Chapter 4. The name of the message is God's
everlasting love. God's everlasting love. I'd like
us to consider today God's love to his people. And God's love
is an everlasting love. It's an everlasting love. It
never... It never changes. And think of
this. Brother Newell and I were talking
just before service there. This love, this everlasting love
was set upon us even when we were dead in trespasses and sins. It's unchanging. It's unchanging. 1 John chapter 4, verse 15 says, And whosoever
shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him,
and he is 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 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 casts out fear, because fear hath torment. He
that feareth is not made perfect in love. And here's our verse.
We love him because he first loved us. If any man say I love
God and hateth his brother, he's 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. He also, or he who loveth God, love his brother also. But our text is found in verse
19. We love Him because He first
loved us. Turn, if you would, to Jeremiah,
chapter 31. Jeremiah, chapter 31. We know
Hebrews 13.8 says this. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday,
today, and forever. God is unchanging. So if His
love was set upon a people in the Old Testament, His love
is set upon those people in the New Testament. Right? And we know this verse speaks
of His church. Jeremiah 31, verse 3, The Lord
hath appeared of old, saying unto me, Yea, I have drawn thee
with an everlasting love. You see, we love Him. We love
Him because He first loved us. And His love for us is not a
love like we have for folks. His love is an everlasting love.
An everlasting love. Each believer can say, God's
everlasting love was set upon me for maternity. For maternity. And then look
what it says. Therefore with loving kindness
have I what? Drawn thee. And every one of God's people
can say there was a time when the Lord opened my eyes
and opened my ears. And we weren't robots, were we?
Folks say that if we believe like we believe, we're just robots.
I wasn't no robot. No. I willingly fled the Christ
because I was made woman and it was with loving kindness that
he draws and he draws all his people with loving kindness,
with loving kindness. And let us remember that God's
love is set upon his people in Christ Jesus, our Lord. All right. It's in him. It's in him. We are chosen in Christ. We are
redeemed by Christ and one day we'll be glorified and we'll
be in his presence. And let us never forget that
that God, our King, the Lord Jesus Christ is is the sovereign
almighty God. Our savior is God. God incarnate
in the flesh. We'll look at that tonight, that
the father sent the son. He sent him. And what was the
cause of that? His great love for His people.
The everlasting love of God. My! He loves His people. Christ loves
His people. He loves the elect. He loves
those to whom the Father gave Him. And what do His subjects
do? What do we who are the elect
do? We love Him too, don't we? Because He first loved us. He
first loved us. And this can only be said, this can only be said of the
Lord Jesus Christ, who is King of kings and Lord of lords. God's
people, His elect, are loved with an everlasting love. and
they're born again by the Holy Spirit. Those who once hated
God, those who once hated God by their works, in their minds, now love the
Savior and want to serve Him, and want to serve Him, and have
a desire. I ask you, beloved, you who believe,
do you not have a desire to be with Christ, to be with Him? Who gave you that desire? Who
gave you that? God. God. And one day we will be in his
presence in everlasting glory. But look at the text. It says
we love him because he first loved us. What a miracle. What
a miracle the new birth is by the power of the Holy Spirit.
It takes a rebel and it makes him a saint. It takes a rebel
and it makes him a saint. The believer is born again. They
are alive in Christ Jesus our Lord. Now they have a love for
Christ, which they never had, right? We love him because he
first loved us. They have a love that they never
had for Christ. They have a love that they never
had for his word. They have a love that they never
had for his gospel. They have a love that they never
had for his people. But look at this. This shows
us the source. We love him because he first
loved us. because He first loved us. And
the believer has a new heart, beloved, which hungers and thirsts
after righteousness. And this is all a work of God.
Not by works of righteousness which we have done. It's all
a work of God, because salvation is of the Lord. It's His doing.
It's all His doing. So I would like us to consider
some things today about the love of Christ to His people. and
how it is manifested to us. The first point of the everlasting
love of God to His people I'd like us to consider is this.
