Sunday, February 25, 2007
THE LOVE GOD HATES
I John 2:15-17
We have been examining the tests of life from I John. Go back for a moment to the Gospel of John, chapter 20. Let’s read John 20:30-31, "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31. But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." So why did John write the things in "his" gospel? You might say, "In order that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God." That is true up to a point, but it doesn’t go far enough. The problem is that it is easy to say "I believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the very Son of God." But how do we know if it is genuine belief, the kind of belief that saves? Remember that we have examples in John where we are told that people believed in Jesus, but it obviously wasn’t saving belief. Just go back to verse 31 again, "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." There’s the test. It is genuine belief (faith), if it opens the way to life through His name. If I don’t have the life of Jesus, then my so-called belief means nothing.
So in I John we are confronted with the tests of life. How can I determine whether or not I have the life of God within? There are three basic tests: the test of belief, the test of obedience, and the test of love. Most recently, we have been looking at the test of love. We find it over and over in I John. Boiled down, here it is: "Love for the brothers is evidence of God’s life within. Absence of that love points to the absence of His life." It’s as simple as that. However, there is another aspect of the test of love. And that brings us to our text for this morning. A little over thirty years ago, I heard a pastor (John MacArthur) entitle this passage "The Love that God Hates." That seems to be a very fitting title for what John has to say in this passage. Let’s read it in I John 2:15-17…
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
So the love that God hates is love for the world. That is why he gives us the command in no uncertain terms: Don’t love the world and don’t love the things that are in the world. Verses 16 and 17 explain why we are not to love the world. The explanation given in verses 16-17 does not change the command in the least; it simply explains why the Lord has given us this commandment. God doesn’t always explain the reason for His command, but He graciously gives us a rather detailed explanation for this one. So He tells us not to love the world and then tells us why.
I. Love for the World–Its Disqualification (If you love the world, you don’t love God)
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." The first thing we must do is understand what John means by "the love of the Father." Is it the love the Father has for us? Or, is it the love we have for the Father? Grammatically, it could be taken either way. While there may be some room for argument, I take this to mean a person’s love for the Father. In other words, "If anyone loves the world, then he doesn’t love the Father." The phrase "love of the Father" is found nowhere else in the Bible, but we find the phrase "love of God" back in 2:5, "But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected…" It seems quite clear here that John is speaking of the love a person has for God. The Amplified renders 2:15, "Do not love or cherish the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him." So the message is clear. If you love the world, then you don’t love God.
Before we go any farther, we must define what John means by "world." Surely he doesn’t mean that it is wrong to love the people in the world. After all, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son…" And surely God wouldn’t mind if we loved the beauty of the physical world He created. In the scripture, the term "world" is used in both those ways. It can refer to the people that populate the earth. It is also used to speak of the physical universe that God created and sustains by His power. However, the term "world" is also used in another sense in the New Testament, and it is this world that we are forbidden to love. This is the world that hates God and everything associated with God. Let’s read from that wonderful prayer of Jesus in John 17… (Jn. 17:9,14-16)
I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine… I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
And come back to John 15:18-19, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."
Do you see the hatred between the world and God, Jesus, and Jesus’ followers? When used in this way, the term "world" refers to the world system that is opposed to God. You can find this ungodly system in the world of education, the world of finance, the world of the fine arts, etc.
Those who do not have the life of God within them are a part of "the world."
In I John, it is sometimes a bit difficult to make a clear distinction in the way "world" is used, but in at least 13 of its 22 occurrences "world" refers to this system that is opposed to God. Let me just read you a few of them…
2:15-17 "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever
1 John 3:1 "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
1 John 3:13 "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you
1 John 4:4-5 "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them
1 John 5:4-5 "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God
1 John 5:19 "And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
Are you beginning to sense the strong hostility between the world and God? Jesus refused to pray for the world. The world is aligned with Satan himself. As a matter of fact, Jesus referred to Satan as "the prince of this world" on three different occasions (Jn. 12:31; 14:30; 16:11).
Do you see why it is impossible to love the world and to love God? Let’s suppose that tomorrow a citizen of the United States, an American-born man, is arrested and charged with selling nuclear secrets to the Iranian government. What would you think of that man? Then he is interviewed by the media and makes this statement: "It is true that I was selling nuclear secrets to Iran, but I love the United States of America. This is my country." Wouldn’t most of us conclude that this man was a liar? How can he love the United States and be helping arm Iran to destroy us?
That is a very fitting analogy. When we love the world, we are working to destroy the cause of our Lord. We are aiding the enemy. James states this most clearly in James 4:4, "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." Let me put that in as plain language as possible: "You [are like] unfaithful wives [having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vows to God]! Do you not know that being the world’s friend is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God" (Amplified). Let that sink in. If you want to be a friend of the world, then you make yourself the enemy of God.
II. Love for the World – Its Inventory (Nothing in the World Is of God)
Now come to verse 16, "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." Now John gives us an inventory of what is in the world. He tells us what it is that makes up this anti-God system which is designated "the world." In so doing, he gives us further reason why we should not love the world. We must not love the world because the things that make up the world are not from God.
John does not leave us to imagine what it is that makes up the world. He lists them as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Let’s take a few moments to look briefly at each one of these. Taken together, they give us a pretty good definition of the world that is opposed to God.
First of all, there is the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes. The word "lust" is a common New Testament word that is almost always used with a bad connotation. It speaks of strong desires, almost always evil desires. Some would speak of the lust of the flesh primarily as "sensuality," sins of the lower nature, especially all kinds of immorality and sexual sin. They would then define the lust of the eyes as the desire for things, materialism, linking it most closely to covetousness. However, I must tell you that the division between the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes is not a clear one. For instance, while some would see the American lust for entertainment as an example of the lust of the flesh, others would see it as an example of the lust of the eyes.
Perhaps we would be safe to lump these two categories of evil desires together. After all, the flesh and the eyes work together in their evil desires. What we must understand is that the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes are not restricted to things that immediately appear to be evil. We must not limit our thinking to sexual immorality and such "ugly" things, though such things are certainly included.
Let’s take the example of entertainment. We have a tendency to define entertainment as wholesome or not wholesome. Our first inclination would be to put an x-rated movie in the category of the lust of the flesh or the lust of the eyes, while a G-rated movie would not fit that description. That is a perfect example of the way Satan has deceived us in the way we view the things of the world. Think about this with me. When that is our outlook, we are no different from many other people who are a part of this world. Many non-Christians would absolutely refuse to watch X-rated movies. Some non-Christians would not even watch R-rated movies.
Consider television. We have been deceived into thinking that the danger of television is in seeing immoral things on the screen. Make no mistake about it, that is a great danger. However, that is only a small part of Satan’s strategy in the world. The reason we are blind to the dangers of entertainment is because we have been conformed to this world and have not paid sufficient heed to the warning, "Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Rom. 12:1). We have been conformed to think that as long as there is no immorality on the screen, no filthy language, no denouncing of the Lord, it’s message is perfectly legitimate for God’s people.
But let’s back up for a minute. We have been printing this little note at the end of our bulletins…
Why does this local church exist?
We exist solely for the glory of God.
We pursue His glory by Knowing Him and Making Him Known.
Do we believe that? Do we believe that this local body exists for the glory of God and only for the glory of God? Do we believe that we pursue His glory by knowing Him and making Him known? Are these the driving principles in our lives both when we are together and when we are apart? If so, let’s take these principles and apply them to everyday life.
When one of us sits down and watches a two-hour movie, does that glorify God? How does it help me pursue His glory by knowing Him and making Him known to others? We don’t even try to justify our entertainment on those grounds. Rather, we are most likely to say, "Well, there’s nothing wrong with it." Do you see how messed up our thinking is. That line of thinking does not have for its goal bringing glory to our Lord while we live on this earth. Or one might say, "But Ron in this messed-up world, we need some diversions. Yes, we need some entertainment to relieve the stress we are under." Nowhere in the scripture can we find such a thing. We don’t need it; we desire it. We lust after it. And while we are watching the two-hour movie, Satan applauds. Not because we have seen something filthy, but because he is keeping us from the Word of God, which has the power to renew our mind, to reshape our thinking and show us the vanity of this world’s entertainment. And, of course, the problem isn’t the watching of a single two-hour movie; the problem is that entertainment has a way of sucking us in until we can hardly live without it.
Am I saying that all entertainment is wrong? Not necessarily. But let me show you the problem. As I talk about these things, some of you have already become very defensive in your mind. Without even thinking, you have already begun to defend your rights to enjoy entertainment. Yet when Satan offers you the entertainment, you are not the least bit offended that you might be taken away from opportunities to glorify your Father in heaven. You are far more concerned about your right to entertainment than you are for the glory of God.
I am a man who has been hooked on all kinds of entertainment – everything from various sports to the Rubick’s cube. Yes, God has forgiven me, but how I wish I had invested my time, my energy, myself in the pursuit of God’s glory instead of fulfilling the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes.
Do you remember the parable of the sower? The sower sowed his seed in four different soils. When Jesus was alone with His disciples, He explained that the seed is the Word of God and that the ground represents the heart in which the Word is sown. Now listen to what Jesus says in Matt. 13:22, "He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful." Notice especially the care of this world. The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches are closely connected to the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes. The issue is not primarily whether these worldly concerns are wholesome or not wholesome. The issue is that they are the concerns of the world and they choke out the Word of God in our lives. The lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes focus on me and choke out my desire for the glory of God.
Again, let God search your heart. You can use these last few minutes as a gauge of where you are. As I have spoken to you about the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes, if you found your heart grieving and longing for a greater desire for His glory, praise God. Fall on your knees this week and cry out to Him, "Our Father, which art in heaven; hallowed by thy name. Let your name be honored in my life." On the other hand, if in your mind and heart you find yourself defending your habits of life, understand that you are flirting with the world. The Word is being choked out of your life. You are robbing God of the glory due His name. Will you defend your defensiveness? Or will you fall on your knees and repent?
And what about the pride of life? The word translated "pride" in the King James is a word that is found only here and in James 4:16, "But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.". It is not the usual word that is translated "pride." "This word implies an arrogant self-sufficiency and a vain sense of secrutiy, both of which are based upon a false estimate of the stability and value of worldly things" (Curtis Vaughan in A Study Guide: 1,2,3 John, p. 55). The word translated "life" is the Greek bioV (bios), which speaks more of physical life, and is not John’s normal word for "life." Found one other time in I John (3:17, where it is translated "good"), this world speaks of that which supports physical life and might be translated as "livelihood" or "possessions" (see Luke 15:12, "…And he divided unto them his living"). So "the pride of life" might be understood as "the vainglory of life" (ASV), "the proud display of life" (Moffatt), "the proud pretensions of life" (Williams), "the boasting of what he has or does" (NIV).
Taken together, this unholy trinity sums up the inventory of the world. While we sit here this morning, viewing this things calmly and objection, we may conclude that the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride (boasting) of life are very ugly things. Indeed, they are. But we must understand that when dressed up and used as the tools of Satan, they appear attractive, reasonable, and justifiable. O that we would invite the Word of God to come like a hammer and smash these idols of the world until they have no attraction for us.
III. Love for the World -- Its Destination (The Word and Its Lusts Are Passing Away)
Now 1 John 2:17, "And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." Now John steps back and takes the long look. When we are right in the thick of the battle, it is sometimes difficult for us to see clearly. So let’s step back with John and look down the road a few hundred years. At present, that thing that we want so desperately seems all important, but let’s move a half century into the future and take a second look.
This world and the lusts that go along with it are passing away. That’s right; "passing away" is present tense. John could have said that the world will pass away, and that would be true. However, what he says is even stronger. In this present moment, the world is passing away. It’s on its way out. When Jesus died on the cross, the ruler of this world was judged. The world is on its last leg. The world is breathing its last. Though the world is so busy and seems so full of life, if you observe more closely, you can detect the smell of death. Yes, this world is passing away, along with all the lusts associated with it. The knowledge of the world, the wealth of the world, the cultural achievements of the world – all of them are in the process of dying. All of it stands under the judgment of God.
