Love, Evil, and Good

INTRO:

Hall

Halloween Costumes - a time to dress up and pretend

Doesn’t show the real you, fake

Last week - Living Sacrifice

Opened series of The Marks of Christian

First 3 out of 23 Characteristics that identify a Christian

No one does these perfectly

we all wrestle with our sin and flesh

There is a progress to growing in these, but there should be evidence of it

Read

Let Love be Genuine

Love - Agape, Sacrificial love

John 13:34–35 ESV

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

will know you are my disciples is you have AGAPE

Genuine - Undisguised, Sincere, not Hypocritical

Undisguised - Not hidden, proclaim loudly

Sincere - Truly from you, heart moved to compassion

Empathy for others

Matthew 15:32 ESV

Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.”

Not Hypocritical - Hypokrites: actor

Don’t pretend to love people

1 John 3:16–18 ESV

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Abhor What is Evil

Abhor - Have extreme repugnance for, hatred, have a horror of

Disgust (Repugnance) - gross smell, can’t stand it

Hatred - Want to destroy it

Horror of - Should repulse you. No desire to go near it

Horror Movies

Evil

What is evil? How can anyone determine what is evil?

Anything against God, that His wrath comes against

lies

disobedience

anger

theft

pride

idolatry

Believers should have a disgust for the things that go against God

1 John 2:15–17 ESV

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Hold Fast to What is Good

Hold Fast - Stand firm, dig your heels in and don’t move

1 Corinthians 16:13–14 ESV

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.

1 Corinthians

Good - What is upright or honorable

What scale do we use to measure what is good?

Psalm 14:2–3 ESV

The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.

God is the standard

How do i hold fast to what is good?

Ephesians 6:10–11 ESV

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Psalm

Psalm 121:1–2 ESV

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

How do we start living out these characteristics?

Recap Main points

Believers love is real

Believers hate/detest what goes against God

Believers seek after the things of God

Be a believer - believe the Gospel (Repent and believe)

Spend time in prayer & the Word (Sit under the word, Grow in godliness)

Get wise mentorship and counsel (Guidance)

STOP

Why is it important that a believers love is genuine? How is a person’s love made genuine (Heart changed by the Gospel) Read What does the self examination of your love say about you? Are you more in love with the things of this world or with Jesus? How can this be changed? (the Gospel)

What does it mean to abhor evil? Why is this a characteristic of a believer? (Gospel reveals what is sinful, helps us know what is destructive and what to avoid) In an honest look, do you hate the things that go against God? Why not? How can this be changed? (the Gospel)

Why should believers hold fast to what is good? (reveals to those around us what we believe, we are salt and light) How do we know what is good and what’s not? What is one truth that you believe about God’s goodness? Why do you believe that? How can that faith lead you to trust God’s goodness in other areas of your life? (God is Sovereign, No higher authority than Him, He has always been faithful to His people)