John chapter 17, now this will
be the last message from this chapter, and then we'll continue
with chapter 18 through the end of the book of John. And I'm
entitling the message, The Lord's Prayer, part 10, part 10. And we'll be looking at verse
24, 25, and 26. Let's read these verses here
in the beginning, and we'll come back and look at them once again. Father, Now again, this is the
Lord praying unto God our Father, and he's praying for us, Father
I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where
I am or where I will be soon. He ascended to glory after he
put away our sin that they may behold my glory. which thou hast
given me, for thou lovest me before the foundation of the
world, O righteous Father." Verse 25, John 17. The world, here
he's talking about the religious Jews or the ungodly Gentiles,
men in general, the world, they do not know the true and living
God. They know not but I have known
thee and these those given unto him have known that thou did
send me him being delivered by the determinate counsel of God
verse 26 I have I will I have declared unto them thy name and
will declare it the name of God that the love were with thou
hath loved me and may be in them, and I in them." Christ in you
is the hope of glory. Now, today I want us to look
carefully at these last three verses of John 17. And again,
I remind us that the Lord Jesus Christ who is God Almighty, is
declaring unto us in this prayer His gospel. That's the power
of God unto salvation. Again, let's look at John 17
verse 2. As thou hast given him power,
the God-man mediator over all flesh, over all men, He has complete,
how much power does he have? Complete, absolute, eternal power. That he should give eternal life
to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal,
that they might know thee, The only true God, the only true
God and Savior is Jesus Christ the Lord, the one scent of God. His gospel, the gospel of Christ,
is the power of God unto salvation. The apostles declared that in
their writings, didn't they? Inspired of God. For Paul says,
I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It is the power of
God and the salvation to everyone who is given grace to believe
that gospel. Let's turn and read another scripture
over here in 2 Timothy. Can you find 2 Timothy? 2 Timothy
chapter 1. I suppose some of you might think
this is my favorite verse because I quote it. I would say that
I quote this every sermon. But let's read it, 2 Timothy
chapter 1 verse 8, Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony
of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions
of the gospel according to the power of God. Now how much power
does it take to save a sinner? Mama's power, daddy's power,
the church's power, the Pope's power. Did the Pope have any
power? No. He had no power at all. He's
an imposter, matter of fact. But it takes the power of God
to save sinners. And the reason it takes the power
of God to save sinners is because by nature we are spiritually
dead. Now, I'm not real smart, but
how much power does it take to raise a dead man to life? Can you do it? Can your neighbor
do it? Can the good doctor back there
do it? You can't raise a dead man up. You have no ability. Thank God he does. He has all
power, all ability. He saves us according to the
power of God. Who saved us? The gospel according
to the power of God. Who saved us? called us with
a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
His own purpose and grace, purpose and grace, get a hold of those
two words, purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ
Jesus before the world began. His grace is eternal, His purpose
is eternal, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior
Jesus Christ, who has abolished death, and have brought life
and immortality to light through the gospel. There is no life,
there is no spiritual life, there is no eternal salvation apart
from the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only one who is God,
our Savior. This is eternal life that they
might know thee, the only true God, Jesus Christ, The one that's
certified. The one that's sent of God. And that is God our Savior, the
Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The Lord here in John 17 is acting
and praying as our representative Great High Priest. Now my friend,
whether you realize it or not, you need an advocate. You need
a mediator. You need an intercessor between
you and God. You cannot do business with God
yourself. You can't. Say, well, I'm just
going to do business with God. Forget it. Forget it. You can't. He's too holy. You're too wicked. You're too sinful. You must have
a mediator. A mediator and a great high priest,
that's sin of God. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
only one that's sin of God to be our great high priest. Seeing
that we have a great high priest that has passed into the heavens.
whereby he put away our sin by the sacrifice of himself. And
when he did, he ascended to glory. Seeing then that we have a great
high priest, he said, Come boldly unto the throne of grace. Come
boldly unto God, but not apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. Come
boldly unto God as a mercy beggar in the name of Christ, in the
merit of Christ, in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. But
don't come in your own name. He'll say away with you, I don't
know you, I never knew you. You see there's just one way
of salvation. You say that's pretty narrow.
