An American scholar has estimated that, if all of man's accumulated knowledge from the beginning of recorded history to 1845 were represented by one inch, what he learned from 1845 until 1945 would amount to three inches and what he learned from 1945 until 1975 would represent the height of the Washington Monument! Since 1975 then it has probably more than doubled.
The question is, does the incredible leap in scientific, technological, and other such knowledge also mean an incredible leap in wisdom? Our experience of man’s failure in political stability, economic security, sustainable morality, eradication of poverty and many other areas tells us that we, as a human race, more often fail to apply the vast new areas of knowledge wisely and in the best interest of all. Selfishness and greed, to name but two deadly sins, often destroy the opportunities created by the amazing increase of knowledge in our world.
When we as a church pursue growth in knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, it should also mean a growth in wisdom, where wisdom means the ability to apply our knowledge in order to accomplish our purposes and callings. We hope this will be the result but, again, we find that this is not necessarily the case.
In Proverbs 1: 7 we read: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
What is the fear of the LORD?
It means, amongst other things, that our God is the One and Only God. He is the Creator and Manager of the universe. He is the God who desires a relationship with us. He is the God who loves us in Jesus Christ.
He is the God who spoke to Job and said:
(Job 38:4-5) "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. (5) Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! who stretched a measuring line across it?
He is the God about whom Isaiah said:
(Is 40:14 and18) Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding? (18) To whom, then, will you compare God? What image will you compare him to?
Our God is awesome, almighty, holy, glorious, infinite, invisible, and completely wise.
What does it mean to "fear" the LORD? Fear in this context means having a relationship with God, based on a worshipping attitude of praise and thanksgiving. Fear means to obediently and faithfully walk in God's ways, because you have some understanding of whom God said that he is. Fear means to love the LORD with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Fear means to live for the LORD and his glory.
I think of the women at the empty tomb of Jesus. When they met the resurrected Christ they clasped his feet and worshiped him (Mt 28:10). We can say that they feared the LORD.
I also think of Thomas. He saw the risen LORD. He saw the pierced hands and side. And he said, "My LORD and my God!" (Jn 20:28). It took a while, but he eventually feared the LORD too.
What is the beginning of Knowledge?
The Bible says "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge." What is meant by "beginning of knowledge"? The knowledge this verse speaks of is not just facts. Knowledge, in this verse, means living out what you have learned. It means taking what the Bible says and applying it in my relationship with the LORD.
Our verse says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge." The fear of the LORD, in other words, is the basis, the foundation, the first and controlling principle behind all learning, all knowledge, all education. Without a fear of the LORD, all that you will have is facts, but no knowledge, figures but no wisdom, details but no understanding, rules and laws but no morality, knowledge of the historical Jesus, without having a relationship with him.
Point the children and youth under your care to Jesus. Encourage them to make a commitment for Jesus. For that's the beginning point of all knowledge, learning and education. This is true for adults as well. As adults gather for study and fellowship they too need to be pointed again and again to Jesus and the necessity of a living relationship with him. Without that relationship all our study and all our learning comes to nothing.
Only fools despise wisdom and disciplined learning…
The starting point is the fear of the Lord. The ending point is knowledge and wise living for God.
Do you know what lies in-between?
The preaching, teaching and study of God's Word.
We need to spend enough time with the Bible. We need to feed our souls. We need family and personal devotions. We need faithful attendance of all worship services. We need to participate in Bible Study.
We need to feed our souls with God’s Word until we own the knowledge that will make us wise, because we fear the LORD that we love, our Saviour!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Fellowship with Christ will glow through your life
I trust that your fellowship with the Lord in church glows through your life, while you enjoy God's blessings, lots of joy and much faith!
Do you experience God’s presence in Church? You will, if you expect to meet Him there.
Can you witness to prayers that were heard and answered in Church? This will also be your testimony if you come, because you expect the Lord to listen and respond.
When you do worship with God’s people, do you leave with an experience of deliverance and forgiveness? Is this, God's pardon, not one of reasons why you come to meet with your Saviour?
Never come to church, for the sake of pleasing people!
Come to worship God.
Worship God in Christ Jesus His Son, through the work of the Holy Spirit. His Spirit provides the love and faith required, to worship God.
