Would you turn with me to 1 Corinthians
chapter 8? Isn't it good to see Ben and Christy here? That just
made my day when I walked in. That's a blessing. 1 Corinthians 8. I've entitled this message Love
to God. Love. To God. I feel. Somewhat overwhelmed
with the thought of trying to preach on this, I hope you'll
pray for me, pray for yourselves. As we consider this, let's read
these first three verses together. Now, as touching things offered
unto idols. We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up. It fills one with hot air. It
fills one with pride. But charity edifieth. And if any man think that he
knows anything, he knows Nothing. Yet, as he ought to know. But, if any man love God, the same is known of him. Now, as touching things offered
unto idols, we know we all have knowledge. Now, idols. We have a glass of water here.
Do you know? Some. Religions and some beliefs, ancient
beliefs have actually thought water is God, and I'm not just
saying that. I mean, they really have. They
say, well, it can take all the different forms of of a solid, a liquid
and a gas. And all things came out of water. Water is the thing that everything
came from. Now, let's say I said that this
glass of water is a God, a God that creates and so on. Well,
you would know better than that, wouldn't you? You'd know that
this glass of water didn't create anything. It was created. If
we had a statue up and I said, this is God, let's bow down and
worship this statue, or it's a representation of God, you'd
know better than that. And you wouldn't do it. You'd
say that's nothing more than a statue. And it's good that
you know that. It's good that you understand
that this is a good thing. Now, as touching these things
that are offered into idols and what Paul was talking about was
when someone would take something that was sacrificed to an idol.
They would kill a cow or a lamb or whatever and they'd sacrifice
it and they'd offer it up to an idol. And then they would
take the meat. And some people said, well, you
ought not eat that meat because that was used in pagan worship.
That was used and sacrifice to an idol. You ought not to eat
that thing. And I've got to admit that I might feel kind of funny
eating it myself. I shouldn't, but I'm kind of, boy, this was
used for a terrible purpose. Should we eat this? Now he says,
now concerning things offered up to idols, we all have knowledge. We know that that idol is absolutely
nothing. We know that. And we ought to
know that. We all have knowledge. And then
Paul makes this very unusual statement at the last part of
this verse. He says, knowledge puffeth up. Knowledge fills one with pride. Knowledge makes a man swollen. You get swollen when you're infected
with something. Knowledge puffs up. It fills one with pride. Now what's that mean? I ask this because the scripture
makes it clear that there is no salvation apart from knowledge. Now you can just write this down.
This is very important. There is no salvation apart from
knowledge. You cannot believe what you do
not know, can you? You can't love somebody that
you don't know. There is no salvation apart from
knowledge. As a matter of fact, salvation
is described in 1 Timothy 1 or 2, 4, and 5 as coming to the
knowledge of the truth. You know, the Lord said to his
disciples, you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free. Puff up somebody with hot air, you shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free. Paul said in 2 Timothy 1.12,
I know whom I have believed. I know whom I have believed.
I'm persuaded, I'm convinced that he's able to keep that which
I've committed to him against that day. Now, is that knowledge
going to puff Paul up with hot air and pride? He says, knowledge
puffeth up. What does he mean by this? Because
it's so important for us to know there's no salvation apart from
knowledge. I cannot believe what I do not know. You can't be saved
apart from knowledge. Now, it's not your knowledge
that saves you. It's Christ that saves you. I love that scripture.
It says in John 8, 32, you shall know the truth and the truth
shall make you free. It doesn't say your knowledge
of the truth shall make you free. You don't know the truth that
well anyway, neither do I. It's the truth himself who makes
you free. He's the one who sets you free, not your knowledge
of the truth, but he still said you shall know the truth. There
is no salvation apart from knowledge, the knowledge of the gospel,
the knowledge of who God is, the knowledge of who I am, the
knowledge of how he saves sinners by his grace. There's no salvation
apart from that. So what's he mean when he says
knowledge puffeth up? It just fills somebody with pride
and hot air. and a high opinion of themselves.