It's no narrower than what this book is. There's one way of salvation. The Lord said I am the way, I
am the truth, I am the life, No man come to the Father but
by and through and in me. There is one God and one Mediator,
and that one God is God Almighty, the true and living God, and
that one Mediator is the God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ, the one
that's Son of God. Thank God we have a Great High
Priest. Thank God we have a Mediator. Thank God we have an Advocate
with the Father. Who is the Advocate with the
Father? Jesus Christ the Righteous. You remember what John says in
1 John 2.1? When you sin, we have an Advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. Preacher, surely
you don't sin all the time. All the time, every minute, in
every way. I'm a sinner. That's all this flesh can do. That's all this flesh can produce,
is sin. Thank God He restrained some
of the wicked thoughts I have, but I'm a sinner. I'm a sinner
in need of mercy. But John said, when you sin,
we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He doesn't plead my righteousness,
He pleads His merit, His righteousness, His blood. Thank God we have
a great high priest who prays for us, who died for us. Thank
God we have a mediator, whoever lives to intercede for us, and
an advocate, and we have an intercessor. He's able to save to the uttermost
all that come to God by Him, seeing that He ever lives to
intercede for us. Is this the one that you have
to represent you before God? The one that prays here for His
people, giving unto Him? Now, let's look at verse 24. He says, Father, you see verse
24? Father, I will that they also
whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may
behold my glory." Now, unless I miscounted, in this prayer,
at least six times, he addresses God Almighty as his Father. The Lord Jesus Christ calls upon
God, our Father. Notice how this prayer begins
in verse 1. Father, the hour has come. Glorify
thy son, that thy son may glorify thee. Look at verse 5. And now,
O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory
which I had with thee before the world was. Down in verse
11, he says, I come to thee, holy Father. Again in verse 21,
that they all may be one as thou, Father, art in me. And again
in verse 24, Father, I will. And then in verse 25, he says,
oh, righteous Father. What a great privilege we are
given by His grace being made sons of God, called sons of God
by His choosing, His will, His covenant love that we can call
Almighty God our Father. Our Father. Now He's not the
Father of all men everywhere. Turn over here to Romans chapter
8. He's the God of all men, but not the Father of all men. Look
over here in Romans chapter 8 verse 14. He says, for as many as are led
by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. As many as are
led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you've
not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but we have received
the spirit of adoption, covenant mercy, covenant love, whereby
we cry, Abba, Father, Father, Father. The Spirit himself beareth
witness with our spirit that we are children of God. If children,
then heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, it so be that
we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together with
him." This term, Abba, Father, is a term of endowment. It's
a term of love. Our Lord taught us to pray in
Matthew 6. He taught us to pray, Our Father
which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. It's interesting,
over in Mark chapter 14, turn back over there, Mark chapter
14, in the book of Mark, chapter 14, when the Lord Jesus Christ
is praying in Gethsemane, about doing the will of God, in Mark
chapter 14 verse 36 he said, Abba Father, that's interesting
isn't it? Father, Father, all things are
possible unto thee, take away this cup from me, nevertheless
not what I will, but what thou wilt do. Thy will be done. That's what he prays. Not my
will, but Thy will be done. The Lord uses this term of endurement
and agony of His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane when He
knows that He must die for our sin according to the Scripture. Now contrary to what has been
said in our day, God is not the Father of all men. Did you know
that? He is only that in that relationship
with His covenant people, with His elect. He is the sovereign
God over all men. He is the Lord God Almighty that
all men must answer to, but He is only the Father, the loving
Heavenly Father unto His church, unto His family, unto His sons. John put it this way, Behold
what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we
should be called sons of God. All men are not the sons of God. Our Lord said to those Pharisees,
You are of your father, They claimed that God was their father,
didn't they? Abraham was our father. We're
God's children. You remember what the Lord said
in John 8? He said, you are of your father the devil. You see,
all men are not the sons of God, only his church, his bride, his
family, his covenant people, those chosen and given unto the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now, there's a whole lot just
in that, isn't it? Father. But look what he says
next in verse 24, I will. John 17, 24, I will. I will. Now, whose will is going
to be done? God's will is going to be done.
