The Father Himself Loveth You

Q: What does the Bible say about God's love for believers?

The Bible teaches that God loves believers with a unique and saving love, affirming that 'the Father himself loveth you' (John 16:27). The Bible reveals that God's love for believers is not a generic or superficial affection; it is a profound, saving love. In John 16:27, we see Jesus affirming this when He states, 'the Father himself loveth you.' This love is personal and directed specifically at those who have believed in His Son, Jesus Christ. It underscores the unique relationship that believers have with God, rooted in faith and acceptance of His gospel. The love of God is not just a concept, but a dynamic force that ensures the salvation of those whom He loves, securing their eternal destiny.

Q: How do we know God's love is effective in salvation?

God's love is effective in salvation as He loves those whom He saves, ensuring that all whom He loves will be saved (Romans 8:39). The effectiveness of God's love in salvation is demonstrated throughout Scripture, emphasizing that God's love is not merely an emotion but is action-oriented and results in salvation. Notably, Romans 8:39 asserts that nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. This indicates that God's love is inseparably linked to His sovereign grace, ensuring the salvation of every individual He sets His love upon. Importantly, the love of God is highlighted in John 3:16, which expresses that His motive in sending His Son was to save those who believe, showing that God's love is both rescuer and redeemer for His chosen people.

Q: Why is understanding God's love important for Christians?

Understanding God's love is crucial for Christians as it affirms their identity in Christ and comforts them in trials. Grasping the depths of God's love is paramount for Christians as it defines their identity and foundation in faith. Knowing that the Father truly loves them, as stated in John 16:27, brings comfort amid life’s challenges and uncertainties. It allows believers to approach God confidently, knowing that their acceptance is not based on their performance but on Christ's finished work. This assurance fosters a relationship built on love rather than fear, as perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). Moreover, understanding God's love compels Christians towards a life marked by gratitude and devotion, motivating them to live in ways that reflect that love to others.

Q: How can we respond to God's love according to the Bible?

We respond to God's love by loving His Son, Jesus Christ, and believing in Him (John 16:27). The Bible reveals that our appropriate response to God's profound love is two-fold: loving Jesus Christ and placing our faith in Him. Jesus emphasizes in John 16:27, 'The Father himself loveth you because you have loved me.' This declaration highlights that our love for God's Son is the evidence of our relationship with the Father. By believing in Christ and embracing His gospel, we acknowledge the grace that has been extended to us through His sacrifice. This love manifests itself in our lives as obedience to His commands, worship, and sharing His love with others, demonstrating the transformative power of God's love in the believer’s life.

Would you turn back to John 16? Verse 27. For the father himself loveth you. It's well entitled, this message. Now, if by you everybody is meant and there is a heaven and there is a hell, if by you everyone is meant, the Father's love is meaningless. If he can love you and you wind up in hell, what good did his love do for you? Absolutely nothing.

I need to say that by way of introduction so you'll be understanding what is said by the Father loving you. Now, if you're a believer, you put your name in there. The Father himself loveth you. I want to be in that group, don't you? The Father himself loveth you."

When Martin Luther was living in a monastery, flogging himself, fasting almost to the point of death, there was another monk that asked him, why are you doing this? What's going on with you? And his reply was, I just want to know if God loves me. For Martin Luther, it was not a given. And he knew that there was nothing in him that could merit God's love. Do you know that about yourself? that there is nothing in you that could merit God's love. Now, go back to verse 25 of John chapter 16. These things have I spoken unto you in Proverbs. But the time comes when I shall no more speak unto you in Proverbs.

But I will show you plainly of the Father." Now he's talking about the coming of the Holy Spirit. Right now I'm speaking to you in symbolic language. An example would be when he said, I am the door. And the scripture says in John chapter 10, verse six, they didn't understand the proverb in which he was speaking. They didn't understand the symbolic language. And he says, the time's coming when I'm no longer going to speak unto you in symbolic language, when God the Holy Spirit comes. Look in verse seven of John chapter 16. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It's expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you. But if I depart, I will send him unto you.