What Paul is speaking of is knowledge without wisdom. Knowledge without
love. Knowledge without faith. All
that kind of knowledge does is puff one up with pride. I know
something you don't know. Therefore, I have an advantage
over you. Now that kind of knowledge, all
it does is puff somebody up with pride. I know something. I know
something you don't know, therefore I'm in a better position than
you. I've got more power than you. I've got something you don't
have. I know something you don't know. Now everybody wants that,
don't they? I know something you don't know. That gives me
an edge. That kind of knowledge, all it does is puff somebody
up with pride, even if it's supposedly doctrinally accurate
knowledge. If it's without love, if it's without faith, if it's
without wisdom, well, I believe the doctrines of grace. Well,
you ought to believe the doctrines of grace. I believe that men are
depraved and that God elected a people and Christ died for
the elected and God's grace is irresistible and that God's people
will persevere all the way to the end. You ought to believe
that. It's what the Scripture teaches. It doesn't save you, though,
does it? It's not your knowledge of that
that saves you. Knowledge puffs up, but charity,
love, builds up. It edifies. There's all the difference
in the world, isn't there? Knowledge puffs up, but charity. That doesn't mean charity without
knowledge. Listen to me. I know whom I believed. This is not talking about some
kind of vague, nebulous, ethereal, feely, ooey-gooey, I love God. Do you love the God of the Bible?
The God as He's revealed in the Scriptures? That's the God we're
talking about. The God, the sovereign God, the holy God, the just God,
the God as He's revealed in His Word. There's something to do
with loving that God. You love Him. You're glad He's
the way He is. You rejoice that He is the way
He is. And you wouldn't change Him if you could. That's the
love He's speaking of. Knowledge puffs one up with pride. charity builds up. Look at verse two. I tell you
what, this verse takes the wind out of my sails. If any man think that he knows
anything, he knows what? Nothing yet as
he ought to know. If a man thinks he knows anything,
I've got that down, Pat. Oh, I've got that down. No, you
don't. As a matter of fact, if you think
that, all you do is manifest your ignorance. That's it. If
a man thinks he knows anything, oh, I've got that down. I understand
that real well. Do you? Do you? That man knows nothing yet, as
he ought to know. But, verse 3, if any man loves God, The same
is known of him, of God. This is what God knows and recognizes. God is not impressed with what
we know or how much we know. Why would he be? He's omniscient. Would he be impressed with what
we know? Now, here is something that the Lord
God is impressed with. Love to Him. If any man loved God, the same
is known of Him. Now, I want to try to speak for
a few moments on this subject, love to God. Do you know that
love is the most powerful force there is? Let me give you some
examples. Look what men will do motivated
by love to self. What a powerful motivator that
is. I mean, people will step on anybody
and destroy anybody out of self-love. I mean, to get what I want because
I love myself, people will go to any degree. Love, self-love
is a powerful, powerful force. And then look what people do
for romantic love. Oh my, the things that people
have done because they love each other. I mean, it's a powerful,
powerful force. And what about parental love?
What about a person's love for the children? How do you sacrifice
for your children? Oh, what a powerful force that
is. What about patriotic love? People giving their life for
their country. People who believe in their country so much and
what their country stands for, that they're willing to die for
it. That's a powerful thing, isn't it? And we admire that.
But the love Paul's speaking of in our text infinitely, infinitely
surpasses those loves as powerful as they are. Paul is speaking
of love to God. And let me tell you this about
love to God. Love to God is beyond the capacity of the natural man. No man by nature loves God. Now, he may love a false conception
of God. He may love the God that he feels
comfortable with, the God that he's made up, the God that's
not the God of the Bible, but a God he likes. That's my God. I've had people say to me regarding
things, well, that's not my God. I know it's not. I know it's
not. It's not your God, but it's the God of the Bible. It's the
living God. Now, love to this God is beyond
the capacity of the natural man. Only those who are begotten of
God possess this love. Would you turn with me to 1 John
chapter 4? Verse 7, Beloved, let us love
one another for love is of God and everyone that loveth is born
of God and knoweth God. Now what kind of love is he talking
about? Is he talking about every mom that loves her children is
born of God? Is it talking about every man
that loves his wife is born of God? You know it's not talking
about that. This is talking about this love to God. Everyone that
loves Him. Everybody that loves the living
God, they're born of God and they know God. You see, truly, the fruit of
the Spirit is what? Love. That's the fruit of God,
the Holy Spirit. It's not something that can be
produced by the natural man. Now, we have this love because
of his love to us. You're there in 1 John. Stay
there in chapter 4. Let's read verse 19 together. We love him. Now, before we go on, we love him as he has revealed
himself in this book. We love the sovereign God. We love the God who's in control.
We love the God who saves who He pleases and passes by who
He pleases. We love that God. We love the God who's gracious.