The will of the Lord Jesus Christ and the will of God the Father
are one, even as they are one. They are one. Turn back to John
10. Let me show you that. John chapter 10. Remember he
says in John 10, I give my sheep eternal life. They hear my voice. I give them eternal life. Look
at verse 29, John 10. My Father which gave them me
is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of
my Father's hand. I and my Father are one. What the Father wills,
the Son wills. What the Son wills, the Father
wills. I and my Father are one. The
will of the Father and the will of God the Son, God the Father
are one. What the Father wills, the Son
wills. His will is eternal, unchangeable. What is the will of God? It is
the decree of God. that must come to pass without
fail." What he wills must come to pass. You see, his will is
his unchangeable decree. We read in Isaiah 46, he said,
I've spoken it, I'll bring it to pass. I've purposed it. I will do it. Everything that God has decreed
without fail will come to pass. And He's decreed all things.
All things of Him and through Him and to Him. Whatsoever the
Lord did, whatsoever the Lord pleased, that's what He does
in heaven and earth, seas and all deep places. He works all
things after the counsel of His own will. Now you remember the
confession of King Nebuchadnezzar who thought he was somebody important
and big and God unhorsed him, put him in the dust and taught
him he was nothing but a sinner? And here is the confession of
a man who's taught of God in Daniel 4.35. He said, all the
inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. Nothing. Individually, collectively, all
the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. And God
doeth according to his will in the army of heaven and among
the inhabitants of this earth, and none can stay his hand or
say unto him, what are you doing? None can question the purpose
of God and the will of God. Who are we to question God in
his wisdom and in his power? I will." His will is His decree
that must come to pass. Remember the heathen said to
David, David where is your God? He said, our God is in the heavens.
He has done whatsoever He has pleased to do. The Lord Jesus
Christ prays for our salvation and our justification and our
glorification according to His will. His will. Father, I will. I will. Salvation then, we can
be assured, is according to His will. Not my will. Not your will. We've seen this
before, but let's read it again. Back to John chapter 1. So salvation,
according as it is written in the Word of God, is not according
to man's Free will. Those who preach salvation by
free will are heretics. Pure and simple. That's a heresy. That's a lie. Salvation is not
by man's will. Salvation is by God's will. Let's
see if we can read that. John chapter 1, verse 11. He came unto his own, his own
received him not. But as many as received him,
to them gave he power, right, or privilege to become sons of
God. He gave them that privilege to
become sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, which
were born, not of blood, that is fleshly inheritance, nor the
will of the flesh. were born of God, not according
to the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God."
Now that's pretty clear, isn't it? That's clear to me. Salvation
is by the will of God. Now turn to John chapter 6. We've
seen this before. He says, Father, I will. that
those that you have given to me, his elect, his people, may
behold my glory. And we do in saving mercy, and
we do in regenerating grace. John chapter 6, and all this
is according to his will. It's a covenant will, it's a
decreed will that cannot be altered, cannot be changed. John 6, 37.