Perhaps we can best understand the implications of this truth by considering an illustration. Let’s suppose that you live in the south Texas town of Galveston, which is situated on the Gulf of Mexico. You have recently moved there and are looking for a house. In your house search, you find this beautiful home right down on the waterfront. This is exactly what you have been looking for. You enjoy fishing and the grandkids would love to walk along the beach. And the price is the most amazing thing of all. You thought it would be three times that much. There is only one drawback to buying this house. The land around the house seems to be eroding away at a rather alarming rate. A couple of people have warned you that this house is in trouble, that the sea is steadily reclaiming the land it’s sitting on. When you ask the realtor about the crack in one of the walls, he assures you that it is only a cosmetic problem.
So here is the big question. Will you buy the house? The people who have warned you have lived in Galveston all their lives and seem to know what they are talking about. However, you can’t seem to hear them. Their voices are being drowned out by your daydreams of watching the grandkids walk along the beach, of breathtaking sunsets observed from the front deck.
We know that anyone would be a fool to invest their money and lives in that house. That house is going to fall into the sea. It’s not a matter of "if" the house will fall, but only "when" it will fall. Despite your desire for such a luxurious home and a rock-bottom price, you must choose to pass it up.
So it is with this world. It is passing away. We don’t know when it will come to an end, but we know it will. The prophets of God and even Jesus Himself have warned us about the temporary nature of this world. The problem is that these holy voices can be drowned out by the pleasures the world offers us. Satan uses the attractions of the world in conjunction with the desires of the flesh and the eyes, tempting us to ignore the warning from God. The Lord is telling us that we are fools to invest ourselves in a world that is passing away. Such an investment will bring us nothing but trouble, with no eternal returns.
But is there any alternative? It’s easy to say, "Don’t do that," but is there something better? Is there another house which doesn’t seem as exciting, but which will stand the test of time? Listen again to 2:17, "And the world is passing away, and the lust thereof; BUT he that doeth the will of God abideth forever." Notice the contrast here. The one who loves the world is set over against the one who does the will of God. Remember what Jesus said in Matt. 7:21, "Not everyone that saith unto me Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."
You may say, "But who can do the will of the Father"? No, this isn’t speaking of the person who never messes up, who never fails his Lord, but it is speaking of the one who by the grace of God consistently lives a life that is according to His will. That man or woman will abide forever because he or she is investing in the eternal kingdom and not in this temporal world. And herein is our motivation not to love the world. Why should I love this world, when I myself am a citizen of another world? Why should I invest myself in this world, when I am bound for an eternity with our Father? Surely wisdom dictates that I must prepare myself for life with Him. Paul speaks of this attitude in Tit. 2:11-14…
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12. Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14. Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Conclusion
The true children of God do not live a lifestyle that could be defined by love for the world. The person who consistently loves the world demonstrates that he is the enemy of God and does not know God. He is investing himself in the present world and his rewards will be only in the present world. Praise God for this other side of the test of love, for sometimes it is easier to detect the love of the world than absence of love for the brethren. If you sense you are a lover of the world, come to God with an honest and open heart and ask Him to search your heart and reveal to you the truth of where you are. Make no mistake about it, love for the world is indeed the love that God hates.
However, what we said of brotherly love is also true of love for the world. Remember, we put it like this: "What if I fail the test? What if I find that there are instances where I do not love my brother and sisters?" And you remember our conclusion. That lack of love may indeed prove that I do not know God, for John says, "He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love" (I Jn. 4:8). On the other hand, it is possible for me to fail in some specific circumstances, though the my life overall is characterized by love for my brothers and sisters. In that case, I can expect the Lord to correct me, for the Lord chastens those whom He loves.
We can apply that same principle to loving the world. If you truly know the Lord, you will not be a lover of the world, for no one can love God and love the world at the same time. However, there may be instances when you fail the test and run after the allurements of the world. If and when that is true, expect God to bring correction. For some here this morning, these words from I John 2:15-17 and James 4:4 may be that correction from God. Perhaps He brought you here this morning to hear a very clear message, "Stop loving the world and the things in it." I confess that I need this message. I don’t want to be cozy with a world that is passing away. I don’t want to flirt with a world that can detract from the glory of God in and through my life.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Sunday, February 18, 2007
What If I Fail the Test? -- 2/18/07 (Eternal Realities)
Sunday, February 18, 2007
WHAT IF I FAIL THE TEST?
Read I John 2:9-11
Last week we tackled the question concerning what love is. We have talked a great deal about love, but what is it? Though our study was certainly not exhaustive, we did look at some principles which help us understand the nature of this agape love…
… Love is expressed through action (I Cor. 13)
… Love is exemplified in Jesus Christ (I John 3:16; 4:11)
… Love is explained (defined) by obedience (Jn. 14:15)
Keep thinking along those lines.
This morning I want us to tackle another question. I have been asked this question by more than one person, though not in the same words. And this is a very good question that we must address. Let me state it very bluntly first: As we look at the tests of life, including the test of love, what if I don’t pass the test? In other words, what if I look at my life and find that I don’t love my brothers and sisters?
In order to better understand the problem, let’s deal with a specific situation. Suppose I go in Walmart or some other large store. I am standing at the end of the aisles, debating whether I will go up aisle 4 or aisle 5. [Men, most of you can probably identify with this. Are the Little Debbie’s with the cookies or the crackers? We don’t know.]. While I am debating, I suddenly see Charles approaching on aisle 4. Immediately my decision is made and I move quickly up aisle 5. So why did I choose aisle 5? Because I didn’t want to run into Charles. I chose to avoid Charles, who is my Christian brother. [And even if Charles isn’t my brother, he is my neighbor]. I failed the test of love. There is no way I can define my action as "love." According to I John, it would be much better defined by "hate."
Now comes the big question: Does my action indicate that I do not know God? Remember that I John contains some very strong words…
… I Jn. 2:9, "He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother is in darkness even until now."
… I Jn. 3:14, "He that loveth not his brother abideth in death."
… I Jn. 3:15, "Whosoever hateth is brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him"
… I Jn. 4:8, "He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love."
… I Jn. 4:20, "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar…"
Those are very strong words. One of the people who asked this basic question was careful to point out that he wanted to avoid the danger of making excuses for himself. But even with that realization, we still must ask, does one unloving act prove that I do not know God? In God’s economy, is there any room for growth in this agape love? Is it possible that this love is the basic character of my life, and yet I still experience failure in some specific tests?
I acknowledge from the start that these are very difficult questions. If we conclude that the Walmart failure means that I am not a Christian, that I do not know God, then how many of us will have to conclude that we do not know God, that we are still dead in our trespasses and sins? But in this lies the other danger. You look at it and say, "So such failures really don’t say anything about my relationship with God. After all, no one is perfect. If Ron and other Christians I know acknowledge such failures, then I don’t have to be concerned if I see evidence of a lack of love in my life."
I want to be just as honest with you as I can. My purpose in preaching this current series of sermons is not to make you feel guilty. I am aware of that danger. On the other hand, when these tests stir up questions about the validity of a man’s profession, I can’t just say, "Oh Norman, you’re all right. We all know that you are a Christian." If serious questions are raised within the heart, we must deal with those questions in the presence of God.
The other thing I must tell you is this. One of the reasons for preaching this series of sermons is to motivate us to examine ourselves, to see if we are in the faith. Over the past few years, Matt. 7:21-23 has become larger and larger in my thinking… (Matt. 7:21-23)
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if well over half of the people sitting in church services across America this morning do not truly know God, and the percentage may be much higher than that. So make no mistake about it, I am preaching these messages because our Lord says there are many people who profess Him but will finally hear Him say, "I never knew you; depart from me, ye who work iniquity." I don’t want any person here to be in that crowd. Because the deception of the enemy is so powerful, his deceptive hold on people will only be broken by the power of the Word of God. That is why we have been spending so much time in I John. If in the process, some genuine believers have felt uneasy, may God give us grace to examine ourselves and then to come to Him and rejoice in His presence.
Having said that, let’s come back to our Walmart illustration. By going up aisle 5 and avoiding Charles on aisle 4, I have just demonstrated that I do not love my brother. So must I immediately conclude that I do not know God, that I am not His child? I answer that question with a qualified "No." I say "qualified," because it must be stated that my action may be very clear evidence that I indeed do not know God, that I have never been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. However, that may not be the only proper conclusion.
Let me give you a scriptural example, even an example of a man we know had been redeemed by the blood of Lamb and who had walked with God. His name was Peter. Before you jump to conclusions, I am not going to talk about Peter’s self-righteous claim that he would not forsake the Lord, even if it meant dying for him. No, I want us to look at an incident later in Peter’s life. Please turn to Galatians and let’s read Gal. 2:11-12…
But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. 12. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
So here we have an example of failure to love the brethren. These Gentiles were believers and they were Peter’s brothers in the Lord. Now this is during that transitional time when the Jewish Christians were having a hard time accepting the Gentile believers as full brothers in the Lord. We must remember that these Jewish Christians had come out of a background where Jews hated Gentiles. But now they were being taught that in Christ Jews and Gentiles are one.
Did Peter know this? Did he truly know that these Gentile believers were his brothers in Christ and that he was to love them? He certainly did. You will remember that it was Peter whom God sent to preach the good news to Cornelius, who was not a Jew. Peter had witnessed the Holy Spirit falling upon Cornelius and all those in his house. So yes, Peter knew well that these were brothers whom God expected him to love.
Peter failed to love his brothers. It’s as simple as that. Well, there is a little more to it. Not only did he fail, but he was a terrible example to those other Jewish Christians who looked up to him. We read in Gal 2:13 (NKJV), "And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy." Because Peter knew better and had led others astray, Paul was rather hard on him, as we read in 2:14, "But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?"
Do you see what is happening here? Peter failed to love his brothers, but that did not prove that he didn’t know God. Because he failed to demonstrate love, God brought swift correction to him. This time the correction came through the voice of a brother named Paul.
This is a powerful lesson for us. When we fail to love in a particular situation, it doesn’t necessarily prove that we don’t know God, although it may prove that very thing. It may mean that our failure will bring God’s discipline. Let’s read about that discipline in Heb. 12:5-8 (NKJV)…
And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives." If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.
If you know the Lord and fail to love a brother and sister on a specific occasion, you can expect the Lord to send correction. Out of that corrective discipline will come conviction. And that conviction of the Spirit will lead to repentance and a trust that the Lord will give you grace to help the next time you experience that need to love your brother or sister.
Please don’t misunderstand. Don’t get the idea that a Christian’s love for his brothers and sisters is a constant struggle, that every time he is around brothers and sisters it is a crisis. No, not at all. If you are truly a child of God, you will find that God has indeed shed His love abroad in your hearts by the Holy Spirit which He has given you (Rom. 5:5). You will discover that this love is a natural outgrowth of your relationship with God. You find that you have a great desire to treat your brothers and sisters in a way that demonstrates your desire for God’s best in their lives. If this is not the case, it should be great cause for concern. For "if a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar."
Do you remember when Darlene Little shared her testimony the day she was baptized. One of the things she shared was how God changed her attitude toward the Christians around her. While she had long held a high respect for those Christians, she found that a relationship with Jesus Christ changed her relationship with His followers. Suddenly she found that she truly wanted to be around them. That is an expression of the love that God gives us for His family.
