Now, my subject this morning
is one word, the word L-O-V-E, love. The Apostle John wrote
in 1 John chapter 4, Brethren, let us love one another, for
love is of God. God is love, and everyone that
loveth is born of God. and everyone that loveth knows
God. Let me ask you a question. Can a person be without this
love of God and still be a child of God? My answer, absolutely
not. Can a person be without love
and be a Christian? Absolutely not. The scripture
says everyone that loves is born of God. and everyone that loves
knows God. Our Master said, the Son of God
has come and given us an understanding that we may know God, God that
is true, and that we may know God, for in Him is the truth,
love, and grace, even in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now this is the true God. and
this is life eternal. Let me make a very strong statement
again and allow me, if you will, to show you why a person cannot
be a child of God who does not love other people. Because God
said plainly, clearly, he that loveth not knoweth not God. And I'll give you several reasons
Number one, love is the very commandment of Almighty God.
Our Lord said, this is my commandment, that you love one another as
I love you. And love is the evidence of salvation. John chapter three, the Savior
said, by this shall all men know that you are my disciples if
you love one another. Love is the very commandment
of God. It's the evidence of salvation. And love is the fruit
of God's indwelling Spirit. If any man have not the Spirit
of God, he's none of His. And the fruit of the Spirit in
you is what? Love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness,
goodness, faith, humility, self-control. If we live in God's Spirit, we
need to walk in God's Spirit. And love, love is not only God's
commandment, love is not only the evidence of salvation, love
is not only the fruit of the Spirit, but love is the crowning
grace of all grace. Our Lord said in 1 Corinthians
13, love, love suffereth long and is kind. Love does not envy. Love is not jealous. Love is
not proud and puffed up. Love does not behave itself unseemly. Love seeketh not her own things,
but the things of others. And love does not rejoice when
other people go wrong. Love rejoices in truth. And love
beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things,
and endureth all things. And true love, listen to this,
never stops loving. If we love Christ, we'll love
Him forever. If we love His people, we'll
love them. Here's my text again. Brethren,
let us love one another, for love is of God. It is not only
God's commandment, But his love is actually shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us. My friends,
God is love. That's God's nature. God's nature
is to love and show mercy. God is the fountain of love.
And when a person is born of God, God's nature is born in
him. God's nature is regenerated in
His children. If love is present in us, God
dwells in us, and we dwell in God. If love is absent, then
God is not there. If we love one another, God dwells
in us. Isn't that what the prophet said? If we love one another, God dwells
in us. and his love is perfected in
us. If a man says he loves God and
hates his brother, that man's a liar. That just can't be. Love and hate cannot dwell in
the same heart where God dwells. If a man says he loves God and
hates his brother, that man is a liar. Now look at this verse
9 here in my text. This is the ultimate proof of
God's love to us. The scriptures say, in this,
in this was manifested the love of God toward us. Here it is.
Here's the ultimate proof that God loves us. That because God
sent his only begotten son into the world, that we might be saved. that we might be redeemed, that
we might live in Christ. You've read John chapter 3 verse
14, 15, 16 hundreds of times, I know. You know it by memory. But let me show you something
about John 3, 14, 15, 16. John 3, 14 says this, As Moses
lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the
Son of God be lifted up. What is that? That's the remedy
for sin. That's the reason for sin. Christ
Jesus must be crucified to put away sin. Now look at verse 15. Here's the results of his death.
That whosoever believeth on the Son of God shall not perish,
but have everlasting life." Sin's remedy? The death of Christ.
The result? If a man believes in the Son
of God, he'll never perish, he'll have everlasting life. Now here's
the reason. Why did God give His Son? I'll
tell you. For God so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him
shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Herein is love, not that
we love God, but that he loved us and sent the Lord Jesus to
be the propitiation for our sins. And beloved, if God so loved
us, we ought also to love one another. I want to raise three
questions, and I want you to listen carefully. If God so loved
us, we ought also to love one another. Now here's my three
questions. Should it be difficult for a
person who's the object of such love? God loves us, and I'm the
object of that love. Would it be difficult for me
not to love others? Wouldn't that be difficult, not
to love others, if God loved me like he does? Let me ask you
this. It should not be difficult for
a person who has been forgiven. God has forgiven us so freely. Would it be difficult not to
forgive? Of course it would. If I do not
forgive others, God won't forgive me. And then they ask you this. If God has shown such love and
grace to me, should I withhold that love and grace to others? Oh, no. And now abideth faith,
hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love. That's right. Our Lord preached
a sermon, Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5, and this is what he
said. He said, You have heard that
it has been said of old time, Thou shalt love thy neighbor,
and hate thine enemies. But I say to you, love your enemies. Bless them that curse you. Do
good to them that hate you. Pray for them which despitefully
use you and persecute you, that you may be the children of your
Father which is in heaven. For He, our Father in heaven,
He makes His Son to rise on the evil and the good. Not just on
the good, but He makes His Son to shine and rise on the evil
and the good. He sends rain on the just and
the unjust. For if you love them that love
you, what reward have you? Do not publicans do the same?
So be ye perfect, even as your Father in heaven which is perfect,
and as you would that men should do to you, do ye likewise. For if you love those that love
you, What thank have you? What reward have you? Sinners
also love those that love them. But I say unto you, love your
enemies. Do good, hoping for nothing in
return. I'm going to sum this message
up and give you a quotation from a great old preacher. His name
was Horatio Bonhart. He was a great hymn writer and
a great preacher. And he made these statements
and they're powerful, powerful, powerful. Wonderful. Listen to
it. Religion without love is like a human body without life. It's offensive. It should be
buried out of sight. Religion without love is like
a contaminated well. You need to put a sign on all
contaminated wells, do not drink this water. Religion without
love is like the kiss of Judas. It hides an evil heart and an
evil motive. And religion without love is
like a house built on the sand. Religion without love is like
a tree that bears no fruit. Religion without love is having
no hope and without God in this present world. And Paul the Apostle
summed up our marching orders in Colossians chapter 3. Listen
to it. Forgive as God has forgiven you. Love them as God has loved you. Let the peace of God rule in
your hearts and be you thankful and let the word of God dwell
in you always. I found an old song, an old song,
and I want to quote it for you. Loved with everlasting love,
led by grace to know, Spirit of God from above, thou hast
taught me it is so. Oh, the full and perfect peace
from God's presence, all divine. in a love that cannot cease because
I'm His and He's mine. Things that once were wild alarms
cannot disturb my peace and rest. Clothed in His everlasting arms,
pillowed on His loving breast, birds in song God's glory shows,
flowers with deeper beauty shine, since I know As now I know, I'm
His, and He is mine. He is forever, only His, Who
the Savior and the Lord, and I shall part never. Oh, what
a rest and bliss Christ can fill a loving heart! Heaven and earth
may fade and flee, Doubts and cares and self-resign, but while
God and I are one, I'm His, and He is mine. Join us next Sunday
morning at this same time. Until then, may God bless you,
everyone.