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that
cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from
heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent
me." Now, will is one. And this is the will of him that
sent me, that of all which he had given me, I should lose nothing. but raise it up again at the
last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone
which seeth the Son, given eyes to see, the life of faith to
see, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life. And I
will raise him up at the last day. Father, I will. You see,
salvation is according to the will of God. Our salvation is based upon the
will of God, but our salvation is also based upon His work. His work, not ours. His work,
His doing, not ours. You remember in John 17, look
at verse 4. John 17, verse 4. I think that salvation is based
upon His will and His work. John 17, verse 4. I have glorified
Thee on the earth, they have finished the work. I misread
that, didn't I? I did on purpose. I have glorified
thee on the earth. I have finished the work you
gave me to do." At Calvary's cross, when he took his last
breath before he yielded up the goat, having accomplished our
salvation, having put away our sin by the sacrifice of himself,
he said, it is finished, complete, done. Salvation then, according
to the Word of God, The book of God, the scripture of God,
the testimony of God is by the will of God and the work of God. Your will has nothing to do with
it. Your work has nothing to do with
it. That's right. It's not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us. Mercy, mercy, mercy alone. Sovereign
mercy. Our salvation is by His decree,
His will, not man. Not man's will, not man's work. Man's will is not free. Man's work is nothing but sin. Man's will is not free. Man's
will is in bondage to his fallen nature. That's right. That's right. In bondage to his
fallen nature. Therefore, we read in Scripture,
it's not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth, but
it's God that showeth mercy. God alone shows mercy. So, we
often hear people talk about things like this. Well, when
we talk about sovereign mercy and sovereign grace and God's
purpose and grace, we often hear sinners that are not taught of
God, we often hear them say things like, well, Men are free moral
agents. Have you ever heard that statement?
Men are free moral agents. That lie has been told so often
that those who are ignorant of the Word of God are brought to
think it's so. Men are not free moral agents. They're not. Wrong on all three
counts. Men are not free, are they? They're
in bondage to their sin. Men are not moral either, are
they? They're sinners. Sinners. The best I have, the best I can
bring is nothing but sin. And men certainly aren't agents. Now, I have an assurance agent.
And I have a financial agent. He is empowered to do business
in my name. But before God, I am not an agent
before God. I have no ability and no power
to do business with God. I need someone who is the agent,
and that's Christ. You see, I don't believe in free
agency. I believe in free grace. Christ
acts on our behalf. He's our representative. We're
unable to do anything spiritual. We're dead in our sin. Our Lord says this, I tell you
what you don't want. You don't want to be left to
your will. You know what? If God leads you to your will,
He'll lead you straight to hell. Man's will, turn to John 5, I've
often said this over the years and it bears repeating, man's
will is like free running water. Free running water doesn't run
up the side of this building. Free running water runs down
the side of this building, down the parking lot and runs into
the creek and down, it doesn't run up the creek, it runs down
the creek. That's his nature. Man's will
is like free running water, it's always downhill. It's never Godward
and upward, it's always selfward and downward. You don't want
to be left to your will. You want God's will to be done.
Pray, God's will be done. Look at John 5.39. He said to
those Jews, Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have
eternal life. They are they which testify of
me, and ye will not come to me that ye might have life. Look
at John chapter 6. John 6.44. No man can come to
me. No man has the ability to come
to the Father. No man can come to me except
the Father which sent me draw him, and I will raise him up
at the last day." There's that will again, isn't it? It is written
in the prophet, they shall all be taught of God. Every man therefore
that hath heard and learned of the Father, they come unto me. You see, He makes us willing
in the day of His power. You think your will is free?
Why don't you just fly? Why don't
you just fly? Why don't you just walk out this
door and fly? Well, I can't fly. I'm not a bird. You don't have
the nature. Your nature is bound to walk
on your feet. That's your nature. Man's will
is not free. It's bound by what he is. My
will is so frail and fickle and folly, I can't even cure myself
of a toothache. Next time you have a toothache
or a You're, oh, my shoulder, oh, oh. Why don't you just will
it? If your will is free, why don't
you say, well, shoulders, stop. Not free, is it? You can't will
a toothache. You can't cure a toothache. You
can't cure a cold. I've got this sinus problem.