Focus on God when you come to church. Come to show your love for Him, and your gratefulness for His great love and for all His blessings and grace.
Come with the expectation to hear Him speaking to you, forgiving you, loving you and blessing you!
May your fellowship with the Lord amongst His people ensure that you will experience many blessings in His service!
Do you experience God’s presence in Church? You will, if you expect to meet Him there.
Can you witness to prayers that were heard and answered in Church? This will also be your testimony if you come, because you expect the Lord to listen and respond.
When you do worship with God’s people, do you leave with an experience of deliverance and forgiveness? Is this, God's pardon, not one of reasons why you come to meet with your Saviour?
Never come to church, for the sake of pleasing people!
Come to worship God.
Worship God in Christ Jesus His Son, through the work of the Holy Spirit. His Spirit provides the love and faith required, to worship God.
Focus on God when you come to church. Come to show your love for Him, and your gratefulness for His great love and for all His blessings and grace.
Come with the expectation to hear Him speaking to you, forgiving you, loving you and blessing you!
May your fellowship with the Lord amongst His people ensure that you will experience many blessings in His service!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Saved by God's powerful hand
We see the mighty hand of God many times at work. We all have heard or know of people whom doctors pronounce incurable; yet, when his people pray, God brings about a miraculous healing. Think of how a person without peace, in search of meaning and purpose, finds peace and finds God, because he was found by Jesus Christ, his Saviour! In these situations, and many others that you can think of, we see the Lord's mighty hand at work.
It is on occasions like these that our own eyes see that God reigns over all: over death and sickness, over sin and evil and Satan, over his enemies and ours.
Exodus 15: 13 "In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.
The greatest and most glorious deliverance of God is the salvation through Christ Jesus. At the cross, God in his unfailing love did not spare the life of Jesus, his Son, in order to save you and me by his strenghth. And, to remember this great act of deliverance God has given us his Word, his sacraments, his Church.
May you be blessed when you cry out to our Lord and you are saved and delivered by his mighty hand – and by his divine love.
It is on occasions like these that our own eyes see that God reigns over all: over death and sickness, over sin and evil and Satan, over his enemies and ours.
Exodus 15: 13 "In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.
The greatest and most glorious deliverance of God is the salvation through Christ Jesus. At the cross, God in his unfailing love did not spare the life of Jesus, his Son, in order to save you and me by his strenghth. And, to remember this great act of deliverance God has given us his Word, his sacraments, his Church.
May you be blessed when you cry out to our Lord and you are saved and delivered by his mighty hand – and by his divine love.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
God's Kingdom remains always
Markets and governments fall – but God’s Kingdom remains always…
What will make the ultimate difference in your life?
The value of the US dollar, the price of oil, the stability of your family, the Church? ...Or the Kingdom of God?
For Christians the Kingdom of God is of overriding importance. When we understand the “Kingdom perspective” of Jesus, it will impact on our family life – a central responsibility, on financial and other security – an important priority - and on the way we serve Christ in his Church and spread the Word of salvation – a key principle for Kingdom people!
1. Kingdom focus takes away our concerns and set our priorities right.
Jesus said: (Matthew 6:31-33) So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Kingdom people’s focus shifts away from the concerns about what will benefit me now personally, to the ideals of righteous living in all areas of life in obedience to our sovereign King, seeking to proclaim that the Kingdom of God has come and promoting the justice of Jesus wherever we are and in whatever we do.
2. Kingdom people move their focus away from earthly success and recognition towards eternity.
Jesus said: (Matthew 6:19-21) “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
The reality about “storing up treasures in heaven” is that investing in the kingdom of Christ in the here and now, requires sacrifice in the here and now to bring it about! Jesus sacrificed his life for us and we are to sacrifice our lives to live his lifestyle and the lifestyle of his Kingdom. We must 'lose our lives' for Jesus. This will warrant Christ-likeness in our family life, job and finances, care for others, church participation and our contribution towards a stable and prosperous society (i.e. politics, etc.).
The Kingship of Christ and a life focussed on serving him, do not allow for cynicism and pessimism, but it relies in everything on the almighty Christ who promised to remain with us always, bringing to fruition his eternal Kingdom of peace.
3. Kingdom people place the honour of Jesus and the glory of God before anything else.
Jesus said (Matthew 16:25-7) For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.