Let me share another illustration with you. One of our sisters (let’s call her Sally) tells the story of how God revealed to her a lack of love. Sally had daily contact with another Christian lady. Both of them were a part of the same church. Sally had come to dislike her, as this lady had done some things that were not very nice. So again, we would have to say that Sally did not love her sister. You may say, "Well, she didn’t like her, but she still loved her." No, Sally would tell you that she did not love this sister. According to I John, this dislike would equal hatred, though we can hardly bear to call it that. God convicted Sally deeply that her attitude was very wrong. So Sally began to pray for this sister. She says that it took about two months, but God did a miracle in her heart. He didn’t change the other lady; He changed Sally. Where there had been dislike (hatred), God planted a great love for this woman. Sally’s testimony is that God answered prayer and she found herself loving the person whom she was not able to love in her own strength.
Now let’s step back and take a different approach for a minute. Let’s read I John 5:1-3…
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 2. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
Notice again how John’s three tests of life – belief, righteousness/obedience, and love – are woven so closely together. About three or four weeks ago we emphasized the truth that our love for God is tested by our love for the brothers and sisters in the body. But here in verse 2 we see the opposite, that our love for the children of God is tested by our love for God and the keeping of His commandments. And what is His commandment? That we love one another. No, it isn’t a vicious cycle; it’s a glorious cycle!
Note again the words at the end of verse 1, "Everyone that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him." In other words, if you love God, you will love the children of God. This love isn’t a "have to;" it is a joyous way of life.
Come to verse 3, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous." Hear it again: "And his commandments are not grievous." That word "grievous" translates a Greek word which literally means "heavy." When used metaphorically, it means burdensome. The noun form of this word is used in Matt. 20:12, "Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day."That same noun form of this word is used in Gal. 6:2, "Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
We must understand that God’s commands are not burdensome. They were not given to weigh us down and to cause grief. You say, "But when I look at these commands, especially this command to love, I find that I fall short. How can I look at this command and not be burdened?" I’m glad you asked that question. I have two answers that you need to consider.
First of all, conviction from the Spirit of God is a blessing. If you read the Lord’s commands and are convicted by the Spirit, praise His name. Give Him thanks. The alternative is frightening. The alternative is to be able to read those commands and just go on without giving them a thought. That is evidence of a hard heart. The good news about the conviction of the Spirit is that we don’t have to go on bearing the burden of that conviction. John has already told us how to handle this situation. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I Jn. 1:9). "But it seems like I am always confessing my sins." Give praise to God that you have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, who is the propitiation for our sins. That’s one reason He died, that we might come again to Him in confession, being confident that He will indeed forgive and cleanse us. Remember, the Lord corrects those whom He loves.
Now for a second blessing that comes out of the realization that we fall short of what He commands… While it is true that we find ourselves falling short, these commands are not intended to be burdensome. So let’s read them in a way that fills us with hope. Look again at 4:7, "Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God." There is certainly a time to confess our sin, when we find that there is a certain "one another" that we are not loving. But there is also a time to look at the command and say, "Father, I thank you that you have commanded us to love one another. That means it is possible for us to do it. But how can it ever be? Because love is from God and everyone that loves is born of God and knows God. Because God has put His love within us, we can indeed love one another." Our enemy screams at us and says, "No, you can’t." And when we mess up, he adds, "See there; I told you that you couldn’t do it." But we trust God and what He says in His Word.
I remind you again of the testimony of John Wesley, who took this approach with the words of I Jn. 2:6, "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." John Wesley said something like this: "Since God says that I ought to live as Jesus lived, that means it is a definite possibility. By His grace it can be so in my life." And he praised God for that divine possibility. That command wasn’t grievous, wasn’t burdensome, to him.
Conclusion
I must say another word to you this morning. This little letter is intended to be an encouragement to those who have trusted in the name of the Son of God and who have eternal life as a result. Let’s read it again in 1 John 5:13, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life…" As we see a deepening trust in the Lord Jesus, as we observe a growing obedience to the Father, as we detect an overwhelming love for our brothers and sisters, we are encouraged, even in the face of failure. Praise God that we are given this letter, that our joy might be full. Let’s read again that other purpose for John’s writing of this letter in 1 John 1:3, "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ."
On the other hand, this letter was not intended to be an encouragement to those who have not yet received the life from above. It has no encouragement for the person who has only an outward form of religion. It is not a letter of encouragement to the one who has serious doubts about his or her own life but will not face those doubts.
Perhaps you have been coming and listening to these searching words of the scripture which we have been studying for the past few months. Sometimes you are so burdened that you don’t think you can stand it. Nevertheless, you leave this place and find that you are able to put these things out of your mind. May I gently remind you of some undeniably truths? Life is short. And what the world has to offer will not sustain you past the grave. God didn’t create you to search for your own happiness, but to seek His glory, and in glorifying Him we find the satisfaction for which He made us in the first place. "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Matt. 16:26). So "labor not for the meat that perishes, but for that meat which endures unto everlasting life…" (Jn. 6:27). How I pray that not one of us will be in that great crowd which will hear Jesus say, "I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness."
WHAT IF I FAIL THE TEST?
Read I John 2:9-11
Last week we tackled the question concerning what love is. We have talked a great deal about love, but what is it? Though our study was certainly not exhaustive, we did look at some principles which help us understand the nature of this agape love…
… Love is expressed through action (I Cor. 13)
… Love is exemplified in Jesus Christ (I John 3:16; 4:11)
… Love is explained (defined) by obedience (Jn. 14:15)
Keep thinking along those lines.
This morning I want us to tackle another question. I have been asked this question by more than one person, though not in the same words. And this is a very good question that we must address. Let me state it very bluntly first: As we look at the tests of life, including the test of love, what if I don’t pass the test? In other words, what if I look at my life and find that I don’t love my brothers and sisters?
In order to better understand the problem, let’s deal with a specific situation. Suppose I go in Walmart or some other large store. I am standing at the end of the aisles, debating whether I will go up aisle 4 or aisle 5. [Men, most of you can probably identify with this. Are the Little Debbie’s with the cookies or the crackers? We don’t know.]. While I am debating, I suddenly see Charles approaching on aisle 4. Immediately my decision is made and I move quickly up aisle 5. So why did I choose aisle 5? Because I didn’t want to run into Charles. I chose to avoid Charles, who is my Christian brother. [And even if Charles isn’t my brother, he is my neighbor]. I failed the test of love. There is no way I can define my action as "love." According to I John, it would be much better defined by "hate."
Now comes the big question: Does my action indicate that I do not know God? Remember that I John contains some very strong words…
… I Jn. 2:9, "He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother is in darkness even until now."
… I Jn. 3:14, "He that loveth not his brother abideth in death."
… I Jn. 3:15, "Whosoever hateth is brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him"
… I Jn. 4:8, "He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love."
… I Jn. 4:20, "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar…"
Those are very strong words. One of the people who asked this basic question was careful to point out that he wanted to avoid the danger of making excuses for himself. But even with that realization, we still must ask, does one unloving act prove that I do not know God? In God’s economy, is there any room for growth in this agape love? Is it possible that this love is the basic character of my life, and yet I still experience failure in some specific tests?
I acknowledge from the start that these are very difficult questions. If we conclude that the Walmart failure means that I am not a Christian, that I do not know God, then how many of us will have to conclude that we do not know God, that we are still dead in our trespasses and sins? But in this lies the other danger. You look at it and say, "So such failures really don’t say anything about my relationship with God. After all, no one is perfect. If Ron and other Christians I know acknowledge such failures, then I don’t have to be concerned if I see evidence of a lack of love in my life."
I want to be just as honest with you as I can. My purpose in preaching this current series of sermons is not to make you feel guilty. I am aware of that danger. On the other hand, when these tests stir up questions about the validity of a man’s profession, I can’t just say, "Oh Norman, you’re all right. We all know that you are a Christian." If serious questions are raised within the heart, we must deal with those questions in the presence of God.
The other thing I must tell you is this. One of the reasons for preaching this series of sermons is to motivate us to examine ourselves, to see if we are in the faith. Over the past few years, Matt. 7:21-23 has become larger and larger in my thinking… (Matt. 7:21-23)
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if well over half of the people sitting in church services across America this morning do not truly know God, and the percentage may be much higher than that. So make no mistake about it, I am preaching these messages because our Lord says there are many people who profess Him but will finally hear Him say, "I never knew you; depart from me, ye who work iniquity." I don’t want any person here to be in that crowd. Because the deception of the enemy is so powerful, his deceptive hold on people will only be broken by the power of the Word of God. That is why we have been spending so much time in I John. If in the process, some genuine believers have felt uneasy, may God give us grace to examine ourselves and then to come to Him and rejoice in His presence.
Having said that, let’s come back to our Walmart illustration. By going up aisle 5 and avoiding Charles on aisle 4, I have just demonstrated that I do not love my brother. So must I immediately conclude that I do not know God, that I am not His child? I answer that question with a qualified "No." I say "qualified," because it must be stated that my action may be very clear evidence that I indeed do not know God, that I have never been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. However, that may not be the only proper conclusion.
Let me give you a scriptural example, even an example of a man we know had been redeemed by the blood of Lamb and who had walked with God. His name was Peter. Before you jump to conclusions, I am not going to talk about Peter’s self-righteous claim that he would not forsake the Lord, even if it meant dying for him. No, I want us to look at an incident later in Peter’s life. Please turn to Galatians and let’s read Gal. 2:11-12…
But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. 12. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
So here we have an example of failure to love the brethren. These Gentiles were believers and they were Peter’s brothers in the Lord. Now this is during that transitional time when the Jewish Christians were having a hard time accepting the Gentile believers as full brothers in the Lord. We must remember that these Jewish Christians had come out of a background where Jews hated Gentiles. But now they were being taught that in Christ Jews and Gentiles are one.
Did Peter know this? Did he truly know that these Gentile believers were his brothers in Christ and that he was to love them? He certainly did. You will remember that it was Peter whom God sent to preach the good news to Cornelius, who was not a Jew. Peter had witnessed the Holy Spirit falling upon Cornelius and all those in his house. So yes, Peter knew well that these were brothers whom God expected him to love.
Peter failed to love his brothers. It’s as simple as that. Well, there is a little more to it. Not only did he fail, but he was a terrible example to those other Jewish Christians who looked up to him. We read in Gal 2:13 (NKJV), "And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy." Because Peter knew better and had led others astray, Paul was rather hard on him, as we read in 2:14, "But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?"
Do you see what is happening here? Peter failed to love his brothers, but that did not prove that he didn’t know God. Because he failed to demonstrate love, God brought swift correction to him. This time the correction came through the voice of a brother named Paul.
This is a powerful lesson for us. When we fail to love in a particular situation, it doesn’t necessarily prove that we don’t know God, although it may prove that very thing. It may mean that our failure will bring God’s discipline. Let’s read about that discipline in Heb. 12:5-8 (NKJV)…
And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives." If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.
If you know the Lord and fail to love a brother and sister on a specific occasion, you can expect the Lord to send correction. Out of that corrective discipline will come conviction. And that conviction of the Spirit will lead to repentance and a trust that the Lord will give you grace to help the next time you experience that need to love your brother or sister.
Please don’t misunderstand. Don’t get the idea that a Christian’s love for his brothers and sisters is a constant struggle, that every time he is around brothers and sisters it is a crisis. No, not at all. If you are truly a child of God, you will find that God has indeed shed His love abroad in your hearts by the Holy Spirit which He has given you (Rom. 5:5). You will discover that this love is a natural outgrowth of your relationship with God. You find that you have a great desire to treat your brothers and sisters in a way that demonstrates your desire for God’s best in their lives. If this is not the case, it should be great cause for concern. For "if a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar."
Do you remember when Darlene Little shared her testimony the day she was baptized. One of the things she shared was how God changed her attitude toward the Christians around her. While she had long held a high respect for those Christians, she found that a relationship with Jesus Christ changed her relationship with His followers. Suddenly she found that she truly wanted to be around them. That is an expression of the love that God gives us for His family.
