GOD IS LOVE

1 John 4:8-10

 

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. GOD IS LOVE BECAUSE OF “WHO” HE LOVES . . . “US”

 

1. “US” – THE WORLD [v. 9, Jn. 3:16]

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 

2. “US” – THE SINNERS [Rm. 5:8]

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

 

3. “US” – THE SAVED SINNERS [Rm. 5:9-10, 8:35-39]

-Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

-Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

II. GOD IS LOVE BECAUSE OF “HOW” HE LOVES [John 3:16]

 

1. HE LOVES AGRESSIVELY - “HE GAVE”

 

2. HE LOVES GENEROUSLY – “HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON”

He may not have bankrupted Heaven but He gave Heaven’s Best!

1 Peter 1:19...But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

1 Peter 2:4...To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

1 Peter 2:6-7...Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

3. HE LOVES UNIVERSALLY – “THE WORLD”

1 Jn. 2:1-2  MY little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

 

III. GOD IS LOVE BECAUSE OF “WHY” HE LOVES

 

1. HE LOVES BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS [Zephaniah 3:17, Ephesians 2:4, Titus 3:4]

- The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love,     he will joy over thee with singing

- But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

- But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared

 

2. HE LOVES BECAUSE OF WHAT HE IS [1 Jn. 4:7-8]

 

3. HE LOVES US BECAUSE OF HOW HE IS

 

A man in a movie once proposed to a rich widow by saying, “I love you. Marry Me!” To which she wisely responded, “You wouldn’t love me if I wasn’t rich.” To which he honestly replied, “I might but I’d keep my mouth shut.”

But God, because of HOW He is EXPRESSES His love in the Book He has written, EXERCISES His love in the Blood He has given and EXPLAINS His love by His Spirit He has sent! GOD IS LOVE.