Every time this year, and in the fall, when the pollen gets
up. I wish I didn't have it, but
I do. I wish I could fix it, but I can't. I take everything
I know to take, and it still doesn't help. It helps some,
but I can't will that my nose be clear. Can't do it. You see, you can't even cure
yourself of a toothache or a sinus problem, yet alone raise yourself
from the spiritual grave of being dead in sin. And here's the problem. We're just not bruised, we're
dead. If you understand the problem,
you know the remedy has to be the power of God, His will, His
purpose, His grace. You have He quickened who were
dead in trespasses and in sin. Now, aren't you glad He has all
power? If he doesn't have all power because of my condition
being so vile and spiritually dead with no spiritual capacity
to act or to believe the gospel, if he doesn't give me faith,
give me life, I'm gone. That makes me fall at his feet
as a mercy beggar and say, Lord, have mercy upon me. I am a vile,
vile sinner. You see, we believe only according
to the working of his mighty power. God must make us willing
in the day of his power. And that's what he does in regeneration
and in mercy. He makes us to fall in love with
the Lord Jesus Christ. He raises us up from the dead,
makes us willing to embrace Christ, gives us faith to look to Him,
arms to receive Him and love Him. Our Lord prays that sinners,
saved by the grace of God, might behold His glory. Look at verse
24. I will that they also whom thou
hast given me be with thee where I am, in His future glory, in
eternal glory, that they may behold My glory which Thou hast
given Me." Our Lord prays for us that by His will and by His
power that we might behold His glory. We do now in the Gospel
where God commands the light to shine out of darkness. He
shines in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God that's seen in the face of the Lord Jesus
Christ and will forever and eternity. We read about it in Revelation
5. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive all honor, glory, and blessing. The eternal occupation
of heaven is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and to glory in
Him. Now, look at verse 24, and take
your pen or pencil and circle or underline this word F-O-R. For thou lovest me before the
foundation of the world. The reason behind all of our
salvation, all of our justification, the work Christ had done for
us, our sanctification, the work of the Holy Spirit within us
in regeneration and our eternal glorification is the reason behind
all of that is God's eternal love for His own, for us in Christ. Not, not now, not, our salvation
is not according to our faith, Our salvation is not according
to our repentance. Do you know that? Faith and repentance
are the fruit of salvation, never the cause. Our love to Him is
not the cause of salvation. It's not. We love Him because
He first loved us. The reason behind our salvation,
our justification, our regeneration, our sanctification, our glorification
is God's eternal, unchangeable, immutable love for His own having
loved the church. He loved them unto the end. As thou hast loved me, I have
loved them. Thou hast loved them and thou
hast loved me. Thou hast loved me before the
foundation of the world. You see, this is eternal love.
The last verse in verse 26, the love wherewith thou hast loved
me may be in them and I in them. This love of God. How vast, how
rich, how pure, how free. Unchangeable. Now, look at verse
25. John 17, 25. O righteous Father, righteous
Father, God is holy. The world does not know Thee,
but I know Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent me.
God is holy in all of His decree, in all of His way. He's holy
in all of His action. Whatever He does, it is right. Whatever He does is right. and
God is holy in everything that He does. And here the Lord declares
that the world, men in general, all men are ignorant of a true
and living God. That includes the religious Jew
or the pagan Gentile. That includes every wicked sinner.
The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.
The carnal mind is enmity against God. Men by nature are sinners. Does that include you? Absolutely. Can you say with
the Apostle Paul, O wretched man, that I am? All men by nature
are idolaters. Therefore they go about to establish
the righteousness of their own, making and casting aside the
righteousness of God revealed in the gospel. And they go about
because they're ignorant of who God is, and they're ignorant
of their own character. They think by somehow, by what
they do or do not do, they can earn God's favor, earn His grace,
or remove His wrath. Forget it. You can't do it. Men by nature do not know God. But the Son, God the Son, the
Lord Jesus Christ, knows and loves the Father, and has revealed
the Father unto his people." Salvation comes by revelation. Turn to Matthew chapter 11. Matthew
chapter 11. It's a sovereign revelation.
He's hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed
them unto babe. Matthew 11.25. At that time,
Jesus answered and said, Matthew 11, 25, I thank Thee, O Father. There's that Father again. Lord
of heaven and earth, Thou has hid these things from the wise
and prudent, and has revealed them unto babes. Babies. Even so, Father, for so it seemed
good in Thy sight. Now, one more verse. All things
are delivered unto me of my Father. No man knoweth the Son, but the
Father. Neither knoweth any man the Father
save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." We're
shut up to sovereign revelation. We're shut up to sovereign mercy.
