by singing together hymn 766. The tune is Regent Square 684. Sovereign grace or sin abounding, ransom souls the tidings swell. Tis a deep that knows no sounding, who its breadth or length can tell. On its glories let my soul forever dwell.

Hymn 766, tune Regent Square, 684. Let us read together from the holy word of God in the first epistle of John and chapter 4. The First Epistle of John, Chapter 4.

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God, every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God. And this is that spirit of antichrist whereof you have heard that it should come and even now already is it in the world.

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. They are of the world, therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God. He that knoweth God heareth us. He that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error,

Beloved, let us love one another, for God is love. And everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love. 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. hearing his love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we are also to love one another. No man has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us. and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. and we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? this commandment have we from him that he who loveth God love his brother also. May the Lord bless the reading of his own precious word and grant unto us the spirit of real prayer.

Gracious and merciful and eternal God, we do desire to bow before thy Glorious Majesty, we desire, O Lord, a spirit of true worship, that we may worship Thee in spirit and in truth, and we desire that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, our Father, and the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit may rest and abide upon us, and that we may Be enabled, O Lord, to meditate in thy word. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, my Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

We pray, most gracious God, that thou wouldst guide and direct each one of us, whether we are young or old. We have great need of divine guidance. We have great need that thou would keep us, keep us from ourselves, keep us from the corruptions of our nature, keep and deliver us from the temptations of Satan, keep and deliver us from the allurements of this vain world that has the death and thousands hurt.

Gracious God, may we be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed at the last day. As we gather round thy word this afternoon, we pray that we might know those divine drawings of our Heavenly Father, drawing us unto his best beloved and all-glorious Son. And that we pray that we may be favoured with the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we may indeed behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, that we may see yon lovely man, and that scene of matchless grace, tis Jesus in the sinner's place.

May we behold the Lord Jesus. May we touch the hem of his garment. May we draw from that sacred fullness that is in him that fullness of love and power and grace. We pray that it may be poured into our hearts and that we may draw from that fullness of his fullness of all we received. And we read in thy word, O Lord, that he is full of grace and truth. And in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And we pray that we may be enabled to worship him in spirit and in truth.

We pray for the Spirit of Truth, for his heavenly power, for his divine unction to be known and felt in our hearts as we gather round the Word of God. We pray that thou wouldst give a hearing ear and a wise and an understanding heart. We pray to be led of the Spirit of God, for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. We read in thy word, O Lord, and he led them forth by the right way. We pray that this afternoon we may be led, and the preacher in the pulpit and the hearers in the pew, that we may be led and taught and guided and directed by thee.

And that the word may not be in word only, but in power, in the Holy Ghost, and with much assurance. and that there may be signs that shall follow the preaching of the word and that we may be made willing in the day of thy power. Then shall I tell to sinners round what a dear saviour I have found. I'll point to thy redeeming blood and say behold the way to God. Lord grant that it may be so. We do humbly beseech thee.

We pray to be drawn by our Heavenly Father. And He has said, I will draw thee with the bands of love, with the cords of a man, that glorious Holy God, man, the man Christ Jesus. May He be exalted here this afternoon, set forth in all His suitability as a Prince and as a Saviour. for to give faith and repentance and remission of sins. Lord Jesus, grant these wonderful gifts and graces of thy spirit. We do humbly beseech thee. We pray that thou will remember our brethren, the deacons, and give them needed grace and wisdom and help in all matters. Remember each one of our brethren and sisters in church fellowship. and remember our dear brother and sister in Holland. Lord, remember each one. We do humbly beseech thee.

We pray that there may be added unto us such as should be saved. There may be those that should be constrained by thy grace to follow the Lord Jesus, to walk in the way of thy holy commandment, and that they were so shed abroad thy love in their hearts, that they may be made willing to follow thee and to serve thee in their day and in their generation.

We do pray, most gracious Lord, that we may see signs to follow the preaching of the word. We do seek, most gracious Lord, thy blessing upon all those of us that are now in the evening time of life's journey. And soon we must bid adieu to all things here below. We must soar through tracks unknown and see thee on thy judgment throne. May we be prepared for that day.

And now, my God, prepare my soul for that great day and wash me in thy precious blood take all my sins away. Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst be gracious unto us. Lord, we pray for thy love to be shed abroad in our hearts. And we pray for grace to walk the path that thou hast ordained for each one of us.

