It's good to be here this morning. If I have a little bit of a sour
face, my medicine I've been taking is kind of making me a little
sick. And it's hard to do with just
one hand. If you have to do it, it's difficult
to do things. There's one thing different about
mine and Joe's message. Mine has a different title. My
title is God is Love. So I hope you have all your bookmarks
to your passages, because we're going to be going to the same
one. So if you would, turn with me to 1 John 4. 1 John 4. But God evidently has been pleased
to let us hear this twice. So it must be needful. I know
it is for me. And I'm just going to read verse
eight for now. He that loveth not knoweth not
God, for God is love. Now I'm going to ask the question,
what is love? We're not going to know love
by coming up with what we think is love and defining who God
is. because it says God is love.
I want to speak about God's love today, but in doing this, I'm
gonna have to talk about hate as well. Because of who God is,
it necessitates, if you will, that God hates. Now I found nowhere
in scripture that it says God is hate. But it is evident in
scripture that God does hate. God hates both mankind himself
and that which mankind does. God hates. But love is God because
God is love. In my mind, I've been stuck on
all these passages lately where it says God is. I preached a
couple of messages, basically, on that. But just as Paul said
to the Philippians, and just as we're hearing two messages
on some of the same text, he says, finally, my brethren, rejoice
in the Lord, to write the same things to you, to me, indeed,
as not grievous. That is irksome or slothful.
But for you it is safe, or that is secure or certain. So for
us to say things we have said before is a safe thing to do,
and it's not grievous or irksome at all, but rather it is comforting
to think on these things over and over again. But in looking
at this verse, in this chapter, we see in verse 7 that if we
love one another, it will be with the love which is of God. Talking about brethren, those
who confess Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. Now we know this
speaks of much more than just him coming to be born of a virgin,
which is absolutely true. But this is talking about him
being that one promised seed, the Messiah. Those who confess
this is born of God, it says. Knowing who God is will let us
know what and yes, who God hates. So let's look at some scripture
that tell us who God is, what and who does he hate, Where does
that leave man? The manifestation of God's love. Psalm 999 says, exalt the Lord
our God and worship at His holy hill, for the Lord our God is
holy. This word for holy is derived
from a word that means clean. but not just clean because this
word means sacred or that is God is holy means he is set apart
by himself for himself and absolutely clean with there being no one
and no thing clean and set apart as he is. There is no one or
no thing to compare to him. Him being holy means everything
about him is totally set apart from anything else or anyone
else. So when we read in Scripture,
Psalms 117, for the righteous Lord loveth righteousness, his
countenance doth behold the upright. The Lord is righteous. That means
that he does what he is. He does all things right. God
has given man his law, and his law is. In Romans 7-12 we read,
wherefore the law is holy and the commandment holy and just
and good. The law God has given to man,
that is a law that is holy and it is right and good. The God
who has given this law has fulfilled his law. He is the only one to
do so. God is the self-existent one,
meaning there is no one or no thing that caused him to come
into being. That's kind of hard to think,
being a human being, to even understand that. But God has
never asked for input or had counsel from anyone for anything
he has ever done. Everything he has ever done has
been absolutely righteous because he is righteous. Since he is
righteous and he is justly righteous, meaning there are no unjust weights
and balances used by God to make him right or say he is right,
He just is right because of who He is. Because of this, He cannot
love anything other than this. He cannot love. In fact, because God is love
and God is righteous, then his love is a part of his righteousness.
And he cannot love anything but righteousness. And the righteousness
I am talking about, and the righteousness the scripture is talking about,
it would be his righteousness and not what kind of righteousness
man or any other being would try to come up with. He can love
nothing but what he is, which is holiness. So no holiness that
man may think to be holy is allowed in. No unrighteousness is allowed
in. Because of who God is in all
his attributes, and I have just named a couple here, this is
in no way all of God's attributes and who God is. But this we know, he is holy
and he is righteous and he is love that we have heard so far.
So since God is these things, what and who does God hate? God
hates anything or anyone who is not holy as he is. He certainly
hates the works of the wicked. Proverbs 8.13 says, the fear
of the Lord is to hate evil. Pride and arrogancy and the evil
way and the froward mouth do I hate. God is too holy to look
upon sin. Sin which is a capital offense
against God because there is no other. But sin must be dealt
with. God is not going to just forget
about it. Sins must be dealt with and they
must be dealt with by death. The wages of sin is death. This
is God's pronouncement and God is righteous and says and does
all things right. Sin is punishable by death. So
God does hate all evil things, but evil doings that is sinful,
unholy, ungodly doings are doing by those who are unholy and unrighteous
as who they are. Man sins because he is a sinner. He is not a sinner because he
sins. So the sins which are committed are committed because the ones
committing those sins are sin itself. So who is it that God
hates? Psalms 5-5, and I have several
of these here I'll read to you, Psalms 5-5. The foolish shall
not stand in thy sight. Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. not works of iniquity, but all
workers of iniquity. The Lord prieth the righteous,
but the wicked, and him that loveth violence, his soul hateth. Psalm 26 5, I have hated the
congregation of evildoers, and will not sit with the wicked.
