April 29, 2007

Cawson Street Church of Christ

Hopewell, Virginia

Mural Worthey

 

The Love of God

The Greatest Theme,  # 2

 

Introduction: Tell the story of the father with two sons. (Luke 15:11-32.) Remember that Jesus told this story because the Pharisees and scribes were complaining due to his association with publicans and sinners. They said, correctly, that he received sinners and ate with them. (15:2.) Jesus did not despise the Pharisees either; he loved them too. The elder brother in his story represented the self-righteous Pharisees. The father went out and entreated him to come in and enjoy the welcome-home party for his brother. This is one of the greatest and best-known stories in the Bible. It has been told over and over again. It accurately portrays the love of God for prodigals. He will receive us back and even run to meet us. I understand that this was something that adults would not do in the East. But this father ran to welcome his son back. This is a picture of love at its best.

 

In the second prayer for the Ephesians, Paul made several requests for God on their behalf. He prayed, “That they might be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, length, depth and height, and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; and that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Eph. 3:14-19.)

 

A couple of unusual things about Paul’s prayer are: 1) Paul named four dimensions of Christ’s love (there are only three dimensions in space), and 2) he said that he wanted them to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge.

 

Seven Biblical Statements about Love

 

1—The greatest of these is love. “And now abides faith, hope and love; and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor. 13:13.) In this section, Paul wanted the Corinthians to seek after love, instead of clamoring over the spiritual gifts. The Corinthians failed because they exalted tongue speaking above other gifts and even above love for one another. They were divisive and some did not show proper love and respect for Paul. (2 Cor. 12:15.) Paul showed them that the spiritual gifts were temporary and would fail or cease to exist. But faith, hope and love would continue after they ceased; and the greatest of these three is love. In the Scriptures, when love and other spiritual attributes are considered, love is always the highest or best. Paul wrote that “knowledge puffs us up, but love edifies. If a man thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing as he ought to know.” (1 Cor. 8:1-2.) When Peter named the eight virtues of Christian character, love was listed last as the crowning virtue. (2 Peter 1:5-8.) He wrote, “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves; for charity shall cover a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8.)

 

It is evident that love is the greatest theme or topic in the Bible. It is the greatest virtue or trait to add to your faith. It is higher than faith, hope, knowledge, and spiritual gifts.  It is not more important to speak in tongues than to love one another and to love God. Love edifies and promotes Christian unity more than anything else.

 

Love is greater than all other virtues; and dying for your friends is the greatest form of love. Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13.) This refers to Jesus’ death for us. He could not have shown a greater love than that gift. He died so that we might be saved. We saw a recent example of one dying for another during the tragedy at Virginia Tech. One of the teachers held the door against the shooter while his students jumped from the window to safety. An Israeli Professor Liviu Librescu was shot to death while he held the door. Often in battles, one soldier will sacrifice himself in order to save others. This is the greatest gift than one can give, the gift of life.

 

2—Perfect love casts out fear. “Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment; because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:17-19.)

 

There is a fear that is wholesome and good. We should fear God; it is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom. (Prov. 1:7; 9:10.) Reverence for God is good, but there is a fear that is not good. In this context, it is a lack of assurance and confidence before God in the Day of Judgment. Man tends to fear that coming event; fear has torment. Man tends to give up hope if he fears God or the outcome of the Judgment. Knowing that God loves us helps to remove that harmful fear that tears down and discourages.

 

3—Love fulfills the Law. Paul wrote, “Owe no man anything, but to love one another; for he that loves another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery. . . and if there is any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Love works no ill to his neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” (Rom. 13:8-10.) The debt of love to one another we never pay off. All of the commandments can be summed up loving God with all your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself.

 

Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment in the Law of Moses. Those asking him did not really want to know; they were setting a trap and ready to argue with whatever he replied. But they were shocked at how easily he answered them. (Matt. 22:36-40.) He said, On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. The two commands about love are found in Deut. 6:5 and Lev. 19:18.

 

All of the commandments of God can be divided into those that deal with our responsibilities to God and to man. If we love God, we will obey him. (John 14:15.) If we love our neighbor, we will not steal from him or covet his wife. Love removes the necessity of law. A marriage is not sustained by law; the relationships between parents and children cannot be nurtured by laws; redemption is not based upon law keeping. The solid foundation upon which they all rest is love.

 

4—Love covers a multitude of sins. “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves; for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8.) “Hatred stirs up strife; but love covers all sins.” (Prov. 10:12.) “He that covers a transgression seeks love, but he that repeats a matter separates friends.” (Prov. 17:9.) Solomon’s words help us to understand the meaning of love covering a multitude of sins. If we love one another, we will not expose the other’s wrongdoing. We will not readily tell it to others.