Remember the little ones and the children and bless them. Bless them with the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, an unctuous light to all that's right, a bar to all that's wrong. Bless the young friends and graciously guide and direct them in all matters. And undertake for them, we do, humbly beseech thee. We pray that thou would bring them each to living faith in Jesus Christ, that they may become true followers of thee and of those who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises, teach them thy ways, lead them in thy paths. O Lord, we do humbly beseech thee.

We pray, most gracious God, that we remember parents and give grace, wisdom, and help in all their responsibilities. Enable them to bring up their children in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord. Remember all in the midst of the journey of life wherever they may be. Watch over them, preserve and keep them. Bring them to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Deliver us from an evil heart of unbelief. Deliver us from the power and dominion of sin. bring us into the glorious liberty of the children of God, we do humbly beseech thee for thy great namesake. We pray that the prodigals may return and the wonderful power of thy grace may be seen in this. Hear us, O Lord, we do humbly beseech thee.

It says in the hymn, Lord, with pricking thorns to hedge their way, pray that it may be so as they urge their headlong career along. None are beyond the power of thy grace, of thy love, of thy mercy. We've just sung together a Lord's Sovereign Grace or Sin Abounding. O Lord, may we see it, may we experience it ourselves.

Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst Remember all thy servants as they labor in word and doctrine upon the walls of Zion. Set them free, set them at liberty. O send out thy light and thy truth. O Lord, we do beseech thee for thy great namesake.

Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst grace us to remember this village and the surrounding villages and hamlets. and bring our sons from far, our daughters from the ends of the earth. Thou hast promised in thy word, they shall come. Lord, may we see Zion's offspring come. May we see an ingathering, may we see a building up, may we see a renewing, may we see a reviving, a replenishing. And not only in numbers that come to us, O Lord, but also in grace. that we may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and while our days on earth are lengthened, may we give them, Lord, to Thee. May we be enabled to present our bodies, they live in sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto Thee, which is our reasonable service.

Lord, we do pray then for Thy servants at this time that have a probationary period with a view to the pastorate, we lovingly commend them to thee and to the word of thy grace and pray that thou wouldst make thy will clear and that we may see the fulfilling of thy purposes and that there may be signs that shall follow the preaching of the word.

Lord, there is nothing too hard for thee Oh, we do pray that thou was the rise and we pray thee, the great Lord of the harvest, that thou would yet send labourers into the harvest. Lord, do hear us, we humbly pray thee. There are no doubt those that are in the backside of the desert. We pray that thou would hasten that time when they shall be brought forth and will be sanctioned to minister the works Lord, do hear us, we humbly pray thee.

Grant a exercise among us here and among the churches of God for the prosperity of Zion. Grant us, O Lord, that spirit of travail for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Lord, that is what we long to see, the bringing forth of spiritual children.

Lord, we do pray for thankful hearts. Thankful for every mercy of thy kind providence. Thankful for all thy goodness that has caused to pass before us in the way. Thankful for the supply of every need according to thy wishes in glory by Christ Jesus. Thankful for that wonderful glory of the incarnation of the Son of God, and thankful for the holy life he lives as a man here upon earth, bringing in everlasting righteousness for his people.

Thankful for that precious sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, wherein sin has been put away and divine justice has been satisfied and God and sinners are reconciled and peace is made. Between God and man, death is swallowed up in victory. A new and living way is made into the holy place. We have a great high priest who has passed into the heavens, and we desire to bow in humble thankfulness.

Tis he instead of me is seen when I approach to God. Oh, we thank thee for our glorious high priest, who sitteth at the right hand of the Father, who said, all power is given unto me. in heaven and in earth. Gracious God, fill our hearts with gratitude, with thanksgiving for all thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses and come and touch one's lips with a live coal from off the heavenly altar. We ask for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

Let us now sing together hymn number 633.

The love of Christ is rich and free,

Fixed on his own eternally,

Nor earth nor hell can it remove,

Long as he lives his own he'll love.

Hymn 633, tune Roscommon 401.

Greatly feeling to need the Lord's gracious help, direct your attention to the chapter that we read, the fourth chapter in the first epistle of John, and we'll read verses seven and eight for our text. First epistle of John, chapter four, verses seven and eight.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, And every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love. Love is of God, and God is love.

We sung in our opening hymn, High beyond imagination is the love of God to man. Love is a divine attribute. God is love. That means in his very being he is love. And his love is manifested it says here in verse 9 and 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. So this is the love of God. Hearing his love not that we loved God but that he loved us. Many will say, well, we're Christians because we love God. But the apostle makes it very clear that the most amazing thing is that God loved us. And it says in verse 19, we love him because he first loved us. We would not have loved God if he hadn't first loved us. The wonderful love of God.

