Verse 7, once again, of Romans
chapter 1. To all that be in Rome, beloved
of God. Is he speaking to everybody that
lives in Rome? No. He's speaking to those who
are in Rome who are beloved of God. I've entitled this message
Beloved of God. What an awesome, glorious thing
it is to be beloved of God. I love that hymn we sing. I stand amazed in the presence
of Jesus, the Nazarene, and wonder how he could love me, a sinner
condemned. unclean. Oh, how marvelous, oh,
how wonderful, and our song shall ever be. Oh, how marvelous, oh,
how wonderful is my Savior's love to me. The Lord said, Thou hast loved them, the Lord
Jesus said, regarding his people. Thou hast loved them as thou
hast loved me. And he said, as the father hath
loved me, so have I loved you. Beloved of God. Now in verse six, he says to
the Romans, among whom are you also the called of Jesus Christ. Now that can't be said of all
men. All men are not the called of Jesus Christ. Everybody he
calls believes. First Corinthians 1, 23 and 24
says, we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews, a stumbling block
unto the Greeks foolishness, but unto them which are called. Oh, to be called by God. What
a special, special blessing that is to be called. He said, among
whom are you also the called of Jesus Christ to all that be
in Rome, beloved of God. Beloved of God, called saints,
separate other holy ones. You know, it was said of Israel,
thy people or the people shall dwell alone and not be reckoned
among the nations. If you're beloved of God, you've
been separated by him to be his holy one, his saint. He's done something for you that
he hadn't done for all men. Now, God has made a difference.
When we thought on this thing of talking about the love of
God, I want to say this in such a way that God's love is saving
love. If He loves you, it means He's
going to save you, or He has saved you. He already has saved
you, if He loves you. God's love does not extend toward all men
without exception. And the reason I'm saying that
is, for one thing, the Bible teaches it. God said, Jacob hath
a love that Esau hath a hated. But I want us to see that His
love is saving love. It's special to be loved by God.
It's saving love. It's not Just thrown out there,
here's the love of God. Will you accept it or take it
or not? No, that's not the love of God. Beloved of God means
saving love. He's done something for you.
Paul said, who maketh thee to differ from another? God made
you differ. He set you apart. He set his
love upon you if you're one of his. And what do you have that
you didn't receive? I think of that passage in Exodus
chapter 11, verse seven, when the Lord is announcing the Passover.
And he says, but against any of the children of Israel shall
not a dog move his tongue against man or beast, that you may know
how that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel. Religion makes God's love meaningless. I want to say these things by
way of introduction. They're important. Religion, human religion,
man's religion, makes God's love meaningless. If he loves all
men the same, and that's what most preachers are preaching,
if he loves all men the same, and some of those people are
in heaven and some of those people are in hell, his love is altogether
meaningless. It didn't put anybody in heaven,
nor did it deliver anyone from hell. It's what you do that counts. Now, I remember back, I think
it was 1989, 1990, Henry Mahan was preaching back when we were
on American Avenue. And he brought a message he entitled,
Four Questions for Thoughtful People. And these are so good. If God wills the salvation of
all men the same, what's the will of God have to do with salvation? Nothing. If God loves all men
the same, what does the love of God have to do with salvation?
Nothing. If Jesus Christ shed his blood
for all men the same, what does the blood of Christ have to do
with salvation? Nothing. And if God the Holy Spirit calls
all men the same, what does the Holy Spirit have to do with salvation?
Nothing. You see, God's love is saving
love. It's, behold, I've loved you. It's particular. Jacob, have
I loved. It's particular. It's saving.
Oh, to be beloved of God. Turn with me to Isaiah 43 for
just a moment. Isaiah 43. Look at the way he speaks to
his people. And the point, when I'm talking about God not loving
all men, it's not like I'm glorying, oh He doesn't love everybody,
I want you all to know that. That's not the point behind this. The
point behind this is His love is saving love. If He loves you,
He's loved you with an everlasting love and you must be saved. You are saved if He loves you,
if you're beloved of God. Don't you want to be one of these
people, to all that be in Rome, beloved of God? Now look here
at Isaiah 43, look at the way the Lord speaks. He's speaking
to his people and he says in verse 3, for I am the Lord thy
God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior. I gave Egypt for
thy ransom and Ethiopia and Saba for thee, all these people, I
gave them up for thee, since thou was precious in my sight.
