Christian unity:
A Sharing in the love of God
John 17:23-26 ~ Terry Phillips
August 5, 2018
Christian unity:
Christian Unity: A Sharing in the Love of God John 17:23-26
I’ll ask you to turn with me to John 17 as we continue to consider our Lord’s prayer to the Father. I think most of us would probably say that we live busy lives. I doubt if any of us would see it otherwise. And we I think recognize the fact there is a lot of distraction in our lives every day. Think of all the things that distract us from day-to-day, throughout the course of any day. Sometimes I find it to be frustrating. Other times I don't even hardly notice it. One of the things that I have noticed over time is that in the midst of normal day-to-day living with all the different things that come into our view, the things that we’re responsible to do, there's a tendency sometimes for us to have a very hard time keeping the most important things in view. There are so many mundane matters that are prone to draw attention away from the divine perspective. More and more I'm convinced that this is the perspective I need to be drawn to continuously throughout each day. You and I having been reconciled and redeemed through Christ's finished work on the cross, we now stand in his grace, do we not? We stand in his grace forgiven and justified. And we do not stand alone. Think about that this morning. In the riches of God's grace, He's bringing many sons to glory. Have you ever really stopped to think about that? There have been times I was praying, or times I just thought to myself what a blessed thing this is that God is calling many to himself. We many times emphasize the fact that we’re outnumbered in this world right? We’re a remnant. We’re not in the majority by any means, but the other side of it is we are not alone. Sometimes I get the feeling that I’m alone. We’re surrounded many times in a world that is so antagonistic to the Lord and we can sometimes feel very much alone but you and I have been made alive together with Christ and in that reality, we have not only been united to the Lord Jesus. We've also been united with each other in Christ. In the work of salvation, we are brought into a close fellowship and relationship not only with the Lord, but with each other as well. This is one of the wonderful truths of the gospel. We are drawn into this relationship with the Lord but also into a unique relationship with one another. While it is most certainly true that God saves, and he sanctifies us individually, there can be no doubt about that, but it's also just as true that God saves and sanctifies us collectively as a specific and an eternal entity, Christ's church, the bride of Christ. Within this assembly of saints, there is a divinely ordained and spiritually enabled cohesiveness, a unique harmony and oneness that confirms the glory of Christ. It’s a tremendous reality. This is something that everyone, whether in Christ or apart from Christ, everyone yearns for belonging, a closeness. A closeness of inestimable and of practical value, but this oneness that we’re speaking of this morning that we've been looking at for several weeks now, it's a oneness that can only come from God through the miraculous work of his Holy Spirit, granting us new life. As remarkable as this genuine unity is, there is a tendency for us to take it for granted isn’t there? It’s something we don't think about many times. Sometimes we can go for long periods of time and not really give it a thought. It’s a very dangerous thing for us to do. The evil one is acutely aware of the importance of this sacred oneness. He's always on the lookout, actively working to undermine, to distort and to disrupt the unity of the Spirit. We are given clearly in God's word, we are given the responsibility to preserve and protect, to cultivate, to pursue more fully the unique relationship we've been granted in Christ. This is a responsibility we have been given and indeed is a great privilege, is it not? It’s a tremendous privilege. We are united in very special very significant ways. We've been looking at this together as the Lord emphasizes this. This is such a tremendous emphasis in the Lord's prayer. From that 14th verse on this whole matter of our being sanctified, set apart and drawn together as one in Christ is the theme, the overriding theme of the last half of this prayer to the Father. Last time we considered the exceptional reality of our being united in the sharing of Christ's glory. What three ways are we to be sharing in Christ's glory that we looked at last week? One is the pursuit of holiness. The realization of holiness in Christ. The second we talked about was sufferings, and the third one was in expectation. In sanctification and suffering and expectation. We are united; we share. We are sharers of the glory of Christ. Jesus says in verse 22 of John 17, and the glory which thou hast given me I have given to them. The glory which the Father is given to the son, Jesus has given to us, that we may be one.
There's another very important aspect of our unity in Christ that we want to look at this morning. It is a sharing in the love of God. I want us to continue from 23rd verse now.