He is the great teacher. And if I truly learn anything, it's because God the Holy Spirit himself has taught me, and listen to me, everything in the Bible is over our head. We can't understand it unless God the Holy Spirit supernaturally reveals what is actually being said. I hope every one of us will be praying at this time, Lord be my teacher. Teach me your gospel because I can't figure it out. It's over me. Would you be pleased to speak to me?

He says in verse 26, at that day, when you're taught by God, you shall ask in my name, you'll understand that you can only come into the Father's presence in my name. You don't come in your own name. You don't come pleading anything about you, but only in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now that's when somebody's been taught of God. They come only in the name of Jesus Christ. You would not dare approach God in your own name, in your own works. Only in His name. Now look what he says next. And I say, Not unto you that I'll pray the Father for you. When you come in my name, I'm not simply saying I'll represent you before the Father. For the Father, verse 27, for the Father himself loveth you. I want you to think about that. The Father himself loveth you.

And hear the word love. is the word, and I don't know if I'm pronouncing this right, there's agape and phileo, agape, the love of God, phileo, brotherly love. Philadelphia is named after the city of brotherly love, phileo. I don't know if I'm pronouncing it right, but I know this, that love is the love of friendship. That's the love of liking someone.

Not only does the Father love you, the Father likes And that is said to every believer. Now, everybody in here knows of people you love that you don't necessarily like. Well, the Father likes you. He doesn't just love you. He likes you. Now, I think of the circle of people that like me. I like people that like me. You do too.

The circle of people that love me, if they knew everything about me, they'd probably leave that circle. If they knew what all went on through my mind, what all went on in my heart, those people that love me at least wouldn't like me. But you know God the Father knows everything about me. He knows every thought I've ever had, And he still likes me.

He loves me. He likes me. How can that be? Now let's go on reading. For the father himself phileo you, the love of brother, the love of friendship, the love of like. The Father himself loveth you because you have loved me and have believed that I came out from God.

I am come forth from the Father and am coming to the world. Again, I leave the world and I go to the Father. Now here is the proof of the Father's love to you, you love me. He doesn't say the Father loves you because you love me. Here is proof of the Father's love to you, you love me. Everybody the Father loves, here's what they all have in common. They love his son.

Here's the proof of the father's love to you. You love me and believe that I came out from God. You believe God sent me. You believe I'm from him. He sent me and I'm going back to him. Now let's talk for a few moments about the love of God. The Father himself loveth you. And like I said, if that's talking about some kind of generic love, if you could say that to every son of Adam to ever live, and yet some of those people are in hell, that would be meaningless to say the Father loves you, but you're still in hell anyway. That would just make the love of God meaningless. It would make it trite. It would make it unreal. It would make it unsaving. And let me say this.

Everybody God loves, he saves. There will not be anybody in hell that God loved. The love of God. I love 1 John 4, verse 8, it says, God is love. Not, here's love and God fits that description. No, God is love. And we should never Think of his love without an awe and irreverence. Human religion, false pseudo-Christianity has cheapened the love of God with this false concept of the love of God. The universal love of God for all men without exception, the Bible does not teach that. And it makes the love of God meaningless.

If he can love you and still you wind up in hell, there's nothing to his love. If he could prevent you from being in hell and he loves you and you end up being in hell anyway, his love is meaningless. I repeat, there'll be nobody in hell that he loved.

Do you know if you read the book of Acts, where we have the preaching of the apostles, that great message on Pentecost that Peter preached, the great message Paul preached in Acts chapter 13, In Acts chapter 17, examine the preaching of the apostles.

In their preaching, how many times do you think the love of God is mentioned? Anybody know? Not once in their preaching. And that does not mean that the love of God is not implied because when you preach the gospel, obviously the love of God for sinners is behind it. But how often do they mention the love of God in their preaching? Not once.

