Comfort of Love (Series Phil. 2:1-5- Part 3)

Q: What does the Bible say about the comfort of love?

The Bible teaches that true comfort comes from the love of Christ, which is unchanging and everlasting. In Philippians 2:1-5, the Apostle Paul speaks to the essence of the believer's comfort being rooted in the love of Christ. This comfort is different from earthly comforts; it speaks to the peace and assurance that comes from knowing that Christ has finished the work of salvation and that we are secure in His everlasting love. The fulfilment of our joy is united with this comfort as we are called to have the mind of Christ, which was focused on serving and uplifting others through love. The comfort of love is essential for Christians, as it assures us of our standing before God. It reminds us that our salvation and relationship with God do not depend on our fluctuating affection for Him, but rather on His unchanging promise and love towards us. This kind of comfort enables believers to thrive in their spiritual walks, trusting in the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice and continual intercession on our behalf. Scripture echoes this throughout various passages, emphasizing the importance of resting in His love and comfort.

Q: How do we know the love of Christ is true?

The truth of Christ's love is evidenced by His finished work on the cross and His ongoing intercession for believers. The assurance of Christ's love comes from the powerful declaration of 'It is finished' at the cross, representing the full atonement for the sins of His elect. Romans 8:31-39 reiterates that nothing can separate us from the love of God, and this includes tribulations, trials, or failures on our part. The love demonstrated through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ underlines that our relationship with Him is grounded not in our unstable affections but in His immutable nature. Furthermore, Christ's ongoing intercession for His people signifies that He is actively engaged in the lives of His followers, continually advocating for them before the Father. This is a profound evidence of His love, ensuring that our faith does not fail. Each of these elements—His past work of redemption and present advocacy—demonstrates the reliability and reality of Christ's love for His people, beckoning them to trust in His unchanging grace.

Q: Why is the comfort of love important for Christians?

The comfort of love is vital for Christians as it roots their identity in Christ and empowers them to face life's trials. The comfort of love provides a foundation for the believer's identity in Christ. Philippians 2 emphasizes that being in Christ means sharing in His love, fellowship, and consolation. Knowing that our comfort does not depend on our merit equips us to face the struggles that life may bring, moving beyond self-reliance to a reliance on Christ's eternal love and intercession. Furthermore, this comfort allows Christians to reflect Christ’s love to others, fostering community and unity among believers. When Christians comprehend the depth of His love—the fact that He endured suffering and made the ultimate sacrifice for them—they find strength and motivation to endure their own hardships, knowing they are upheld by a love that does not waiver. This understanding cultivates peace, rest, and resiliency in the life of a believer, reflecting the selfless nature of Christ's love as they serve one another and live out the gospel.

We're going to be in the book of Philippians. Again, same text. Philippians 2. First hour, we looked at in Christ. found in verse one, if there therefore, there be therefore any consolation in Christ. Last Sunday, we looked at that word consolation, which is peace. There be any peace in Christ and what that meant. And we're doing a series on Philippians two, one through five, and this is part three. How many parts are there going to be? I don't know. but however many they are, I trust that the Lord will give us the words to declare the truth in each time we stand. This hour, we're going to be looking at the comfort of the believer.

What is our comfort? What is our comfort? Hope to answer that question multiple times. What comforts a sinner? That's a question, isn't it? If you find yourself a sinner, well, what comforts a sinner? My comfort's found in the finished work of Christ alone. My comfort doesn't come from, I'm not the source of my comfort. We have a lot of comforts in this life, items and things that we hold on to. I have blankets I like to put on my, or I sit on my couch whenever I sit down and put a blanket on, that's comforting for the flesh. But what comforts the soul? What comforts deep down a weary heart, a sinful heart, what comforts that?

There's nothing that can make the Lord's elect rest like hearing the words, it is finished. That's comforting. It is finished. There's nothing that comforts the Lord's people more than hearing, fear not. I have put away your sin. You shall not die. That's comforting. Let's read this together. Philippians two, one through five.

If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill you my joy, that you may be like-minded, having the same love, being in one accord of one mind. Let nothing be done through strive for vainglory, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. I've titled this message comfort of love. That's what he says in verse one. If there be any consolation in Christ, any comfort of love.