Thou has been honorable. I have loved thee. Therefore will I give men for
thee and people for thy life. Fear not, now that's talking
about a special saving particular love, isn't it? Fear not, for
I am with thee, I bring thy seed from the east and gather thee
from the west. I'll say to the north, give up, and to the south,
keep not back. Bring my sons from far and my
daughters from the ends of the earth. Everyone that's called
by my name, for I've created him for my glory. I formed him,
yea, I have made him. Now don't fall into the trap.
I'm saying this to everyone, please. When we hear of God loving
only the elect and not loving everybody the same, Scripture
teaches that. But don't fall into the trap
of sitting in judgment on the judge and charging him with unfairness
and harshness for not loving all men the same. For the creature
to sit in judgment on the Creator. For a sinner to sit in judgment
on the Holy One of Israel. for a foolish man to sit in judgment
upon God. It's not right, is it? shall
not the judge of the earth do right. I think of what Paul said
in Romans 9 when he said, Thou wilt save me. Why does he yet
find fault for who has resisted his will? If God's sovereign
and he saves who he's going to save and there's nothing we can
do about it, that was the response. We can't do anything to save
ourselves. How can he find fault with me and how can he hold me
responsible for what I've done if it's all according to his
will? And Paul says, Nay, but, O man, Who are you to reply against
God? I love that answer. Shall the
thing form, say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus?
Hath not the potter power over the clave? The same luck to make
one luck, one to honor and one to dishonor. That's who God is. His absolute saving love. And once again,
let me, the Lord said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven
and earth, because you've hid these things. from the wise and
prudent, and reveal them unto babes, even so, Father, for so
it seemed good in thy sight." So when I'm talking, or when
the Scriptures is talking about the love of God, what I want
to point out, beloved of God, this is saving love. Now I want
us to consider the love of God. I love the Scripture. God is
love. Never says God is wrath, or God
is vengeance, but it says God is love. To all that be in Rome,
beloved of God. Now, to be loved by God, let
me say this first of all, it's not unconditional love. Did you know there's no such
thing as unconditional love? I want somebody to love me unconditionally.
Well, it's impossible. It's impossible. You can't love
someone unconditionally. Well, my kids love me unconditionally.
No, they don't. They love you because you're
their parents. Well, I love my kids unconditionally.
No, you love them because they're your kids. Talking about God's
love being unconditional? No, He loves His people as they
are in Christ. He doesn't love you as you are.
He loves you as you are in Christ. He sees you absolutely beautiful
in Christ. Someone who deserves His love.
Someone who is lovely to Him. Now, because it's in Christ,
it's free. And I won't use unconditional,
but I sure will use this term, free. Hosea 14 and four says,
behold, I'll love them freely. And that means that there's nothing
that I can do to lose his love or gain his love. It's free in
Christ Jesus. Nothing shall separate us from
the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. God is love. Turn
with me to Deuteronomy seven for just a moment. Verse seven. Here's the reason for God's love. 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 of all people. But here's
why He did it. But because the Lord loved you.
That's the reason for His love. Because the Lord loved you. And
because he would keep the oath which he'd sworn unto your fathers,
that the Lord brought you with a mighty hand and redeem you
out of the house of Bonwin from the hand of Pharaoh, king of
Egypt. That's why the Lord loves because he did it. God is love
to all that be in Rome, beloved of God. To all that be in Lexington,
beloved of God. To all that be anywhere, whoever's
beloved of God. Oh, the specialness of God's
love. I wish I could preach this the
way it ought to be preached. Pray for me as I attempt to preach. We're gonna have to begin when
we talk about God's love or what God does. In Jeremiah 31.3, God
said, behold, I've loved thee with an everlasting love, a love
that never had a beginning. I remember God doesn't dwell
in time like you and I do. He said to Jeremiah, before I
formed thee in the belly, I knew thee. And if God loves me, it's
because he always has. Behold, I've loved you with an
everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness,
have I drawn thee. You see, his love is never unrequited.
We love him. How come? Because he first loved
us. It's what the Bible refers to
as electing love. Turn with me to 2 Thessalonians
2. Here we're going to see this term beloved again. 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 13. But we are bound 2 Thessalonians
2 verse 13, but we're bound, we're obligated to give thanks
always to God for you. Brethren, beloved of the Lord,
because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation. through sanctification of the
spirit and belief of the truth. God's love is electing love. It's the doctrine of love, election
is. It's the doctrine of God's love.