His love to His elect is the primary love. We love Him because
He first loved us. Note our text again. And the
text proclaims this. We love Him because He first
loved us. He loved us when we were dead
in trespasses and sins. My No, we love Him because He
first loved us. There's not anything in us that
caused Him to love us, is there? Nothing. Nothing. As one commentator
said, it's not man's loveliness that engaged God to love and
save man. No, it's His mercy. It's His
mercy, beloved. And this verse here ascribes
that He is the preceding cause for our love to Him. See, naturally,
we don't love him. We don't have any desire for
him. We don't seek him. Oh, when God reveals to a sinner
Christ. Everything changes. Oh, now he's
enamored with the Savior. My. When God chose His people
in Christ, again, He saw us all dead in trespasses and sins.
Now remember that too. Remember when it says we love
Him because He first loved us. Remember that He knows the end
from the beginning. He knows the end from the beginning. Is this not boundless mercy and
boundless love that we who once shook our fist at Him, are made
trophies of His grace? Is this not boundless love, beloved?
Vicki and I were talking yesterday and I said, I was looking at
propitiation, which we'll be looking at tonight. And I said, would we give our
son to our enemy? I think we all know the answer
to that, don't we? those who were shaking their
fists at us? My. We love Him because He first
loved us. Because He first loved us. So
this verse describes that God is the preceding cause for our
love to Him. If He had not come to us, if
the shepherd had not sought us out, We would never love Christ. But
he sought us out because we're his people. And we are drawn with loving
kindness to Christ. Those who are born again by the
Holy Spirit of God are regenerated. And remember,
regeneration always precedes faith. Think of this. Think of this. Brother Jim, the
Lord saved you and passed by others. The Lord saved me and passed
by others. Why? Because it pleased Him to do
so. Because He can have mercy on
whom you have mercy. Because He's God. And the believer
is in awe when we find out that we love him because he first
loved us. It leaves the believer in absolute
awe. God draws his people with love,
bringing us to a place where we can hear the gospel of God's
free and sovereign grace proclaimed, where we can hear Christ proclaim. It's not by chance that we're
all here today. It's by God's sovereign decree. by God's sovereign decree. He brings his people to a place
to hear the gospel of God's free grace. And in his time, he regenerates
his people. And we are granted faith. We
are given grace and granted faith to believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ. And we believe that we are saved
by Christ in Him alone. And it is at God's appointed
time that we're saved. But isn't it amazing how He orchestrates? Moving us from one place to another. So that at his appointed time,
and think of this, moving your grandparents and your great grandparents
so that you would be at the place, the very place where you heard
the gospel. It's incredible. So when you
tie that in with the love of God, it's boundless. It's absolutely
boundless. The love that Christ has, the
love that God has for his people. Thy people shall be willing,
and that's what happens. In the day of His power, He makes
His people willing. We're not robots, but we sure
run to Christ, don't we? Oh my, oh my. Therefore the bride of Christ
says this, draw me and we will run after you. Song of Solomon
1.4. Draw me and we'll run after you. Oh, we run to Christ. We cannot run after Christ without
Him first drawing us. Oh my, and when He draws us,
we run. We run. And if you do not know
the Savior, I pray that He will draw you. Oh, that He'll draw
you to Him, as He's done for we who believe. The second point
of God's everlasting love I'd like us to consider to his people
is Christ is a king that loves his people with a distinguishing
love, with a distinguishing love. Again, look at our text. We love
him because he first loved us. God's love for his people, for
his elect is a distinguishing love. It's a love which has been set
upon his people from everlasting. We saw that in Jeremiah from
everlasting. Turn, if you would, to 1 Corinthians,
chapter 4. It's a distinguishing love. And
when we think about that, of we being saved, and we think
of all the friends and people we knew and family members who
the Lord's passed by, oh, what God's distinguishing love is
amazing. And it was set upon His people
from everlasting, from everlasting. God's love to His people is a
special love. His exceeding great and rich
love is only settled upon His redeemed people, beloved. Look at this in 1 Corinthians
4, verse 7. For who maketh thee to differ?