We love the God who's all-powerful. We love God as He's revealed
in this book. And you know, I do. It's not
just You know, everybody say I love God. How many people would
you come up on the street and say, do you love God? How many
of them would say, no, I don't love Him? No, most people say I love
God. But it's one thing to say it,
and it's another thing to do it. Completely different. We love God. But look what He says next. We
love Him because He first loved us. We know where our love comes
from. I know that the only reason I
love him is because he first loved me, and I know that I wouldn't
even love him if he didn't first love me. I know that. Do you
know that? Do you know that? Look in verse 10 of this same
chapter. Herein is love, John says. 1 John chapter 4 verse
10. Herein is love, not that we love God. If you're going
to define love, would you talk about your love? Oh, I love the
Lord so much. Now, wait a minute. How much?
How much? I mean, we do love the Lord,
but if you're going to define love, would you use your love?
You're ashamed of your love, aren't you? It's nowhere near
what it ought to be. You're embarrassed by it. You
want to love Him more, don't you? So if you're going to define
love, herein is love. It's not that we love God. We're
not going to talk about our love. But He loved us. And there's
love. Not our love to Him. He has loved
us. He loved us and sent His Son
to be the propitiation of our sins. That means He put our sins
away. He's made a way for Him to not
be angry with us anymore. And He can love us. And we're
lovely through the propitiation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jeremiah
31, verse 3, God says, I have loved you with an everlasting
love Therefore, with loving kindness have I drawn thee. Why has he
drawn you to himself? Because he loved you with an
everlasting love. Now, this love to him is actually
the result of his purpose. Romans 8, 28 says, And we know
that all things work together for good. To who? To them that
love God. What's next? To them who are
thee called. according to his purpose. Now, this is actually God's great
end in the gospel, this thing of love to him. Listen to this
scripture, 1 Timothy 1.15. Now, the end of the commandment,
that means the goal of the commandment, the purpose of the commandment,
the purpose of the commandment to believe the gospel. The end
of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart. charity, love, out of a pure
heart and a good conscience. I've got a good conscience. Don't
feel guilty. Are you serious? Yeah, I'm serious. Don't feel guilty. But how? The
blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin.
I don't have anything to be guilty about. That's a good conscience.
It's not somebody that says, I don't have anything to feel
guilty about because I've conducted myself so well. They've got what's
called a seared conscience. Their conscience doesn't work.
It's no good. But a good conscience really believes that the blood
of Christ makes me have nothing to be guilty of. A good conscience
and faith unfeigned. Charity out of a pure heart.
A good conscience and faith unfeigned. I got real faith. It ain't fake.
I really believe that Christ is my only hope. I mean, I'm
not feigning that. I'm not faking it. I really do
believe that He only is my rock and my salvation. I believe that.
But a charity out of a pure heart. That's God's gravy and charity,
love to him, love to one another out of a pure heart. This is
what God requires, not knowledge, but love. Do you remember the
words of our Lord to Peter after Peter had denied him? I guess
this is the first time the Lord talked to him after the resurrection.
I don't know whether it was the first time he talked to him.
It was one of the first times. It was after the resurrection. And Peter had
denied the Lord with oaths and cursings and everything he'd
done. I mean, Peter messed up royally, didn't he? It was awful. And you know what the Lord said
to him? Simon, son of Jonas, are you
sorry about what you did? Did he say that? Simon, do you promise never to
do it again? Did he say that? Simon, Are you
sufficiently humiliated? Has the air been taken out of
your sails? I mean, you sit there and you said, the rest of this
bunch would deny me. You'd never do it. You're the
one who did it. Are you sufficiently humbled? He didn't say anything
like that, did he? He said, Simon, do you love me? Do you love my person? And Peter could appeal to the
omniscience of Christ. He said, Lord, you know all things,
you know that I love you now. What is this thing of love to
God? As I said, most people would
probably say that they love God. But, you know, John said. Let us love. Not in word. Neither in tongue. But indeed. And in truth. Would you turn with me now? You're
there in 1 John chapter 5. You're there in 1 John. Verse
2. By this we know that we love
the children of God when we love God. And keep His commandments,
for this is the love of God that we keep His commandments. And
His commandments are not grievous. Now, before we go on, I want
to ask a question about that. Which commandments is he talking
about? Is he talking about the Ten Commandments? Well, if he is, how much love
do you have for God? If that's what he's talking about.