Such is the Kingdom focus of Kingdom people: By submitting ourselves to live for Christ (losing our lives for his sake!), we find the real life: a life of spiritual joy, satisfaction and love, healthy families, responsible and balanced seeking of career and financial goals and an exciting vision for the Church - far beyond anything which the world offers and can never guarantee.
As world markets are wiping out trillions of dollars overnight, we are literally seeing that the riches of this world, for which many are willing to “lose their lives”, are temporary and uncertain, while the kingdom lifestyle is an amazing rehearsal of the complete security that is to come eternally for those who are fully committed to the Lord.
Shall we learn not to put our trust in the markets, the “world leaders”, the strongest political movements – or any man made ideology, doctrine and structure? How many times does the ungodly culture, who betrays and denies Jesus, has to fail us, before we will start to live only for Jesus, our King, and for his Kingdom?
The Word says: (Psalm 146: 3 – 6) Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth.
What will make the ultimate difference in your life?
The value of the US dollar, the price of oil, the stability of your family, the Church? ...Or the Kingdom of God?
For Christians the Kingdom of God is of overriding importance. When we understand the “Kingdom perspective” of Jesus, it will impact on our family life – a central responsibility, on financial and other security – an important priority - and on the way we serve Christ in his Church and spread the Word of salvation – a key principle for Kingdom people!
1. Kingdom focus takes away our concerns and set our priorities right.
Jesus said: (Matthew 6:31-33) So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Kingdom people’s focus shifts away from the concerns about what will benefit me now personally, to the ideals of righteous living in all areas of life in obedience to our sovereign King, seeking to proclaim that the Kingdom of God has come and promoting the justice of Jesus wherever we are and in whatever we do.
2. Kingdom people move their focus away from earthly success and recognition towards eternity.
Jesus said: (Matthew 6:19-21) “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
The reality about “storing up treasures in heaven” is that investing in the kingdom of Christ in the here and now, requires sacrifice in the here and now to bring it about! Jesus sacrificed his life for us and we are to sacrifice our lives to live his lifestyle and the lifestyle of his Kingdom. We must 'lose our lives' for Jesus. This will warrant Christ-likeness in our family life, job and finances, care for others, church participation and our contribution towards a stable and prosperous society (i.e. politics, etc.).
The Kingship of Christ and a life focussed on serving him, do not allow for cynicism and pessimism, but it relies in everything on the almighty Christ who promised to remain with us always, bringing to fruition his eternal Kingdom of peace.
3. Kingdom people place the honour of Jesus and the glory of God before anything else.
Jesus said (Matthew 16:25-7) For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.
Such is the Kingdom focus of Kingdom people: By submitting ourselves to live for Christ (losing our lives for his sake!), we find the real life: a life of spiritual joy, satisfaction and love, healthy families, responsible and balanced seeking of career and financial goals and an exciting vision for the Church - far beyond anything which the world offers and can never guarantee.
As world markets are wiping out trillions of dollars overnight, we are literally seeing that the riches of this world, for which many are willing to “lose their lives”, are temporary and uncertain, while the kingdom lifestyle is an amazing rehearsal of the complete security that is to come eternally for those who are fully committed to the Lord.
Shall we learn not to put our trust in the markets, the “world leaders”, the strongest political movements – or any man made ideology, doctrine and structure? How many times does the ungodly culture, who betrays and denies Jesus, has to fail us, before we will start to live only for Jesus, our King, and for his Kingdom?
The Word says: (Psalm 146: 3 – 6) Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Pursue Godliness
Listen to what Paul taught the Corinthians in the context of remembering Israel's deliverance from Egypt: (1Cor 5:7-8 – The Message) Yeast is a "small thing," but it works its way through a whole batch of bread dough pretty fast. So get rid of this "yeast." Our true identity is flat and plain, not puffed up with the wrong kind of ingredient. The Messiah, our Passover Lamb, has already been sacrificed for the Passover meal, and we are the Unraised Bread part of the Feast. So let's live out our part in the Feast (of life), not as raised bread, swollen with the yeast of evil, but as flat bread—simple, genuine, unpretentious.
What Paul wants us to do is to pursue holiness and godliness as a member of the body of redeemed believers. The true church and sincere Christian get rid of “old yeast” in life’s dough and “bake a new bread” by pursuing a new life style which is sincere, truthful, simple, unpretentious – always being the “real thing” – an authentic Christian.
