The Marvelous Christ Enables us to Love

Main Point: Our Marvelous Savior Enables Us to Love, and Love Proves Our Salvation

First, let’s define love a little differently than we’ve done in the past.

Greek as multiple terms for love:

Agape: Divine Love or Self-Sacrificing Love

Philia: Brotherly Love, Love between equals, or Love that is mutually expressed and shared.

Eros: Erotic Love, Intimate Love, Appreciation of Physical Beauty

Storge: Admiration and Respect, Love in a family, Embracing of situations that one operates under the authority of another

Philautia: The love of oneself, an ever-present type of love that is understood both positively (to preserve oneself) and negatively (to be egotistical)

Xenia: The love that shows hospitality to others—especially strangers.

How does Christianity Change us?

The Real Question: Is Salvation Visible?

The Bible Reveals at Least Five Changes within the Christian:

Change in nature: WE ARE BORN AGAIN TO A NEW LIFE

Change in citizenship: WE ARE MEMBERS OF A GREATER KINGDOM NOT OF THIS EARTH

Change in relationships: WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD AND PART OF THE UNITED BODY OF CHRIST

Change is passions: WE LIVE IN PURSUIT OF CHRIST

Change in behaviors: WE LIVE INTO WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY ATTAINED

Think about this… Our society indoctrinates us to be satisfied with a far lesser form of the change we really need!

The Gospel of Psychology overemphasizes an improper treatment of the wrong nature (we put to death the “old man”—not reform him)

The Gospel of Patriotism overemphasizes a misplaced idea of and commitment to citizenship (even in the “right” parameters)

The Gospel of Social Justice overemphasizes relationships beyond proper boundaries (social reform does not bring about spiritual reform)

The Gospel of “To Thy Own Self Be True” overemphasizes the “goodness” of our depraved passions and desires

The Gospel of Religion overemphasizes the actual value of behavior modification

To be born the first time, is to be born into a way of life that is diametrically opposed to the way of the Lord in one of two manners:

Improper Substitution and Emphasis: The spiritual who hold to a distorted view of God and the supernatural

Outright Hostility and Defiance: Those outrightly opposed to the reality of God (or the supernatural)

Why bring all of this up?

If Christians say they believe in God as revealed through the Bible, then this MUST impact ALL prior beliefs about God.

If Christians say they believe in the work of God as revealed in the Bible, then this MUST impact ALL prior beliefs about what God DOES.

If Christians say they believe in the Salvation God offers as revealed in the Bible, then this MUST impact ALL prior beliefs about our need of salvation, our response to acquiring salvation, and our life post-salvation.

If Christians say they believe in the fellowship with God as revealed in the Bible, then this MUST impact ALL prior beliefs of our relationships with God and others.

If we believe this… can we see such beliefs manifested within our lives?

Absolutely!

In fact, the letter of 1st John does this very thing through two approaches:

From the Negative

From the Positive

Today, we will look at tests for salvation from the negative; that is, what marks someone as lost (outside of the fact that we are born lost).

How is Lostness Demonstrated?

Through an irrational relational response (1 John 1:6)

Through proud self-acceptance (1 John 1:8)

Through rejecting God’s instruction for our own thoughts (1 John 1:10)

Through remaining exactly as we were before Christ (1 John 2:4)

Through failing to love others (1 John 2:9)

Through showing disregard (hate) for others (1 John 2:11)

Through passionately pursuing what everyone else pursues (1 John 2:15)

Through disengaging from the body of Christ (1 John 2:19)

Through denial of the FULL revelation of the Lord (1 John 2:23)

Through failing to abide in Christ Jesus by abiding in sin (1 John 3:6)

Through active engagement and commitment to sin (1 John 3:8)

Through failing to strive for righteousness before God and others (1 John 3:10)

Through hating others (1 John 3:14-15)

Through failing to confess, praise, acknowledge, and commit to God (1 John 4:3)

Through failing to manifest sacrificial love (1 John 4:8)

Through hypocritical “love” of God that does not flow to others (1 John 4:20)

Through failure to believe and submit to the word of God (1 John 5:10)

Through lacking the Spirit of God (1 John 5:12)

What bearing does all of this have on us?

True Christianity changes us immediately but not completely

We are immediately saved/justified by Jesus (sin no long counts against us), but we are not immediately perfected (we no longer commit sin)

We are immediately secured in our salvation so we can live into our salvation.

True Christianity changes us continually and comprehensively

Segmented Christianity (Christ is Lord here, but not here...) is not authentic Christianity

Jesus is Lord over...

Our intellectual pursuits

Our relationships

Our passions and desires

Our physical bodies

Our finances and future

Our politics and views

Our vocations

True Christianity changes us to the point that we exhume compassion and love

Christianity is NOT exclusively private—there in an immense corporate and communal element to Christianity.

When the love of God is poured into us, the love of God will flow out from us.