Becoming What You Love

Scriptural Text:

(1) Love has its origin in God (verse 7). It is from the God who is love that all love takes its source. As A. E. Brooke puts it, ‘Human love is a reflection of something in the divine nature itself.’ We are never nearer to God than when we love. Clement of Alexandria said, in a startling phrase, that the real Christian ‘practises being God’. Those who dwell in love dwell in God (verse 16). We are made in the image and the likeness of God (). God is love; and, therefore, to be like God and be what we were meant to be, we must also love.

We are becoming what we love ()

We grow into the image of what we love most. Love or loves changes, mold, and transform us

God wants us to recognize that human nature is in a formative state and that it is being changed into the image of the thing it loves.

(ESV) 18And 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.

Loving wrong objects is fatal to spiritual growth; it twists and deforms the life and makes impossible the appearing of the image of Christ in the soul...GTM196–197

18And 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.

It is only as we love right objects that we become right, and only as we go on loving them that we continue to experience a slow but continuous transmutation toward the objects of our purified affection.

It is only as we love right objects that we become right, and only as we go on loving them that we continue to experience a slow but continuous transmutation toward the objects of our purified affection.

It is only as we love right objects that we become right, and only as we go on loving them that we continue to experience a slow but continuous transmutation toward the objects of our purified affection.

Scripture teaches believers to love God and shows how such love should be expressed in worship and practical service.

Scripture teaches believers to love God and shows how such love should be expressed in worship and practical service.

Love for God is commanded (, ; ; ; ; ; )

Matthew 22:37–38 (ESV) — 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment.

(ESV) — 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment.

See also

(ESV) — 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

(ESV) — 12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

(ESV) — 1 “You shall therefore love the Lord your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always.

(ESV) — 5 Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

(ESV) — 11 Be very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your God.

(ESV) — 23 Love the Lord, all you his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.

Introduction: Background

Peter’s denial of Jesus Christ and his reinstatement

Synopsis

The son of Jonas or John, he was called Simon until Jesus Christ gave him the name Peter meaning “rock”.

Peter’s background and family

He lived in Capernaum

; He originally came from Bethsaida.

(ESV) — 14 And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever.

(ESV) — 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

He was a fisherman by trade

(ESV) — 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”

Peter’s denial of Jesus Christ and his reinstatement

He was called by Jesus Christ

; ;

(ESV) — 18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

(ESV) — 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”

(ESV) — 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

He witnessed Jesus Christ perform many miracles

; ; ;

(ESV) — 14 And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. 15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him.

(ESV) — 24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” 25 He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?” 26 And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”

(ESV) — 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

(ESV) — 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.

He was chosen to be with Jesus Christ on certain occasions

at the transfiguration of Jesus Christ; in the Garden of Gethsemane;

(ESV) — 1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.

(ESV) — 36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled.

(ESV) — 37 And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James.

He sometimes acted as spokesman for the other disciples

He asked Jesus Christ to teach them:

;

(ESV) — 15 But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.”

(ESV) — 21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”

He confessed Jesus as Messiah and Son of God:

;

(ESV) — 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

(ESV) — 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

He asked Jesus Christ to prolong the transfiguration experience; ; ; ;

(ESV) — 4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

(ESV) — 27 Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?”

(ESV) — 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.”

(ESV) — 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”

(ESV) — 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,

His impetuous nature interacted with his devotion to Jesus Christ

He wanted to walk to Jesus Christ on the water; He tried to prevent Jesus Christ from going to his death; He vowed that he was willing to die for Jesus Christ; ;

(ESV) — 28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.

(ESV) — 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”

(ESV) — 35 Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.

(ESV) — 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”

(ESV) — 10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)

He was the subject of both special commendation and rebuke

He was commended for his confession of faith in Jesus Christ; He was rebuked for his opposition to Jesus Christ’s prediction of his suffering; He was warned that he would disown Jesus Christ; He was rebuked for falling asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane; ;

(ESV) — 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

(ESV) — 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

(ESV) — 34 Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”

(ESV) — 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

(ESV) — 10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

(ESV) — 20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”

Peter’s denial of Jesus Christ and his reinstatement

He denied that he knew Jesus Christ

(ESV) — 69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” 71 And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” 73 After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” 74 Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed.

He repented of his denial

The risen Christ appeared to him on his own

;

(ESV) — 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”

(ESV) — 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

He was reinstated by Jesus Christ in front of other disciples ()

(ESV) — 15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

He was a fisherman by trade

(ESV) — 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”

Scripture teaches believers to love God and shows how such love should be expressed in worship and practical service.

Expressing love for God

Expressing love for God

Delight in worship and in God’s house (, ; ; ; ; ; ; )

Psalm 27:4 (ESV) — 4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.

(ESV) — 4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.

(ESV) — 4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!

(ESV) — 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

(ESV) — 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Love for God’s word (, ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; )

(ESV) — 97 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.

(ESV) — 97 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.

(ESV) — 7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;

(ESV) — 16 Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.

(ESV) — 16 Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.

Self-sacrifice (, ; ; )

Luke 14:33 (ESV) — 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

(ESV) — 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

(ESV) — 1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

(ESV) — 1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

(ESV) — 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

Giving (, ; ; ; ; ; ; )

1 Chronicles 29:3 (ESV) — 3 Moreover, in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God:

(ESV) — 3 Moreover, in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God:

(ESV) — 8 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine.

(ESV) — 8 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine.

(ESV) — 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Obeying God (, ; ; ; ; )

1 (ESV) — 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

(ESV) — 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

See also

(ESV) — 8 I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

(ESV) — 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

(ESV) — 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

(ESV) — 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.

(ESV) — 6 And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.

Loving others (, ; ; )

(ESV) — 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

1 (ESV) — 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

See also

(ESV) — 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

(ESV) — 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

(ESV) — 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

“The only way to prove that we love God is to love the men and women whom God loves. The only way to prove that God is within our hearts is constantly to show the love for others within our lives.”