 

A husband and wife will not speak of the weaknesses and sins of the other to other people. (Ex. Augustine’s mother, Monica, was often abused by her husband who was not a believer in God. But Monica hid this from her friends when they noticed the bruises. She would say that it was nothing. She loved her children and groaned as if in child-birth when they went away from God. She covered the sins of her husband with her love. It takes a strong and loving person to do that.) Parents who love their children will cover their sins in love. Love for one another would solve most of the problems in the home, church and society. Brother Batsell Barrett Baxter was once asked what he thought was the greatest sin that men could commit. He replied, The greatest sin is breaking the greatest commandment (to love God with all your heart) and the second commandment (to love your neighbor as yourself). The greatest sin is to not love; and love covers one another’s sins.

 

5—Love scourges and chastens. The Hebrew writer wrote, “For whom the Lord loves, he chastens and scourges every son whom he receives.” (Heb. 12:6.) This quotation comes from Proverbs 3:11-12. Solomon added: “My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction.”

Just as good parents discipline their children occasionally, God our Father also chastens every son that he receives. Solomon wrote, “He that spares his rod hates his son, but he that loves him chastens him betimes.” (Prov. 13:24.)

 

This Is Love Too

 

Our view of love is often so different from the language of God and Scripture. Too many think of love as soft and sentimental.

 

Saying no to a child and meaning it is love too. Physically disciplining a child who challenges your authority as a parent is love too. “He that spares his rod hates his son, but he that loves him chastens him sometimes.” (Prov. 13:24.) I was walking in our neighborhood a few weeks ago and overheard an interesting exchange between a mother and her young son (about 7 yrs old). They were just arriving home in the evening and getting out of the car when I walked past. The mother was yelling at her son and he was ignoring her as they walked into the house. The only part of the conversation that I heard was the mother saying, “How dare you to talk to me as if you were 25 years old!” But the body language of the both the mother and child told the story. The child was accustomed to saying whatever he wanted and the mother did nothing about it. It was obvious that that little child had whipped that mother many times before. She had never taken him to the cleaners, or to a woodshed.

 

Our society is permissive and weak. We have laws against spanking school children; they say it might warp their little personalities! The truth is there is something else that needs to be warped. Woopi Goldberg recently told the story about her experiences on an airplane. She said that was a little boy flying with his mother. The child became restless; it was obvious the mother did not know how to handle the child. She turned the child loose to run in the aisle of the airplane. He stopped to pest the other travelers, wanting to look into their bags and purses. He stopped at Woopi’s seat and started pulling at her belongings. She looked at this little boy whom she called “Buck Wheat.” She said, Little boy, if you don’t get back to your seat and sit down, I am going to eat you. He left screaming and crying to the high heavens. The mother turned to Woopi and asked her why she scared her baby. Woopi said, I told him that story so I would not have to spank his bottom. If he comes back here again that is exactly what I will do. Well, the mother could not believe it. There is nothing more pitiable than a baby mother or baby father trying to raise a baby child.

 

“Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction will drive it far from him.” (Prov. 22:15.) If you are a parent having a hard time raising your children, read the Proverbs. They will give you some wisdom and instruction on what to do.

 

God chastening and scourging us to correct our behavior is love too. “For whom the Lord loves he chastens and scourges every son whom he receives.” (Heb. 12:6.)

 

A friend rebuking a friend who suggests that they do something wrong is love too. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” (Prov. 27:6.)

A church disciplining unruly members is love too. (2 Cor. 2:8.) Why doesn’t church discipline bring about correction and restoration? The most obvious answer is that we have failed to grow in love and know what love is. Love requires the greatest maturity; it is the highest virtue.

 

Suffering a cruel death on the cross is love too. “Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13.)

 

6—Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Paul asked, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Rom. 8:35.) He asked a series of questions in this text: 1) If God is for us, who can be against us? (8:31.) 2) Who is he that condemns? (8:34.) and, 3) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? (8:35.) This whole chapter is a summation of God’s redeeming love by not sparing his only Son. (8:32.)

 

There are some things that might separate our love from God, but there is nothing that will ever separate his love from us. I am confident that this is a reference to his love for us. See verses 37 and 39. Isaiah the prophet wrote that our sins and iniquities have separated us from God that he will not hear us. (Isaiah 59:1-2.) Deliberating living in sin does separate us from fellowship with the Holy God, but it does not separate us from his love. But the things that happen to us in life, even to the point of death, should not be thought of as a sign that God is no longer with us or loves us.