The Manner Of God's Love
James L. Reynolds(1 John 3:1-3 ) "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. {2} Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. {3} And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."
(Acts 15:1-6) "And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. {2} When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. {3} And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. {4} And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. {5} But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. {6} And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter."The apostles and elders did not come together just to have a brief and casual discussion on this matter. They came together to 'regard it with their minds', and that carefully and with great consideration and undoubtedly with much fervent prayer.
(Jeremiah 31:3) "The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."It is certainly an awesome and stupendous thought to consider that God has loved His people with an eternal love.
(Jeremiah 1:5) "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."There never was a time when God did not love His people nor shall there ever be a time when His love for them will cease. The immutability or unchangeableness of God prohibits God's love for His people from ever being diminished or terminated.
(Hebrews 13:5) "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee ."The hymn writer, Charles H. Gabriel pens for us just such an amazement of God's unworthy saints when they reflect upon His great love for them.
(Romans 8:35-39) "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? {36} As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. {37} Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. {38} For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, {39} 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."We would like to now take a few minutes and discuss how God's love for His people is in Christ and take note of a few of the things it means to be ‘in Christ’. The word of God is distinctly plain and clear that any and all favorable acceptance in God's sight and any and all spiritual blessing are a result of being in Christ. The term ‘in Christ’ is used seventy-seven times in the New Testament.
(Romans 8:1) "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus."It is never in ourselves that we have acceptance with God but always and only, ‘in Christ’.
(II Timothy 2:10) "Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." (II Timothy 2:10)It is not any perceived good deeds or works that garners salvation for us. God declares that all of our righteousness are as filthy rags.
(Isaiah 64:6) "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."At our best state or condition we are altogether sinful and that includes each and everyone of us.
(Psalms 39:5) "Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah."We are told time and again in God's Word that it is not by works of righteousness that we obtain salvation but by God's mercy.
(Titus 3:5) "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, ..."Truly, the salvation of the gospel, which is declared in God's inspired and holy Word, is only ‘in Christ’ and is compete ‘in Christ’.
(I Corinthians 1:2) "Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus. called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:"When God separated us from the remainder of fallen mankind He did so by placing us ‘in Christ’.
(Acts 13:2) "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them."We are born again and become a new creation ‘in Christ’.
(II Corinthians 5:17) "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: ..."After the new birth we yet have that old nature which wars against the spirit. But now we also have that new divine nature which is capable of offering service that is acceptable and pleasing unto God.
(Ephesians 1:3) "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: ..."As with so much of God's blessed word the above scripture contains many gems of comfort and spiritual nourishment. There are two things we wish to point out to you at this time.
(James 4:2) "...ye have not, because ye ask not."Our eternal election unto salvation was, ‘in Christ’
(Ephesians 1:4) "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, ..."In the everlasting covenant of redemption, entered into by the three persons of the Godhead, God the Father chose a number, sure and fixed, of Adam's fallen posterity to be made acceptable in His eternal presence. From an equally hell deserving mankind He chose that unchangeable number ‘in Christ’ and in so doing He assured that each and everyone of those chosen would one day realize and be partakers of those eternal benefits of Christ's atonement.
(Ephesians 2:6) "And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:"The new creature that we are ‘in Christ’ has been ordained to good works ‘in Christ.’
(Ephesians 2:10) "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."That great gulf between a holy God and sinful creatures has been bridged by the sinless blood of Christ being applied to those who are ‘in Christ’.
(Ephesians 2:13) "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."God's promises to His people are made to them ‘in Christ’.
(Ephesians 3:6) "That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:"The prize of God's high calling is ‘in Christ’.
(Philippians 3:14) "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."God's promise of eternal life for His people is ‘in Christ’.
(II Timothy 1:1) "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus."All of mankind can be put into two categories, those who are in themselves and those who are in Christ.
(Romans 5:8) "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."It has often been said in reference to relationships between humans that true love manifests itself in actions towards the objects of that affection. Some would claim that it is impossible to love someone and not be concerned about their well being and happiness. It is also claimed that the concerns and cares which we have for a person are in direct proportion to the love which we have for that person. If that be the case in mortals, and it often is, how infinitely greater is God's love expressed towards His people by His concerns for their eternal well being and His gracious actions towards them.
(Psalms 68:19) "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah."In His common goodness to mankind He makes the rain fall o the just and the unjust. The rebellious sinner often benefits from many of the mercies of God just as do the redeemed sinner. Yet that common goodness does not equate to divine love for all the objects of divine love are 'in Christ'. It is God's people who are daily loaded with His benefits for it is they alone who know the Lord as 'the God of our salvation.'
(Romans 9:21) "Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?"God demonstrates His active love for us in working out all things which befall us to our good and to His glory.
(Romans 8:28) "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."Even those trials and afflictions which seem so burdensome to us are in reality manifest tokens of His love, for they refine us and cause us to more reflect the image of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
(Isaiah 48:10) "Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction."In closing we wish to call your attention to the Scriptural declaration that God's love has been "bestowed upon us."
(II Samuel 7:18) "Who am I, 0 Lord GOD? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?"Oh dearly beloved, that the blessed Holy Spirit may induce each of us to give frequent, prayerful and diligent consideration of the manner of the great love which the Father hath so freely and graciously bestowed upon us in Christ Jesus. And, that by so considering His great love for us we may daily increase in our love for Him.
(Mark 12:30) "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment."While the yet depraved flesh will rebel and war against such a love and devotion to our gracious Lord and Savior it is possible by the Holy Spirit's leading to be continually increasing in our love and gratitude for God.