I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. 24“Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.25“O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; 26and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
We've been looking at this matter of unity, the unity of the spirit among God's people. I want you to notice the profound nature of our unity in Christ. It's not a unity that is focused on the temporal, the shallow, the superficial, the things that are all around us that are passing away. It's amazing to me the things that people will be drawn to in order to be drawn together. Maybe an interest in some hobby and interest in some support and interest in, we could just go on and on and all the different things that draw people together -- interest in clothing interest in restoring old vehicles. You could just go on and on. In our time people have the time and the money to pursue all these things and I've noticed I've as I've met different people and talk to people. Sometimes you can tell very quickly what group they enjoy a special connection to. This is important to them. Sometimes their clothing, their T-shirts, their hats will make it clear to you, whatever it may be that all of these things that people used to be drawn together to share a common bond that men come up with are temporal, there just for little while. They can come to an end abruptly. Someone gets their feelings hurt. This happens, that happens to this group. This thing gets sort of forgotten, is not cool anymore, not seen as being exciting or fashionable. All of these things are passing away. Notice that the things that Jesus speaks about here that unite us and draw us together are eternal things. They are profound things. They're the most fundamental things. We are drawn together, we are united together in Christ, not only in His glory, but now we want to emphasize and as Jesus emphasizes this matter of being drawn together in the love of God. God tells us that love is enduring. Love, Paul says in first Corinthians 13, love never fails. There's faith there now abides faith, hope and love but the greatest of these is love. Love lasts, God says. Jesus prays here that our being perfected in unity will be a demonstration of the pure and everlasting love of God. Notice how he puts it, that the world may know that thou didst send me. And didst love them even as thou didst love me. Verse 26 I have made thy name known to them and will make it known that the love wherewith thou didst love me may be in them the love of God in us. Now that's something to be united in is it not? The love of God. It’s amazing to me the people in this world around us, they talk about the love of God in such a cavalier way. It's very sad, many times as I hear people talking about the love of God, who do not know the Lord and I recognize they don't even understand that they've never even experienced it. It's an easy thing to discuss or talk about – ‘God loves us’ -- do we really know what that means? You and I if we are in Christ we have come to know what that means, we have come to know it personally. Experimentally, we have come to know the love of God.
This morning I want to just examine somewhat briefly what is it that we need to understand, what is it that we need to be more alert to in more fully appreciating and growing in this invaluable element of our unity in Christ? What is it that we need to understand? What do we need to be aware of, more alert to, when it comes to really appreciating the way that we’re unified in love. This isn't something we can afford to take for granted, though we do. We can't afford to. The enemy of our souls will do everything he can to disrupt this and this is a most precious thing. Our sharing in the glory of Christ, in His sanctification, His holiness, the evil one can’t stand that. Our sharing in the love of God is an extremely precious reality, so significant. I want to consider just several things briefly this morning. What is that we need to be aware of? I trust these are things that for the most part we are already aware of, to some extent, but I trust that as we see them from this perspective, God might use this as an opportunity to cultivate within us a deeper appreciation for his love, this way in which we are united together.