I ask you, beloved, you who are redeemed, who made you to differ?
Who made you to differ from your family members and from your
friends who are left in their sins. Who made you to differ?
Christ and Christ alone. Who made thee to differ from
another? And what hast thou that thou
didst not receive? What did we receive? Faith? Grace
from God? Regeneration by the Holy Spirit?
Why dost thou glory if thou hadst not received it? We can't glory
in nothing but Christ. And so when we think about it,
the only reason we differ from another is Christ. And then tie it in
with our verse. We love Him because He first
loved us. God loves His people with a distinguishing
love. A distinguishing love. Turn a few words to Colossians
2, verse 13. Christ's distinguishing love,
and the next point I'd like us to consider, is Christ's distinguishing
love is a pardoning love. It's a pardoning love. See, there's
more to the love of God than just, oh, He loves us. This is
wonderful. Wonderful. It's a pardoning love. And you, Paul's writing to Colossian
believers. Paul's writing to folks who were
heathens. And you, Being dead in your sins and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, verse 13, hath he quickened together,
how? By regeneration of the Holy Spirit.
Oh, and here we see God's pardoning love. Quickened together with
him, heaven forgiven you all trespasses. Now let that just sink in. Christ loves us so much that
he came and died for our sins. All of them. There's none left. He took care of them all, past,
present, and future. And if anyone ever says to you,
I've said this before, if anybody ever says, well, what about your
future sins? Every single one of my sins was future at Calvary's
cross when Christ died on that cross for me. So either he paid it all or he
didn't. But praise be to God, I know
from the scriptures, from him teaching, he paid it all. And
the scriptures here declare all trespasses. Isn't that wonderful? Isn't that wonderful? Like we looked at last week.
He's a full savior. He's a full redeemer. He's full
of grace and truth. He's full of mercy. All trespasses. Oh, God's distinguishing love
is pardoning love. Christ's distinguishing love
is redeeming love, beloved. Ephesians 1.7 says this, In whom
we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of His grace. We have redemption through His
blood, through Christ's blood, according to the riches of His
grace, which has been bestowed upon every believer. Mercy, beloved. But ye are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood and holy nation, Heal you people, that ye should
show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light. Christ's distinguishing love
is a justifying love, that being justified by His grace, we should
be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3,
7. God's distinguishing love is an adopting love. But when
the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his son made of
a woman. Now, note that God sent forth
his son. God sent Christ into this world. To die. God sent forth his son. Made of a woman, made in love
to redeem them, to purchase us, to purchase his people. that
we're under the law, that we might receive the adoptions of
the Son, Galatians 4, verse 4 and 5. What law? God himself sent
his Son into this world. Christ distinguishing love is
glorifying love. Now unto him that is able to
keep you from fall and present you faultless before the presence
of his glory with exceeding joy. Christ distinguishing love is
sanctifying love. 1 Corinthians 6, 11, and such
were some of you, but she are washed, but she are sanctified,
but she are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
and by the spirit of our God. Is it any wonder? Is it any wonder that that Paul
just marveled in the grace of God that's been shown to him? God's love is a particular love
to His people. And this love flows to us in
and through the Lord Jesus Christ in Him alone. The second point
I'd like us to consider of the everlasting love of God to His
people is this. Christ is a King that loves and
protects, or loves His people with a protecting love. A protecting
love. Turn if you would to Isaiah 49.
Isaiah 49. Now we go through this world
and as we We all experience things in this world, don't we? Different
things, trials, troubles, tribulations. But God protects his people.