Let me share another illustration with you. One of our sisters (let’s call her Sally) tells the story of how God revealed to her a lack of love. Sally had daily contact with another Christian lady. Both of them were a part of the same church. Sally had come to dislike her, as this lady had done some things that were not very nice. So again, we would have to say that Sally did not love her sister. You may say, "Well, she didn’t like her, but she still loved her." No, Sally would tell you that she did not love this sister. According to I John, this dislike would equal hatred, though we can hardly bear to call it that. God convicted Sally deeply that her attitude was very wrong. So Sally began to pray for this sister. She says that it took about two months, but God did a miracle in her heart. He didn’t change the other lady; He changed Sally. Where there had been dislike (hatred), God planted a great love for this woman. Sally’s testimony is that God answered prayer and she found herself loving the person whom she was not able to love in her own strength.
Now let’s step back and take a different approach for a minute. Let’s read I John 5:1-3…
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 2. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
Notice again how John’s three tests of life – belief, righteousness/obedience, and love – are woven so closely together. About three or four weeks ago we emphasized the truth that our love for God is tested by our love for the brothers and sisters in the body. But here in verse 2 we see the opposite, that our love for the children of God is tested by our love for God and the keeping of His commandments. And what is His commandment? That we love one another. No, it isn’t a vicious cycle; it’s a glorious cycle!
Note again the words at the end of verse 1, "Everyone that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him." In other words, if you love God, you will love the children of God. This love isn’t a "have to;" it is a joyous way of life.
Come to verse 3, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous." Hear it again: "And his commandments are not grievous." That word "grievous" translates a Greek word which literally means "heavy." When used metaphorically, it means burdensome. The noun form of this word is used in Matt. 20:12, "Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day."That same noun form of this word is used in Gal. 6:2, "Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
We must understand that God’s commands are not burdensome. They were not given to weigh us down and to cause grief. You say, "But when I look at these commands, especially this command to love, I find that I fall short. How can I look at this command and not be burdened?" I’m glad you asked that question. I have two answers that you need to consider.
First of all, conviction from the Spirit of God is a blessing. If you read the Lord’s commands and are convicted by the Spirit, praise His name. Give Him thanks. The alternative is frightening. The alternative is to be able to read those commands and just go on without giving them a thought. That is evidence of a hard heart. The good news about the conviction of the Spirit is that we don’t have to go on bearing the burden of that conviction. John has already told us how to handle this situation. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I Jn. 1:9). "But it seems like I am always confessing my sins." Give praise to God that you have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, who is the propitiation for our sins. That’s one reason He died, that we might come again to Him in confession, being confident that He will indeed forgive and cleanse us. Remember, the Lord corrects those whom He loves.
Now for a second blessing that comes out of the realization that we fall short of what He commands… While it is true that we find ourselves falling short, these commands are not intended to be burdensome. So let’s read them in a way that fills us with hope. Look again at 4:7, "Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God." There is certainly a time to confess our sin, when we find that there is a certain "one another" that we are not loving. But there is also a time to look at the command and say, "Father, I thank you that you have commanded us to love one another. That means it is possible for us to do it. But how can it ever be? Because love is from God and everyone that loves is born of God and knows God. Because God has put His love within us, we can indeed love one another." Our enemy screams at us and says, "No, you can’t." And when we mess up, he adds, "See there; I told you that you couldn’t do it." But we trust God and what He says in His Word.
I remind you again of the testimony of John Wesley, who took this approach with the words of I Jn. 2:6, "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." John Wesley said something like this: "Since God says that I ought to live as Jesus lived, that means it is a definite possibility. By His grace it can be so in my life." And he praised God for that divine possibility. That command wasn’t grievous, wasn’t burdensome, to him.
Conclusion
I must say another word to you this morning. This little letter is intended to be an encouragement to those who have trusted in the name of the Son of God and who have eternal life as a result. Let’s read it again in 1 John 5:13, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life…" As we see a deepening trust in the Lord Jesus, as we observe a growing obedience to the Father, as we detect an overwhelming love for our brothers and sisters, we are encouraged, even in the face of failure. Praise God that we are given this letter, that our joy might be full. Let’s read again that other purpose for John’s writing of this letter in 1 John 1:3, "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ."
On the other hand, this letter was not intended to be an encouragement to those who have not yet received the life from above. It has no encouragement for the person who has only an outward form of religion. It is not a letter of encouragement to the one who has serious doubts about his or her own life but will not face those doubts.
Perhaps you have been coming and listening to these searching words of the scripture which we have been studying for the past few months. Sometimes you are so burdened that you don’t think you can stand it. Nevertheless, you leave this place and find that you are able to put these things out of your mind. May I gently remind you of some undeniably truths? Life is short. And what the world has to offer will not sustain you past the grave. God didn’t create you to search for your own happiness, but to seek His glory, and in glorifying Him we find the satisfaction for which He made us in the first place. "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Matt. 16:26). So "labor not for the meat that perishes, but for that meat which endures unto everlasting life…" (Jn. 6:27). How I pray that not one of us will be in that great crowd which will hear Jesus say, "I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness."
Sunday, February 11, 2007
And What Is This Love? -- 2/11/07 (Eternal Realities)
Sunday, February 11, 2007
AND WHAT IS THIS LOVE?
(More of I John)
Two weeks ago we spent some time dealing with the term "brother" here in I John. Our study makes it clear that John uses the term to designate a Christian brother or sister. The brothers and sisters of whom John speaks are those who share the life of Christ in common. John makes it clear that God intends these brothers and sisters to love one another. As a matter of fact, he sets up this love for the brethren as a test of life. Such love gives evidence that you have passed from death to life and indeed have the life of Christ. On the other hand, if you don’t have this love, then you don’t have the life of Christ. As John bluntly states it, "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar" (I Jn. 4:20).
While this love for the brethren is emphasized in I John, that does not mean that God’s people are not to love outsiders, those who are not a part of God’s family. We know this especially from what Jesus said. When asked what was the greatest commandment, He responded by saying… (Matt. 22:37-40)
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38. This is the first and great commandment. 39. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Later, Jesus was asked to define who the neighbor was. And what was Jesus’ definition? Do you remember? Jesus answered by telling the story of the Good Samaritan. In that little story, Jesus illustrates that our neighbor is simply the person who is in need.
So while we are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ, that does not exclude love for our fellow-man in general. But again, the first proving ground of that love is within the family of God, those with whom we have the closest relationship. Last week a brother reminded me of a verse from Galatians which puts these two loves in perspective. Gal. 6:10, "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." While the word "love" isn’t used, Paul speaks of loving action (more about that later). While we are to love all people, there is a special love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. We understand that by comparing it to family love. While we may be fond of many people around us, there is a special affection for the members of our own family.
Now all of this talk about love is good, but there is a nagging question with which we must deal. Actually, there are probably a couple of them, but there is one we must address this morning. And here it is: "What is love? What does love look like? What does it mean to love my brother, or my neighbor?" Of course, one of the reasons we must deal with the question is because the concept of love is so perverted in our world. I remind you that the love we are talking about is "agape" love, that special love whose source is God Himself.
We have been talking about how love is one of the tests of life. We test our relationship with God by our love for the brethren. But now we must test love itself. How do we know what we are calling love is really love? A couple gets married, vowing they will love each other as long as they live. A few months or a few years later they split up. Is that love? Everything that advertises itself as love is not the real thing. So let’s look into the nature of this love which is mentioned no less than 46 times in I John.
I. This Love Is Expressed Through Action
Let’s begin by attacking one of the greatest misunderstandings concerning love. Let’s nail down two things that love is not. First of all, agape love is not a matter of words. While words can be used for the glory of God, they can also be cheap. Jesus quoted from the prophet Isaiah, when He spoke these words to the Pharisees and scribes, "He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me" (Mk. 7:6). How many young ladies have heard a young man say, "I love you," only to find out that the letters "l o v e" did not express real love from the heart.
Let’s read it from I John 3:18, "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth." We can never accuse John of beating around the bush; his command could not be clearer. Love is not a matter of what we say, but what we do. Agape love must be expressed through action. That certainly doesn’t mean it is wrong to talk about this love, but it means nothing, if it isn’t expressed through action. The proof is in the doing of it.
Let us also be clear that this love isn’t a feeling. We have talked about this many before, so it shouldn’t be necessary to say too much. There is nothing wrong with feelings. God made us with emotions. But this agape love from God will never be directed by feelings. Feelings will follow, but they will not lead the way. A person may demonstrate this love of God without having warm, gushy feelings. At the same time, a person may have those feelings and still not truly demonstrate this love.
Now let’s come to the classic biblical passage concerning this agape love. It is sometimes called "the love chapter." And where do we find it? That’s right – I Cor. 13. As most of you know, in the King James the word "love" is not found. Rather, the translators used the word "charity." That word has a very different connotation in our world today. For that reason, I am going to read it out of the New King James Version. However, having a different word is not all bad, in that it distances God’s love from the worldly love all around us. Now let’s I Cor. 13… (NKJV)
1. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 4. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5. does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6. does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7. bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away11. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 13. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
While that entire chapter is familiar and precious to many of us, we are going to focus on verses 4-8a. It is these verses which emphasize the truth that this agape love is expressed through action. Let me simply read through these verses again slowly, allowing us time to think about each statement. Most of this is self-explanatory and needs very little comment…
… Love suffers long and is kind (does not retaliate)
… Love does not envy (where there is envy, there is not love)
… Love does not parade itself (it doesn’t call attention to itself)
… Love is not puffed up (pride and love do no co-exist)
… Love does not behave itself rudely
… Love does not seek its own (where you find selfishness, there is no love)
… Love is not provoked
… Love thinks no evil (While it is expressed through action, actions begin in the mind and heart.)
… Love does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth
… Love bears all things
… Love believes all things
… Love hopes all things
… Love endures all things
… Love never fails
Regardless of your claim to love, do you suffer long, refusing to get revenge? Are you kind? This kindness is in the context of longsuffering. In other words, are you kind to the people who wrong you? Regardless of how loving you may appear, do you envy? Envy will eventually express itself outwardly. Do you find subtle ways to call attention to yourself? I challenge you to get your Bible and go through the whole list with a prayerful attitude. I don’t think you can find a better definition of love in the entire Bible. Let God use this passage to search your heart.
You know this verse: "For God so loved the word, that He tenderly said, ‘I love you.’" No, that isn’t the way it reads. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son." God loved, and He expressed that love through action; He gave us His Son.
II. This Love Is Exemplified In Christ Jesus
While this definition is very helpful, we might still ask the question: "But is there an example of this love in action? Yes, God the Father expressed His love through action, but is there someone on this earth I can look at in order to see this love played out in real life?" And, of course, we know that God has given us an example. And who is that? Yes, it is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
Before we look at this love through the example of Jesus, let me ask you a question: How many times did Jesus say "I love you"? We read that Jesus loved the rich young ruler, that He loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. We find five times the mention of "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (the apostle John). Jesus also said that He loved the Father (Jn. 14:31). Then on three occasions, Jesus tells His disciples that He has loved them. For example, John 13:34, "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another, as I have loved you" (also Jn. 15:9,12). He also speaks of loving in the future. John 14:21, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." So Jesus says "I have loved you," and "I will love you," but He never says "I love you."
That doesn’t mean it’s wrong to say, "I love you," but it does indicate that saying the words doesn’t reveal the whole story. Jesus loved, but He didn’t go around saying, "I love you." Loving someone is more important than saying you love some one. The principle is in I Cor. 13; the living proof is in Jesus.
Now here in I John the love of God the Father and the love of Christ the Son are tied up so closely together that we can hardly distinguish them. That is exactly what we might expect, for Jesus said, "I and my Father are one" (Jn. 10:30). Let’s read it in I Jn. 3:16a, "Hereby know we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us…" Who laid down His life for us? The Lord Jesus Christ. Remember what Jesus Himself said on the night of His arrest. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (Jn. 15:13). Hours later Jesus did exactly that by going to the cross.