For God hath made this same Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Yes, the love of God is behind every message because the love of God is behind salvation. But the preaching of the gospel is not some kind of generic declaration of God loves you and so do I. It's the preaching of the gospel of how God can be just and justify the ungodly through the Lord Jesus Christ, his person and his work. Now, God's love. is independent. What that means is he didn't need to find a reason in me or you to love you, to love us. The reason is found in himself. God is love.

Deuteronomy chapter seven, would you turn with me there? Now a generic view of the love of God is a false view of the love of God. And any concept of the love of God that's not taught in the scripture is the willful misrepresentation of a false prophet. In Deuteronomy chapter seven, God gives us the reason for his love. Would you turn with me? I want you to read this with me. Verse six.

For thou, art and holy people unto the Lord thy God. The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself above all people there upon the face of the earth, The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people. For you were the fewest, the most insignificant of all people.

Here's why I loved you, but because the Lord loved you." That's why He loved you. Because He did. God is God must love and His reason for love is found in His own glorious character. Why did God love me? Because He did. I can give you no reason for any goodness in me or any merit in me simply because He would. Now let me tell you these things with regard to the love of God.

First of all, The love of God is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Nothing shall separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. If I'm in Christ, He loves me. You can't separate the love of God from Christ Jesus, our Lord. All God has for the sinner is in Christ. God's love is saving love. Ephesians 2, 4 and 5 says, but God who is rich in mercy for his great love, wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace you are saved. Everybody God loves, he saves. His love is saving love. The love of God is eternal.

Jeremiah 31.3, behold, I have loved you with an everlasting love. A love that had no beginning. Therefore, with loving kindness, I've drawn thee. I've drawn you to myself. Why? Because I love you. His love is an everlasting love. It's eternal. God's love is a sovereign love. What do I mean by that? Well, let me quote a scripture to you that'll tell you exactly what that means. God said, this is found in Malachi 1 and Romans 9, 13. God said, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. God said that? Yes, God said that.

How could he hate Esau? You know, I really don't have any problem with that. Esau didn't think God was worth a bowl of soup. He traded his birthright, his relationship with God for one bowl of soup. He didn't care anything about God. And remember this, God's hatred is not like my hatred and your hatred. Our hatred's wicked. His hatred is a holy hatred. He said, Esau, have I hated but How amazing. Jacob, sinful, corrupt Jacob have I loved.

God's love is a sovereign love. He loves whom he will. And God's love is a holy love. Just like his wrath is holy wrath. His love is holy love. Other, like nothing else. And his love can never be inconsistent with any of his attributes. God's love cannot contradict any of his attributes. God's love is holy love. It's just love. It's sovereign love. It's independent love. It's immutable love.

God's love, listen to this. God's love is for sinners only. God commended his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Are you a sinner? If you are, God loves you. I can say that without hesitation. Now, it's wrong. It's evil. to look at a group of people that some are saved and some are not and assure them God loves you. No, I'm not gonna do that, that'd be wrong.

I don't know if God loves that person or not, but if you're a sinner, I know this, God loves you. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the chief. If you're a sinner, and I mean by sinner what the Bible means by sinner. If you're a sinner, God loves you. God's love is sacrificial love. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. God's love is faithful love.

He'll be faithful to you all the way to the end. He'll never leave you. He'll never forsake you. He that hath begun a good work in you will complete it, will perform it under the day of Jesus Christ. Oh, how faithful he is in his love to the objects of his love. God's love is immutable. It knows no change. He doesn't love more one day, he doesn't love less another. His love is immutable love.

God's love is compassionate and feeling as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that love him. He is touched by the feeling. of our infirmities, of our weakness, of our sinfulness, our sighing underneath our own sinfulness. God's love is feeling and compassionate love. God's love is personal. I love what Paul said in Galatians 2 20. He loved me and gave himself for me. God's love is always demonstrative.