Beloved of the Lord, God from the beginning chose you. I love
election because I love the God of election and I love what election
teaches. It teaches that salvation is
all of grace and we love electing love. His love is predestinating
love. Ephesians 1.5 says, in love,
having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus
Christ to himself. And I know I'm speaking for myself.
I'd say I'm probably speaking for everybody here. If you could
predestinate everything for your child, would you do it? I know
I would. If I could predestinate everything
for Aubrey to where everything worked out for her good, I'd
do it. Well, God can. And God does. And predestination,
understand this about predestination. That's not, well I'm a, God predestinated
me to take this step or take that step. Predestination has
to do with persons. For whom he did foreknow. He also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his son. Now this is a love that
actually predestinates everything with regard to me. To make me
just like the Lord Jesus Christ. Now isn't that great? That's
wonderful. Oh, the love of God, which is
in Christ Jesus, our Lord. And here's something that I,
oh, would to God that I could say this the way it ought to
be said. His love is for sinners. His love is for sinners. God, Romans 5, 8 says, God commended
His love for us in the while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us. There may be somebody thinking,
well, if he doesn't love everybody, I'm afraid he doesn't love me.
I want to be loved by God. If you want to be loved by God,
you will be loved by God. And if you're a sinner, I can
guarantee you, if you're a real sinner, God loves you. Christ died for you. Come on. His love is for sinners, not
good people. He said, I came not to call the
righteous. sinners to repentance and his love is for sinners. And I'm so eternally thankful
for that, that God really does love sinners. Look at the cross
and you'll know God really does love sinners. He gave his son
for the salvation of sinners. And beloved, Those he loves Christ
died for and literally accomplished everything in their salvation.
Would you turn with me to Romans 8? Verse 29, for whom he did foreknow,
he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his
son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover,
whom he did predestinate, then he also called, and whom he called,
then he also justified, and whom he justified, then he also glorified. What shall we say to these things?
If God be for us, who can be against us? Nothing to be afraid
of. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him freely
give us all things? There's nothing that can prevent
God from giving you all things because of the death of Christ.
Nothing to prevent it. Who, verse 33, who shall lay
anything to the charge of God's elect? If you're one of his loved
ones, there's nothing to accuse you of. There's nothing to be
brought against you. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. Who
is he that condemns? You can't be condemned. It's
Christ that died. That's the only answer. Yea,
rather that's risen again, who's even at the right hand of God,
who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from
the love of God? That is God's love. Turn to 1 John 4. Verse 9. 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. Now, I love that scripture. When we talk about love, we're
not talking about our love for Him, are we? Herein is love, not that
we love God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be a propitiation. That's a big word. What's it
mean? Well, in Proverbs 14 and 12, it says, love covereth all
transgressions. Love covereth all transgressions.
Now, propitiation is the word that's used with regard to the
covering over the ark. The covering called the mercy
seat. Now, he is a mercy seeker. God,
here is love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and
sent his son to be the covering of our sins. Now, there's something
special about this covering. If I cover something, here's
a note. I've got this note here. I cover
it up with my Bible, and I don't see it. But it's still there,
isn't it? It's still there. But when God
covers something, It's removed and taken away so that it's not
there anymore. And when he sees me without guilt,
it's because there's no guilt there. It's been removed. Love
covers a transgression. And that's his love. Here it
is love, not that he, we love God, but that he loved us and
sent his son to be the covering of our sins, putting them away. That's why God says their sins
and I will be propitious to their unrighteousness and their sins
and iniquities will I remember no more. Now God's love, his
saving love is a love that magnifies. It magnifies the grace of God. Now I love the word grace. I
said last week I love the way it sounds. I still do. The grace
of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. Now
turn with me to Ephesians chapter 2 and you'll see why I say this.
