If you remember from last week, I asked you what type of Christian are you? The most assured answer any one of us can give is a God formed Christian. Today, we are going to dive into another aspect of the Christian life as well as review how the people of Jesus day responded to His statement declaring the scriptures are fulfilled.
In titling todays message without love, who are we, I would like for you to seriously think about what love is. Love being a word that everyone on earth knows about and knowing its true definition seems unclear or vague to some. My friends, its just not love I speak about today, its about who God is, which one of them is love. If we would seriously review God’s character from scripture along with our personal lives, could we honestly say God is love? 1 John tells us Beloved, let’s love one another; for love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. There is very little room for misinterpretation here!
I do believe I could stop right here and refer this scripture and be done with todays message; however, there is more to it. You see friends, as God is love, God is also so many other things as well. We find that God is righteous, God is light, God is the great physician, God is the first and the last, God is justice, God is our great salvation, and so many more. In all of this, why Love? Well let us first revisit Gospel of Luke chapter 4 where we left off last Sunday. Jesus declared to all the people, the scriptures are fulfilled, meaning the Christ, messiah, has come to complete what God had promised. So, as Jesus sat down we go to verse 28. And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; 29 and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and brought Him to the crest of the hill on which their city had been built, so that they could throw Him down from the cliff. 30 But He passed through their midst and went on His way. SO let me ask you, where is love demonstrated in this picture? Well, it certainly wasn’t the people, but during Jesus’ ministry, He reminded them of 1 Kings 17 and 2 Kings 5, in which Elijah, the second greatest prophet in Israel after Moses, and his protege, Elisha, did good things even for Gentiles. Jesus shows them that God’s good intentions and merciful care extend beyond the borders of God’s Chosen. God’s love swept beyond the borders of the land as well as their mental reservations. However, it seems God’s own people have forgotten just how good and loving He is. There is no way I can go over all aspects of God’s love in what few minutes I have today but let me revisit what God’s definition of love looks like as Paul describes it in his first letter to the people of Corinth. 1 Corinthians chapter 13. Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, 5 it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, 6 it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.8 Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. 9 For we know partially and we prophesy partially, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. 12 At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. 13 So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Theologian Michael Reeves wrote an article in 2012 called “a loveless dictator in the sky” that stated, In my own experience, when I ask atheist or agnostic students to describe the God they don't believe in, I am usually treated to what sounds like a good description of Satan: a self-obsessed, merciless bully. And if God is not an ever-loving Father, eternally pouring out his Spirit of life and blessing on his Son, then their descriptions are probably pretty accurate. If God is not Father, Son, and Spirit, then he must be an eternally solitary being who has managed to get through eternity without love. In short, without love, who is God? Who are we?
Jesus Himself gave full testimony in not just His words but actions that in all things, we do them in God’s love—even when we don’t want to! When a person does not deserve it, give them love anyway. When a company misuses you and disrespects you, love them anyway. While being spit in the face and even cursed at by your own family and friends, love them anyway. Yet I tell you, we cannot love our enemies without Christ. My wife would be the first to tell you, I never like to be cheated, used or taken advantage of, yet I have to constantly remind myself, love them anyway. I often wonder if the world we live in today, this very minute, think that spirituality is just fine but belief in a personal God is met with hostility. Is it easier to reject God and call Him a loveless dictator in the sky instead of steadily and faithfully loving and serving Him along with our fellow man? You heard a scripture just a few moments ago where as we are to love others, even our enemies. How does this not represent love?
I cannot help but to think about the most recent disaster at Reagan Airport. Dozens perished in an airline accident. Men, women and even children all perished. Our hearts should truly grieve for the families of the lost and departed, but we cannot ever conjoin our thoughts with God without also reflecting upon the tragedies of life! Why did God let this happen? If He is a God of love, then how does this demonstrate it? This is where I do not have full answers except to say this. In all things, God has a plan. In all things, God is in control. In all things, God’s sovereignty reigns forever. In all things, God is a God of comfort as well as justice. In all things God is a God of faith as well as demise. In all things, God is God! One of the most simplistic answers I can give to this subject is all suffering is the result of sin which ultimately produces evil. If there was no sin in the world there would be no suffering. I know that doesn’t offer much comfort, especially if you are suffering right now. But, it is true: the sinful condition of our world is the result of one man’s sin. Notice what Paul says in Romans: When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. What sin has done is allow disobedience to God and God alone! Where sin exists, God cannot look upon sin. Habakkuk tells us “Your eyes are too pure to look at sin.” So what did God do with sin? Its called atonement. Its Gods merciful love that looks at sin through the lens of a purified blood sacrifice. Jesus the Risen Christ! Before Christ, the atonement was done by way of burnt offerings to God in sacrificing the best animal with no blemish. It’s a great mystery how that really works, but regardless, this supernatural and mystical experience had to take place in order for God’s love to prevail by ultimately saving us in His love.
In closing, I would like to leave you with this. When you think about love, try not to think about going up to someone and give them a big hug as a full symbol of God’s love. Its great to do yes, but love is not something we give. Without love, tithing is no more important an action than brushing your hair or washing your hands. The Pharisees had an elaborate ritual for those things as they had for alms, because all these things were prescribed by law, and had to be done so. But love does not give money, love does not give hugs, love does not clothe people, love does not feed people; love gives itself. If it gives itself first and a lot of money too, that is all the better. But first it must sacrifice itself. Love is done at a cost in serving God. We must sacrifice in order to love.
So now God comes to us and says, "I love you." What does he mean?
Does he mean something like this? "You mean everything to me. I can't live without you. Your personality, your witty conversation, your beauty, your smile—everything about you transfixes me. Heaven would be boring without you. I love you!" After all, when God made us in His own image, all things were perfect. But, when God says he loves us, does not God rather mean something like "Morally speaking, you are the people of the halitosis, the bulbous nose, the greasy hair, the disjointed knees, the abominable personality. Your sins have made you disgustingly ugly. But I love you anyway, not because you are attractive, but because it is my nature to love." This to me sounds more like it! Regardless of how you view yourselves, God sees you exactly as you are, in His ultimate Love. Amen.