It's not in word only. Herein is love, not that we love God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sin. I want you to turn with me to 1 John chapter 4, verse 16. And we have known and believed, relied upon, 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, complete, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment." Now stop for a moment.

Standing before a holy God in judgment and having boldness? Confidence? It's all good? How? Because as He is, so are we in this world. That's where that boldness comes from, as he is. How is he? Oh, I could talk the rest of the morning about that, but I know this, he's altogether lovely to the father. Oh, the father looks at his son and says, this is my beloved son, the son of my love, in whom I am well pleased, as he is. So are we, right now. in this world.

Verse 18, there's no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear. Now what's this talking about there's no fear in love? Listen, if you are as he is, you don't have anything to be afraid of. His perfect love to you casts out your fear. Now you have the fear of God always, but this is talking about that slavish fear of he's going to mash me, he's going to punish me, he's going to, I did this, he's going to get me. No, his perfect love to me casts out that fear because I understand his love for me. I am as his son is. That's why he loves me. That's how real union with Christ is, as he is. So are we in this world. There's no fear in love. His perfect love to us casts out fear. Fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. This is the perfect love that casts out fear.

And this love never goes unrequited. Now, have you ever probably, I know you have as a young person, you fell in love with someone and that love wasn't returned. It was unrequited. You loved them, but they didn't love you. That love was unrequited. You know, the Lord never loves anybody and has his love unrequited. We love him because he first loved us.

And this is demonstrated In our text, turn back to our text in John chapter 16. At that day, verse 26, you shall ask in my name. You'll only come in my name. And I say not unto you that I'll pray the Father for you. In other words, he's saying you're going to ask in my name. It's not like I'm going to come into the Father's presence And say, well, listen to him because of me. Although that's true. That's not what's going on.

He says, the father himself loveth you because you have loved me and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the father and I'm coming to the father again. I leave the father and go into the world. The father himself loves you because you love me.

He sees the love he gave you to his son and he owns it as yours. He gave you that love. It didn't come from you. He put it in you. The love you have to his son, he put it in you. He gave you that love. And he loves you because of the love he gave to you for his son. This is the proof of the father's love to you. You love me. It's not the cause of the father's love to you. It's the proof of his love to you.

You love Now, when you think of your love to him, when I think of my love to him, I'm grieved by it. It doesn't have near the passion it should have or the ardor it should have. When I simply think of my love, do I love? When I think of my love, that's what I think. Do I even love? If I did, why would I be like this? Why would I think this way? Why would I do this? Why would I? So what I want you to do for just a moment is forget about your love in a subjective way, thinking about how poor it is compared to what it ought to be. Turn your eyes away from you. and look to Him. Think of His person.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, face to face with God. And the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. He is eternal God. He is the man, Christ Jesus. In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. I love when the disciples said, what manner of man is this that even the winds in the sea obey him? The God man. Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. He said, if you believe not that I am, that's the name for God, the self-existent one. If you believe not that I am, you'll die in your sins. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord.

To you, He is altogether lovely. If you love him, he's altogether lovely. The all-powerful sovereign of the universe who's meek and lowly in heart, the all-sufficient savior of sinners. He said to that woman who was so confused in John chapter four, She heard what he said and she didn't have any idea what he's talking about. She said, I know that when Messiah cometh, he'll teach us all things. He said to her, I am that speaketh unto thee. I am the Messiah. Yes, Lord. Do you believe that I'm able to do this?

Yes, Lord. I am the bread that came down from heaven. Yes, Lord. I am the way. Yes, Lord. I am the truth. Yes, Lord. I am the life, the life, the only life that God will accept. Yes, Lord. No man comes to the Father, but by me. Yes, Lord. Before Abraham was, I am. Yes, Lord. I am the door. Yes, Lord. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and last, which was and is and is to come. Yes, Lord. I am he that liveth and was dead and behold, I'm alive forevermore and have the keys of hell and death.