In false religion, the emphasis of salvation is entirely based upon the recipient of salvation. It's entirely based upon the individual, what they do or what they don't do. All of salvation is based in false religion upon what someone does or does not do.

That doesn't comfort me. Because if it's based upon what I do, I can look at scripture and see men who was close to the Lord, I can see how they faltered and they failed and it was the Lord that kept them. I can't find hope in what I've done or what I don't do, but I can have comfort in what he has done and what he's going to do. Men love to look at their own love, their own choice, their own prayer, their everything.

But how foolish is it to trust in the flesh, really, when it comes down to it? How foolish is it to trust in the flesh? We, as the Lord's people, we don't trust ourself anymore. I can't trust myself. I, that which I would do, I do not, but that which I would not do, that's what I find myself doing. Oh, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death? We're born in sin, shaped in iniquity, and we know it. I don't trust myself anymore, so I can't find comfort in what I do and what I don't do.

Scripture says this, Paul said, to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life. and peace, so my comfort can't be my carnal mind, something that I fabricated, something that I come up with, or something that I do, because that's carnally minded, that's death, that's not comforting, but be spiritually minded is life and peace, why? Because it's the spirit of the Lord that works in the Lord's people. Our comfort comes when the Lord whispers sweet peace by his spirit to our heart. When we hear the words, not hear here in our ears, but hear in the heart, it is finished, I put away your sin, you shall not die. There's comfort to that, that you can't get it anywhere else. My comfort cannot be based upon my love, because my love is so cold, my love is indifferent, my love is ever-changing. Can you relate to that? Can you agree with that? One day you're, madly in love with your spouse. And the next day you're fighting like cats and dogs.

You know, that doesn't mean you don't love them anymore. It just means what happened to the love that we had? You know, it's still it's still there, but it's just fleeting back and forth, up and down. You know, his love is everlasting. He said, I am the Lord. I change not. Therefore, you sons of Jacob are not consumed. He has everlasting love. I love that means if he loves me, He's always loved me, and he's always going to love me, and nothing that I do is gonna mess that up. Nothing that you can do, it's not possible for us to mess it up, where he will fall out of love with us.

People fall out of love all the time. The marriage rates are, I don't even know what the average divorce is now, how many years it is, but I'm pretty sure it's a pretty low number. People fall in love, then fall out of love. I thought it was going to be like this. They take a vow and say, till death do us part, sickness and unhealth, rich or poor. And then one thing happens, they just get divorced. We just go get a divorce. It's fine. Just wipe the slate clean, start over. Not our Lord.

No, he said, I've loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness have I drawn you. His love cannot change based upon me changing. His love is not hot or cold based upon me. If my love's cold, then it doesn't mean his is, is what I'm trying to say. His love doesn't change. His love is perfect. Perfect love. Does that comfort you? He loves you perfectly? I wish I could love him perfectly. I thought a new man does, but this flesh hates him. I wish I could love my wife perfectly, but our love's selfish. Our love's selfish. And yet we see his love is the opposite. It's selfless. Selfless.

No greater love hath any man than this, that a man laid down his life for his friends. And that's exactly what our Lord did on the cross of Calvary. He laid down his life. for his, we're called his friends, his brethren, his bride, his elect, his elect. Are you comforted in your love or his? Because I can't be comforted in my love, not for him.

Peter's a good example of this. Peter, I love Peter. Anytime we talk about Peter, I get excited because I can relate to Peter. I know that Peter's me if the Lord allows it to be so. The fear is not being Peter because Peter was loved by Christ. The fear is being Judas. That's my fear.

Peter, he's there with the Lord the night, right before they come and take, right before they're coming to take the Lord, and he says, Lord told him, said, you're all gonna forsake me. And he said, well, these may forsake you, but I'm not gonna forsake you. I'm gonna go with you all the way. I'm gonna die with you. And what did the Lord say?

Get behind me, Satan, for Satan hath desire to sift thee as wheat. But he said the precious words that we long to hear as his people, but I have prayed for you that your faith fell not. I have prayed for you that your faith fell not. When you are converted, strengthen the brethren. Strengthen the brethren. It's not my love for him. It's his love for me.