See, it says here, God is love. And we read in scripture, the father loveth the son. And we read in scripture that the son loveth the father. And we read in scripture that the Holy Spirit is a spirit of love. And it says here, He that loveth not knoweth not God. Man is created in the image of God and therefore he has that ability to love. We love our father, our mother, our brothers, our sisters. our spouses, our children. And this is natural to man because he's made in the image of God. God is love, love in his very being. And because man is made in his image he has that ability to love. Love is the affections the affections, one to another. Love brings union and communion, even naturally, natural love. But how much more spiritual love?

A person that is born again, a person is brought to living faith in Jesus Christ as we read in scripture faith that worketh by love and if we become a true believer we have faith but it works by love it's not just some cold intellectual thing so that we say well I believe etc etc David, he says, doesn't he, I love the Lord because he has heard my voice, the voice of my supplications. I love the Lord. There was a reason why he loved the Lord. The Lord had answered prayer. The Lord had drawn him to himself. The Lord had quickened his soul. We think of those words in the second chapter of the Ephesians. We know that we are passed from death, sorry that's the wrong text, in the second chapter of the Ephesians he says you hath he quickened who were dead. We don't know anything of spiritual love until our soul is quickened. We don't know anything of spiritual desires until our soul is quickened.

What a mercy when we have this spirit of love. The apostle speaks, I think it's in the Romans, about the love of Christ is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. We read in the epistles of the constraining love of Christ. The love of Christ constrains Constrains us to go in a certain pathway. Constrains us to do a certain thing. Constrains us to follow the Lord. It's the love of Christ that constrains us. It draws us.

The law of God in the Ten Commandments that drives. It drives and It has a curse. If we do not keep that Holy Lord, if we break it, it has a solemn curse attending it. The soul that sins, it shall die. But the Gospel is completely different. It draws. Jesus draws the chosen race by his sweet resistless grace. But it draws in love. See love brings in, it brings union and communion and so does spiritual love. It brings union and communion with God.

Here in this epistle it says truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ and this fellowship that we have one with another is with His Son Jesus Christ. Our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. And when we know that union to Jesus Christ, we then have a union with the Father. He that hath the Son hath the Father also. And there's communion and union. There's the spirit of adoption. It says in Galatians chapter 4, and because ye are sons, Notice what it says, and because you are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of his son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. He doesn't do that because you're a believer. He does it because he chose you before the foundation of the world. He chose you unto life in immortality, in the Lord Jesus Christ.

What a precious thing then is this spirit of love. And it says here, we are of God, verse 6, he that knoweth God heareth us, he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Beloved, Let us love one another. Let us love one another. For love is of God and everyone that love it is born of God and knoweth God. This is how we know the difference between the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Because flowing from this is this union and communion. One with another.

You see, you have a love to a person because they love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and in truth. And because they love the Lord Jesus Christ, you love them because they are one of his children. We love our families, natural families, our brothers, our sisters. That's natural. It's a good thing. How much more when we have brothers and sisters in Christ and union with them and communion with them. We have that exhortation, that word of direction in the prophet of the Lord. And they that feared the Lord spake often one to another. How often do we speak one to another? And a book of remembrance was written And it even comes right down to that, and them that think upon his name, they think upon his name. What a precious thing that is, when you feel love and union and communion, one with another, in the Lord. You can know this love, this spiritual love, perhaps in a person that you've never spoken to, but you know from their manner of life and the way that they are and you know and feel that they're one of the children of God and you love them.

Beloved, let us love one another. Jesus said, I think it's in John chapter 15, that by this shall they know and when he says they he means the world By this shall they know that ye are my disciples because ye have love one to another. You have love one to another. And that love bears fruit. It does. It bears fruit in our lives.

In the first epistle to the Corinthians, the dear apostle in that 13th chapter, he speaks of charity and of course that is love and some have argued that it would have been better if the translator had put it in as love, I have to say I disagree because the word charity is a very important word but what does it mean? It means loving action And that's the very thing that the Apostle is driving at. Love in action. Love covereth a multitude of sins. So that because of love you're able to cover the faults and failings of your brother or sister in Christ. Because you love them.