Psalm 103, I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes. I hate
the work of them that turn aside. It shall not cleave to me. Psalm
139, 21, and 22, we read, do not I hate them, O Lord, that
hate thee? Am not I greed with those that
rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them mine enemies. I
read all of these things and yet I know that there is that
part of me that drinketh up iniquity like water. I have to ask myself,
do I fear God? One more thing here in scripture
where it tells us what God hates. God tells us in his word, Proverbs
6, 16 through 19. These six things doth the Lord
hate. Yea, seven are an abomination
unto him. A proud look, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood, and heart that deviseth
wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord
among the brethren. So where does that leave man?
Romans 118 says, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in
unrighteousness. So who is it that is ungodly
and unrighteous? And in being what they are, they
hold the truth in unrighteousness. Romans 3.9 says, what then, are
we better than they? No and no wise, for we have before
proved both Jews and Gentiles, and there are only Jews and Gentiles,
that they are all under sin. How many of mankind born of Adam
are righteous? Not one. How many of mankind
born of Adam are godly? Not one. How many of mankind
born of Adam are holy? Not one. How many of mankind
born of Adam love God? Not one. But we can speak all
day about we have all sinned and come short of the glory of
God. But let's bring this down a little closer to home. I am
unrighteous and ungodly as I am born in Adam. I in my heart being
given the truth of God at one point in time in my unregenerate
state and still even today in this flesh say to God, I will
not have this man reign over me. I devise ways that are right
in my own eyes with this flesh. This is all men by nature. That
is what we do. That is what I do. We read in
our passage of our text a lot about us loving the brethren.
First John 4.20 says, 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? Does loving our brother show
us the love of God? Do I always love my brother?
I'm not trying to minimize loving the brethren, but what is it
that manifests the love of God? We read in Ephesians 1, if you'll
turn with me there, Ephesians 1, we were just there earlier. And I'm gonna read three through
seven, Ephesians 1. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath
chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before him in love. having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according
to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of
his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved, in
whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
sins, according to the riches of his grace. So in verse 4, we have read here
in Ephesians says, to us according as He has chosen us in Him. In
Him who? In Jesus Christ, verse 3 tells
us. How has He chosen us in Him? We were chosen in Him as the
Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world. It says that according
to God's will, we have been made accepted in the beloved. Again,
Jesus Christ. What do we have? The forgiveness
of sins. But it's not just an overlooking
sin that God is doing it through his blood. God is doing it through
his blood. What does that tell us? Jesus
Christ had to die. If he shed blood and he did,
then he had to die the death that we should have died. If
we are to be accepted of God, that is accepted as holy, righteous,
it will be because of Jesus Christ and what he has done. So where
can I find God's love? In whom can I find God's love?
Where is the love of God manifested? Now if we'll go back to 1 John,
chapter four, verses nine and 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 love God, but that he loved us and sent his son
to be the propitiation for our sins. So if there is a difference
between some fallen sons and daughters of Adam, it will not
be of themselves. It will be of God that has done
for them what is needed in love. But choosing us does not take
away our sin, and sin must be dealt with. If we want to see
love in action, if you will, then you will see it in what
Christ has done, or you will not see love at all. If you do
not see this, that is, that Christ Jesus came to save sinners, then
your love is perverted because the love of God is manifested
there. This is where we see the love
of God and what He sent the Son to do in our state. Those whom
He chose in His Son and His death is how they are to be holy and
without blame before Him in love. Those for whom He sent His Son
to do this are those whom He is pleased to call out of darkness
for His namesake. These are not the children of
the flesh. Who are the children of flesh? All of us. All those
born in Adam. We are all from the same lump. But God's people are those who
have been promised to Jesus Christ the Son, whom He has come down
to be a propitiation of their sins. Jesus Christ came down
for those who God the Father promised He would give to the
Son, and He was the atonement, that atoning sacrifice for their
sin. He was the expiator, that is,
He made amends for their sins. Romans 9, 8 says, that is, they
which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children
of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
Because you are born from Adam, it in no way places you in Christ. It is simply the love of the
Father for the Son and Him promising to give a people for His name.
