVE

INTO THIS CONTEXT JOHN SAYS

- Don’t pay attention to your struggles

- Pay attention to God’s love for you

- Don’t visit the past of your failures

- Visit the power of His live for you

SEE

· PAY ATTENTION TO

o The reason why the love of God seems ordinary is because we don’t pay attention to it:

§ The daily movements of it

CONTEMPLATION LEADS TO TRANSFORMATION

What you contemplate you imitate

o We know this negatively: If we dwell on the negative we become negative

o But the opposite is true and we must learn this

§ The contemplation of God’s love leads to a Life of loving like God

I. IT IS A LOVE THAT COMMANDS OUR CONTEMPLATION

(SEE…)- John is saying “look at it…do you see it…?

THIS AINT NO ORDINARY LOVE

INTO THIS CONTEXT JOHN SAYS

- Don’t pay attention to your struggles

- Pay attention to God’s love for you

- Don’t visit the past of your failures

- Visit the power of His live for you

SEE

VISIT

The command is to visit the notion of God’s love: get in its presence; be reminded of it

NOT ASKING US TO REMEMBER, PAY ATTENTION TO OR VISIT GOD’S WRATH: BUT GOD’S LOVE

WHY?

Because that’s where God lives with you

· EXPERIENCE

KEY ONE: PAY ATTENTION TO

The reason why the love of God seems ordinary is because we don’t pay attention to it:

The daily movements of it

The command is to visit the notion of God’s love: get in its presence; be reminded of it

NOT ASKING US TO REMEMBER, PAY ATTENTION TO OR VISIT GOD’S WRATH: BUT GOD’S LOVE

WHY?

Because that’s where God lives with you

· EXPERIENCE

WHY “SEE” FIRST?

Because you cant appreciate and live in the truth of the rest of what He is about to say unless and until you experience the love of the Lord

CONTEMPLATION LEADS TO TRANSFORMATION

o We know this negatively: If we dwell on the negative we become negative

o We know this negatively: If we dwell on the negative we become negative

o But the opposite is true and we must learn this

What you contemplate you imitate

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

NOTICE THE TEACHING OF PAUL HERE: AS WE BEHOLD WE ARE TRANSFORMED

The contemplation of God’s love leads to a Life of loving like God

The contemplation of God’s love leads to a Life of loving like God

WHY “SEE” FIRST?

Because you cant appreciate and live in the truth of the rest of what He is about to say unless and until you experience the love of the Lord

II. IT IS A LOVE THAT CHANGES OUR NATURE

(we are children…) God has given us this honor/proivildge

John 1:12 ESV

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

right: the rightful claim of sonship.

WHAT IS AMAZING ABOUT THIS IS THAT WE WERE UNWORTHY OF HIS LOVE.

We were rebels. As subjects of the great Governor, we had revolted. And love has re-made us. We have been born a second time, and have thus become children in God’s family. We are such. We are called such. It is not, indeed, as yet openly manifested. “Our life is hid with Christ in God.” (Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.). (1909). 1 John (p. 76). London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.)

We were rebels. As subjects of the great Governor, we had revolted. And love has re-made us. We have been born a second time, and have thus become children in God’s family. We are such. We are called such. It is not, indeed, as yet openly manifested. “Our life is hid with Christ in God.” (Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.). (1909). 1 John (p. 76). London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.)

Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.). (1909). 1 John (p. 76). London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.

HIS LOVE HAS RE-MADE US WHILE WE

AS HIS CHILDREN HE IS NOT ONLY OUR FATHER BUT WATCH THIS - CHILDREN SHARE THE DNA OF THEIR PARENTS - GOD IS OUR FATHER...

2 Peter 1:4 ESV

by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

2 Peter 1:3 ESV

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

· Children share the same DNA as the Father

· God says: “Ize the Pappi of that Baby”

o We share the nature of God as Children of God

§ Sometimes in our struggles we see our nature fleshed out: John says” See how the Love of God has redefined your nature

§ Sometimes we find it hard to love: in our nature this is true: But See what kind of love….

WHAT IS AMAZING ABOUT THIS IS THAT WE WERE UNWORTHY OF HIS LOVE.

We were rebels. As subjects of the great Governor, we had revolted. And love has re-made us. We have been born a second time, and have thus become children in God’s family. We are such. We are called such. It is not, indeed, as yet openly manifested. “Our life is hid with Christ in God.” (Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.). (1909). 1 John (p. 76). London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.)

HIS LOVE HAS RE-MADE US WHILE WE WERE UNWORTHY

Romans 5:8 ESV

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Titus 3:3–4 ESV

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. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,

Titus 3:3 ESV

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.

Titus 3:4 ESV

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,

Titus 3:4–5 ESV

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 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,

HERE IS THE WONDER OF IT ALL

§ Union and Communion

“What manner of love!” It is marvellous....

“We love only that which is worth loving. God loves the unworthy, in order that by love he may make them worth loving.”

( Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.). (1909). 1 John (p. 77). London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.)

GET THIS NOW. YOU AND I WERE LOVED, NOT BECAUSE WE WERE WORTHY. WE WERE LOVED IN A STATE OF BEING TOTALLY UNWORTHY. BUT GOD LOVED US IN OUR UNWORTHY CONDITIONS SO THAT WE MIGHT BE WORTHY OF HIM.

HERE IS THE GREAT WONDER OF GOD’S LOVE: IT ABSOLUTELY AND TOTALLY OURFIES OUR SOULS SO THAT WE CAN BE WORTHY OF GOD’S LOVE.

NOW, IN ALL OF OUR DAILY FRAILTIES –WE ARE WORTHY.

SO, WHAT ONE WORD DO YOU USE FOR A CHILD OF GOD

· WHO IS BATTLING PORNOGRAPHY? WORTHY

· WHO IS BATTLING GOSSIP? WORTHY

· WHO IS BATTLING FORNICATION? WORTHY

· WHO IS BATTLING WEED? WORTHY

· WHO IS BATTLING LYING? WORTHY

NOW THIS MAY MAKE SOME OF YOU UNCOMFORATBLE. YOU MIGHT BE SAYING THAT IF A PERSON DOES THESE THINGS HE IS WRONG! INDEED THEY ARE, BUT IF THEY ARE IN CHRIST THEIR ONE WORD DESCRIPTION IS WORTHY!

III. IT IS A LOVE THAT COMPELS OUR PURITY (v2c-3)

commonly implies the exercise of authority, the exertion of great effort, or the impossibility of doing anything else (compelled to graduate from high school by her eagerness to leave home)

(we will want to live pure like Him)

· SEE HIM AS HE IS

o Contrary to Calvary

o Contrary to the cross and the shame and the beaten and torn body

o Contrary to the mockery and the scorn and the weakness of the Savior

o Contrary to His pierced hands, His pierced feet and His pierced sides

o Contrary to His death

o Contrary to all of that

o WE SHALL see him as he is

§ As the Resurrected Champion over sin and death

§ As the Reigning King over every nation

§ As the Ruling Lord over all of vreation

§ As the Returning Groom Coming to get Bood up with His Bride

with a host of angels to take His bride from this corrupt word and perfect us

· THIS VISION; THIS REALITY, JOHN SAYS

THIS VISION OF CHRIST’S RETURN IS THE COMPELLING POWER OF HOPE THAT COMPELS A CHRISTIAN TO LIVE HOLY LIKE THE HOLY ONE HE IS WAITING ON: RIGHT NOW

§ WE DON’T WAIT TO ACT RIGHT; ETC….