Untitled Sermon (2)

Ephesians 3:14–19 ESV14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

The Love of God

As we continue our summer series looking at the attributes of God, today we are going to look at the love of God.And on the surface, this might seem like an easy attribute for us to understand compared to some of the other attributes that we have looked at. For exampleor His Solitariness - God has eternally been self-contained, self-sufficient, and self-satisfied.God’s immutability - God never changesThese are hard attributes for us for us to even begin to grasp, because God is other… He is not like you, or me, or anything else in all creation. And so these attributes are much very difficult to think about.But when we consider the love of God it might seem that this attribute would be easier for us to grasp, because we all have some basic understanding of what love is. You see, love is not only an attribute of God, but love is also the mark of every believer. Paul says:

Galatians 5:14 ESV14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

But love is not only the mark of every believer, in fact, love isn’t even uniquely Christian. Jesus says it like this:

Matthew 5:46–48 ESV46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Here in v 48 we see that though love is common to everyone, God’s love is not like the common love that each one of us might think of when we talk about the love of God. And there lies our challenge as we set our mind on the this attribute.Our familiarity with love that is this common to every person makes talking about the love of God all the more difficult. Because even though we all have some grasp of what love is, we need to first recognize this… a basic human understanding of love is insufficient for us to know the love of God.R.C. Sproul says it well:

“If we learn nothing else about the love of God, it is imperative that we learn this. His love may be like our love in some respects, but in other respects it is unlike ours. Most significantly, our love is a marred love, a flawed and blemished love. Our love is always and everywhere tarnished by sin. That is why it is fatal to think of the love of God as a mere extension of human love.”

That is to say, while God’s love may be like our love in some ways, our love as sinners is not like God’s love. For God’s love is a perfect love. And for this reason, we must be tread carefully when we talk about the love of God, lest we begin to place our human and fallen ideologies of love onto God’s perfect and holy love.But in order to know the love of God, we need to be bond to the Scriptures… and we need the Spirit of God. It’s for this very reason, that, after spending the first half of his letter to the Ephesians describing the love of God as it is revealed in the gospel, that Paul prays to the Father that the Ephesians and we

Ephesians 3:18–19 ESV18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

God’s love is transcendent - God’s love is above the range of mere physical human experienceAnd in this sense, God’s love is not like ours at allAnd yet, through the Scriptures and by his Spirit, God has revealed His love to us in the simplest ways such that a even a child can know the love of Godthat is to say, God’s loved has become manifest - his God’s love has been made clear and obvious to his peoplelet me give you an overview of the structure of the sermon:God’s transcendent love - That is the way God’s love is entirely different from our loveGod’s love made manifest - Let’s look at how god has made clear his love for his peopleThe objects of God’s love - because love does not exist apart from being directed towards somethingThe effect of God’s love - what happens when the love of God is experienced.And as we do this, we are do so not for the sake of knowledge… rather that as we grow in our knowledge of God we do so so that “we would be filled with all the fulness of God.”

1. God’s transcendent love - God’s love that is unlike human love

1 John 4:7–8 ESV7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

In our common vernacular it makes no sense to say that someone is love.... we can say that someone is loving.... but to define them as love is impossible. For love must be placed onto an object… Even if we love ourself… our love still has an objectBut to love one’s self has a name...Remember the whole law is summed up in one verse:

Galatians 5:14 ESV14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

If we only love ourself, but do not love our neighbor there are a variety of names for that: it’s called selfishness, selfish ambition, hatred of a brother, it produces jealousy… but let’s call it what it is… our love is directed towards ourself and not our neighbor it is called sin.There is a reason God said:

Genesis 2:18 ESV18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

And so, Adam was given a wife, to whom he was to love. And the reason Adam was to love, was because he was made in the image of God who is is three in one… that is to say that God has never been alone… And yet, Adam was alone Adam did not have another person to love.But God is love, because he loves himself. This is what we call Intra-Trinitarian Love… meaning God’s love was complete within himself. Intra Trinitarian love is related to God’s solitariness in that nothing needed to be added to God in order for him to love.But unlike God when we feel lonely and have the desire to love, we buy a puppy… But God did not create because he was lonely. For God is love. And in this God’s love is not like ours. Because:When we love ourself it is sinBut when God loves Himself… it is good…This Intra-Trinitarian Love is seen many times through the ScripturesThe Father’s love is expressed towards the Son

Matthew 3:16–17 ESV16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

And the Son’s love is expressed towards the Father

John 14:31 ESV31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

God is love, and he needs nothing added to him in order for him to be love…There is a mystery though, because even though God’s love complete in himself, God’s love is not kept to himself, but it overflows into his creation.

1 John 3:1 ESV1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

This is amazing love… that is astounding and surprising… For it is a love that is undeserved, and yet it lavished upon the church… I’m getting ahead of myself and we will talk more about the church as the object of love… but for now let us look at the nature of God’s love that is given to the church.