The first thing I want to make clear is that this love is nothing less, than a partaking of the divine nature. It's that significant. It's not something that is separate from God that He bestows upon us apart from Himself. It is nothing less than a partaking of the divine nature. What does John tell us in 1John 4:7? Love is from God. In the very next verse he says God is love. Love is a part of who God is. God doesn't bestow this upon us separate from Himself. It is an extraordinarily crucial element of His very nature and character, love is from God. God is love. In God's infinite grace, His glory, His excellence, His power, he has granted that we become partakers even of His nature. I remind you of what the Lord says through the apostle Peter in second Peter chapter 1 beginning with verse two:
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Seeing that his divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence. For by these he has granted to us his precious and magnificent promises in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
You and I partakers of the divine nature. We don't become God. That's not what he is saying obviously, but we partake of God's nature in a very real way. And in this matter of love, we can see this I something that is highlighted and emphasized and clarified numerous times throughout the New Testament especially. This partaking of the divine nature is accomplished through a work, an especially unique work of the Holy Spirit of God. I remind you of Romans chapter 5, the passage I think we are familiar with. Verse five says and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. We become partakers in the love of God through a plentiful provision of the Holy Spirit. He doesn't just mete out little bits and pieces of divine love to us, that's not the picture we’re given here. It's poured out with in our hearts. Remember when we talked about this unity, that it's a genuine unity, that is, it's an essential unity. It envelops the very essence of who we are. If this love were not poured out within our hearts, this wouldn’t be the case, it wouldn’t be true. But because it is, this is a part of who we are, it becomes a part of our very being. It's a genuine thing. I want you to also notice in the same respect that this love resembles the love that the Father has for the Son. What is Jesus saying in His prayer in that 23rd verse? That the world may know that Thou didst send me, and didst love them even as Thou didst love me. This is emphasized both in the 20th and the 23rd verse, and at the very end of the prayer. I have made Thy name known to them will make it known; that the love wherewith Thou didst love me may be in them, and I in them. Notice how Jesus explains this love or how He defines it, if you will. It's the same love that the Father has for the Son. How could there be a greater love than what exists within the Triune God? And Jesus says that this love resembles the love - it's the very same love, if you will, with which the Father loves the Son. It’s the love of God. We recognize, I trust that the ultimate demonstration of this love is in Christ. I remind you of past several passages that are so familiar to us. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. This is the ultimate demonstration of love. God sent his own son, the eternal Word was made flesh and tabernacled amongst sinners like you and I. Romans 5:8 but God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. This is a love because it's the love of God is a love that is not dependent upon the object of that love. It’s very different than the way we think of love is it not? I love you, you love me, it's got to be sort of a two-way street or I'm not so sure I want to love you. I'm not sure how much I love you anymore because you're not loving me back. In fact, you’re treating me bad. Is that the kind of love we see here? Here we see a love demonstrated that while we were yet sinners, what's it mean to be a sinner? It means to be alienated from God. It means to be at the very core of our being a God hater, the opposite of love. that's what we’re told in Romans chapter 1 -- haters of God. That’s some kind of love, That God would love us and not just say that He loves us, not just bestow some temporal blessings upon us and say ‘see I love you’. God sent his own Son. God's own Son sacrificed everything was willing to die in our place, to suffer the agony we were just talking about a little while ago observing the Lord's supper. The agony of the cross. This is the ultimate demonstration of the love of God. This is a critical component of who God is. Love is from God. God is love. He's demonstrated His love in sending His own son. He demonstrates His love in putting his Son to death, dying in our place while we were still sinners, still enemies, in our together partaking of the love of God, if you and I indeed are now partakers of the divine nature, God's love ought to infect and affect everything about our living, everything in our lives, every area of our lives. What does Paul exhort the saints at Corinth? Let all that you do be done in love. Have you ever thought about that exhortation? Has it ever stuck out to you? It doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room, does it? It doesn’t say in most things, but in all things. That's because the love of God, if we have become, genuinely become partakers of the divine nature, it infects our entire life, our being, the very essence of who we are. Do we always act in that way? No we do not, but it’s still a reality that doesn't change that fact that the love of God has been poured out within our hearts. No matter what extent to which we may carelessly diminish that or hinder it or distort it. So that’s the first thing that I want to emphasize this morning. This love is nothing less than a partaking of the divine nature. This love is from God, maybe we could say it another way. It’s not something that we can come up with on our own. We could meditate for most of our lives and just concentrate on getting this love and we could never get a bit of it. We can’t partake of this on our own. It comes to us from God. Love is from God.