If Peter's election had anything to do with Peter, then wouldn't it be sufficient evidence that he would have been reprobated whenever he denied the Lord three times? He denied knowing him three times. Wouldn't that be qualification grounds for reprobation? But it wasn't based upon Peter, was it?

It was based upon the Lord Jesus Christ. I have prayed for you, Peter, that your faith fail not. So if there was ever a man whose faith was not gonna fail, Peter was him. Peter was him. His faith failed not. Denied the Lord three times, and the Lord, when he met him after his resurrection, he said, Peter, do you love me? Lovest thou me? And then Peter said, yea, Lord, you know I love you. He said, feed my sheep. He said, Peter, do you love me? Can you imagine hearing this from the Lord after you denied him three times?

Well, you'd feel about this big, wouldn't you? But I want us to understand what the Lord was doing there, because so many times I've heard preachers make the, an attempt, because it's not true, they make an attempt to act like the Lord is really trying to put Peter on a spot right there, make him feel really guilty, make him feel really disgusted with himself, make him feel less than. I don't believe that. Let me tell you what I believe the Lord was doing.

He was reminding Peter, stop looking at your love and start looking at mine. He said it three times, do you love me? Last time, grieved Peter, he said, Lord, you know I love you know all things. You know I love you. That's the confession right there. Lord, you know how much I love you. You know my love is fleeting. You know my love's hot and cold. You know my love's all over the place.

I can't trust in my love. Exactly. That's the point. Trust in my love. Trust in my love. That's what the Lord was doing there. He wasn't tearing him down. He was building him up. The Lord don't tear down his sheep. He don't beat the sheep. He may chase us every once in a while, but it's out of love. It's for our good and His glory.

Peter, do you love me? Yeah, Lord, you know I love you. You know all things. Feed my sheep. The Lord was giving him a charge to do, a work to do. He said, well, if you're going to do this, it can't be because you're loved for me. It's going to be because of my love for you. We need to be reminded of that, don't we? It's not up to us. It's not up to what we feel emotionally or what we do physically. It's about what He has done. It's about His everlasting love. We're dead dog sinners.

Paul said having no confidence in this flesh. Is that you? Is that me? Really, no confidence. Having no confidence in the flesh. Do we have confidence in our flesh? He's talking about for spiritual things is what he's talking about. We have some confidence in some things. I mean, I'm pretty confident I can drive that car home, but that's not what he's talking about. He's talking about pertaining to pleasing God.

I have no confidence in this flesh. Can you relate to that? Do you see yourself as a sinner needing a savior? If you do, look to Christ. Trust in his love. Trust in that comfort. That's comfort. Paul starts out this text with this word, if there be therefore. Now our flesh is prone to say, okay, let me immediately examine everything that he's saying in myself and see if I have it. Let me examine and see if I have, do I have this consolation? Do I have this comfort of love? Do I have this or this or this? And yet we're looking at ourselves.

That's not what Paul's telling them to do at all. It doesn't say, it doesn't say right here, examine yourself and see if it be there. It doesn't say that it says, if it therefore, if there be therefore, and if you go back, this is a continuation. I would remind us that the writers are the ones that broke down the chapters and the verses so we could be legible, so we could read it. That wasn't in the original translation. So this is just a continuation of what was going on.

He was telling them, I'm between two. I want to come to you, but I can't. I want to come to you, but also I want to go to glory. So I'm betwixt two, he says. Now, if therefore there be, any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love. That's what he's saying is if it's there, then do this. It doesn't say examine yourself. This isn't a rule book for people. I heard somebody say recently this is a roadmap for life. This is the word of God. This is the word of God. And if we don't believe that, we're in trouble. We're in trouble. We take this If you take it literal, sometimes men say, well, you have to do this and this, because it says to do that and that. It's like, but we understand something.

This has to be spiritually discerned. It's the same thing with the love. I can't trust my love, and I can't trust my carnality to understand or comprehend this. It's the gift of the Lord that it's given by. Paul's saying, if you have this, these admonitions, Because these admonitions can only be attained, they can only be received by the very first part there, being in Christ. That's it. That's what he's saying. If you're in Christ, you have these. Therefore, if you have them, do this. Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.