Yes, Lord. That's the response of the believing heart who loves him. Yes. Lord, I'm the true and faithful witness, the beginning of the creation of God. Yes, Lord. Behold, I am thy salvation. Yes, Lord. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me. Yes, Lord. And him that cometh to me I'll in no wise cast out. Yes, Lord.

Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Yes, Lord. It's not meat to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs. Yes, Lord. but the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their master's table." We love him and we love his salvation.

Hebrews 1.3 says, when he had by himself purged our sins. Now, he didn't do it with any help from you. You made no contribution in this thing. When he had by himself purged our sins.

He said, it is finished. Yes, Lord. I sure am thankful it's that way. I love him. I love the way he saves in a way that he gets all the glory and none goes to me because that means salvation is what he did, not what I do. Yes, Lord. We love him because he's utterly perfect and we wouldn't change a thing about him if it were in our power. We love all of his glorious attributes. We love him as he's revealed in his word. The Father himself loves you because you love me. We do love him, don't we? We love everything about him. We love who he is.

In him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily all the fullness of sovereignty, all the fullness of omnipotence, all the fullness of wisdom, all the fullness of independence, having no needs, all the fullness of immutability. He never changes. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. His eternity, He never began to be.

His justice, His love. Oh, we do love Him. The Father, himself loves you because you love me and you believe I came out from God. You believe my origin is God. I proceeded forth from him. You believe that. You believe I'm the second person of the Trinity. manifest in the flesh. You believe I came out from God, you believe He sent me.

The Father sent the Son and He sent Him to save, not to condemn. Now listen to me, He didn't send His Son to condemn the world, but the world through Him might be saved. That was His purpose in sending His Son, to save His people from their sins. You believe God sent me, I came out from God, I came forth from the Father and I'm coming to the world.

Again, I leave the world and go to the Father. You know why I'm leaving the world? Because I did what he sent me to do. I'm successful. His atonement was a successful atonement. The father sent him to save his people. He saved his people and he goes back to the father having saved his people. Again, I leave the world and go to the father. This speaks of the pre-existence he had before time began as eternal God. He came into the world to save his people and he did it.

Now, what is the proof that God loves me? I do love His Son. Lord, You know all things. You know that I love Your person. And that is true of every believer. Now, let me remind you, don't think about your love in a subjective way of, well, I don't love Him enough. I know you don't love Him enough. Neither do I. Neither does anybody else.

But is He altogether lovely? Is there any shadow or darkness in Him that you could not love? No, you love Him as He's revealed in His Word. You love His way of saving. You love Him as the Savior. You love Him. Now, if you love Him, it's because the Father Himself loveth. you.

And this story is not over. Yes, he went back to the Father, but think about this. He's returning. He's coming again. I don't know when. I hope it's today, if it's His will. I hope it's today, to be perfectly conformed to His image. He's coming again.

And until He comes again, I'm going to be somewhat frustrated with my love. But when he returns, the scripture says, we'll be like him for we shall see him as he is. And one view of seeing him as he is will make everyone who sees him as he is perfectly conformed to his image.

The father himself loveth you. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for your love that's in your son, your saving sovereign love. Lord, I ask in Christ's name that every believer in this room and outside of this room will know that you yourself love us, and the proof that you love us is the love you've given us to your son. And Lord, indeed, we do see him as altogether lovely. Lord, work saving faith in each heart here according to your will. Bless this word for Christ's sake. In his name we pray, amen.

The Father Himself Loveth You

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's love for believers?

How do we know God's love is effective in salvation?

Why is understanding God's love important for Christians?

How can we respond to God's love according to the Bible?

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The Father Himself Loveth You

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's love for believers?

How do we know God's love is effective in salvation?

Why is understanding God's love important for Christians?

How can we respond to God's love according to the Bible?

Sermon Transcript

About Todd Nibert

Comments

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