That's what he's talking about. The fact of the matter is you
and I have no love for God. It's all hot air because we haven't
really kept one commandment even one time, not in ourselves we
haven't. Now Christ Jesus kept the commandments for me. I'm
complete in Him, but as far as my personal obedience, I haven't
kept one commandment one time, but yet he says the love of God
is to keep, not to admire His commandments, not to post them
up so everybody can see them and be able to remember. No,
keeping His commands. Now what's he talking about?
1 John chapter 3. Verse 23. And this is his commandment.
That we should believe on the name of his son, Jesus Christ,
and love one another as he gave his commandment. If I love him, I believe on the
name of his son. And if I love him, I'll love
his people. Turn over to John chapter 14. You know, the words, I love you.
Are either the most meaningful. Or the most meaningless words
in the world dependent upon the actions behind them. Isn't that
so? Look in John chapter 14 verse
15. If you love me, Keep. My commandments. Verse 21. He that hath my commandments
and keepeth them. He it is that loveth me, not
just the person who says I love him, but the person who keeps
his commandments, who believes his gospel, who bows to his word.
He it is that loveth me. And he that loveth me shall be
loved of my father, and I'll love him and will manifest myself
to him. Now, if you love him, you obey
his commandments, you believe his gospel, you love his people.
Look in verse 22. And Judas saith unto him, not
Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto
us and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto
them, if any man love me, he will keep my words. And my father will love him,
and we will come unto him and make our abode with him. He that
loveth me not keepeth not my sayings. And the Word which you
hear is not mine, but the Father's which is sent me." Now, you listen
to me real carefully. If somebody really loves the Lord, here's
how it's going to be manifested, how they respond to this Word. This is the Word of the Lord
Jesus Christ. And if I love Him, I keep, I
watch over, I guard His Word. And if I don't love Him, I don't. How I really feel about him is
seen in how I respond to this word. And I'm not talking about
just saying, well, I believe in the Bible is the word of God.
I'm talking about obeying what this word says. Every word is
precious. Now, it's our actions that will
prove the sincerity of our love. I'm talking about love to the
Lord, love to God. It's our actions. It's what we
do that proves the sincerity of our love. Not what we say.
But what we do now, here's an example, turn to Second Corinthians,
Chapter eight. Beginning in verse seven. Therefore, as you abound in everything
in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all diligence and in your
love to us, see that you abound in this grace also, and he's
talking about the grace of giving. Love, what's it do? What's it
do? Love gives, doesn't it? God so
loved the world that he what? He gave his only begotten son. Love always gives. If you love somebody, you give. It's what you want to do. Now
look what he says in verse 8. I speak not by commandment, but
by occasion of the forwardness of others and to prove the sincerity
of your love. My giving and I'm not just talking
about what we put back in the box, I'm talking about my giving
proves whether or not I really love somebody. Proves whether
or not I really love the Lord. It's my actions that prove whether
or not I really love him. Love is an active, powerful thing,
and it's always acting. Faith worketh by love. We read
of the work of faith and the labor of love. Paul spoke of
the love of Christ constraining us, and I realize it's seeing
His love to us that constrains us. His love that made Him give
His Son, that constrains us. But I'll tell you what, if I
didn't love Him, it wouldn't constrain me, would it? It wouldn't mean anything to
me, but if I love Him, oh, what a What a constraining, powerful
thing that is. Turn to Matthew 10 for just a
moment. Verse 37. He that loveth father or mother
more than me is not worthy of me, And he that loveth son or
daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh
not his cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me. He that
findeth his life shall lose it. And he that loses his life for
my sake shall find it. Now that's what love does. Now
let me say five or six things regarding love. true, genuine
love, love to God. Now, if you hear me preach, you
know what I like to preach mostly about. I like to preach about
His love to us. That's my favorite subject, His
love to us. But I also want to be honest
to the Scriptures about our love to Him. Now, love wants to please. If I love my wife, you know what
I want to do? I want to please her. I want her to be pleased
with me. I want her to be glad she's married
to me by the way I treat her. If you love somebody, you want
to please them. If you love the Lord, you want
to please Him. That's more important to you
than anything else, pleasing Him. Love gives and finds pleasure
in it. I love that scripture, God loveth
the cheerful giver. Well, does God need anything
you have? He doesn't need a thing you have. Why does He love a
cheerful giver? Is it because that adds to Him?
No, not at all. But it's because it's done out
of love to Him. Love gives. And love delights in the exaltation
of the object of its affections. That's why I love to hear Christ
exalted. I do love Him and I love Him to get all the glory. Love
delights in being in the presence of the object of its affection.
