Our subject for this morning may seem a little out our my league. This is the sort of theme which might be found in the big, liberal church down the road – not here. We are better known for more serious messages, not these mushy, topical, feel-good subjects. Around here we preach “doctrine” with maybe a little history mixed in.
Actually, this message then should fit right ins, because it is highly serious and Biblically doctrinal.
But first, let’s pretend – pretend that your favorite food is Jello – the most nutritious food in the world. There is not a hospital in the country which doesn’t serve Jello, so it must be highly beneficial. Years ago, when you were first introduced to its giggliness, you couldn’t get enough of it. You enjoyed its wiggles, its colors, its sweetness and its many flavors. You had it for dessert meal after meal. And then Mom prepared it in such a way that it became a bit more stiff, so you could pick it up with your fingers and eat it like apple slices or carrots. You had Jello several times a day. But, then, because you got your wish to have it so very often, eventually you lost your lust for Jello. You may have even reached the point where you didn’t want it any longer. You turned up your nose at it. You stopped eating your three meals a day of nutritious Jello. And because Jello is necessary to life itself, your health began to decline.
Before we get to the point, let me share a more realistic and Biblical example. During the 40 years of Israel’s wilderness wanderings, God fed the nation with manna. It met every nutritional need of those people, as well as being adapted to their taste. At first they loved every bite, especially since they didn’t have to work for it – just collect it. But, over time manna became common place, and eventually Israel loathed to see another plate or bowl of it. When they despised God’s daily blessing, they began to spiritually starve. The same thing can happen with the Bible and with Biblical doctrine.
The subject of God’s love may be a perfect example. As fundamental Baptists, we know the verities of this text. You have accidentally memorized verse 10 – “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” This verse has been emblazoned on a plaque and sits on a wall in your bedroom – or bathroom. You’ve heard the precepts of these verses and related verses all before – and behind, and above and below.
Furthermore these verses seem to be the theme and motto of congregations which know nothing about church history and Bible doctrine. These are the verses of the religious liberals and even the heretics. “For God so loved the world that He wouldn’t dare let one of His wicked little creatures slip into Hell.” We had better shield ourselves from those heretics by avoiding the subjects that they love – like love. And in the process we deprive ourselves of a beautiful, wonderful and important Bible doctrine.
Let’s imagine for the 20 or 30 minutes that we are newly born children of God. This is our first exposure to the delights of spiritual Jello. The preachers stands before us and announces, “Herein is love.” “Preacher, wherein is love?” To answer the question, let’s begin by taking out the first comma in verse 10.
Herein is love not…
Love is not anything until it’s given its lifeblood by God. Despite being a distinct minority in our world, we often hear about various kinds of atheists. There are far more people who are virtual atheists or practical atheists than the theological kind. Whether they recognize or not, an atheist of any variety is a spiritual cripple; an invalid. There are a lot of things that they cannot – or will not do. And the most obvious is that an atheist will not believe in God. It is not that he cannot believe in deity, but rather that he will not believe. An atheist cannot understand the Bible; he cannot find forgiveness and peace, nor does he want to. And he certainly cannot have hope of Heaven, but of course he doesn’t believe such a place exists. There are a lot of things which the atheist cannot do, but he can love. He can’t love God, but he can love his country and his family. He very often loves wealth, and he certainly loves himself. The Christ-denying heathen can love; the prodigal can love; infidel can love; and the God-denying atheist can love. But their love is so paltry that it should not be compared to the love which Christ has for His people.
And so too, beloved, is our love – yours and mine. Not prior to our meeting Christ, nor at any time since…. Never has our love been anything more than single blossom in comparison to God’s mountain meadow of wild flowers. Ours has never been more than a candle in comparison to the radiance of the Sirius or Arcturus. Ours has never been more than filthy mirror reflecting the true light of the Son. You see, however difficult to understand, God IS Love, while at best we can only possess or receive love. As your coffee may possess sweetness; but sugar IS sweetness. You may be able to give love and receive love, but God is love.
“Herein is love….” In this is love – there is no other example of love – Herein is love that Jehovah loved us. It is horrible grammar, but true theology is not bound by grammar. Here is love – “God.” And for many of us – This one who is love – loved us.
More specifically – herein is love DISPLAYED.
“God sent His only begotten son to be the propitiation….” Is this love Jehovah’s special love for His elect; or is it for all His creation? I asked Spurgeon, and he answered: “This is God’s love to men in general.” I asked B.H. Carrol, and he answered: “This is God’s love for all sinful society.” I asked Matthew Henry, and he gave me the same answer. But then there are others like John Gill, who tell me that this is God’s special love for only those whom He intended to save. From one perspective, I can see the one answer, and from another perspective I see the other. But this verse is even more specific than what John said in his Gospel – chapter 3 verse 16 – “For God so loved the world (the cosmos), that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” This says, “For God so loved US that He sent his only begotten son to become the propitiation or satisfaction for OUR sins” – for our particular sins.