Because of Christ – his death and his burial – you are dead to sin and the “old yeast” influence of sin has been swept clean from your life. It died with Christ and was buried with him. You are now truly alive, sharing in the “new genuine bread” of Christ’s resurrection.
May you be blessed as you work at making this a reality in your life. We must live like the old bread is gone. We must live like people whose bondage and slavery in Evil’s Egypt has been left behind for good.
What Paul wants us to do is to pursue holiness and godliness as a member of the body of redeemed believers. The true church and sincere Christian get rid of “old yeast” in life’s dough and “bake a new bread” by pursuing a new life style which is sincere, truthful, simple, unpretentious – always being the “real thing” – an authentic Christian.
Because of Christ – his death and his burial – you are dead to sin and the “old yeast” influence of sin has been swept clean from your life. It died with Christ and was buried with him. You are now truly alive, sharing in the “new genuine bread” of Christ’s resurrection.
May you be blessed as you work at making this a reality in your life. We must live like the old bread is gone. We must live like people whose bondage and slavery in Evil’s Egypt has been left behind for good.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Holy Communion, celebrating God's love...
There is so much we can say about God's love. Because we are invited to sit at the Lord’s Table on Sunday, lets emphasise this aspect of his love today: This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 4: 10) Out of love God sent his Son "as an atoning sacrifice."
Firstly, Jesus was sent as a sacrifice. This means that Jesus died. This means his blood was spilled on the altar of the cross. God sent Jesus to die. God sent his one and only Son to die for us.
What love. What tremendous, awesome love!!
Secondly, Jesus, out of love, was sent as an "atoning" sacrifice. To atone means to pay a ransom or to be set free from slavery by paying the “value” of the slave to his owner. See Mark 10:45. This means Jesus' sacrifice does something to us: His atoning sacrifice flushes out our sin and the guilt of our sin, setting us free from its ownership. It also means that Jesus' sacrifice does something to God. It takes away God's wrath. It satisfies the demands of God's justice that sinners pay for sin. Jesus removes the wrath of God by suffering and dying in our place.
What love. What tremendous, awesome love.
When we eat and drink at the Lord’s Table, remember the Father's love that caused him to send his Son into the world as an atoning sacrifice. We may leave his Supper with the full knowledge of being washed and cleansed and with a certain faith-knowledge that God’s anger as a result of our sins, has been satisfied. Our loving relationship with the Father is restored. Completely and fully restored. We are free to serve God again!
What love. What tremendous, awesome love
Yes, we are celebrating this love of God when we on Sunday morning enjoy the Lord's Supper. But can you celebrate this love along with his people? Do know this love of God? Is it visible in your life that you know God’s love given by the atoning sacrifice of his Son on the cross?
"Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God" (1 John 4:7). On the other hand, everyone who does not love, has not been born of God and does not know God.
What happens is this: God's wonderful, tremendous, awesome love flows into us and out of us. This love that God gives to us, we absolutely want to give to others. It is a love that is willing to sacrifice for the good of others. Lets celebrate, then, God's love for us at his Table. And, in doing so, let us also celebrate our love for one another.
What love. What tremendous, awesome love!
Firstly, Jesus was sent as a sacrifice. This means that Jesus died. This means his blood was spilled on the altar of the cross. God sent Jesus to die. God sent his one and only Son to die for us.
What love. What tremendous, awesome love!!
Secondly, Jesus, out of love, was sent as an "atoning" sacrifice. To atone means to pay a ransom or to be set free from slavery by paying the “value” of the slave to his owner. See Mark 10:45. This means Jesus' sacrifice does something to us: His atoning sacrifice flushes out our sin and the guilt of our sin, setting us free from its ownership. It also means that Jesus' sacrifice does something to God. It takes away God's wrath. It satisfies the demands of God's justice that sinners pay for sin. Jesus removes the wrath of God by suffering and dying in our place.
What love. What tremendous, awesome love.
When we eat and drink at the Lord’s Table, remember the Father's love that caused him to send his Son into the world as an atoning sacrifice. We may leave his Supper with the full knowledge of being washed and cleansed and with a certain faith-knowledge that God’s anger as a result of our sins, has been satisfied. Our loving relationship with the Father is restored. Completely and fully restored. We are free to serve God again!