Christ is a king that loves his people and protects his people. Now, look at this. Think of this,
beloved. Isaiah 49, verse 15, 16. Can a woman forget her sucking
child that she should not have compassion on the son of her
womb? Yea, they may forget, yet I will not forget thee. Now let
this burn into our hearts, beloved. God has just said that he will
not forget his people. I will not forget thee. Look
at this. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands. Thy walls are continually before. where God's people are ever before
him. And the Lord says, the mother
may forget her nursing child. We can't understand that, eh? That someone would be so inhumane
to a child, a tender infant, but scripture declares that.
But the Lord says this, though she may forget, yet I will not
forget you. I'll not forget you. He cannot
forget his people. Why? Because they're his by choice. God gave them to him. And by
purchase. Did he forget Israel in the land
of Egypt? Did he forget his church in Babylon?
Did he forget Daniel in the lion's den? Did he forget the three Hebrew
children or the men in the furnace? Did he forget Jeremiah in the
dungeon? Did he forget Jonah in the belly of the whale? Did
he forget them? No, beloved. He protected them.
He protected them. And he cared for them. And he
watched over them, which is a picture of what Christ does for his church,
for his people. his elect, for those whom he's
purchased with his own blood. I will not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon
the palms of my hands. My walls are continually before
me. God's people are continually
before him. Continually before him. The wicked say, the Lord hath
forsaken the earth, and the Lord seeth not. Oh, how mistaken they
are. Oh, how mistaken they are. Turn,
if you would, to Ezekiel chapter 9. Ezekiel chapter 9. In Ezekiel 9, God has set certain
men to destroy the wicked city. But first the Lord commands something
in verse 4. Look what He commands in Ezekiel
9-4. He has set certain men to destroy
the wicked city. But first the Lord commands in
Ezekiel 9.4, And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst
of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark
upon the foreheads of men that sigh and cry for all the abominations
that are done in the midst thereof. And then look at verse 6, Slay
utterly old and young, both maids and little children, and women.
but come not near any man upon whom is the mark and begin at
my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient
men which were before the house. Turn, if you would, to Revelation
chapter 7. Revelation chapter 7. So we've seen there God's
protecting love there. Revelation chapter 7 verses 1
to 3. And after these things I saw
four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding
the four winds of the earth. And the wind should not blow
on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another
angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living
God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to
whom it was given to hurt earth and sea, saying, Hurt not the
earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the
servants of our God in their foreheads. How wonderfully does God protect
His people? How wonderfully does God protect
His people? Judgments are not poured out.
We saw that in Ezekiel 9, until His people are set apart. In Isaiah, the Lord bids the
prophet tell them what dreadful judgments would come. Turn, if
you would, to Isaiah 26. In Isaiah, the Lord bids the prophet to
tell them what dreadful judgments would come upon them, upon the
kings and princes and great men and soldiers. Now the Lord says
to his righteous, it shall be well with them. None of this
destruction shall come near them. Oh, how wonderfully does this
magnify God's protecting love? Beloved Isaiah 26 verses 20 to
21. Come, my people. Come, my people. Enter thou into
thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee. Hide thyself, as
it were, for a little moment, until the indignation be passed.
For behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants
of the earth for their iniquity. The earth also shall discourse
her blood, and shall no more cover her slain." Beloved, we
have a refuge. We have a refuge, and that's
Christ Jesus our Lord. He's our city of refuge. We fled
to Him, haven't we? We fled to Him. And we are protected
by His love. We saw this morning, His left
hand is under our head and His right arm doesn't brace us. We're
protected. He loves His bride. He absolutely
loves His bride. Just as Noah was safe in the
ark, think of that. Just as Noah was safe in the
ark, well, all outside perish. So are we safe in Christ Jesus
our Lord. Everyone outside that ark perished.