Well, what was the mind of Christ to do the Father's will? To trust in the Lord? trusted him unto death, didn't he? He died knowing full well that the Lord was going to have to be the one that was going to resurrect him because he couldn't resurrect himself. The Lord had to do it. He trusted the Father.

He's saying, let this mind be in you that's in Christ. Look to him, not to self. These admonitions are only given by grace alone, and it's not our choice, it's his. It's his. If I have comfort of love that has to come from him and it's not based upon my love, it's completely based upon him. Our comfort is in his election. We're saved by his power, not our own. That's our comfort. Salvation is of the Lord. That's our comfort. Salvation is of the Lord. He chose to redeem. That's our comfort. He chose to save sinners. That's our comfort. And it's the same comfort of love.

This is the greatest. This is the greatest love story that has ever been or ever will be. This is the greatest love story that's ever been or ever will be. It's how God saved his people from their sin. That's a great comfort to me. That comforts my heart. Salvation is of the Lord by His own purpose and will, which were given to His people before the world began. That means, Rob was just reading about, over in Revelation, about the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. It's all before a time the Lord did this. That's comforting to me. That means it was finished before it got started. Our brains can't comprehend that, but that's exactly what it is, isn't it? What do you mean it was finished before it got started? You have to do something for it to be done.

He's God. Just believe it. He said it. It is so. I can trust the love, his love, and his choice. It gives genuine comfort. Brethren, how often do we choose ourself over the Lord? That's sad, isn't it? It's convicting. I said we. I said we. Yet he always chooses us. How often do we choose ourselves over him? Yet he always chooses us. Isn't that comforting? He always chooses us. He always comforts us. He always consoles us. He always has fellowship with us. Even when we forget to pray, he's still interceding for us.

Isn't that glorious? It's not based upon you and I. We have a Heavenly Father that loves us with an everlasting love, in so much that He redeemed us for His prized possession. You mean I'm prized of God? That's how much He loves me? Yes, if we're in Christ, as we said the first hour. If I forget to pray, if I forget to think on him, he still thinks on me. He still prays for me, he still intercedes. His grace is sufficient, his mercies are renewed every morning. He's always merciful to his elect. Always, it's not my love that comforts me, it's his love. His love that he gives to his people. Because nothing can ever separate it from us.

We read that first hour, but I wanna go back there and read it again for this hour, Romans 8. Romans 8, look at verse 31 with me. What shall we then say to these things if God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up freely for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth, it is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again. Who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all things, all these things. we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

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. Nothing, nothing can separate us, his people, from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Is that your comfort? Is that your comfort? Because if it was up to me, I would not do it on purpose, but I would separate his love if I could, but I can't. Can't sever that cord. It's unbreakable. The cords of love, yeah, I can't sever that.

Do you ever see how one minute we're thinking of the Lord rejoicing in the finished work, and the next minute we're fussing at something? We're upset about something. We're thinking about something totally different. And we forget to go back and think about the Lord again. That's the believer's life, is it not? Back and forth, back and forth. One minute will be, Lord shows us something. Oh, we have sweet peace. We have this, I told Bobby, I'll tell you all, it's like when the Lord gives you a hug. Can you relate to that?

It's like he gives you a hug. And then, five minutes later, my love's just so cold. His love's not. Because even in those moments, even those moments when I forget to think on him, he still thinks on us. He still thinks on us. It's not based upon us.

He won't fall out of love with his bride. He did everything necessary for the salvation of his bride. And she is beautiful in his sight. Here's the good news, brethren. He's always thinking about his people. He's thinking about our good for his glory. He never leaves us. We are always on his mind and heart. He knows everything all the time.

Ain't that glorious? That's comforting. That's comfort of love. That's what that is. As he makes intercession for us, we're even on his tongue. Think about that. We're not just on his heart, we're on his tongue as well. He's making intercession for us. Isn't that, he's speaking our name to the Father. Isn't that, it's wonderful.

We were on his mind when we were elected. We were on his mind when he chose to redeem. We were on his mind whenever he chose to become a man. And every step that he took, we were on his mind. Everything that he did while he was down here was unto the Father for the Father's glory, but for the salvation of his bride, we were on his mind. He never forgot to think about us. He never forgot to intercede for us. He never forgot us in any way. When he went to the garden, praying unto the Lord, saying, Father, let this cup pass from me, we were still on his mind.