What love. What tremendous, awesome love
Yes, we are celebrating this love of God when we on Sunday morning enjoy the Lord's Supper. But can you celebrate this love along with his people? Do know this love of God? Is it visible in your life that you know God’s love given by the atoning sacrifice of his Son on the cross?
"Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God" (1 John 4:7). On the other hand, everyone who does not love, has not been born of God and does not know God.
What happens is this: God's wonderful, tremendous, awesome love flows into us and out of us. This love that God gives to us, we absolutely want to give to others. It is a love that is willing to sacrifice for the good of others. Lets celebrate, then, God's love for us at his Table. And, in doing so, let us also celebrate our love for one another.
What love. What tremendous, awesome love!
Monday, October 6, 2008
The Oppression ended
When Jesus came into the world our oppression by sin ended. When Jesus comes into your life, your domination by sin, ends.
When we enter into an intimate walk with Jesus, we no longer live under the threat of judgement and we are no longer owned by sin, a tyrant that seeks to hurt and destroy us.
When Jesus comes into our lives, a new power is in operation within us – the comforting power of the Holy Spirit that sets us free from the brutal cruelty at the hands of sin and death.
Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! (Jn 1:29).We are not only forgiven our sins, we are also set free from being enslaved by its malicious despotism. We are bought by the precious blood of the Lamb and we are free to love and serve God.
May you be blessed this week when you hold on to the certainty that there is power, power, wonder-working power in the precious blood of the Lamb.
When we enter into an intimate walk with Jesus, we no longer live under the threat of judgement and we are no longer owned by sin, a tyrant that seeks to hurt and destroy us.
When Jesus comes into our lives, a new power is in operation within us – the comforting power of the Holy Spirit that sets us free from the brutal cruelty at the hands of sin and death.
Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! (Jn 1:29).We are not only forgiven our sins, we are also set free from being enslaved by its malicious despotism. We are bought by the precious blood of the Lamb and we are free to love and serve God.
May you be blessed this week when you hold on to the certainty that there is power, power, wonder-working power in the precious blood of the Lamb.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Love...
What is love? We cannot see it by looking at other people – at least not people without Christ and sometimes not even people who received Christ. Why can non-believers not be role models of what love is? What is love?
The Bible says: "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us ..." (1 John 4:10). John earlier wrote: "God is love" (1 John 4:8).
1. John reminds us that love always involves self-sacrifice. God "sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice ..." (1 Jn 4:10). If we show this same kind of love we also engage in self-sacrifice – we give up our own desires, our own plans, and seek the good of others. We stop putting ourselves and our own feelings first and put the other person first.
The sending of the Son both shows God's love and that God is love. The sending of the Son both shows that God loves us, and sending Jesus for our sake is the act of love itself. God communicates his love both in words and in deeds.
2. Love: a painful sacrifice. The revelation of God's love and the act of God's love is this: God "sent his one and only Son" (1 John 4:9). God sent "his only begotten Son."
These phrases remind us that Jesus alone is the "eternal, natural Son of God." He is God, he is of God's essence, he is of the same substance as the Father. We know that God the Father loves his only begotten Son with divine love. Jesus was the very best God had to give us!
Yet, the Father "sent his one and only Son." Think of the pain a parent feels when a child leaves – the first day of school, off to varsity or away from home for a job. Think of the pain the Father felt when he sent his one and only Son. What love the Father must have for us that he did this.
3. Love: God sent his Son for sinners – his enemy. "This is how God showed his love among us: he sent his one and only Son into the world" (1 John 4:9) By "world" John means the universe and everything in it, mankind, the fallen creation opposed to God and his rule. The world that has fallen into sin, the world that opposes God, mankind that became God’s fiercest enemy – into this world God has sent his one and only Son.
Not only did God out of love send his Son "into the world" but he sent his Son out of love "for our sins." God sent his one and only Son for sinners. A sinner is someone who has offended God. A sinner has broken God's law. A sinner is guilty in God's sight. A sinner is separated from God. A sinner stands in opposition to God. A sinner deserves God's wrath and condemnation. We all realize that we are the sinners and that Jesus was sent for our sins.
