The Love of God

2 Corinthians 5:12-21

Introduction:

Illustrations about “love:”

There is a story about a legalistic Seminary student who wanted to have a scriptural basis for everything he did. He felt he was on solid ground if he could quote Bible book, chapter & verse to okay his actions.

He did all right with that until he began to fall in love with a beautiful girl. He wanted very much to kiss her, but he just couldn’t find a scripture to okay it. So, true to his conscience, he would simply walk her to the dormitory each night, look at her longingly, & then say "Good night."

This went on for several weeks, & all the time he was searching the Bible, trying to find some scripture to okay kissing her good night. But he couldn’t find one, until finally he came across that passage in Romans that says, "Greet each other with a holy kiss." He thought, "At last, I have scriptural authority for kissing her good night."

But to be sure, he went to his hermeneutics professor to check it out. After talking with the professor, he realized that the passage dealt more with a church setting than with a dating situation. So once again he simply didn’t have a passage of scripture to okay kissing his girl good night.

That evening he walked her to the dormitory & once again started to bid her "good night." But as he did, she grabbed him, pulled him toward her, & planted a 10-second kiss right on his lips.

At the end of the kiss, the Seminary student gasped for air, & stammered, "Bible verse, Bible verse." The girl grabbed him a 2nd time, & just before kissing him again, said, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Many times the motive of “love” can be questioned:

"Dearest Jimmy, No words could ever express the great unhappiness I’ve felt since breaking our engagement. Please say you’ll take me back. No one could ever take your place in my heart, so please forgive me. I love you, I love you, I love you! Yours forever, Marie... PS, And congratulations on willing the state lottery."

So much of what we call “love” today is materialism:

In 1993 the Sports man review stated that toy companies watch divorce rates. When it rises, so do toy sales. According to the analyzers, four parents and eight grandparents tend to compete for children’s affections, so they buy toys.

Today I want to think about a much higher love than buying toys or winning the state lottery. I want to think today about God’s love

*When it comes to being thankful I do not believe that there is a greater reason why we can/should be thankful than God’s love

*We are also coming upon the time of year that we set aside to focus on God’s love

Today as we focus on God’s love I want to look at four things:

1. The love of God dealt with our sin

2. The love of God gives us a new view of people

3. The love of God makes us new people

4. The love of God gives us a new mission (purpose) in life

I. The Love of God dealt with our sin vv. 14-15

1. Focus of these verses is the love of Christ and His dying for us

1) God’s love is a sacrificial love: It caused Jesus to die

Not the surface or superficial love that many know today

A deep love that caused sacrifice

2) God’s love is a gracious love: “He died for all”

Not all will take advantage of God’s love

But all who will receive His love can have the advantage

3) God’s love is motivational: “compels us” “no longer live for themselves….”

Compels us to serve Him, live for Him, serve others, etc.

2. Let’s run through the gospel message and see God’s love

1) Mankind chose to sin against God

*He knew the consequences: death

2) Mankind saw the consequences immediately

*Felt the guilt associated with their sin

*No more close relationship with God

*Physical consequences

*Spiritual death

3) Mankind saw the graciousness of God immediately following his sin

ð God sacrificed an animal on their behalf

ð God promised a deliverer

4) Mankind continued to look for a deliverer while they made sacrifices for their sin

ð Sacrifices all pointed to the seriousness of sin and the death penalty for it

ð Prophets preached and people waited

ð See that in those looking at birth of Jesus

5) Mankind saw that deliverer come in the person of Jesus

ð Fulfilled the prophecies

ð Proved He was the Son of God

6) Mankind saw Him die as the sacrifice for our sins

2 Cor. 5:21 says that “He became sin for us”

7) Mankind has done many things over the years to take care of his sin

ð Denied that he has sinned

ð Religion

ð Good deeds and service

ð Etc.

ð None of those are the punishment for sin

Paul tells us in Romans 10:9-13

…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

II. The Love of God gives us a new view of people v. 16

1. We know no man after the flesh v. 16

The world has many fleshly standards by which it judges people

ð The family they belong to

ð The amount of wealth they have

ð The positions they hold

ð The clothes they wear

ð Etc. You get the point: We so often judge by external standards

2. The examples in the ministry of Jesus

1) John 8:1-12

Religious leaders looked at this woman:

ð As an object to be used

ð Someone undeserving of life

How did Jesus look at this woman?

ð Someone deserving of His love and mercy

ð Someone who needed to have His “light of life.”

2) Matthew 20:29-34

How did the disciples and crowd look at blind men?

ð Someone who was in the way

ð Someone not deserving of their time and help

How did Jesus look at them?

ð People who were worthy of His time and effort

3) Example of the change: See in little Zacchaeus Luke 19:1-10

How did Zacchaeus look at people?

ð Objects to take advantage of for his own gain

How did he look at them after he met Jesus?

ð Objects to whom he needed to show the love of Jesus

How often do we look down on people today?

Based on the love that God has shown us, we need to look at them differently!!

III. The Love of God makes us new people v. 17

Paul speaks as well of being a “new creation” in Galatians 6:15

This is what is pictured in the physical act of baptism:

We died to our old self and were buried

We rose to new life in Christ

1. We have new life:

We are no longer dead in sin but dead to sin, alive to God

Before there was no way that we could please God

Problem with good works today, without life we could not please God in any way but any amount of good works

We are no longer controlled by sin, we can say no.

2. We have a new character:

Those who lied are to lie no more

Those who stole are to steal no more

We could go on and on: We are a new creature our lives have to change

3. We have a new attitude toward other people

4. We have a new hope

5. We have new plans, purpose, speech, etc.

When people met Jesus and put their faith in Him they were never the same in the NT example:

Zacchaeus, Woman at the well, woman caught in adultery, disciple, etc.

The only ones whose lives were unchanged are those who rejected Him

I praise God for the changes that He has made in my life, and look forward to the ones that He is continuing to make.

IV. The Love of God gives us a new purpose vv. 15, 18-20

1. First purpose that Paul gives here is that we no longer live for ourselves but for Him v. 15

Paul lived his whole life around what God wanted

Paul lived to serve his God and Lord

As Christians our lives need to be lived to serve Him

When we get up in the morning we should be asking, “How can I serve Him today?”

This is based on His great act and sacrifice of love for us!!

2. As we serve Him we are also serving others vv. 18-20

He has reconciled us to Himself and given us the ministry of reconciliation.

We are His ambassadors seeking to see others reconciled to Him

*God is pleading through us

I have to wonder how much God is pleading with others through us?