He took that cup and drank it, knowing full well the contents of it, knowing full well what our sin is and what it was gonna cost him, the death and the wrath it was gonna bring upon him. But because of the love he had and because of us being on his mind, he drank it dry. That's why scripture can say there's now therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ. When he went to the cross or when he went to trial and they begin to mock him, they begin to make fun of him. They stripped his clothing. We were on his mind. We were on his mind.

Nothing was going to stop him from redeeming his people. Nothing was going to stop him from fulfilling the duty that the father had given him because the love he had for the father and the love that he has for his people. When they was plucking his beards or they were striping him with the whip, everything that happened, nailing him to the cross, we were on his mind. He was thinking of his people.

He was thinking of his father. We were on his mind. And that's the full wrath of God and all the pure fury, full fury of his justice was being poured out upon him. He was thinking of his people. He was honoring his father. Why? Because he loves his elect. He loves, somebody asked me one time, where's the love in your preaching? That's it, that's right, it's right there. That's the love. That's the love.

And whenever he knew that the father was pleased because his soul had been made an offering for sin, we were still on his mind. He said, with a mighty voice, it is finished. They're redeemed now. All of them. Not one am I gonna lose, not one. And he bowed his head and he gave up the ghost. When he was resurrected, we were on his mind. When he sat down on the right hand of God, we were on his mind. And even right now, we're on the mind of God because he loves us. Because he loves his people.

How do I know that's true? Well, Whenever you were first, and I don't want to make it sound like we completely fall out of love when we get married, we become accustomed to each other, so we don't think on each other as much as we first did when we got together. Remember the feeling of excitement you had whenever you first started dating someone, like you think about them all the time, right? His love is perfect, and this is a bad, it's a poor example, but you'll get what I'm saying. His love doesn't change. Our love changed because now I don't think on my wife as much as I used to. I still love her, but I don't, she doesn't take up every waking moment in my brain now.

You see what I'm saying? And whenever you're first together in love, if you're really in love, that's all you can think about. You're infatuated with each other. Our Lord's infatuated with us. Isn't that incredible? With this. How can that be? How can that be?

Because he said so. I've loved you with an everlasting love. He said with one look of your eye, you ravished my heart. Just one look. That's the love that he has for his people. This wonderful salvation is not because my love doesn't fail. It's because his love cannot fail.

This glorious gospel that we believe is glorious because it does not require the center's participation. It doesn't require me to love God a certain way. It gives me the love of God necessary, but it doesn't require my love. It doesn't require anything produced of or by me. It requires everything produced by the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the comfort of love that he's talking about here.

Go back to our text, Philippians 2. If there be, therefore, any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels of mercies, fulfill you my joy that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord and one mind.

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem the other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but look every man, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus. If there be any comfort of love, look not to self, but look to Christ. If the comfort of the Lord, if the Lord's love is your comfort, look to that. Look to that. Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus. How? Look to him as he looked to the Father. Trust in him as he trusted the Father. Believe on him as all your wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.

Knowing that our love doesn't, you all know I'm from the South, so I say, I don't know if you guys use the term a hill of beans. Anybody ever use that term? Okay, good. Our love don't amount to a hill of beans, but his. precious and priceless. Believe on him and live. Look to his love. That's the comfort. It's the comfort of love.

Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us when we were unlovable. Thank you for making us lovable by your precious blood. Lord, as we are about to partake in these elements, we ask that you would bless them according to your purpose. You would cause us to remember your suffering. You would cause us to remember. What it costs for us to be able to be made the righteousness of God in you. Lord, you would cause us to reflect and enter into the thought of your love. In Christ and we pray, Amen. Will ask the men if they'll come and disperse the elements.

Comfort of Love (Series Phil. 2:1-5- Part 3)

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the comfort of love?

How do we know the love of Christ is true?

Why is the comfort of love important for Christians?

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Comfort of Love (Series Phil. 2:1-5- Part 3)

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the comfort of love?

How do we know the love of Christ is true?

Why is the comfort of love important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

About Caleb Hickman

Comments

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