Second point to be made this morning and that is that God's love in us is first evidenced in obedience. Is that what you’d think? God's loving us is evidenced first and foremost in obedience. Now this is not something I just came up with on my own. I want you to understand just how clearly the Lord makes this known to us. 1 John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God. How do we know that, how can we be sure that we love the children of God, as we should? When we love God and observe his commandments. This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not burdensome. It’s a joy to obey the Lord. If we love the Lord, it is our greatest joy to obey Him, to honor Him. His commandments are a precious thing to us. We delight in his statutes. We delight in his revelation to us. His admonition, His exhortation. 1 John 3:23 says and this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us, and the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him and He in Him. And we know by this that He abides in us by the Spirit whom He has given us. You and I can't somehow make this happen in ourselves, but we need to understand, we need to focus our attention, first of all, on how this love is evidenced primarily, fundamentally. It is evidenced in obedience. 2 John 6 And this is love - that we walk according to his commandments. This is love. This is the love of God in us. What is Jesus say in John chapter 14, earlier on in the upper room discourse? Verse 15 If you love me you will keep my commandments. It’s a very simple statement, very concise, but unfortunately a very much disregarded by God's people many times - obedience. We have allowed Satan to discredit the joy of obedience so many times have we not? We've allowed him to cause us to look at obedience as an unpleasant thing. When you as a child really are appreciating the love of your dad and mom is it a pain to obey or do you delight to obey them? You know what that'll mean to them. It is burdensome if my attitude is wrong. It's burdensome. It's a pain to obey when my attitude is wrong. But Jesus says this is how we demonstrate our love for him. Jesus goes on in John 14 verse 21. He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. Jesus spells this out; He goes on and on about it. and He who loves me shall be loved by my Father and I will love him and will disclose myself to him. Verse 23 Jesus answered and said to him. If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. What I do with the word demonstrates the extent to which I love the Lord, the extent to which the love of God is being cultivated in my heart, is being given free reign. This provides the proper foundation for a selfless and sacrificial love selfish. A selfless and sacrificial love for one another. The foundation is obedience. What is Jesus say in John chapter 15, beginning with verse nine just as the Father has love me. I also I have also loved you. Abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love. Notice Jesus is our pattern. He's our example in this love. Jesus, the love between the Father and the Son makes it the delight of the Lord's heart to do the Father's will to be obedient, and then he says this. verse 11, John 15 these things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be made full. This is my commandment that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You see the foundation of love is obedience. You don't get to the statement. Greater love has no one that man invest then that one lay down his life for his friends. You don't get to that statement until you establish the foundation. This is fullness of joy, fullness of joy is to obey the Lord, to do His commands, His commandments. They are not burdensome because I know who God is, I’ve come to understand that God is love. God doesn't give me commandments that are not going to be in my best interest. They are going to please and honor Him and bring Him glory and produce a fullness of joy in my heart. This is important. Seems to me it's extremely important. God's love in us is evidenced first and foremost in obedience. In second Thessalonians chapter 3, beginning with verse three Paul says to the saints at Thessalonica but the Lord is faithful and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one, and we have confidence in the Lord concerning you that you are doing and will continue to, and you to do what we command and may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God into the steadfastness of Christ.
The third thing that I want to remind you of, I want to bring to your attention in regards to this love third thing is this, there are specific ways for us to cultivate, to enhance, to grow in this love. This comes from God. We can't produce it within ourselves, no matter what we do but we are given the opportunity, the responsibility, the joy of growing in this love. Isn’t that an amazing thing? We’re given this love but were also given that with this love comes a responsibility. It’s from God, not from within us at all. But because it's from God and it's been given to us, we now have a responsibility. We are to indeed take that seriously. I want to remind you of several passages where you see this expectation in the apostle Paul in Philippians. For example, the first chapter verse 8 notice what Paul's expectation is for the saints at Philippi, he says for God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus, and this I pray that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment. Paul says to the saints in Thessalonica in the fourth chapter the ninth verse he says now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. This comes from God. God teaches us to love one another but you notice that Paul is praying for the saints that they will abound still more and more in their love. Ephesians chapter 3. This is part of Paul's prayer for the saints at Ephesus as he bows his knees before the Father. He begins to pray in verse 16 that God would grant the Ephesian believers according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner man so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. That's quite a potential we have because that the love of God has been poured out within our hearts, to be filled up to all the fullness of God. In this regard, we are given several exhortations and I think their important. first of all, we are to diligently pursue love. It’s not something to just sit on. We had been given this; this is a wonderful thing. We are to be actively engaged; we are to pursue love. What does Paul say there in first Corinthians chapter 14 verse one? Pursue love. What does Paul say in his exhortation to Timothy in first Timothy first Timothy chapter 6 verse 11? But flee from these things you man of God and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. What does Paul encourage Timothy to do in second Timothy chapter 2 verse 22? Now flee from youthful lust and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace. This is something that we are to pursue. Notice how Peter puts it in first Peter chapter 1 verse 22 He says, since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart. Here's a deliberate, very intentional attitude on our part to pursue love to grow in our love to be fervent in our love for one another. I do want you to notice that in this passage we just read in first Peter 2:22, The relationship of the truth to love. You have that same relationship in Philippians. In Philippians chapter 1 verse nine we read this. I pray that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment. This relationship of truth to love is very important. It’s significant. Notice in 2 John chapter 1 the elder to the chosen lady and her children whom I love, in truth, and not only I but also who know the truth for the sake of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever. Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father in truth and love. In 3 John, you see the same emphasis the elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love, in truth, but I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. For I was very glad when brethren came and bore witness to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. He says he has no greater joy than to hear of this. We are to diligently pursue this love and that the pursuit has to be in conjunction with increasing understanding and knowledge and embracing of the truth. They go hand in hand. It’s not a love that we should go out on her own to determine what it should look like and how it should function, And what's important to love. It’s a love that is to be pursued in relation to the truth. Another way that we cultivate, and grow in this love is that we embrace a desire to build one another up. We are told that in the first verse of first Corinthians chapter 8. Love edifies, it builds up. Is this our desire? Is this what we see in love? Sometimes I think our problem with this is that all we can think about is what we should get from it and the way everyone should treat me. That's how I think many times. That's not quite the right way to look at it, is it? God's love has been poured out in my heart and I need to be looking for ways to exhibit that love and to encourage other people to build them up. Love edifies, love builds up, it doesn't tear down. Love is patient, love is kind is not jealousy does not brag. It's not arrogant doesn't act unbecomingly does not seek its own, not provoked, is not intake a new account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. In Ephesians chapter 4 Paul says in verse 15, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. One of the ways that we grow in this love is we see it as a means of growth, of building one another up. I see this great marvelous gift that unites us in Christ as a means of building you up, of building up the body of Christ. That's how I should see that, isn’t it? We should see it as the means by which we’re built up too. I’m not saying it’s just one way. It’s not all of you, but we have a tendency to look at it that way more. We have a tendency to look at more we can get from love than what we can give in love, right? That's our tendency. Another thing that I would say in some specific ways that we can cultivate and enhance this love, is that we can exhibit, we can commit ourselves to a personal devotion for this love. I love how Paul puts this in free Romans chapter 12 and the 10th verse he says be devoted to one another in brotherly love. That's a command. I'm to be devoted. That requires personal devotion. Well, what does personal devotion require? Sacrifice, does it not? For me to be devoted to one thing means I have to give up other things. That's very basic. If I want to be a professional racecar driver, I would have to give up a bunch of other things and devote myself to that, whatever it may be. If I devote myself to be a scientist, I have to give up other things and that's what we are exhorted to do, to be devoted to one another in love. That's how we cultivate this love. That's how we grow in it. we give up the love of self. Notice he goes on and says be devoted to one another in brotherly love give preference to one another in honor. I put you above me. I'm not just thinking of myself. That's Paul's full emphasis there in Philippians, is it not? The second chapter, If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, If there is any consolation of love, If there is any fellowship of the spirit of any affection and compassion make my joy complete by being of the same mind maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit. Notice -- nothing, not just a few things. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind, let each of you regard one another as more important than himself. Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus. Christ is the example. We are to maintain the love of Christ, the love that God has granted to us in Christ.
The fourth thing that I want to mention this morning. First of all, we've noted this love is from God. Secondly, God’s love is evidenced first and foremost in us through obedience. Thirdly, there are some specific responsibilities we have in regard to this love in terms of cultivating it, growing in it. Fourthly, there are some critical ways for us to protect this love. This love is under attack. I said this earlier. I think it's important for us to recognize this isn't something that God is given to us and we're just in this peaceful vacuum and when we decide to, we can try to cultivate it and make it better and grow in it. That's not the way it is. We don't live in a peaceful vacuum in this world, do we? We’re in a battle zone, we’re in a struggle, and there's anything we can be sure of it’s that the evil one cannot stand the love of God; he’s opposed to at every front. We’re to be steadfast. One of the ways we protect this is we should be steadfast in love. The writer of Hebrews says let love of the brethren continue, chapter 13 verse one. Chapter 10 verse 24 we’re not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, but rather we’re to be coming together to stimulate one another to love and good deeds. This is one of the ways we protect love as well as help as encourage it. First Peter 4:8 he said we’re to be fervently loving one another. In the fourth chapter he says, keep fervent in your love for one another, keep fervent. That's keeping on, that steadfastness, that's persevering, that's loving when I don't feel like it. That's loving when I have so many reasons in the flesh and not to. Keep fervent in your love one another. Don’t just go through the motions and pretend. Be fervent, be zealous, make sure it's from the heart. There needs to be steadfastness, there needs to be deliberateness in regards to maintaining and protecting this love, Colossians chapter 3 verse 14 says this: and beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. put it on.