He says, though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity, I become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. 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 and have not charity, I am nothing. You just think of that, I am nothing. And I've always felt verse three to be an astounding word. And though I give all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. It profiteth me nothing. It doesn't mean anything. In other words, what he's saying there, is what is motivating you? Is it love? See, the Christian believer is motivated by love. Love to Christ and love to his people.

Charity, this is again this active spirit of love, charity suffereth long and is kind. Charity envieth not, charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. The love of God shed abroad in the heart doesn't puff you up, it actually humbles you in the dust of self-abasement to think that this holy God should love me, a poor, wretched, filthy sinner. Again, charity does not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth. But whether there be prophecies, they shall fail. Whether there be tongues, they shall cease. Whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

You see, my beloved friends, This spirit, it says here in the previous chapter, chapter 3 in 1 John, it says there, we know, verse 14, we know that we are passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. It's a solemn thought, isn't it? He that hateth his brother, you see. You know, when you're children, I hope you don't do it when you're adults, but when children squabble and argue one with another, and perhaps in a hasty moment they say, I hate you. You know, that's something that we should never say. It says here that he that hateth his brother abideth in death. We should never say, I hate you. Or that the Lord would make us tender His holy fear, even you little ones and you children, to realize that this is something that we should never do. We have that lovely word in Ephesians chapter 4, in the last verse, be ye kind. See, kindness comes from love. Be ye kind, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven you. Kindness, tender-hearted. These are the fruits of the Spirit. Fruits of the Spirit. Oh, that the Lord would give us then this kindness, this compassion.

And of course, the person that we look at as our example is Jesus Christ. Having loved his own, he loved them to the end. It's an unchanging love. It's an almighty love. Powerful love that reaches into the very souls of his people. He says, if you love me, keep my commandments. Keep my commandments. Beloved, let us love one another For love is of God, and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love. God is love in his very being.

I remember reading a piece a long time ago now, I think it was by Dr. Owick, and he was speaking of the love of God and he said the fact that God is love is a proof of the Trinity because he said if we're alone there's nobody to love but God is love from all eternity God's love is an eternal love God's love never had a beginning And the expression of that love of God and that eternal love is between the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. The Father loved the Son hath given all things into his hand. So this love that is in the eternal God And this love that is manifested to us in the sending forth of his only begotten son, made of a woman, made under the law, that he might redeem them that are under the law. Infinite love. God's love is an infinite love.

We look at the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ the same, yesterday. And when we look at that, it's actually a paraphrase on the name Jehovah. Yesterday, that is yesterday eternal. And today, and forever. See, Jesus Christ is saying yesterday, from all eternity, and then forever. You see, it's an unchanging love. It's an immortal love. It's an eternal love. We've just sung in that lovely hymn together, love of Christ is rich and free, blessed to his own eternally. It is, it's eternal love.

We have that lovely word in Jeremiah chapter 31 and verse three. Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee. The loving kindness of God. deep profound love of God that draws a poor sinner to Christ therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee none come except the father draw and when we compare spiritual with spiritual the word of God with the word of God in that text in Jeremiah 3 we very pointedly see the love of our eternal father infinite love.

There is this idea and I've got no doubt it comes from the from the temptations of Satan who would seek to trouble our minds that the father is some great austere being in heaven who looks down and scowls upon all the children men and he would as it were push them out of his presence but my beloved friends What a wrong view that is of our Heavenly Father. God so loved the world. That is God our Heavenly Father. He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall be saved. We see in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, we see the manifestation of the love of God. says here in verse 10 here in his love not that we love God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins beloved if God so loved us we are also to love one another in the Previous chapter in chapter 3 we read in verse 16 and 17 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 bread The Lord Jesus Christ is our example so hereby perceive with the love of God because he laid down his life for us and We ought to lay down our lives for for the brethren.

But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? It's a very searching word, isn't it? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed, and in truth. Practical love.

You think of that wonderful word in Romans chapter 12 and verses 1 and 2, I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, you could easily say by the love of God, because that is where the mercy of God proceeds from, from his eternal love to his people, by the mercies of God that ye, present your bodies, and by that it means this literal living body, it's a living sacrifice. That everything that we have and everything that we do should be consecrated unto God. That's what that means. Literally, everything we have. Everything the Lord has given us. It doesn't literally mean this body, but it means everything that we do. present your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service and be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that you might know what that good and perfect and acceptable will of the Lord is.