Now to I John 4:9-10…
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
At first glance, we can look at this and say, "No, this speaks of the Father’s love, not the Son’s love. But look closer. The Father expressed His love in sending the Son. But what did He send the Son to do? To be the propitiation for our sins. Therein is the love of the Son, the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Again in I John 2:2, "And he [Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins…" We looked at propitiation in depth a couple of weeks ago. If that doesn’t express love, what does? Jesus drank the cup the Father gave Him, and that cup did not consist of the physical sufferings He bore on the cross, as agonizing as they were. No, that cup was nothing less than bearing the wrath of God. We were under the wrath of God, but Jesus stepped in and bore it in our place. This is the supreme example of love. Many of you know Gal. 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Jesus love us; He expressed it, He proved it, by giving Himself for us.
Now let me pause for a moment. Perhaps some of us are thinking: "That is exactly right. Amen. Well said. And by the grace of God, I am willing to follow Jesus’ example and lay down my life." But what does that mean? We often think of being willing to die in the crisis. Suppose someone burst into this building with a machine gun and said, "Either deny Christ or die? If you are willing to deny Him, then get out of this building. I will open fire in one minute." Would you stay?
Some of us may some day face that option, but all of us will face a more pressing option. Will we lay down our lives for Christ today? I want to remind you that Jesus laid down His life long before the day He went to the hill called Calvary. Early in His ministry, Jesus said, "My will is to do the will of Him that sent me and to finish His work" (Jn. 4:34). In order to say that, Jesus had to lay down His right to His own will.
Think with me for just a minute. We marvel at Jesus’ willingness to die on the cross in our place, and we certainly should marvel at that. But I want to remind you of what it must have been like living in the shadow of that cross every day. I don’t know exactly at what point Jesus knew He was going to the cross. We could debate that issue. However, we know that He was aware of it long before He entered Jerusalem the last time. How do we know? Because Jesus clearly told His disciples. Matt. 16:21, "From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day." So for months, maybe more than a year, Jesus lived with that knowledge every day. That required a continual laying down of His life.
Imagine what it was like as He dealt with the religious leaders, knowing that they would engineer they would secretly plot against Him, engineering the circumstances that would lead to His death. Imagine what it was like for Jesus to wash the feet of the very men who would forsake Him. Imagine what it would be like to rub shoulders every day with the man who would betray Him and sell Him out for 30 pieces of silver. Yet never once did He claim His right to His own life.
Yes, Jesus is our supreme example of love. Though we may find other examples among those who follow Him, His will always stand above all others.
III. This Love Is Explained (Defined) By Obedience
Now come to the very next verse in I John, 4:11, "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." Or go back to I Jn. 3:16, "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." And that doesn’t just mean being willing to die a physical death, but it means a daily laying down of our lives for the sake of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Or go back one more chapter to I Jn. 2:6, "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." As Jesus gave His life for us, we are to give our lives for others. This is love, and we are commanded to demonstrate this love.
Notice in each of these verses we just read – 2:6; 3:16; 4:11 – we find the word "ought." It is interesting that the Greek word so translated appears only in these three places in I John. We ought to walk as Jesus walked; We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren; we ought to love one another. Growing up, I often heard the concept of "ought" expressed something like this, "I know I ought to do it, but I’m not going to." But here in I John, this is the divine "ought." This is the supreme "ought" of life. We ought to love one another by laying down our lives for one another, just as Jesus did.
You see, we can never separate love from obedience. How do we express love for God? By doing what He says. It’s as simple as that. Isn’t that exactly what Jesus said in Jn. 14:15, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." And what is the commandment He had just given them a few verses earlier? "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another" (Jn. 13:34). Or go the other way, a little bit later the same night in Jn. 15:12, "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." And down to verse 17, "These things I command you, that ye love one another." When Jesus says, "If ye love me, keep my commandments," understand that obedience begins with loving one another.
Go back for a moment to 1 Cor 13:3, "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." That sounds like love expressed through action. And isn’t that the love that was exemplified by our Lord when He gave His body on the cross? But wait a minute, Paul says that a person can do that and not have love. How can it not be love? It isn’t in obedience to the Lord’s command.
Hear me. This is very important. We are living in a day when humanitarianism is taking hold in some circles of our society. The other day I heard about families who were taking their vacations to do things for other people. One such family went to Cambodia to build wheel chairs for the disabled. Is that not love? I don’t know. It may be, but it may not be. While it is certainly a noble thing to do, and surely it is better than spending time and money on self, it is only the agape love of I Cor. 13, if it is out of obedience to the Lord.
Apply this principle more personally. Everything the world judges as a good deed does is not necessarily an expression of agape love. Suppose you were to give $10,000 to a missions organization. Is that love in action? It might be, but it might not be. Paul says it is possible to do that very thing and not have love. Is it in obedience to Jesus command to love?
Love is not only exemplified in Christ and expressed through action, but it is also defined (explained) by obedience. When we follow Christ in doing things for others out of obedience to Him, that is a powerful demonstration of His love.
Conclusion
Perhaps you were looking for a dictionary definition of love. I’m not sure a dictionary definition is as good as simply coming to some of the passages we have come to this morning (see bulletin), but if you need such a definition, you might try this… "treating others with their best interests in mind." Of course, you have to define "best interests" in terms of Christ, the glory of God, etc., but that may be helpful for some of us.
Let me emphasize again what love is not. Love does not consist of feelings or of mere words. Don’t misunderstand. Feelings are not bad. Emotions are not evil. But we must always remember that when it comes to this agape love, feelings can’t lead that way. They will often follow, but they must not dictate our actions. And who doesn’t appreciate someone saying, "I love you?" Nevertheless, that is not the essence of love. If given a choice of telling a person you love him or actually loving him, there is only one godly action. Of course, many times part of the active expression of that love will include our words, because our words are part of our total make-up.
Let’s close with a verse from John 17. You will remember that this is the prayer Jesus prayed the night of His arrest. There in the presence of His eleven apostles, He poured out His heart to His Father. From time to time, we emphasize various portions of this prayer, but often we stop before we get to this verse. It is the last verse, 17:26, "And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it; that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them." Let that soak in. Jesus prayed that the same love the Father had for Him might be in us. Wow! Not only did Jesus command this love, but He also prayed for it. And didn’t Jesus say that the Father always heard His prayers?
Praise God for that prayer! What hope that stirs up within us. We long to love, but we see the imperfections within us. But now we look at this prayer and must exclaim, "Lord, you have prayed that I might possess the very love of the Father, and I know that the Father answers your prayer."
But surely this is too good to be true. How can it be that I could have within me the love the Father has for the Son? Read it again: "that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them." We forget the glory and wonder of having the life of Jesus Christ within us. And that is the key. When we truly have the life of the Son within us, we can have this love. When we have Jesus, we have the life of God. And when we have the life of God, we have this love, for God is love.
AND WHAT IS THIS LOVE?
(More of I John)
Two weeks ago we spent some time dealing with the term "brother" here in I John. Our study makes it clear that John uses the term to designate a Christian brother or sister. The brothers and sisters of whom John speaks are those who share the life of Christ in common. John makes it clear that God intends these brothers and sisters to love one another. As a matter of fact, he sets up this love for the brethren as a test of life. Such love gives evidence that you have passed from death to life and indeed have the life of Christ. On the other hand, if you don’t have this love, then you don’t have the life of Christ. As John bluntly states it, "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar" (I Jn. 4:20).
While this love for the brethren is emphasized in I John, that does not mean that God’s people are not to love outsiders, those who are not a part of God’s family. We know this especially from what Jesus said. When asked what was the greatest commandment, He responded by saying… (Matt. 22:37-40)
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38. This is the first and great commandment. 39. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Later, Jesus was asked to define who the neighbor was. And what was Jesus’ definition? Do you remember? Jesus answered by telling the story of the Good Samaritan. In that little story, Jesus illustrates that our neighbor is simply the person who is in need.
So while we are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ, that does not exclude love for our fellow-man in general. But again, the first proving ground of that love is within the family of God, those with whom we have the closest relationship. Last week a brother reminded me of a verse from Galatians which puts these two loves in perspective. Gal. 6:10, "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." While the word "love" isn’t used, Paul speaks of loving action (more about that later). While we are to love all people, there is a special love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. We understand that by comparing it to family love. While we may be fond of many people around us, there is a special affection for the members of our own family.
Now all of this talk about love is good, but there is a nagging question with which we must deal. Actually, there are probably a couple of them, but there is one we must address this morning. And here it is: "What is love? What does love look like? What does it mean to love my brother, or my neighbor?" Of course, one of the reasons we must deal with the question is because the concept of love is so perverted in our world. I remind you that the love we are talking about is "agape" love, that special love whose source is God Himself.
We have been talking about how love is one of the tests of life. We test our relationship with God by our love for the brethren. But now we must test love itself. How do we know what we are calling love is really love? A couple gets married, vowing they will love each other as long as they live. A few months or a few years later they split up. Is that love? Everything that advertises itself as love is not the real thing. So let’s look into the nature of this love which is mentioned no less than 46 times in I John.
I. This Love Is Expressed Through Action
Let’s begin by attacking one of the greatest misunderstandings concerning love. Let’s nail down two things that love is not. First of all, agape love is not a matter of words. While words can be used for the glory of God, they can also be cheap. Jesus quoted from the prophet Isaiah, when He spoke these words to the Pharisees and scribes, "He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me" (Mk. 7:6). How many young ladies have heard a young man say, "I love you," only to find out that the letters "l o v e" did not express real love from the heart.
Let’s read it from I John 3:18, "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth." We can never accuse John of beating around the bush; his command could not be clearer. Love is not a matter of what we say, but what we do. Agape love must be expressed through action. That certainly doesn’t mean it is wrong to talk about this love, but it means nothing, if it isn’t expressed through action. The proof is in the doing of it.
Let us also be clear that this love isn’t a feeling. We have talked about this many before, so it shouldn’t be necessary to say too much. There is nothing wrong with feelings. God made us with emotions. But this agape love from God will never be directed by feelings. Feelings will follow, but they will not lead the way. A person may demonstrate this love of God without having warm, gushy feelings. At the same time, a person may have those feelings and still not truly demonstrate this love.
Now let’s come to the classic biblical passage concerning this agape love. It is sometimes called "the love chapter." And where do we find it? That’s right – I Cor. 13. As most of you know, in the King James the word "love" is not found. Rather, the translators used the word "charity." That word has a very different connotation in our world today. For that reason, I am going to read it out of the New King James Version. However, having a different word is not all bad, in that it distances God’s love from the worldly love all around us. Now let’s I Cor. 13… (NKJV)
1. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 4. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5. does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6. does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7. bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away11. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 13. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
While that entire chapter is familiar and precious to many of us, we are going to focus on verses 4-8a. It is these verses which emphasize the truth that this agape love is expressed through action. Let me simply read through these verses again slowly, allowing us time to think about each statement. Most of this is self-explanatory and needs very little comment…
… Love suffers long and is kind (does not retaliate)
… Love does not envy (where there is envy, there is not love)
… Love does not parade itself (it doesn’t call attention to itself)
… Love is not puffed up (pride and love do no co-exist)
… Love does not behave itself rudely
… Love does not seek its own (where you find selfishness, there is no love)
… Love is not provoked
… Love thinks no evil (While it is expressed through action, actions begin in the mind and heart.)
… Love does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth
… Love bears all things
… Love believes all things
… Love hopes all things
… Love endures all things
… Love never fails
Regardless of your claim to love, do you suffer long, refusing to get revenge? Are you kind? This kindness is in the context of longsuffering. In other words, are you kind to the people who wrong you? Regardless of how loving you may appear, do you envy? Envy will eventually express itself outwardly. Do you find subtle ways to call attention to yourself? I challenge you to get your Bible and go through the whole list with a prayerful attitude. I don’t think you can find a better definition of love in the entire Bible. Let God use this passage to search your heart.