I love being in the presence of Christ. I want his presence. I want his presence in this worship
service. Why we meet here together is to have his presence. That's
what we want. Love is jealous. Jealous of the honor of the object
of its affection. The only way I know to describe
this is if you don't like my wife, you're no friend of mine. That's just the way it is. If
you really love somebody and they don't love the object of
your affection, you're not going to be friends with them. Love is jealous. The reason people
tolerate false doctrine is because they don't love Christ. It really
is that simple. Well, you're too exact on your
doctrine. Well, the only reason you'd say
that is if you don't really love the Lord Jesus Christ. If you
love Him, You won't be that way. Real love never stops loving. When a preacher begins to compromise,
when a church member becomes entangled with the world and
loses interest, many things can be said, but here's the bottom
line, they never really loved him. Love always keeps loving. It doesn't stop. If it stops,
it Never loved in the first place. What's that old country western
song? He stopped loving her today. He never loved her to begin with.
He never did. Not if he stopped. Not if he
stopped. You know, love affects everything,
doesn't it? You love the Lord. If you love
God, it's going to affect everything about you. Everything. I mean,
it's going to affect every decision you make. It's going to affect
everything you do. It's going to motivate everything
you do if you really love Him. Now, if you don't love Him, it's
not going to affect everything. But what a powerful effect it
has on those who do actually love Him. Well, it'll make it
to where you can dig ditches for a living and do it for His
glory. That's what loving Him does to a person. It'll affect
your marriage. It'll affect how you love other
people. It'll affect everything if you love God. It's the most
powerful, powerful, powerful force in the world. Now, what's the key to love to
Him? Turn to Luke 7. You know, I'll tell you what.
This is not an easy thing to preach on. For this reason, I sure don't feel good about
my love to him. I do love him. I do. I love him. But I believe
I know I ought to love him more. Look here in John 7, beginning
in verse 36. And one of the Pharisees desired
him that he would eat with him. Went into the Pharisee's house
and sat down to meet, and behold, a woman in the city which was
a sinner. When she knew that Jesus sat at meet in the Pharisee's
house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his
feet behind him, weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears,
and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet,
and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee which had
bidden him saw, He spake within himself, saying, This man, if
he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of
woman this is that toucheth him, for she is a sinner. And Jesus
answering said unto him, Simon, I have some what to say to thee.
And he said, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor
which had two debtors. The one owed five hundred pence,
and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to
pay, he frankly forgave them both. Now tell me, therefore,
which of them will love him most? Well, Simon answered and said,
Well, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most. And he said
unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman and
said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thy house. Thou gavest me no water for my
feet, but she hath washed my feet with tears and wiped them
with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss, but this
woman, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my
feet. My head with oil, thou didst not anoint, but this woman
hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her
sins, which are many, are forgiven. For she loveth much, for she
loved much, but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth
little. And he said unto her, thy sins
are forgiven. And David said, it meet with
him, began to say within themselves, who is this that forgiveth sins
also? And he saith unto the woman, thy faith is safe, thee go in
peace. I've never murdered anybody.
I've never killed anybody. I was never in a position to
do that. I've done it plenty in my heart,
but I've never done it physically. I could go on and on about things
that I haven't done. And there's people who they've
done worse things than I have. They have. There's no doubt about
that. Does that mean I believe myself
to be less sinful? I've been forgiven much. And
you know what that means? Everything that's ever come out
of my heart has been sinful. Everything. Sin upon sin upon
sin. I'm not just saying that. I believe
it. Everything about me is sin. I have been forgiven, but And that person that's been forgiven
much will love much. But to whom little is forgiven,
the same loveth little. Now, as the last day of 2006,
when we're looking to start another year, all of us want to improve
in so many ways. And we think of these silly resolutions
we make and so on, break them as soon as we make them. But
here's one thing that will help us in every area. Love to God. Last scripture I want to look
at is 1 Corinthians 14. Let's read the last verse of
chapter 13 and now abideth. 1 Corinthians chapter 13, verse
13, now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three, but the
greatest of these is charity. Follow after charity. Pursue. Make this your aim. Make this your goal. Make this
your pursuit. Follow after charity. And so I hope for 2007, this
is our aim. Make love. love to the Lord himself, love
to his people, love to all men. Your aim. May God give us grace
to do that. Let's pray together.