DO YOU LOVE ME?
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Love or Hate?
Love or Hate?
Do you love others or do you hate others?
Remember back the the first 2 chapters, how hard is it to answer this question?
You know the right answer, I know the right answer. Of course you don’t hate any one and I don’t hate anyone because that is against the rules right?
SO we know the right answer and you can say the right answer but how do you know what you really believe?
Remember last week, which is safer driving or flying, but there are still people who refuse to fly why? Because they really don’t believe it.
So you know what you really believe by your actions. Look at verses 16 & 17
16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
17 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?
So take a minute and examine your actions, do you love your brothers and sisters in Christ. Look at the standard Jesus sets.
You are called to lay down your life for the brothers like Jesus.
What did Jesus give up for you?
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
I don’t think we will ever fully comprehend the humility of Jesus
What is humility?
Humility: a modest or low view of one's own importance;
~Oxford Dictionary
The definition I heard and really liked. Came from C.S. Lewis
Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call ‘humble’ nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody.
Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.
If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step. The first step is to realize that one is proud. And a biggish step, too. At least, nothing whatever can be done before it. If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed.
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Book 3, Chapter 8, “The Great Sin,” Kindle location 1665
I really like the point C.S. Lewis is making. Notice from his definition a truly humble person isn’t thinking about themself at all, they are thinking of others.
Isn’t this the same struggle we have to deal with in our text this morning? Listen as I read it again.
16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
17 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?
The struggle we all have in our own hearts is between our own desires and laying them down for the good of others.
Can anyone here relate to what I am saying?
A good example was last night, I am in bed trying to sleep which I would argue is a good desire but my children decided they would rather fight and make life difficult. At first I was irritated and frustrated because I wanted to sleep. Well in my irritation and frustration I said something unkind to one of my sons. I will not name names to protect the guilty. But no more did I lay down the Holy Spirit convicted me. Earlier that day I was reading a book titled “Taming the Tongue” by Mark Kinzer.
The Holy Spirit used this passage from the book to convict me.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
The author went on to say
If our tongues are submitted to the authority of God, they will bring life, both to others and to ourselves. If our tongues are restless, untamed, and rebellious, they will bring death.
I was convicted that my words earlier spoke death not life. So I got back out of bed and went and spoke life to my son. And wow what a difference it made in his response. And this morning talking with Amber I realized I was frustrated because I was thinking of myself. I wanted sleep again this isn’t bad, but my son need parenting and I did’t want to do it in that moment.
I have come to realize what a huge roll my kids play in my sanctification. Because they are constantly asking you think of others before yourself and they help reveal just how selfish I am.
But when we turn our focus back to Jesus. What example did He give?
28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
This is so difficult. To understand the humility of Jesus. To understand what He gave up for us.
First Jesus was in perfect communion with the Father and The Holy Spirit. God did not need us. Jesus did not have to humble Himself and take on human flesh.
Jesus created everything by the Power of His Word! He is the King of Glory. Do you remember what I read earlier in Psalm 24?
Jesus was already the King of Glory and He already was worship as such in heaven. So why did He leave His royal throne to come here? To be mistreated, insulted, rejected, beaten, and crucified for us His enemies?
2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
What joy was set before Him? What possible joy was found in the gruesome, torturous, bloody, painful, and embarrassing death on the cross? Our redemption. His bride the church. He loved us to the point of death. He desired relationship to the point of humbly stepping down out of glory and taking on human flesh to be mistreated for you. I hope you never loose sight of the radical, reckless love of God that was displayed on the cross 2,000 years ago.
Can you ever humble yourself to the extent of Jesus? Of course not, but if Jesus went to such great lengths and humility to save you, how can we not deny ourselves for the sake of others?
Spurgeon Morning and Evening May 4th