You know this verse: "For God so loved the word, that He tenderly said, ‘I love you.’" No, that isn’t the way it reads. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son." God loved, and He expressed that love through action; He gave us His Son.
II. This Love Is Exemplified In Christ Jesus
While this definition is very helpful, we might still ask the question: "But is there an example of this love in action? Yes, God the Father expressed His love through action, but is there someone on this earth I can look at in order to see this love played out in real life?" And, of course, we know that God has given us an example. And who is that? Yes, it is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
Before we look at this love through the example of Jesus, let me ask you a question: How many times did Jesus say "I love you"? We read that Jesus loved the rich young ruler, that He loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. We find five times the mention of "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (the apostle John). Jesus also said that He loved the Father (Jn. 14:31). Then on three occasions, Jesus tells His disciples that He has loved them. For example, John 13:34, "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another, as I have loved you" (also Jn. 15:9,12). He also speaks of loving in the future. John 14:21, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." So Jesus says "I have loved you," and "I will love you," but He never says "I love you."
That doesn’t mean it’s wrong to say, "I love you," but it does indicate that saying the words doesn’t reveal the whole story. Jesus loved, but He didn’t go around saying, "I love you." Loving someone is more important than saying you love some one. The principle is in I Cor. 13; the living proof is in Jesus.
Now here in I John the love of God the Father and the love of Christ the Son are tied up so closely together that we can hardly distinguish them. That is exactly what we might expect, for Jesus said, "I and my Father are one" (Jn. 10:30). Let’s read it in I Jn. 3:16a, "Hereby know we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us…" Who laid down His life for us? The Lord Jesus Christ. Remember what Jesus Himself said on the night of His arrest. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (Jn. 15:13). Hours later Jesus did exactly that by going to the cross.
Now to I John 4:9-10…
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
At first glance, we can look at this and say, "No, this speaks of the Father’s love, not the Son’s love. But look closer. The Father expressed His love in sending the Son. But what did He send the Son to do? To be the propitiation for our sins. Therein is the love of the Son, the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Again in I John 2:2, "And he [Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins…" We looked at propitiation in depth a couple of weeks ago. If that doesn’t express love, what does? Jesus drank the cup the Father gave Him, and that cup did not consist of the physical sufferings He bore on the cross, as agonizing as they were. No, that cup was nothing less than bearing the wrath of God. We were under the wrath of God, but Jesus stepped in and bore it in our place. This is the supreme example of love. Many of you know Gal. 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Jesus love us; He expressed it, He proved it, by giving Himself for us.
Now let me pause for a moment. Perhaps some of us are thinking: "That is exactly right. Amen. Well said. And by the grace of God, I am willing to follow Jesus’ example and lay down my life." But what does that mean? We often think of being willing to die in the crisis. Suppose someone burst into this building with a machine gun and said, "Either deny Christ or die? If you are willing to deny Him, then get out of this building. I will open fire in one minute." Would you stay?
Some of us may some day face that option, but all of us will face a more pressing option. Will we lay down our lives for Christ today? I want to remind you that Jesus laid down His life long before the day He went to the hill called Calvary. Early in His ministry, Jesus said, "My will is to do the will of Him that sent me and to finish His work" (Jn. 4:34). In order to say that, Jesus had to lay down His right to His own will.
Think with me for just a minute. We marvel at Jesus’ willingness to die on the cross in our place, and we certainly should marvel at that. But I want to remind you of what it must have been like living in the shadow of that cross every day. I don’t know exactly at what point Jesus knew He was going to the cross. We could debate that issue. However, we know that He was aware of it long before He entered Jerusalem the last time. How do we know? Because Jesus clearly told His disciples. Matt. 16:21, "From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day." So for months, maybe more than a year, Jesus lived with that knowledge every day. That required a continual laying down of His life.
Imagine what it was like as He dealt with the religious leaders, knowing that they would engineer they would secretly plot against Him, engineering the circumstances that would lead to His death. Imagine what it was like for Jesus to wash the feet of the very men who would forsake Him. Imagine what it would be like to rub shoulders every day with the man who would betray Him and sell Him out for 30 pieces of silver. Yet never once did He claim His right to His own life.
Yes, Jesus is our supreme example of love. Though we may find other examples among those who follow Him, His will always stand above all others.
III. This Love Is Explained (Defined) By Obedience
Now come to the very next verse in I John, 4:11, "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." Or go back to I Jn. 3:16, "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." And that doesn’t just mean being willing to die a physical death, but it means a daily laying down of our lives for the sake of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Or go back one more chapter to I Jn. 2:6, "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." As Jesus gave His life for us, we are to give our lives for others. This is love, and we are commanded to demonstrate this love.
Notice in each of these verses we just read – 2:6; 3:16; 4:11 – we find the word "ought." It is interesting that the Greek word so translated appears only in these three places in I John. We ought to walk as Jesus walked; We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren; we ought to love one another. Growing up, I often heard the concept of "ought" expressed something like this, "I know I ought to do it, but I’m not going to." But here in I John, this is the divine "ought." This is the supreme "ought" of life. We ought to love one another by laying down our lives for one another, just as Jesus did.
You see, we can never separate love from obedience. How do we express love for God? By doing what He says. It’s as simple as that. Isn’t that exactly what Jesus said in Jn. 14:15, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." And what is the commandment He had just given them a few verses earlier? "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another" (Jn. 13:34). Or go the other way, a little bit later the same night in Jn. 15:12, "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." And down to verse 17, "These things I command you, that ye love one another." When Jesus says, "If ye love me, keep my commandments," understand that obedience begins with loving one another.
Go back for a moment to 1 Cor 13:3, "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." That sounds like love expressed through action. And isn’t that the love that was exemplified by our Lord when He gave His body on the cross? But wait a minute, Paul says that a person can do that and not have love. How can it not be love? It isn’t in obedience to the Lord’s command.
Hear me. This is very important. We are living in a day when humanitarianism is taking hold in some circles of our society. The other day I heard about families who were taking their vacations to do things for other people. One such family went to Cambodia to build wheel chairs for the disabled. Is that not love? I don’t know. It may be, but it may not be. While it is certainly a noble thing to do, and surely it is better than spending time and money on self, it is only the agape love of I Cor. 13, if it is out of obedience to the Lord.
Apply this principle more personally. Everything the world judges as a good deed does is not necessarily an expression of agape love. Suppose you were to give $10,000 to a missions organization. Is that love in action? It might be, but it might not be. Paul says it is possible to do that very thing and not have love. Is it in obedience to Jesus command to love?
Love is not only exemplified in Christ and expressed through action, but it is also defined (explained) by obedience. When we follow Christ in doing things for others out of obedience to Him, that is a powerful demonstration of His love.
Conclusion
Perhaps you were looking for a dictionary definition of love. I’m not sure a dictionary definition is as good as simply coming to some of the passages we have come to this morning (see bulletin), but if you need such a definition, you might try this… "treating others with their best interests in mind." Of course, you have to define "best interests" in terms of Christ, the glory of God, etc., but that may be helpful for some of us.
Let me emphasize again what love is not. Love does not consist of feelings or of mere words. Don’t misunderstand. Feelings are not bad. Emotions are not evil. But we must always remember that when it comes to this agape love, feelings can’t lead that way. They will often follow, but they must not dictate our actions. And who doesn’t appreciate someone saying, "I love you?" Nevertheless, that is not the essence of love. If given a choice of telling a person you love him or actually loving him, there is only one godly action. Of course, many times part of the active expression of that love will include our words, because our words are part of our total make-up.
Let’s close with a verse from John 17. You will remember that this is the prayer Jesus prayed the night of His arrest. There in the presence of His eleven apostles, He poured out His heart to His Father. From time to time, we emphasize various portions of this prayer, but often we stop before we get to this verse. It is the last verse, 17:26, "And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it; that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them." Let that soak in. Jesus prayed that the same love the Father had for Him might be in us. Wow! Not only did Jesus command this love, but He also prayed for it. And didn’t Jesus say that the Father always heard His prayers?
Praise God for that prayer! What hope that stirs up within us. We long to love, but we see the imperfections within us. But now we look at this prayer and must exclaim, "Lord, you have prayed that I might possess the very love of the Father, and I know that the Father answers your prayer."
But surely this is too good to be true. How can it be that I could have within me the love the Father has for the Son? Read it again: "that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them." We forget the glory and wonder of having the life of Jesus Christ within us. And that is the key. When we truly have the life of the Son within us, we can have this love. When we have Jesus, we have the life of God. And when we have the life of God, we have this love, for God is love.
Monday, February 5, 2007
In His Presence -- 2/4/07
Sunday, February 4, 2007
IN HIS PRESENCE
Psalm 91
Our studies the past few weeks have been quite intense, as we have been going through the tests of life in I John. This morning let’s take a little break. One morning this past week I found myself singing a song that we sang last Sunday morning. You will recall that we sang that little song that sets Ps. 91:1-2 to music. Yes, we sang it again this morning. Let’s read it again… "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust" (Ps. 91:1-2).
As I was singing it, I opened my Bible and decided to spend some time in this Psalm, which has long been one of my favorites. How blessed I was. And I want to share some of that with you this morning.
Before we look at Psalm 91, please turn back to Psalm 37. Let’s read Ps. 37:1-6…
Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. 2. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. 3. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 4. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. 6. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
This is a wonderful Psalm, but I want to focus on verse 4, "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." What does that mean? If I delight myself in the Lord, He will give me what my heart desires. But what will my heart desire? When I truly delight myself in Him, I won’t desire selfish things. I won’t desire the things of this world. In a nutshell, I will desire to delight myself in the Lord. Yes, when I delight myself in Him, the desire of my heart will be for more of the same. This is a "glorious cycle"! Praise God! Too often we think that if we delight self in the Lord, then we will be able to have certain things. Perhaps these are even very good things – joy and peace, power for service, etc. While the Lord may indeed give those things, isn’t the best and most glorious thing His very presence? When I truly delight myself in Him, is there anything more that I want?
This goes along perfectly with Psalm 91. "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Do you see it? To dwell in the secret place of the Most High God is basically to delight yourself in Him. And what is the reward for that? To abide under His shadow, the shadow of the Almighty God. Now it is true that this picture speaks of His wonderful protection. Speaking of this protection of the Lord, the Psalmist says in Ps. 121:5-6, "The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night." But even more than protection, this picture speaks of nearness. For a little boy to walk in the shadow of his father, he has to draw close to him. And as the sun moves up in the sky and the heat increases, that boy has to draw even closer to his father, in order to remain in his shadow. So it is with us. When the heat of life’s storms increase, we have to draw closer to the Lord. But it isn’t really a "have to;" it is a delight, for there is nothing sweeter than being in His presence.
I want to show you how this truth is emphasized in this Psalm. Psalm 91 is really a very popular Psalm that is often quoted. What parts of this Psalm have you heart quoted (or maybe you have quoted)? Let me give you a few statements from Psalm 91 that are often quoted as wonderful promises…
… Though a thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, the evil will not come near you (7)
… No evil shall befall you and no plague shall come near your house (10)
… God will give His angels charge over us. They will hold us up so that we won’t even strike our foot
against a stone (11-12)
… We shall walk on lions and poisonous snakes. We will trample them under our feet (13)
Without doubt, these are wonderful promises, but they are often taken out of context. Let me give you one example. Who is the most famous person that has quoted from Psalm 91? Do you know? It is the devil himself. When Jesus had been in the desert for 40 days without any food, Satan came to Jesus. After unsuccessfully tempting Jesus to turn the stones into bread, he then tried a second temptation. Let’s read it in Matt. 4:5-6, "Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6. And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." There it is – Satan himself quoted scripture. But you will remember that Jesus did not yield to that temptation, though it contained scripture, for the scripture was taken out of context. As we proceed, I believe you will see that more clearly.