If God, by His purpose and grace, doesn't do something for me and
in me, this sinner's gone. My only hope is Christ. I trust
that your only hope is Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, look
at verse 26. I have, I will, and I have. Salvation is based upon His love,
His will, and His work. I have declared unto them thy
name, I have and I will declare it, that the love wherewith thou
hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. I have and I will. Declare the
name of God Almighty unto them look back over at verse 6 John
17 verse 6 I have manifested thy name unto the man which thou
gavest me out of the world, thine they were, and thou gavest them
me, they have kept thy word." Now I like these statements,
and there's about five or six of them, where the Lord declares
in here what I have done. I have glorified thee on the
earth, I have finished the work you gave me to do, I've given
to them thy words, verse 14, I've given Thy word unto them,
verse 22, I've given them all grace now and glory forever. I will and I have. And he says,
I've declared thy name and I will continue to declare thy name.
How does the Lord continue to declare His name? Through the
preaching of the gospel, through the Word of God, what we're doing
right now. Our blessed Redeemer, what our blessed Redeemer has
done and will continue to do for us, revealing the glory of
God unto us in the gospel. For the gospel of Christ, in
the gospel of Christ, we see the true character of God in
the name of God revealed in the gospel of God concerning the
Lord Jesus Christ. He has declared unto us the name
of Jehovah, and that's what the name of the Lord is. Now remember,
I've given this to you before, there are seven names of Jehovah
throughout the Old Testament. Jehovah-Jireh, and in these names
we see the Gospel of the Lord declared. Jehovah-Jireh, the
Lord will provide. Christ has provided all things
for us in salvation. Salvation, Genesis 22. Jehovah-Rapha,
Exodus 15, the Lord that healeth thee by his stripes we are healed. He said, I will declare unto
them the name of the Lord. And we see this in the Gospel.
The third one is Jehovah Nisa, Exodus 17, the Lord our banner.
His banner over us is victory in Christ Jesus. Jehovah Shalom,
in Judges chapter 6, the Lord our peace. He made peace for
us with his own blood. In Psalm 23 we read about Jehovah
Rea, the Lord our shepherd. Christ is the good shepherd who
laid down his life for the sheep, the great shepherd of the sheep.
and the chief shepherd of the sheep who will appear. And then
he is called in Jeremiah 23, Jehovah Sidkenu, the Lord our
righteousness, and Christ is our righteousness before God.
And then the seventh name is Jehovah Shema, Exodus 48, the
Lord is present, and he is. He said, I'll never leave you,
I'll never forsake you. As we continue to preach the
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, the true character of the living
God is declared holy, just, merciful, gracious, long-suffering to his
elect, not willing that any of his elect should perish. Through the preaching of the
gospel, the love of God is declared unto his own. The love of God
that cannot fail cannot be diminished to any decree. Those whom he
loved, they cannot perish. They are loved with an everlasting
love. And with love and kindness he draws them unto himself. Now,
I'm going to quit with this. May our gracious Lord ingrain
and instill in us these precious truths of the gospel into our
heart, our mind, our will, our understanding, and cause us to
grow in grace, increase in our love to Him and to others. For
the love of God revealed to the heart begets love to others,
to Him to the Lord Jesus and to others. This love never fails.
The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
You remember from Romans chapter 5 where it talks about the love
of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. And then
Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 talks about these three main graces,
faith, hope, and love. And then he says, the greatest
of these is love. The greatest of these is love.
Faith, by which we receive Christ and look to Him and live upon
Him, one day faith will end in sight. I'll see Him face to face. Hope, by which we wait for that
certain expectation of every promise fulfilled in Christ,
hope one day will end in reality. We'll see Him as He is and be
like Him as He is. But love, faith will end, hope
will end, but love, love never fails. Love goes on forever and
ever. Love exceeds all and shall never
end. And we will sing throughout eternity
in revelation it declared written down unto Him who loved us and
washed us from our sin in His own blood." The greatest of these
is love. Love to God. And we love Him
only because He first loved us. Thou lovest Me before the foundation
of the world.