And I was thinking about that this morning, how God supernaturally
had, and I read one commentator, he says, isn't it incredible,
God's absolute sovereignty, he had two of each animal, just
go right to the ark, go in. Isn't that incredible? Just shows
you his power and his majesty and his sovereignty. He's in
control of everything, beloved, everything. So just as Noah was
safe in the ark, while those outside perish, the believer
in Christ is safe in Christ. What a rest and a repose we have
in him. Now the fourth point I'd like
to consider of the everlasting love of God to his people is
this. Christ loves his people with an infinite love. An infinite,
you can't plumb it. You can't plumb it. It's debtless. You can't vomit. Turn, if you
would, to John 14, 21. One commentator said this, Christ
loves his people as his father loves him. And how is that? He goes on to say, can you fathom
the father's love for Jesus? No, all the men on earth, nor
angels in heaven cannot fathom the love that the father bears
to Christ. And yet, as God loves Christ,
so does Christ love his people. That's incredible. So this is
a love that we can't even fathom. It's an infinite love. John 1627 says this. I'm sorry, I gave John 1421.
Let's look there first. It says, 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." And then look over in John 16, 27. And keep in mind our text, right?
We love Him because He first loved us. For the Father loveth you. For
the Father Himself loveth you, because ye have loved Me, and
have believed that I came out from God. For the Father loveth
you. because ye have loved me and
have believed that I come out from God. And then consider our verse today,
we love him because he first loved us. How infinitely does
the father love the son and how infinitely does the son love
his bride. A.W. Pink made this comment on
the love of God, and I thought this was marvelous. It was about
the infinite love of God to his people. He said the whole of
my life stood open to his view. The whole of my life stood open
to his view. From the beginning, he foresaw
my every fall. My every sin. My every backslide. yet nevertheless
fixed his heart upon me. Oh, how the realization of this
should bow me in wonder and worship before him. That's debtless love. That's
love beyond comprehension for us. What love is this that the sinner
should or that the Savior should love the sinner, that Christ
should love those who, who, who by nature and by choice are sinners. And the believer cries out with
Paul turn, if you would, the Romans chapter eight. This is
what the believer cries out with Paul when contemplating the love
of God to his people. And we can individualize this,
the love of God to me, the believers, me, me. Romans 8, 38 and 39 says this,
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor
principalities, nor powers nor things present nor things to
come, nor height nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able
to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus
our Lord. The love that Christ has for
his people surpasses knowledge, beloved. It's an infinite love. And this love was manifested
in the greatest way possible at Calvary's cross. That was
the greatest manifestation of love that has ever occurred in
this world. And the believer says, he did
that for me. No wonder Paul said that. No
height, no depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate
us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God's people are redeemed by Christ's precious blood. That
alone is a manifestation of God's love to us. Which brings us to the next point. The love of Christ our King is
demonstrated. Is a demonstrated love to His
people. Turn if you would to Galatians
chapter 220 and then put your finger in Ephesians chapter 2.
The Father gives the Son and the Son gives Himself. And the
believer in Christ can say, He loved me. and He gave Himself
for me. All that Christ did in His life
and all that He suffered was for me. Oh, what wondrous love is this.
Oh, my soul. Oh, my soul. Is there any love
like this, beloved? Greater love hath no man than
this. and a man lay down his life for his friends. Galatians
2.20, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live. Yet not
I, but Christ liveth in me. In 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. Mercy, What mercy God is showing
to His people. What love is manifest at Calvary's
cross. Christ gives Himself willingly.
The perfect, sinless, spotless Lamb of God gives Himself willingly
to die for the sins of His people. To die in their place before
God's holy law. Before His holy justice, which
must be satisfied. Stand in awe, beloved. Stand
in awe at the salvation of the Lord. Stand in awe. Stand in awe at the love of God,
which is manifested at Calvary's cross. Stand in awe. God's love to His people is a
love that flows from His free and sovereign grace. And it's
given to His people freely. Turn, if you would, to Ephesians
2. It's given to His people freely. And there's absolutely no merit
in the receiver. None at all. No merit at all.
As a matter of fact, we're dead in trespasses and sins when we
come into this world. Look at Ephesians 2. No merit
in the receiver. No merit, no merit, no merit.