As you look at this Psalm in the future, I trust you will begin to see that the rewards listed throughout simply tell us that nothing can pull us out from under His shadow, as we dwell in His secret place. I want us to look at two statements in this Psalm which will help us to see the beauty of abiding in His presence.
I. Thou Shalt Not Be Afraid (5)
Let’s read verse 5-6, "Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6. Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday." At first glance, we might say, "Isn’t this wonderful. The Lord has promised to deliver us from the terror in the night and the weapon that comes against us in the daytime and the terrible disease of the night and the destruction that destroys in broad daylight." But is that what the text says? No, it does not. The Psalmist says nothing about delivering us from those circumstances. Rather, he tells us that we won’t be afraid when any or all of those things confront us.
Make no mistake about it, these troubles and others like them will come to us, just as they come to everyone in this world. The Lord never promises to deliver us from such trials. He says only that we won’t be afraid when these things comes. Ps. 27:1, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear. The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid." David would not fear, but it wasn’t because he had no cause to fear (humanly speaking). He immediately says, "When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident" (27:2-3). And, of course, because we know the history of David, we know that these "if’s" were reality. In the midst of that turmoil, he then says: "One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple" (27:4). David didn’t ask that the way be smooth, but only that he be able to dwell in the Lord’s presence.
God doesn’t promise us a smooth path. He will not lead us in a way where there is no suffering. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me" (Ps. 23:4). There it is again! Praise God! Even in the shadow of death, he doesn’t fear.
I can expect trials and difficulties. I must not think that because I know the Lord, He will somehow take away the circumstances that cause others to fear. Nor must I get the idea that if I draw near to Him, dwelling in the secret place of the Most High, that He will then remove the thorns of life. Never. As a matter of fact, there may be more! But in the midst of it all, I will abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Yes, I will dwell in the house (presence) of the Lord.
I said earlier that God doesn’t promise to remove the trials; He only promises that we won’t have to fear. Strike the word "only." This is a far greater promise, because this doesn’t deal with outward things but with our hearts. How much would you pay to have all fear removed from your heart? I’m not talking about the fear that others can see; I’m talking about the fear that grips you down where no one else can go. This is the promise we have from the Lord: "You shall not be afraid."
But who can claim that promise? This is how so many things in this Psalm are taken out of context. This promise isn’t for just anyone. And no, you cannot claim it just because you profess to be a Christian. This promise is for the person who dwells in the secret place of the Most High and as a result abides under the shadow of the Almighty. When you are in His shadow and protection, you can’t fear. What a promise this is.
II. There Shall No Evil Befall thee… (10)
What does he mean when he says that no evil will befall thee? First of all, who is "thee"? Is it not the person who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, and therefore abides under the shadow of the Almighty? This promise isn’t for everyone. It is conditional, dependent upon this drawing near unto God (Ps. 73:28).
So if a person does indeed dwell in the secret place of the Most High, how is it that no evil shall befall him? This is where misunderstanding often comes. We have a tendency to think that God will protect us from the "bad" things of life, from outward circumstances that would be difficult.
I find that I can best get a handle on this by looking at a couple of very godly examples…
1. The first is Joseph of the Old Testament. I believe that this man did indeed dwell in the secret place of the Most High. How else would he have been able to escape the bitterness and resentment that would have destroyed most men? His own brothers had sold him. Potiphar’s wife had falsely accused him, which led to his imprisonment. The butler had totally forgotten him. For the better part of 17 years Joseph rotted in that prison. And yet when the baker and the butler were sad one morning, Joseph noticed. Isn’t that amazing! Didn’t Joseph have enough problems of his own? And when he finally saw his brothers -- 22 years after they had sold him -- he forgave them. More accurately, he expressed his forgiveness. Surely he had forgiven them many years before. A man filled with unforgiveness would not have prospered in every circumstance, as Joseph did. It was through dwelling in the secret place of the Most High that he was able to forgive the inexcusable wickedness of those ten brothers.
Now if Joseph did indeed dwell in the secret place of the Most High, how is it that evil came upon him? Is God a liar? It would certainly seem that plenty of evil came his way. Wasn’t what happened to him evil? Did not his brothers and Potiphar’s wife deliberately bring those evils upon him?
The key is in Gen. 50:20, "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." When viewed from the human perspective, evil not only befell Joseph, but it swallowed him up. But because Joseph was abiding under the shadow of the Almighty, he didn’t see things from the human perspective. He was able to see the hand of God in all of it. I’m not sure when Joseph began to realize what God’s plan was for preserving the life of his family, but even before he saw it, he trusted God. He understood that God was indeed his refuge, his fortress, his God, in whom he could trust (Ps. 91:2). As Joseph viewed his circumstances from the divine perspective, he could say that no evil came to him.
2. Consider Jesus. If anyone ever dwelt in the secret place of the Most High, it was Jesus our Lord. When the devil tempted Him for 40 days in the desert, Jesus drew closer to His Father. At the end of those 40 days, when Satan tempted Him to turn the stones into bread, Jesus could say, "It is written: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Mt. 4:4). But wasn’t Jesus already dwelling in the secret place of the Most High before the temptation experience? If so, then why would God allow the devil to tempt Him so severely? What could be worse than having Satan himself working on you for over a month?
By the way, God not only allowed it; God engineered it. That’s right. Read it in Mt. 4:1, "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil." It was the Spirit of God who led Him out into the desert for the very purpose of being tempted by Satan. Is that not evil? If we look only on the surface, we might be tempted to accuse God Himself of evil.
Think about it. Jesus was out there in the desert and ate nothing. As the devil tempted Him, there was no one around to encourage Him. As He continually dwelt in the secret place of the Most High, He found that His Father was indeed His refuge and fortress. The more intense the temptation became, the more fully He experienced the blessing of abiding under the shadow of the Almighty. The temptation was intense, but the more intense the temptation, the greater the opportunity to draw near the Father and meditate on His promises. While we read the account and are impressed by the evil of it all, Jesus would have said that no evil befell Him there.
Now go to the cross. Who can possibly say that no evil came to Jesus? Was this not the most evil thing that has ever occurred in the history of mankind? The only righteous person who ever lived was hung on a cross. He was ridiculed, mocked, spit upon, and tortured. But that wasn’t the half of it. That righteous man took upon Himself all the evil of man. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (II Cor. 5:21). If that isn’t evil, what is? Was not Almighty God able to protect His own Son from this unspeakable evil?
That "evil" was none other than "the grace of God that brings salvation" (Tit. 2:11). Had Jesus not viewed the cross from the divine perspective, He would have never endured it. Remember that Jesus did not have to die there. He Himself said, "No man taketh it [my life] from me, but I lay it down of myself" (Jn. 10:17). In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed that if possible this cup might pass from Him. And what was that cup? The cup was the experiencing of God’s wrath upon Him, as He took our place on the cross. Jesus did not enjoy enduring this "evil." Nevertheless, our Lord voluntarily surrendered to the agony of dying as our substitute.
But still, how can we say that no evil befell Jesus (as promised in Ps. 91:10)? Let’s simply read from the Word of God…
Heb 1:1-13… God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2. Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3. Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 4. Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 5. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 6. And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. 7. And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. 8. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 9. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. 10. And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: 11. They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; 12. And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. 13. But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?
John 17:1,4-5… These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee… 4. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 5. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
Heb 12:1-2… Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Phil 2:5-11… Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
When we see the big picture, when we grasp the eternal perspective, then we begin to understand that what Satan meant for evil, God meant for good! No, I don’t totally understand this, but I do get a glimpse of it. While the cross may appear evil because of the agonies to which Jesus was subjected, how can we call evil the event that purchased our salvation? If Jesus had not died and rose, there would be no possibility of us entering into God’s presence. And even today, if you have not come to Jesus through repentance and faith, you cannot dwell in the secret place of the Most High. Though the cup Jesus drank was bitter beyond explanation, look at Him now. For a brief time He was under the wrath of God, but now He sits at the right hand of the Father, and there He will be forever and ever and ever, where He will receive the praise and glory that is due Him.
If no evil could befall Joseph in those dark years, if no evil could befall Jesus when He hung on the cross, then surely we can believe that God will do the same for us, as we dwell in the secret place of the Most High. Can you see it? When we are His presence, no evil can touch us. Though we die for the sake of the gospel, that is not evil. That is glory, for then we shall see Him face to face!
Conclusion
Let me give you a little assignment for this week, as we continue to think about Psalm 91. There are two Proverbs that go right along with Ps. 91:10. Here they are…
Prov 12:21… There shall no evil happen to the just: but the wicked shall be filled with mischief.
Prov 19:23… The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.
At first, we might think that these statements cannot be true. But then go over them in light of what we have studied this morning.
May we never imagine that God has promised to shield us from the storms of life. While that in itself might constitute a miracle, how much greater is the miracle of removing all fear from us in the midst of the greatest storms, the miracle of opening our eyes to see that no evil can befall us! God uses the worst storms of life to invite us into His presence. Next time a crisis comes in your life, hear the Lord saying, "Won’t you come and dwell in my secret place, so that I can overshadow you with my wings." It is in the midst of those storms that we are motivated to dwell in the secret place of the Most High. And as a result, we are blessed to abide under the shadow of the Almighty. And when we get a taste of that blessing, it begins to dawn on us that there is no greater blessing!
Ps. 65:4, "Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple."
Let's sing that little chorus...
In your presence, in your presence, there is joy;
In your presence, in your presence, there is peace.
Let me linger, let me stay, in your presence every day,
‘Til your likeness shall be seen in me.
You may ask, "So how can I dwell in the secret place? How can I come into His presence?" We could talk about many things…
… entering into the closet to shut the world out
… getting on our knees with an attitude of humility
… and many more.
However, there is only one thing I want to emphasize this morning – we have to want to enter into His presence. We can know many things and have various techniques, but if we don’t have a deep longing to enter into His presence, it will never happen. O that we might have that longing!
As you pray for the cultivation of that desire to enter His presence, dwell on the privilege that is ours. Think of it – entering into the presence of the God who made the universe and everything in it. How could we possibly reject that privilege?
IN HIS PRESENCE
Psalm 91
Our studies the past few weeks have been quite intense, as we have been going through the tests of life in I John. This morning let’s take a little break. One morning this past week I found myself singing a song that we sang last Sunday morning. You will recall that we sang that little song that sets Ps. 91:1-2 to music. Yes, we sang it again this morning. Let’s read it again… "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust" (Ps. 91:1-2).
As I was singing it, I opened my Bible and decided to spend some time in this Psalm, which has long been one of my favorites. How blessed I was. And I want to share some of that with you this morning.
Before we look at Psalm 91, please turn back to Psalm 37. Let’s read Ps. 37:1-6…
Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. 2. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. 3. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 4. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. 6. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
This is a wonderful Psalm, but I want to focus on verse 4, "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." What does that mean? If I delight myself in the Lord, He will give me what my heart desires. But what will my heart desire? When I truly delight myself in Him, I won’t desire selfish things. I won’t desire the things of this world. In a nutshell, I will desire to delight myself in the Lord. Yes, when I delight myself in Him, the desire of my heart will be for more of the same. This is a "glorious cycle"! Praise God! Too often we think that if we delight self in the Lord, then we will be able to have certain things. Perhaps these are even very good things – joy and peace, power for service, etc. While the Lord may indeed give those things, isn’t the best and most glorious thing His very presence? When I truly delight myself in Him, is there anything more that I want?
