“How can we be sure ‘God is Love’?”

April 26, 2009   1Jn.4:7-18.1:1-2:2    Play AUDIO (mp3)  Play VIDEO (wmv)

●    FALLEN ATTEMPTS TO FIND PURPOSE AND ORDER

    ○    nature points to creator, but ambiguous
    ○    gangs, ritual murders examples of rule by fear (Mk 10:42)
    ○    rule by law distorted by extremists, Pharisaism (Mt 23:15)

●    A SPECIAL KIND OF LOVE AT THE CORE OF BEING

    ○    Yahweh source of being; ‘abounding in love’ (Ex 3:14; 34:6f)
    ○    to live in love is to dwell in God (7f, 16)
    ○    God bonds to His creatures with cords of kindness (Hos 11:4)

●    LOVE THAT STOPS AT NOTHING TO SAVE THE BELOVED

    ○    agape vs. phileo, eros, ‘pop’ love
    ○    Father’s love: sent Son as atoning sacrifice for our sins (9f,14)
    ○    even though our righteousness like filthy rags (Is 64:6)
    ○    love lays down its life, takes risks for the beloved (1Jn 3:16)

●    HOW TO GET THIS SPECIAL LOVE IN US

    ○    being born of God by the Spirit key (7,10; Jn 3:3,5f; 1Jn 4:13; Gal 5:22; Rom 5:5)
    ○    requires acknowledging Jesus as God’s Son - is our Saviour (15; Jn 15:26, 16:8f)

●    LOVE THAT GOES BEYOND THE NORM

    ○    remarkable grace given a deserted wife to care for dead husband’s new foreign wife