In all what love God has for His people. Ephesians 2, verses
1-10. And you hath He quickened. Again, Paul's writing to believers.
And you hath He quickened. They're born again by the Holy
Spirit of God. Who were dead in trespasses. Had no care for
Christ. Had no desire to come to Christ.
Could not come to Christ. Had no ability to come to Christ
on their own. But God the Holy Spirit's quickened
them. He's quickened them. They're born again. Born again
by the Holy Spirit, made alive in Christ, where in times 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
conversations in times past, in the lust of our flesh, we
were just like everyone else. But God knew us, his love had
been set upon us from eternity, beloved. fulfilling the desires of the
flesh and of the mind. Oh, we remember where we were
when Christ saved us, and what we were, fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and of the mind, and we're by nature the children
of wrath, even as others. But God who's rich in mercy.
Oh, but God, wonderful words, two wonderful words for the believer. But God, who's what? He's rich
in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were
dead in sins and hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace
you're saved. We're either saved by grace or
we're not saved at all. and hath raised us up together,
and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of
His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Trophies,
beloved. Trophies of the God of the universe.
God's peoples are trophies of His grace. Trophies of His mercy. For by grace are you saved. Again,
He says it again. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves, it's a gift of God. If you believe,
you've been given a gift of God to believe. It's a gift of God, why? Not
of works, lest any man should boast. Look at this, for we are
his workmanship. Beloved, if you're here and you're
saved, you are his workmanship. It's Him who has made you a new
creature in Christ. It's Him who has redeemed you.
It's Him who has bestowed His mercy and grace upon you. We're His workmanship. What?
Created in Christ Jesus. He's the head and we're the body.
Created in Christ Jesus. Unto good works which God hath
before ordained that we should walk in. When did He ordain them?
In eternity. Christ's love is divine love,
beloved, divine love, God incarnate in the flesh. Let us remember four attributes
of God which will bring great comfort to the believer in light
of the love of God, in light of the love of God to his people. Let us never forget, number one,
his faithfulness, his faithfulness. God is faithful by whom you were
called unto the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthians 1.9. Let us never forget his mightiness. He's almighty. He's able to save
whom he wills. Behold, God is mighty and despises
not any. He is mighty in strength and
wisdom. Job 36.5. He's mighty. He's not
just... He's almighty. And let us not forget, too, His
goodness, which is manifested in His love to us. Exodus 33,
19 says this, and He said, I will make all my goodness pass before
thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee,
and will be gracious to whom I'll be gracious, and will show
mercy on whom I'll show mercy. Oh, what goodness the believer
has received through the love of Christ. And the goodness of
God has been manifest to His people in and through Christ
Jesus our Lord. And let us never forget His wisdom.
Behold, God is mighty and despises not any. He is mighty in strength
and in wisdom. He's a nail in the sure place.
He's a nail in the sure place. Turn if you would to 1 Corinthians
1. Consider these words in closing. And may we meditate upon the
everlasting love of God to His people in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 Corinthians chapter 1, and we're closed with these words.
Verses 18 to 21. For the preaching of the cross
is to them that perish foolishness. For the preaching of the cross
is to them that perish foolishness. But unto us which are saved It is the power of God. It is
the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy
the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding
of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where are
all these Greek philosophers, supposedly worldly wise people
from the past? They've perished in their sins.
But who continues, our great God and King? Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is
the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom
of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Gracious Heavenly Father, we
come before Thee in absolute awe of the everlasting love which
You have for Your people, a love that's unchanging, a love that's
unmerited, undeserved. But we who have had the grace of God bestowed
upon us and we who love Thee are in awe when we read the scriptures
that declare that you loved us, and we love you because you first
loved us. And when we think back of how
we were and what we did, and yet you still, your eye has been
fixed upon us from eternity. Oh, may we leave this place rejoicing,
Lord, in the wondrous love that you have for your people. In
Jesus' name. Amen.