In these verses in Romans 9, we see again love and hate, the
children of the flesh and the children of promise. Verses 11
through 13 in Romans 9 says, for the children being not yet
born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose
of God according to election might stand. Not of works, but
of him that calleth. It was said unto her, the elder
shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have
I loved, but Esau have I hated. Those he hated were totally and
are totally opposed to who he is. We have no right whatsoever
to question God, the creator. All of us come from the same
lump, but this merciful God was pleased that for some he would
afford prepare them to glory, making them a vessel unto honor.
Others he left to themselves, they who are fitted to destruction. They are the perfect vessel for
being destroyed. They are ungodly, they are unrighteous,
and they will not and cannot submit themselves to the righteousness
of God. Romans 9, 20 and 21 we read.
Nay, but O man, who art thou that replies against God? Shall
the thing formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made
me thus? Hath not the potter power over
the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor and
another unto dishonor? We know that man does not have
a free will. Free will is a live man because
he will not have this man reign over him. But even if Even if
he could will, or even if a man could do what God requires, it
is not of him, the scripture says. Romans 9 16 says, so then
it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but
of God that showeth mercy. It is of God that showeth mercy. So all of man's attempts to get
to God, he laughs at. I know about this kind of attitude.
I'm not preaching this to say how bad you are. I cannot put
this sin off on others as I know I've done and said many of these
things before. Until it was his will, his doing,
which changed my mind to where I did not want this man to reign
over me, changed my mind from that. Him doing this all based
on what Jesus Christ the Son did on that tree for his people.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever should believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life. That is that simplicity that
is in Christ, that singleness. There is only one thing involved
in the salvation of a sinner, and that is Jesus Christ and
him crucified. It is God who, because of what
He has done and what He does, that we are ever to love God
and in turn, love the brethren. 1 Corinthians 1 and 9 says, God
is faithful by whom you were called unto the fellowship of
His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. God is holy and righteous, and
anything and anyone that does not measure up to this holiness
and righteousness, God hates. Man as he is born is full of
unholiness and unrighteousness. So there is nothing about this
flesh that God loves. There is nothing that man can
do about this in and of himself. His love, that is God's love,
is centered on or focused on God the Son, Jesus Christ, for
it is he that is faithful to do the will of the Father. His
love is manifested in Jesus Christ working out salvation for a people.
If he had not done this, then all of mankind would have been
consumed long ago. But it was not the pleasure of
God to do so. This is how he can be just and
justify them that believe on him. This sinner, the time when
I outright rejected the God of scripture and said, I will not
have this man reign over me, Jesus Christ died for that sin
back then, before I was ever born. He died for every sin that
I will commit until I lay this body down. He was punished, that is, forsaken
of God the Father who turned his back on the Son. This he
done in my stead. He done for all those who he
chose in his Son. He was pleased to make some vessels
unto honor and some to dishonor, and that is just the way it is.
Had God not loved us, we would never have loved him. if we love
Him. The only reason we love God is
because He first loved us. Had He not, we would have went
on in darkness hating God and not looking for Him and not knowing
Him. Now I've said this book of John
talks quite a bit about loving the brethren. Do we see the love
of God by loving the brethren? In 1 John 4.20 it says, 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? The deeds I do towards my brother
in Christ, have they always been in love? If we are honest, we
have to say no. Are we going to say we love God
when we don't even want to be with our brethren on this earth
who follow and worship the God of heaven earth? That same God
that we say we love? This brings things close to home
because I do not always love the brethren. I've committed
sin and hating my brother while my lips, I try to convince myself
and others that I am loving God. God helped me to love the brethren
as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. The scripture
is clear that there is not one human being that is born of Adam
that has ever loved God on their own. Man is complete darkness
and he does not come to the light because his deeds will be reproved. So we need help somewhere from
without ourselves before we can ever love God. If we love the
brethren, then it is not by loving the brethren that we know the
love of God. It is by knowing love, who is
God, and the manifestation of that love that we can truly love
one another. If we don't, we are liars if
we say that we love God, because true love is of God. If we love
God, And therefore, the brethren, it is only because he first loved
us. In closing, 1 John 4, 19, we
love him because he first loved us. Amen. Dear Lord God, thank
you for allowing us again to come here together and hear words
of your son, hear words of the manifestation of your love, dear
Lord. May it always By your power, be kept close to our hearts.
Be with anyone out there that may be struggling, dear Lord.
Comfort them with these words as well. All these things we
ask in Christ's name, amen.