Those words put honor added in their italicized. If you notice the idea is that we are to be deliberate in embracing the love of Christ in relation to one another, especially it's the perfect bond of unity. The 21st verse in the book of Jude says Keep yourselves in the love of God. An interesting thing to say is it not? I can't get God's love that I can keep myself in His love in the sense in this sense that I'm keeping myself active alert, faithfully demonstrating that love. I can't keep myself in God's love in the sense of His loving me. I don't need to. Another way that we protect this love is through forbearance. All this is such a difficult thing, is it not, to forbear, and yet it's such a needed thing; we all need to forbear every one of us is in desperate need of somebody forbearing in relation to us. If we think we’re not, we’re in a lot of trouble. Paul says in Ephesians 4:2 with all humility and gentleness, with patient showing forbearance to one another in love. Later on in the same book Ephesians 4, verse 31 let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God's beloved children and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you. We’re to be forbearing, we’re to be steadfast, deliberate, we are to practice forbearance, we are to be on guard. Remember what Paul says there Romans 12. Let love be without hypocrisy, abhor what is evil, Cling to what is good. We’re to be on guard -- Paul warns later on in Romans chapter 14 the danger of carelessly using our Christian freedom in Christ In such a way as to harm a brother. verse 15 of Romans 14 for if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. These are ways that we protect this love within us. I'm going over these quickly. And I trust that maybe you have some time to ponder them later on your own. One last thing that I want to mention just in closing this morning and that is that the love of God guarantees our security in Christ. In the end this is the thing that really matters. What a blessed truth. I remind you of the passage that is so familiar to us. I don't know how you could read it too often. Romans 8:35 who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation, or distress of persecution or famine or nakedness peril sword just as it as it is written, for thy sake we are being put to death all day long. We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered, but in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. What a precious thing this is, that we’re united together in this love which is incorruptible
I’ll ask you to turn with me to John 17 as we continue to consider our Lord’s prayer to the Father. I think most of us would probably say that we live busy lives. I doubt if any of us would see it otherwise. And we I think recognize the fact there is a lot of distraction in our lives every day. Think of all the things that distract us from day-to-day, throughout the course of any day. Sometimes I find it to be frustrating. Other times I don't even hardly notice it. One of the things that I have noticed over time is that in the midst of normal day-to-day living with all the different things that come into our view, the things that we’re responsible to do, there's a tendency sometimes for us to have a very hard time keeping the most important things in view. There are so many mundane matters that are prone to draw attention away from the divine perspective. More and more I'm convinced that this is the perspective I need to be drawn to continuously throughout each day. You and I having been reconciled and redeemed through Christ's finished work on the cross, we now stand in his grace, do we not? We stand in his grace forgiven and justified. And we do not stand alone. Think about that this morning. In the riches of God's grace, He's bringing many sons to glory. Have you ever really stopped to think about that? There have been times I was praying, or times I just thought to myself what a blessed thing this is that God is calling many to himself. We many times emphasize the fact that we’re outnumbered in this world right? We’re a remnant. We’re not in the majority by any means, but the other side of it is we are not alone. Sometimes I get the feeling that I’m alone. We’re surrounded many times in a world that is so antagonistic to the Lord and we can sometimes feel very much alone but you and I have been made alive together with Christ and in that reality, we have not only been united to the Lord Jesus. We've also been united with each other in Christ. In the work of salvation, we are brought into a close fellowship and relationship not only with the Lord, but with each other as well. This is one of the wonderful truths of the gospel. We are drawn into this relationship with the Lord but also into a unique relationship with one another. While it is most certainly true that God saves, and he sanctifies us individually, there can be no doubt about that, but it's also just as true that God saves and sanctifies us collectively as a specific and an eternal entity, Christ's church, the bride of Christ. Within this assembly