Ephesians chapter 2. Verse 1, and you hath he quickened
who were dead in trespasses and sins. Wherein in times past you
walked according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in
the children of disobedience. among whom also we all had our
conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature
the children of wrath, even as others, but God. Not but you turn things around,
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. Oh, this love of God magnifies
the saving grace of God in Christ Jesus. The love of God, our savior
toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness, which we have
done, but according to his mercy, he saved us. Beloved of God. And this love of God is a love
that makes me a child of God, where he's my father. and I'm
his son. Behold, John said in 1 John 3,
what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we
should be called the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth
us not, because it knew him not. It makes us sons, joint heirs
with Christ, so that Christ says, Thou hast loved them as Thou
hast loved me. Now that transcends anything
we can get a hold of, doesn't it? To think that God the Father
actually loves me, and the Lord said that, not me. Thou hast
loved them. as thou hast loved me." What
a special love that is for every believer. And this love is a
love that makes the object of his love lovely. Turn to Ephesians
chapter five. I'm sure there are situations,
marriages and so on, where perhaps the woman is made to feel unlovely
by the man. He treats her in such a way that
she does not feel lovely and she feels cut off and so on because
of the way he does. But you know, that's never with
the Lord. He looks at his bride and his
bride is altogether lovely to him. and he makes his bride altogether
lovely to him. So that when he looks at his
bride, he sees nothing but that which is altogether lovely to
him without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. You see, his
love makes the object of his love lovely. Look at Ephesians
chapter 5, verse 25. Husbands, love your wives even
as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it, that
he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water
by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church,
not having spot, not having spot, not just makeup covering it up,
not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and
without blemish. That is how every believer is
viewed by the Lord Jesus Christ. He's able to make his bride altogether
lovely. That's the love of God that's
in Christ Jesus, our Lord. And you know, it's a love that
never ends. John 13 one says, having loved his own, which were
in the world, he loved them to the end. You know, there's a
lot of people that begin loving each other. I've heard people
say, well, if you stop loving, you never loved in the first
place. No, that's not so. I don't like that. There are people who
genuinely loved each other. Something happens and they don't
love each other anymore. Lord's not that way. Having loved
his own, which were in the world, he loved them to the end. Just as his love never had a
beginning, it will never have an ending. You know, he said
to the church at Ephesus, you've left your first love. We can do that, can't we? I'm
sure we all have. You've left, you've left, you've
deserted, you've abandoned your first love. What a horrible thing. But that's something the Lord
never does. His love never cools. His love never becomes cold or
apathetic or indifferent. It's always gloriously great. The love that He bears in His
people. Oh, to be beloved of God. The love that never has a beginning
and never has an ending. And His love is a love that chastens. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter
12. We considered this Wednesday
night a little bit, but this is part of the love of God. Verse 6. For whom the Lord loveth, he
chastens. Have you seen that? That's talking
about the particularity of his love. Whom the Lord loveth, his
elect, his people, those who believe, those who come to the
Lord Jesus Christ, but whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, he
corrects, he disciplines. Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth,
and scourges every son whom he receiveth. If you endure chastening,
God dealeth with you as with sons. For what son is he that
the Father chasteneth not? But if you be without chastisement,
or of all our partakers, then are you bastards, and not sons. Now, whom the Lord loves, he
chastens. I've never whipped anybody else's child. Actually,
I've only whipped mine three times, and it just killed me
when I did it. I don't even like to think about
it. It's one of the most painful things, and her mom did it a lot more. I
mean, she just whipped it. But the only child that I ever
corrected in that sense is my own. It's not my right to chase
other people's children, but I'm going to chase them my own.
You know why? Because I love her. Because I love her and I
want what's best for her. It's not done in anger. No, it's because you love your
child. The reason you're chasing your child is because you love
your child. And you want what's best. Children, when your parents
correct you, it's because they love you. That's why. And what a blessing that is.
And if I can go on, contrary to the Lord, and him not chasing
me, all I prove by that is I'm not one of his children. Because
whom the Lord loveth, he chastens, and he scourges, he whips every
son that he receives. In that sense, I want the Lord's
chasing, don't you? I don't want to be left to myself.
I want the Lord to love me, and I want the Lord to chase me and
keep me. Now turn to 2 Corinthians chapter
5. Beloved of God, Verse 14, for the love of Christ constrains
us. His love to me and my love to
him. That's talking about both. It
constrains us. Does the love of Christ constrain
you? Well, what's that word mean?
