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Everlasting love

Psalm
John MacDuff • October, 25 2009 • Audio
173 Sermons
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JM
John MacDuff • October, 25 2009
173 sermons
Choice Puritan Devotional

In John MacDuff's sermon "Everlasting Love," he explores the doctrine of God's eternal love as expressed in Jeremiah 31:3 and its implications for believers facing trials. MacDuff argues that God's love is not conditional or transient; rather, it is a steadfast covenant commitment that precedes creation and transcends earthly circumstances. He elucidates how Scripture illustrates this theme, particularly through God's covenant promises, as seen in Genesis with the rainbow symbolizing His unbreakable oaths of love and mercy. The doctrinal significance of this sermon lies in affirming the Reformed belief in God's sovereignty and faithfulness, encouraging believers to trust in His unchanging nature despite present afflictions.

Key Quotes

“I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn you.”

“For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will bring you back.”

“In his saints' dark and cloudy day, when they imagine that their eyes are alone resting on the tokens of covenant faithfulness, the eye of a covenant-keeping God is resting upon them too.”

“Drooping Saint, let your eyes rest on the rainbow overarching the throne of God, spanning from eternity to eternity.”

What does the Bible say about God's everlasting love?

The Bible reveals God's everlasting love in passages like Jeremiah 31:3, which declares His unwavering affection for His people.

The Bible speaks extensively about God's everlasting love, particularly in Jeremiah 31:3, where He expresses, 'I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued my faithfulness to you.' This love is foundational to understanding His relationship with believers, encompassing not just an occasional feeling, but a deeply rooted commitment that transcends time. The declaration of love from God is not limited to generality, but is personal—'I have loved you' emphasizes individual members of the covenant family.

Moreover, God's love is eternal and sovereign, guiding believers even through trials and afflictions. It is a love that promises compassion and faithfulness, reminding us that even in moments of darkness, God has a wise purpose to fulfill. He reassures His people of His loyalty, confirming that His covenant of blessing will never be broken, even when circumstances may suggest otherwise. This everlasting love is a source of consolation and strength, inviting us to rest in the assurance of His care and mercy throughout our lives.

Jeremiah 31:3, Isaiah 54:10

How do we know God loves us unconditionally?

God's unconditional love is demonstrated through His eternal commitment to His people, as seen in Jeremiah 31:3.

We can know God loves us unconditionally through His eternal declarations and promises. Jeremiah 31:3 states, 'I have loved you with an everlasting love.' This verse signifies that God's love is not contingent upon our actions or feelings but is founded on His sovereign will and eternal nature. His commitment to His people is unwavering, extending beyond the temporal into the realm of eternity.

Additionally, God's love is most vividly illustrated in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, which ultimately demonstrates the depth of His grace. Even amidst our struggles, when we may feel distant or undeserving, God's everlasting love remains constant. He affirms His affection by drawing us toward Himself, assuring us that we are held tightly within His covenant promises. This assurance of unconditional love encourages believers to approach Him with confidence, knowing they are valued and cherished in His sight.

Jeremiah 31:3, Romans 8:38-39

Why is understanding God's love important for Christians?

Understanding God's love fortifies our faith, offering comfort and security in His eternal promises.

Understanding God's love is paramount for Christians as it forms the cornerstone of their faith. When believers grasp the depth of God's everlasting love, it cultivates a sense of security and reassurance in their relationship with Him. Jeremiah 31:3 articulates this love as unwavering and eternal, reinforcing that it does not ebb and flow based on our circumstances or failures. The assurance of such a steadfast love compels Christians to trust in God's promises, especially during trials.

Moreover, this understanding helps believers reinterpret their experiences through the lens of God's loving-kindness. Often, what may seem like adversity can be viewed as God's means of drawing His people closer to Him. Recognizing that God's dealings are rooted in love enables Christians to respond to life's challenges with faith rather than despair. It empowers them to perceive the rainbow of His promises as reminders of His eternal covenant, thus encouraging a deeper relationship with their Redeemer.

Jeremiah 31:3, Romans 5:5

Sermon Transcript

Auto-generated transcript • May contain errors

100%
EVERLASTING LOVE I have loved
you with an everlasting love, therefore with lovingkindness
have I drawn you. Jeremiah 31, verse 3 Believer, are you tempted now
to doubt his love? Are his footsteps lost amid the
night shadows through which he is now conducting you? Remember,
he had his eye upon you before the birth of time, yes, from
all eternity. What appears to you now, some
sudden capricious exercise of his power or sovereignty, is
determination and decree of everlasting love. I have loved you, he seems
to say, suffering one, into this affliction. I will love you through
it, and when my designs regarding you are complete, I will show
you that the love which is from everlasting is to everlasting. Child of God, if there is a ripple
now agitating the surface of the stream, trace it up to this
fountainhead of Love. God is faithful. He cannot deny
Himself. If some dark clouds are now intercepting
those gracious beings, He must have some wise end to subserve. For a brief moment I abandoned
you, but with great compassion I will bring you back. In a moment
of anger I turned my face away for a little while, but with
everlasting love I will have compassion on you, says the Lord
your Redeemer. Just as I swore in the time of
Noah that I would never again let a flood cover the earth and
destroy its life, so now I swear that I will never again pour
out my anger on you. For the mountains may depart
and the hills disappear, but even then I will remain loyal
to you. My covenant of blessing will
never be broken, says the Lord who has mercy on you. God sets
his rainbow in the dark sky, and, as if it were not enough
that his people should look upon it and take comfort in its many
and varied promises, he himself graciously becomes a party in
gazing on the covenant pledge. And the rainbow shall be in the
cloud, and I shall look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting
covenant. He puts himself, so to speak,
in mind of his own everlasting love. In his saints' dark and
cloudy day, when they imagine that their eyes are alone resting
on the tokens of covenant faithfulness, the eye of a covenant-keeping
God is resting upon them too. I will look upon my own promises,
he seems to say. They shall be memorials to myself
of my purposes of unchanging mercy. Nor is this love merely
a general indiscriminate affection. The verse speaks of each individual
member of the covenant family. I have loved you. Oh, my father,
says Madame Guillaume, it seems to me sometimes as if you did
forget every other being, in order to think only of my faithless
and ungrateful heart. Let us seek to view our trials
as so many cords of lovingkindness, by which our God is seeking to
draw us, yes, and will draw us, near Himself. Who knows what
mercy may be bound up in what may seem to us dark and mysterious
dispensations? We are apt to misname and misinterpret
His ways. We call his dealings severe trials. He calls them loving-kindness. Drooping Saint, let your eyes
rest on the rainbow overarching the throne of God, spanning from
eternity to eternity, and read for your comfort the gracious
declaration, The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
upon those who fear Him.
Broadcaster:
Grace Audio Treasures
Theology:
#Covenant Theology #Grace #Predestination
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