In this was manifested the love of God toward us that through Him we might enjoy eternal life – verse 9. God’s love was manifested toward a most insignificant and worthless part of His creation – us. Let’s say on western slope of the Bitteroot Mountains, stands one White Pine amongst many thousands of others. It is mature at 175 feet tall, with “x” number of board feet of useable lumber. Over its years it has housed and fed squirrels, owls, ravens, sparrows and mice. Deer and elk have used this tree to rub the velvet off their antlers. Several small bears have joyfully climbed its trunk in play. But because it is so remote, it will one day die, fall, rot and be gone, without leaving any history of its existence. Outside of Christ that pine is more important to you, directly and personally, than you are to God. Before the eyes of the Lord, “all the inhabitants of earth are reputed as nothing” – Daniel 4:35. This morning you are 1 person out of about 35,000 in city Post Falls – .03% You are 1 person out of 1.7 million in the State of Idaho. You are 1 out of 320 million in the United States. You are 1 out of 7.5 billion people in the world. If each one of those people gave you a single penny, you’d have $750 million dollars. And you wouldn’t think twice about losing one of those pennies, or even a hundred of them. In addition to this, our White Pine tree has done you no harm. But you and I were born, raised, and enjoyed living as willfully sinful rebels against our Creator. Yet, God loves us: Therein is real love.
He so loved us that he “sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him.” I was reading an article Tuesday night which said that by 1850 there had never been a member of British royalty who had visited Canada. The Canadians were pleading with Queen Victoria to come for royal tour. They wanted her to lay the first stone upon the foundation of the new Parliament Buildings. They wanted her to open the Victoria Bridge over the St. Lawrence – the 8th wonder of the world. She made excuses, but finally relented, but sent her son Edward, the Prince of Wales. Not only was the visit a smashing success in Canada, but Edward was also a great hit in the United States, the country which had rebelled and fought a war against Edward’s great grandfather. Similarly, Jehovah, the King of Universe, sent His royal Son for us – people who were His eternal enemies.
And it was to supply a propitiation for our sins. The word “propitiation” means “satisfaction’ – that which was necessary to solve the problem, correct the failure; cure the disease. Christ did not come for a Royal visit or merely to act as ambassador or to INVITE reconciliation. The Son of God was sent TO BE that reconciliation. Some sneer when speaking of God as requiring a blood sacrifice before granting forgiveness for sin. Without a doubt that doctrine has a repugnant aspect to it. And no ordinary sinner wants to admit he is that repugnant to God. But that kind of sacrifice was indeed essential. And the thing to keep in mind is that God made the sacrifice Himself. He didn’t require our sons and daughters in sacrifice like some heathen deity. He sent His own Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
The only thing He asks of us in return is proper love. He sent His Son, motivated by divine love, and He asks for love in return. But of course, we will never be able to fabricate that required love on our own. There will be the necessity of humility before God’s love, and faith as well. “How shall ye escape if ye neglect so great” a love as this? There is no escape from sin, but down this path of God’s magnificent love. Jehovah’s love is displayed in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
And herein is God’s love REFLECTED.
The evidence that God’s love has lodged in our hearts is our reciprocated love. First, there will be a returned love for the Lord. “We love him because he first loved us.” Where God’s love has been received there will be love for Him.
Students of the Old Testament know that the Law of God has always demanded OUR love. “Thou shalt love the Lord, thy God, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy might.” That is found in Deuteronomy 6:5. Deuteronomy 10:12 says: “And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” A man once came to Christ Jesus and asked for a summary of God’s law: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God,” with all that you are and with all that you possess. “And thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” The Old Testament law demanded the love that these verses in I John 4 describe. But the law failed miserably to produce that love. Why? Because of man’s sinful depravity; it effects even his heart – in infects primarily his heart. I John 4:11 says, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love; to love God and one another.”
I fear that far too many who call themselves “Christians” are still trying to live and love as under the law. And that means complete and utter failure, just as it always has. For example, some people use the law as a standard measure for somebody’s worthiness of our love. “If you aren’t as law abiding as I am, then I’m under no obligation to love you.” Some people use the law to whip people who don’t love them as they think should. Some people cannot love, because they are still living in the Old Testament dispensation or economy.
One of the things that genuine love does is to empty the lover. That is often just the opposite of the person living under the law. Law-keepers usually are filled with self-pride, judging but not forgiving others. John says, but “herein is love” – note the great example. True love doesn’t demand anything; it gives, and gives, and it sacrifices and gives more. True love (God’s love) says, “I know you’re not worthy, but I love you anyway.” It says, “I know that I should hate you, but I refuse hate, despite all you’ve done against me.” True love, God’s love forgives. And the Christian who cannot forgive, is far removed from the love of the Lord. He is spiritually more destitute than the one who has offended him. The wax that is cold and hard is the wax that farthest from the flame.
Brethren, we don’t rightly grasp the truth in this passage if don’t see that our love should be practical. Hasn’t God’s love sought reconciliation, despite the infinite cost of Lord Jesus? Love bade the Lord to look beyond Himself to see what could be done with the sinner. Sinners however rarely look beyond themselves; even their love is given in the expectation of many happy returns. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. For a Christian to live in cold inforgiveness is for that Christian to live in sin. Excuse it as “justified” sin, call it “righteous” sin, call it whatever you like, but it is sin.
There appear to be two ways to enjoy God’s love. The second way is to share it with some one who doesn’t deserve it. But the first way is to fully appreciate the way it has been given to you. “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
“Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved).”
Have you been made a child of God through the love and eventually the sacrifice of Christ? One way to answer that question by the sort of response you find in your own heart. Do you find a thorough, humble soul-condemning repentance before God? How about faith and love in the Lord Jesus Christ?