Ephesians 1:4–5 ESV4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

We see here that God’s love for the church has no beginning… not in the sense that we can possibly fathom.God’s love is unlike our love, because our love has a clear and obvious beginning. For example, I love my son... I love him and delight in being with him. I enjoy his laughter and watching him run around the house.... but I didn’t love those things about him before he was born.But this isn’t so of God.... God’s love for the church existed before the foundation of the world....we can understand what a foundation is when we are building a house… it’s the earliest part of making something. But before there was matter, before God spoke the universe into being… before the world was without form and void… God chose us… he predestined us… and He did so because He is love… Matter is not infinite, for all that has been created has a beginning. But this is not so of God’s love for it is infinite in that it began before anything was created.and in all this if it isn’t obvious all ready… God’s love is uninfluenced.

Deuteronomy 7:7–8 ESV7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

God’s love is uninfluenced…Again, God’s love is unlike our love because our love is so easily influenced… My wife Sarah and I were laughing this week at a memory that I had before we even dated when I had no interest in her at all because our personalities were so different from one another. But it wasn’t until I started to get to know her better that I began to see something truly special and lovely about her that set her apart from every other girl. But that was not so with God.Even when there was nothing lovely about us… God set his love on us.Any good in us… any love that we give to the Father… isn’t because of anything we have done, rather it is all done because God is love. and…

1 John 4:19 ESV19 We love because he first loved us.

God’s love is not like our love because his love is not influenced.In addition to this, God’s love will never change… or to use the word to describe his attribute… God’s love is immutable

Romans 8:35–39 ESV35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God’s love is not like our love, for our love waxes and wanes… it increases and decreases… One moment, I love my dog, and then he pees on the rug…But this is not so of the love of God. For God’s love never changes… from the moment he chose us before the foundations of the earth, to the moment we are with him in glory, God’s love never changes.In so many ways, God’s love is not like our love.His love had no beginningHis love is uninfluencedAnd his love is unchanging The love of God is transcendent and unfathomable…And yet God has graciously revealed his love… He has done so through his word, by his Spirit. And not only that, but his love is clearly demonstrated in the gospel and even in the basic make up of the family.

2. God’s love made manifest - God’s love revealed to his people

1 John 4:9 ESV9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

though God’s love has been revealed and made manifest… we would do well to heed what John repeatedly makes clear to us.

John 1:18 ESV18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

No one has ever seen God, but God has still revealed himself in his love...But his love has been made known to us through the gospel....Let us just ponder this amazing news… the transcendent God, who no one has seen, who is spirit - meaning he has no form like you and me- tOur God isn’t a being in the sense that he is uncreated, He isn’t bound by space or time… and yet, he stepped into time and space and dwelt among his people…And God did this to make his love known. So we have this clear picture of God’s love demonstrated in this

John 3:16 ESV16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

There is no clearer demonstration of love than the gospel. But even so, notice the way the gospel is described… the language describes God as a Father giving his only Son. While God is other, and his love is beyond mere human fathoming, his love is demonstrated in what is a familiar family relationship… This is something that any person in any time can have some knowledge of… For every one of us has had or desired a human father… and for those who have become parents, the thought of giving up any of your children, let alone your only beloved and perfect child is unfathomable, unthinkable… and yet this very picture is what is described when God commands Abraham to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice to the Lord.

Genesis 22:2 ESV2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

Notice the language that is used… your ONLY son Isaac, whom you LOVE.There is no room for disobedience… God commanded not just a son, such that Abraham could search for Ishmael.While this is an unthinkable action for even a sinful father like myself to do to my son, it none the less is a demonstration that we all can fathom. And though God did spare Isaac, the Father did not spare his only beloved Son.

John 15:13 ESV13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Romans 5:7–8 ESV7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

And if picture of Jesus Christ and him crucified isn’t a clear enough demonstration of God’s love, we many other pictures that give us the image of how great the love of God is for his church.... And it’s with this love in mind that John writes

1 John 3:1 ESV1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Far too often the Christian under appreciates what it means to be called God’s children… but to help us with what a wonderful status this is, look at the response of the Jews when Jesus called God his Father:

John 5:17–18 ESV17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” 18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

It is important for us to remember that when the Jews talked about their relationship with God, they referred to Abraham as their father. But Jesus gives the Church a new way to relate to God such that when we pray we say:

Matthew 6:9 ESV9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

It’s this astonishing change in the way we relate to God, it is no wonder John is astounded that we should be called children of God because of the love that our Father has given to us.But remember, our status as God’s children has nothing to do with how lovely we are… For even while we were sinners Christ died for us. This is illustrated so well in the story of David and Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan.Do you remember the bond that David had with Jonathan, the son of Saul?

1 Samuel 20:17 ESV17 And Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

But remember that Saul, the father of Jonathan hated David… Saul was the enemy of David, but something astonishing happens when David becomes the king after Saul and Jonathan both died:

2 Samuel 9:1 ESV1 And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

For who’s sake? - It was Jonathan’sBut the house of Saul was the enemy of David… but none of that mattered for David loved Jonathan.