I see You see, my beloved friends, the standard of Holy Scripture is very high. Just as the Lord Jesus Christ gave his life a ransom for all. That's what we're to do. That's the example that has been set for us. That's what Christ did. He loved not his life unto death. It says he poured out his soul unto death. He was numbered with the transgressors, he bared the sin of many. That's what Jesus did to deliver us from our sins. It was love that caused him to come to this sinful world. It was love, my beloved friends, that he was made of a woman made under the law. Love to his people. It says in Proverbs 8, his delights were with the sons of men. He delighted at the thought of redeeming his people and delivering them from sin and Satan's power and deliver them from the curse of the law. It was love, love that made him do that.

Now, the Christian believer, just as Christ sacrificed everything, so the Christian believer is. themselves, everything they have, consecrated unto the Lord for His good, for His profit, for the good and profit of His people here upon earth.

You see, 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. hearing his love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. Now, building on that, he said, beloved, if God so loved us, we are also to love one another. No man has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

I remember reading John Kershaw's life. If I remember, there was Mr. Niven, who was a member at Rochdale, a godly man, a businessman, who obviously prospered, a good businessman. But Kershaw speaks so highly of him that if ever he was in need there would long come with Mr Niven and he would relieve his needs. He knew that the man needed help and he was obviously spiritually exercised in concern and whenever he could he opened his heart and his wallet to his pastor and to the people of God that were at Rochdale. You see, a godly man, a man that walked in love, a man whose heart was kindness and compassion. And that's the heart of Christ. Kindness and compassion.

You see, hereby know we, verse 13, hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit and when he gives us of his spirit that spirit is the spirit of Christ in Romans chapter 8 the Holy Ghost is called the spirit of Christ and it says in Romans chapter 8 if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his

My beloved friends, do we have this spirit of Christ? Do we have this spirit of love? Do we have this spirit of kindness? This spirit of compassion? This charity that faileth not?

Doesn't the apostle in his exhortations to his son Timothy in the faith, he speaks to Timothy and he gives him exhortations and he gives him warnings too and he says to us but godliness with contentment this is 1 Timothy 6 and verse 6 but godliness with contentment is great gain we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out and having food and raiment let us be there with content.

And he gives this warning but they that will be rich. What does he mean? He means that their focus is almost entirely on getting money, getting this. It is constantly speaking of these things. they that will be rich and that's the whole bent of their life and their whatever they're doing there they must make a profit they must do this they must do that and they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and petition for the love of money often misquoted often said money is the root of all evil. It's not. The love of money is the root of all evil, which while some have coveted after, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

But thou, O man of God, flee these things and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness, fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witness the good confession that they'll keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And he goes on and he says in verse 17, charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy, that they do good. that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Oh, that the Lord would give us then this godliness, this kindness, this compassion.

Beloved, let us love one another. love is of God and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God he that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love. The other thing in this chapter which I've pointed out to you before how we need to be sound in doctrine he gives us a warning in the first verse beloved believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets he means preachers have gone out into the world and then he gives us here a marker hereby know ye the spirit of God every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God.

You see we're to try the spirits by the word of God and this is that spirit of Antichrist whereof you have heard that it should come and even now already is it in the world. You see a belief in the true incarnation of the Son of God that the Son of God took a true human nature, soul and body, into union with his divine nature and became bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh.

You see, the Holy Spirit always reveals the same Christ to every one of his children. And he's the God-man. Great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the flesh. And then in verse 15, whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the son of God, God dwelleth in him and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him.

You see this glorious person, that is revealed by the Holy Ghost is Jesus the Son of God. In Holy Scripture, I think there are 72 occasions when the Lord Jesus Christ is called the Son of Man. And that is highlighting his human nature. That the Son of God assumed a true human nature. The Son of Man. is come to seek and to save that which was lost. And as we read there is salvation in none other but in this glorious mystery of godliness of God manifest in the flesh.

In that holy sacrifice of the cross of Calvary when the Lord Jesus offered his that the Son of God offered his sacred, holy human nature on the altar of his divinity, a perfect sacrifice. For by one offering, he hath perfected forever all them that are sanctified. This glorious person of the holy God-man. You know, these things are vital truths. They're vital truths. And it was obviously coming into the church at the time that John wrote this epistle.

Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God, and this is that spirit of Antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come, and even now already is it in the world. Beloved, let us love one another. For love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love.

May the Lord have his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn number 10, the tune is Mainzer 364.

T'was with an everlasting love that God his own elect embraced,

before he made the worlds above, or earth on her huge columns placed.

Hymn number 10, tune Mainzer 364.

Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us each both now and forevermore. Amen.