It's translated by a lot of different words in the New Testament. The
word is sometimes translated pressed. Paul was pressed in
spirit and testified that Jesus was the Christ. The love of Christ
presses upon me. When I think of his love to me,
It presses upon me. It restrains me. That's a word. That's another way the word's
used. It restrains me. The love of Christ keeps me from
doing things I would do. It restrains me. And if the love
of Christ doesn't have a restraint on me, I don't know His love,
do I? It's even translated to make sick. You ever heard of
being lovesick? And didn't the little shoelace
woman say, I'm sick of love? I'm sick of love. But when she
saw how she had dishonored her loved one, the beloved, she said,
oh, I'm sick of love. The love of Christ constrains
us. It restrains us. It presses upon
us. It makes us sick. It puts us in a strait. It holds
us. It keeps us. Paul said, and here's
the way the word is used, I'm in a strait. Betwixt the two,
for I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is
far better. Nevertheless, to abide with you,
it's daintful. The love of Christ constrains
us. Now, if I'm not, this is not just some kind of doctrine,
the special love to be left, although what a glorious doctrine
it is. But it's got such a power on us. The love of Christ constrains
us. And if the love of Christ didn't
constrain me, I don't know anything about the love of Christ, do
I? The love of Christ constrains us. Now let's look at one other
scripture. 1 John chapter 4. To all that be in Rome, beloved
of God. John says in verse 16, and we have known and believed. the love that God hath to us. God is love. And he that dwelleth
in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Now that word believed
in verse 16. And we have known and believed
the love that God hath to us. That's not merely saying we believe
he loves us. You know, if you'd ask anybody,
does God love you, pretty much everybody would say, well, of
course he does. You know, they take that for granted. You know,
of course he does. He loves everybody. Of course
he does. But that's not what John's talking about. We have
known and, here's the word, relied upon the love that God had to
us. We have relied upon His love. Now, I'm relying on this, that
His love never had a beginning with me. Behold, I've loved you
with an everlasting love. I'm relying on the fact that
his love was in Christ before I was ever born, and that he
loved me in Christ. And I love what that one woman
said to Charles Spurgeon, said, I know God chose me before time
began, because if he waited until after I was born, he couldn't
have done it the way I am. I know that. I'm relying on his
eternal, immutable love to me. I'm relying on the fact that
he loves freely. I'm relying on the fact that
his love is a love that never began, will never end. And I'm relying on this. Oh,
I'm so much relying on this. His love is for sinners. And
if I'm a real sinner, I can conclude from that he loves me. Isn't
that wonderful? I'm relying on His love being
a predestinating love that is going to make me to be perfectly
conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. That's what I'm relying
on. We have known and relied upon the love that He has for
us. And I'm relying on a love that
magnifies saving grace. You know, I can say with such
conviction, I know if I'm saved, it's going to magnify the grace
of God. It's going to magnify His saving, gracious love. And I'm relying on the fact that
His love is perpetuous. I'm relying on the fact that
His love covers sin. And greater love hath no man
than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. And
in the laying down of his life, my sin was put away. I am relying
on that, that His love is that love that covers, that puts away
a transgression. And I am relying on His love
to make me lovely. to make me so I'm a beautiful
bride, perfect, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing
that he looks upon me and he doesn't see anything but that
which pleases him. Because you have to admit that
in your own experience when you think about how the Lord looks
at you, you think you're getting mad at you or you're making him
sick because of the way you are and so on. But in Christ Jesus,
I really am without spot, wrinkle, or any such thing. I'm relying
on his love to make me lovely. I'm relying on his love to chasten
me, to correct me. I love that story Walter Groover
tells of they adopted, they had five children of their own and
they adopted a child in Mexico, a Mexican child, and Walter said
the child would start misbehaving, and I didn't want to correct
the child because I didn't want her to think I was mean or didn't
like her or anything, and she just kept getting worse and worse.
And finally, he said, I snapped. I grabbed her, and I wore out.
And then she started crying and said, now I know you love me.
Now I know you love me. I want that, don't you? Whom
the Lord loveth, he chastens. And I want to be somebody who
is constrained, constrained by his love. The love of Christ
constraineth us. Now, I wonder if there's anybody
in this room thinking, I'm afraid he doesn't
love me. I can understand that fear. I
can completely understand that fear. But do you know that anybody
who wants to be loved of the God of the Bible, if you want
to be loved by him, and this love I've been talking about
in this passage of scripture to actually be beloved of God, if you want
to be loved by him, you are loved by him. It's not like, when we
talk about this special love, we're not talking about somebody
coming into his presence and saying, well, I want you to love
me and I want mercy, but what if I'm not one of the elect? What if Christ didn't die for
me? Well, no, I'm not gonna love you because, no. Anybody who
comes, may I always, or may we always get hold of this, anybody
who comes, him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. So don't think regarding his
sovereign love that he's going to keep you from being saved.
No, no, no. It's his sovereign love that'll
save you. We have known and relied upon the love that God has to
us. Let's pray together.