2 Samuel 9:3 ESV3 And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.”

Notice, David has no knowledge of who Jonathan’s son was, and there was certainly nothing helpful or lovely about the condition of Jonathan’s son, for he was cripple and furthermore he was in the grandson of Saul.So for Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son… he should have been an enemy of David, So it’s no wonder that when he was brought before David:

2 Samuel 9:6 ESV6 And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.”

But David loved Mephibosheth. Why? David Loved Mephibosheth for the sake of his father Jonathan, whom David loved. And so David acts on behalf of Mephibosheth:

2 Samuel 9:9–10 ESV9 Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. 10 And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

What love and kindness that was given to Mephibosheth, though he didn’t deserve it. But all this was done for the sake Jonathan, who was all together lovely in the sight of David. So it is of you and me. We are invited to the table of God as his children, not because of anything lovely about us, but because of Jesus Christ who is who is all together lovely.

1 John 3:1 ESV1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

And if being called children of God wasn’t to demonstrate the great love of God that transcends human understanding, God also calls the church his bride.From the beginning of time God gave man marriage. This one of the strongest pictures of love known to man outside of the gospel. But this thing called marriage was always intended to paint a picture for us to see the love of God that was displayed in the gospel.Paul puts it this way

Ephesians 5:31–32 ESV31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

Now, just a word for those who may not find comfort in these images of God’s love… be it because you didn’t have a godly father or husband.Maybe the picture of a father is strikes fear into your mind,or maybe the idea of a husband is one that produces heart ache…I want to remind you that the love of every father and husband is brokeneven the best love of fathers and husbands that have been redeemed are still marred by sin and every one of us is still being sanctified.But even though our love is like God’s love in some ways, God’s love is not like our love, for God’s love is perfect. But what of the objects of God’s love?Love does not exist in a vacuum, for is an affection for something or someone.

3. The objects of God’s love

Even though it hasn’t been the focus, we have been talking about the objects of God’s love this entire time… For one can scarcely talk about the attribute of God’s love without bumping into the objects of God’s love. But it’s helpful lay this out as this is often the aspect of God’s love that comes under the most criticism.

John 3:16 ESV16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Make no mistake, the world is the object of God’s general love. Yes even the enemies of God are objects of God’s love.

Matthew 5:43–48 ESV43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

As Christians, we are commanded to love our enemy. But in doing so, God does not command us to do something that he hasn’t already done.

Romans 12:20 ESV20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Know that when we love even those who hate us, we aren’t doing anything that God hasn’t already done.So when we love those who hate us, we do that which God has done for us.

Ephesians 2:1–5 ESV1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

We were once enemies of God, and he loved before we ever loved him.But make no mistake, God’s love for the world is not like his love for the church.

John 3:16 ESV16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Whoever… implies exclusivity.Whoever does not believe in Jesus Christ is not saved, and those who do not believe are not recipients of God’s special love that he has reserved for his Church.But if you don’t see the exclusivity of God’s love for his Church in Jn 3:16, then turn to Romans 9:10

Romans 9:10–13 ESV10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

and if that is bothersome to you, because you have this idea that God should love all people equally, then simply keep reading and you’ll find that there is another object of God’s love

Romans 9:14–17 ESV14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

What is that other object of God’s affection? It is his name...God loves his glory… and it is his desire that his name would be known in all world… and his name is known through the proclamation of his marvelous works!

Isaiah 48:11 ESV11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.

It is God’s love for his glory that we receive every blessing!

Psalm 23:1–3 ESV1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Listen to all the spiritual blessing that we have in Christ, but notice above all why God has blessed us in Christ:

Ephesians 1:4–6 ESV4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Even there, he talks about Christ as the Beloved… again it’s a demonstration of God’s Intra-Trinitarian Love

Ephesians 1:11–12 ESV11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:13–14 ESV13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

God loves his glory. So what?What then is the effect of his love towards those who believe?

4. The effect of God’s love

Salvation

John 3:16 ESV16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

We are washed, cleansed from our sins, and justified before God so that we are no longer under wrath, but now we are under his grace.Because of God’s love, we who believe in Jesus Christ are found in Christ. This means we have been made one with him. So the same love that God has for his only begotten son is now placed on those who are in Christ. And what was true of Jesus, that we was raised from the dead, will be true of us… because Jesus is alive, we too have eternal life.Obedience

John 14:15 ESV15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

And remember, we only love, because God first loved us...and as recipients of his love, we are finally able to obey God. Remember the whole law and prophets are summed up in loving God with all our heart soul and might.... but as even the most law abiding Jews were not able to keep the law apart from Jesus Christ… and so finally what was spoken by Moses has happened for those of us who have recieved God’s love.

Deuteronomy 30:6 ESV6 And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

Which means now that we can obey God, we too are able to loveLoveIf we have recieved God’s love, we are able to love

1 John 4:7–8 ESV7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.