This goes along perfectly with Psalm 91. "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Do you see it? To dwell in the secret place of the Most High God is basically to delight yourself in Him. And what is the reward for that? To abide under His shadow, the shadow of the Almighty God. Now it is true that this picture speaks of His wonderful protection. Speaking of this protection of the Lord, the Psalmist says in Ps. 121:5-6, "The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night." But even more than protection, this picture speaks of nearness. For a little boy to walk in the shadow of his father, he has to draw close to him. And as the sun moves up in the sky and the heat increases, that boy has to draw even closer to his father, in order to remain in his shadow. So it is with us. When the heat of life’s storms increase, we have to draw closer to the Lord. But it isn’t really a "have to;" it is a delight, for there is nothing sweeter than being in His presence.
I want to show you how this truth is emphasized in this Psalm. Psalm 91 is really a very popular Psalm that is often quoted. What parts of this Psalm have you heart quoted (or maybe you have quoted)? Let me give you a few statements from Psalm 91 that are often quoted as wonderful promises…
… Though a thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, the evil will not come near you (7)
… No evil shall befall you and no plague shall come near your house (10)
… God will give His angels charge over us. They will hold us up so that we won’t even strike our foot
against a stone (11-12)
… We shall walk on lions and poisonous snakes. We will trample them under our feet (13)
Without doubt, these are wonderful promises, but they are often taken out of context. Let me give you one example. Who is the most famous person that has quoted from Psalm 91? Do you know? It is the devil himself. When Jesus had been in the desert for 40 days without any food, Satan came to Jesus. After unsuccessfully tempting Jesus to turn the stones into bread, he then tried a second temptation. Let’s read it in Matt. 4:5-6, "Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6. And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." There it is – Satan himself quoted scripture. But you will remember that Jesus did not yield to that temptation, though it contained scripture, for the scripture was taken out of context. As we proceed, I believe you will see that more clearly.
As you look at this Psalm in the future, I trust you will begin to see that the rewards listed throughout simply tell us that nothing can pull us out from under His shadow, as we dwell in His secret place. I want us to look at two statements in this Psalm which will help us to see the beauty of abiding in His presence.
I. Thou Shalt Not Be Afraid (5)
Let’s read verse 5-6, "Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6. Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday." At first glance, we might say, "Isn’t this wonderful. The Lord has promised to deliver us from the terror in the night and the weapon that comes against us in the daytime and the terrible disease of the night and the destruction that destroys in broad daylight." But is that what the text says? No, it does not. The Psalmist says nothing about delivering us from those circumstances. Rather, he tells us that we won’t be afraid when any or all of those things confront us.
Make no mistake about it, these troubles and others like them will come to us, just as they come to everyone in this world. The Lord never promises to deliver us from such trials. He says only that we won’t be afraid when these things comes. Ps. 27:1, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear. The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid." David would not fear, but it wasn’t because he had no cause to fear (humanly speaking). He immediately says, "When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident" (27:2-3). And, of course, because we know the history of David, we know that these "if’s" were reality. In the midst of that turmoil, he then says: "One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple" (27:4). David didn’t ask that the way be smooth, but only that he be able to dwell in the Lord’s presence.
God doesn’t promise us a smooth path. He will not lead us in a way where there is no suffering. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me" (Ps. 23:4). There it is again! Praise God! Even in the shadow of death, he doesn’t fear.
I can expect trials and difficulties. I must not think that because I know the Lord, He will somehow take away the circumstances that cause others to fear. Nor must I get the idea that if I draw near to Him, dwelling in the secret place of the Most High, that He will then remove the thorns of life. Never. As a matter of fact, there may be more! But in the midst of it all, I will abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Yes, I will dwell in the house (presence) of the Lord.
I said earlier that God doesn’t promise to remove the trials; He only promises that we won’t have to fear. Strike the word "only." This is a far greater promise, because this doesn’t deal with outward things but with our hearts. How much would you pay to have all fear removed from your heart? I’m not talking about the fear that others can see; I’m talking about the fear that grips you down where no one else can go. This is the promise we have from the Lord: "You shall not be afraid."
But who can claim that promise? This is how so many things in this Psalm are taken out of context. This promise isn’t for just anyone. And no, you cannot claim it just because you profess to be a Christian. This promise is for the person who dwells in the secret place of the Most High and as a result abides under the shadow of the Almighty. When you are in His shadow and protection, you can’t fear. What a promise this is.
II. There Shall No Evil Befall thee… (10)
What does he mean when he says that no evil will befall thee? First of all, who is "thee"? Is it not the person who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, and therefore abides under the shadow of the Almighty? This promise isn’t for everyone. It is conditional, dependent upon this drawing near unto God (Ps. 73:28).
So if a person does indeed dwell in the secret place of the Most High, how is it that no evil shall befall him? This is where misunderstanding often comes. We have a tendency to think that God will protect us from the "bad" things of life, from outward circumstances that would be difficult.
I find that I can best get a handle on this by looking at a couple of very godly examples…
1. The first is Joseph of the Old Testament. I believe that this man did indeed dwell in the secret place of the Most High. How else would he have been able to escape the bitterness and resentment that would have destroyed most men? His own brothers had sold him. Potiphar’s wife had falsely accused him, which led to his imprisonment. The butler had totally forgotten him. For the better part of 17 years Joseph rotted in that prison. And yet when the baker and the butler were sad one morning, Joseph noticed. Isn’t that amazing! Didn’t Joseph have enough problems of his own? And when he finally saw his brothers -- 22 years after they had sold him -- he forgave them. More accurately, he expressed his forgiveness. Surely he had forgiven them many years before. A man filled with unforgiveness would not have prospered in every circumstance, as Joseph did. It was through dwelling in the secret place of the Most High that he was able to forgive the inexcusable wickedness of those ten brothers.
Now if Joseph did indeed dwell in the secret place of the Most High, how is it that evil came upon him? Is God a liar? It would certainly seem that plenty of evil came his way. Wasn’t what happened to him evil? Did not his brothers and Potiphar’s wife deliberately bring those evils upon him?
The key is in Gen. 50:20, "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." When viewed from the human perspective, evil not only befell Joseph, but it swallowed him up. But because Joseph was abiding under the shadow of the Almighty, he didn’t see things from the human perspective. He was able to see the hand of God in all of it. I’m not sure when Joseph began to realize what God’s plan was for preserving the life of his family, but even before he saw it, he trusted God. He understood that God was indeed his refuge, his fortress, his God, in whom he could trust (Ps. 91:2). As Joseph viewed his circumstances from the divine perspective, he could say that no evil came to him.
2. Consider Jesus. If anyone ever dwelt in the secret place of the Most High, it was Jesus our Lord. When the devil tempted Him for 40 days in the desert, Jesus drew closer to His Father. At the end of those 40 days, when Satan tempted Him to turn the stones into bread, Jesus could say, "It is written: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Mt. 4:4). But wasn’t Jesus already dwelling in the secret place of the Most High before the temptation experience? If so, then why would God allow the devil to tempt Him so severely? What could be worse than having Satan himself working on you for over a month?
By the way, God not only allowed it; God engineered it. That’s right. Read it in Mt. 4:1, "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil." It was the Spirit of God who led Him out into the desert for the very purpose of being tempted by Satan. Is that not evil? If we look only on the surface, we might be tempted to accuse God Himself of evil.
Think about it. Jesus was out there in the desert and ate nothing. As the devil tempted Him, there was no one around to encourage Him. As He continually dwelt in the secret place of the Most High, He found that His Father was indeed His refuge and fortress. The more intense the temptation became, the more fully He experienced the blessing of abiding under the shadow of the Almighty. The temptation was intense, but the more intense the temptation, the greater the opportunity to draw near the Father and meditate on His promises. While we read the account and are impressed by the evil of it all, Jesus would have said that no evil befell Him there.
Now go to the cross. Who can possibly say that no evil came to Jesus? Was this not the most evil thing that has ever occurred in the history of mankind? The only righteous person who ever lived was hung on a cross. He was ridiculed, mocked, spit upon, and tortured. But that wasn’t the half of it. That righteous man took upon Himself all the evil of man. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (II Cor. 5:21). If that isn’t evil, what is? Was not Almighty God able to protect His own Son from this unspeakable evil?
That "evil" was none other than "the grace of God that brings salvation" (Tit. 2:11). Had Jesus not viewed the cross from the divine perspective, He would have never endured it. Remember that Jesus did not have to die there. He Himself said, "No man taketh it [my life] from me, but I lay it down of myself" (Jn. 10:17). In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed that if possible this cup might pass from Him. And what was that cup? The cup was the experiencing of God’s wrath upon Him, as He took our place on the cross. Jesus did not enjoy enduring this "evil." Nevertheless, our Lord voluntarily surrendered to the agony of dying as our substitute.
But still, how can we say that no evil befell Jesus (as promised in Ps. 91:10)? Let’s simply read from the Word of God…
Heb 1:1-13… God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2. Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3. Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 4. Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 5. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 6. And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. 7. And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. 8. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 9. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. 10. And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: 11. They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; 12. And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. 13. But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?
John 17:1,4-5… These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee… 4. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 5. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
Heb 12:1-2… Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Phil 2:5-11… Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
When we see the big picture, when we grasp the eternal perspective, then we begin to understand that what Satan meant for evil, God meant for good! No, I don’t totally understand this, but I do get a glimpse of it. While the cross may appear evil because of the agonies to which Jesus was subjected, how can we call evil the event that purchased our salvation? If Jesus had not died and rose, there would be no possibility of us entering into God’s presence. And even today, if you have not come to Jesus through repentance and faith, you cannot dwell in the secret place of the Most High. Though the cup Jesus drank was bitter beyond explanation, look at Him now. For a brief time He was under the wrath of God, but now He sits at the right hand of the Father, and there He will be forever and ever and ever, where He will receive the praise and glory that is due Him.
If no evil could befall Joseph in those dark years, if no evil could befall Jesus when He hung on the cross, then surely we can believe that God will do the same for us, as we dwell in the secret place of the Most High. Can you see it? When we are His presence, no evil can touch us. Though we die for the sake of the gospel, that is not evil. That is glory, for then we shall see Him face to face!
Conclusion
Let me give you a little assignment for this week, as we continue to think about Psalm 91. There are two Proverbs that go right along with Ps. 91:10. Here they are…
Prov 12:21… There shall no evil happen to the just: but the wicked shall be filled with mischief.
Prov 19:23… The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.
At first, we might think that these statements cannot be true. But then go over them in light of what we have studied this morning.
May we never imagine that God has promised to shield us from the storms of life. While that in itself might constitute a miracle, how much greater is the miracle of removing all fear from us in the midst of the greatest storms, the miracle of opening our eyes to see that no evil can befall us! God uses the worst storms of life to invite us into His presence. Next time a crisis comes in your life, hear the Lord saying, "Won’t you come and dwell in my secret place, so that I can overshadow you with my wings." It is in the midst of those storms that we are motivated to dwell in the secret place of the Most High. And as a result, we are blessed to abide under the shadow of the Almighty. And when we get a taste of that blessing, it begins to dawn on us that there is no greater blessing!
Ps. 65:4, "Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple."
Let's sing that little chorus...
In your presence, in your presence, there is joy;
In your presence, in your presence, there is peace.
Let me linger, let me stay, in your presence every day,
‘Til your likeness shall be seen in me.
You may ask, "So how can I dwell in the secret place? How can I come into His presence?" We could talk about many things…
… entering into the closet to shut the world out
… getting on our knees with an attitude of humility
… and many more.
However, there is only one thing I want to emphasize this morning – we have to want to enter into His presence. We can know many things and have various techniques, but if we don’t have a deep longing to enter into His presence, it will never happen. O that we might have that longing!
As you pray for the cultivation of that desire to enter His presence, dwell on the privilege that is ours. Think of it – entering into the presence of the God who made the universe and everything in it. How could we possibly reject that privilege?
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