Jesus wasn't sent for perfect people. Jesus wasn't sent for people who are loving and caring and compassionate and kind. Jesus was sent for people who hate God and their fellow mankind. Paul says this:
(Rom 5:8) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Christ came and Christ died for people who were enemies rather than friends.
A human example…A recent story about a brave soldier, is about Michael Monsoor who gave his life to save his friends. This American Navy soldier sacrificed his life to save his comrades by throwing himself on top of a grenade Iraqi fighters tossed into their sniper hideout. Michael A. Monsoor had been near the only door to the rooftop structure when the grenade hit him in the chest and bounced to the floor. "He never took his eye off the grenade, his only movement was down toward it," said a 28-year-old lieutenant who sustained shrapnel wounds to both legs that day. "He undoubtedly saved mine and the other soldier’s lives, and we owe him."
Monsoor did this for friends.
Jesus did this for enemies! For you and me.
Real love involves sacrificial love, sacrificing the best we have to offer. Not only for God and for those who are good to us, but also love for those who oppose us because we are Christians.
Jesus delivered us from the bondage of sin and the burning wrath of a holy God. We owe God and his eternal Son love, sacrificial love and we owe real love to everyone he requires us to love!
The Bible says: "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us ..." (1 John 4:10). John earlier wrote: "God is love" (1 John 4:8).
1. John reminds us that love always involves self-sacrifice. God "sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice ..." (1 Jn 4:10). If we show this same kind of love we also engage in self-sacrifice – we give up our own desires, our own plans, and seek the good of others. We stop putting ourselves and our own feelings first and put the other person first.
The sending of the Son both shows God's love and that God is love. The sending of the Son both shows that God loves us, and sending Jesus for our sake is the act of love itself. God communicates his love both in words and in deeds.
2. Love: a painful sacrifice. The revelation of God's love and the act of God's love is this: God "sent his one and only Son" (1 John 4:9). God sent "his only begotten Son."
These phrases remind us that Jesus alone is the "eternal, natural Son of God." He is God, he is of God's essence, he is of the same substance as the Father. We know that God the Father loves his only begotten Son with divine love. Jesus was the very best God had to give us!
Yet, the Father "sent his one and only Son." Think of the pain a parent feels when a child leaves – the first day of school, off to varsity or away from home for a job. Think of the pain the Father felt when he sent his one and only Son. What love the Father must have for us that he did this.
3. Love: God sent his Son for sinners – his enemy. "This is how God showed his love among us: he sent his one and only Son into the world" (1 John 4:9) By "world" John means the universe and everything in it, mankind, the fallen creation opposed to God and his rule. The world that has fallen into sin, the world that opposes God, mankind that became God’s fiercest enemy – into this world God has sent his one and only Son.
Not only did God out of love send his Son "into the world" but he sent his Son out of love "for our sins." God sent his one and only Son for sinners. A sinner is someone who has offended God. A sinner has broken God's law. A sinner is guilty in God's sight. A sinner is separated from God. A sinner stands in opposition to God. A sinner deserves God's wrath and condemnation. We all realize that we are the sinners and that Jesus was sent for our sins.
Jesus wasn't sent for perfect people. Jesus wasn't sent for people who are loving and caring and compassionate and kind. Jesus was sent for people who hate God and their fellow mankind. Paul says this:
(Rom 5:8) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Christ came and Christ died for people who were enemies rather than friends.
A human example…A recent story about a brave soldier, is about Michael Monsoor who gave his life to save his friends. This American Navy soldier sacrificed his life to save his comrades by throwing himself on top of a grenade Iraqi fighters tossed into their sniper hideout. Michael A. Monsoor had been near the only door to the rooftop structure when the grenade hit him in the chest and bounced to the floor. "He never took his eye off the grenade, his only movement was down toward it," said a 28-year-old lieutenant who sustained shrapnel wounds to both legs that day. "He undoubtedly saved mine and the other soldier’s lives, and we owe him."
Monsoor did this for friends.
Jesus did this for enemies! For you and me.
Real love involves sacrificial love, sacrificing the best we have to offer. Not only for God and for those who are good to us, but also love for those who oppose us because we are Christians.
Jesus delivered us from the bondage of sin and the burning wrath of a holy God. We owe God and his eternal Son love, sacrificial love and we owe real love to everyone he requires us to love!
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