of saints, there is a divinely ordained and spiritually enabled cohesiveness, a unique harmony and oneness that confirms the glory of Christ. It’s a tremendous reality. This is something that everyone, whether in Christ or apart from Christ, everyone yearns for belonging, a closeness. A closeness of inestimable and of practical value, but this oneness that we’re speaking of this morning that we've been looking at for several weeks now, it's a oneness that can only come from God through the miraculous work of his Holy Spirit, granting us new life. As remarkable as this genuine unity is, there is a tendency for us to take it for granted isn’t there? It’s something we don't think about many times. Sometimes we can go for long periods of time and not really give it a thought. It’s a very dangerous thing for us to do. The evil one is acutely aware of the importance of this sacred oneness. He's always on the lookout, actively working to undermine, to distort and to disrupt the unity of the Spirit. We are given clearly in God's word, we are given the responsibility to preserve and protect, to cultivate, to pursue more fully the unique relationship we've been granted in Christ. This is a responsibility we have been given and indeed is a great privilege, is it not? It’s a tremendous privilege. We are united in very special very significant ways. We've been looking at this together as the Lord emphasizes this. This is such a tremendous emphasis in the Lord's prayer. From that 14th verse on this whole matter of our being sanctified, set apart and drawn together as one in Christ is the theme, the overriding theme of the last half of this prayer to the Father. Last time we considered the exceptional reality of our being united in the sharing of Christ's glory. What three ways are we to be sharing in Christ's glory that we looked at last week? One is the pursuit of holiness. The realization of holiness in Christ. The second we talked about was sufferings, and the third one was in expectation. In sanctification and suffering and expectation. We are united; we share. We are sharers of the glory of Christ. Jesus says in verse 22 of John 17, and the glory which thou hast given me I have given to them. The glory which the Father is given to the son, Jesus has given to us, that we may be one.
There's another very important aspect of our unity in Christ that we want to look at this morning. It is a sharing in the love of God. I want us to continue from 23rd verse now.
I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. 24“Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.25“O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; 26and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
We've been looking at this matter of unity, the unity of the spirit among God's people. I want you to notice the profound nature of our unity in Christ. It's not a unity that is focused on the temporal, the shallow, the superficial, the things that are all around us that are passing away. It's amazing to me the things that people will be drawn to in order to be drawn together. Maybe an interest in some hobby and interest in some support and interest in, we could just go on and on and all the different things that draw people together -- interest in clothing interest in restoring old vehicles. You could just go on and on. In our time people have the time and the money to pursue all these things and I've noticed I've as I've met different people and talk to people. Sometimes you can tell very quickly what group they enjoy a special connection to. This is important to them. Sometimes their clothing, their T-shirts, their hats will make it clear to you, whatever it may be that all of these things that people used to be drawn together to share a common bond that men come up with are temporal, there just for little while. They can come to an end abruptly. Someone gets their feelings hurt. This happens, that happens to this group. This thing gets sort of forgotten, is not cool anymore, not seen as being exciting or fashionable. All of these things are passing away. Notice that the things that Jesus speaks about here that unite us and draw us together are eternal things. They are profound things. They're the most fundamental things. We are drawn together, we are united together in Christ, not only in His glory, but now we want to emphasize and as Jesus emphasizes this matter of being drawn together in the love of God. God tells us that love is enduring. Love, Paul says in first Corinthians 13, love never fails. There's faith there now abides faith, hope and love but the greatest of these is love. Love lasts, God says. Jesus prays here that our being perfected in unity will be a demonstration of the pure and everlasting love of God. Notice how he puts it, that the world may know that thou didst send me. And didst love them even as thou didst love me. Verse 26 I have made thy name known to them and will make it known that the love wherewith thou didst love me may be in them the love of God in us. Now that's something to be united in is it not? The love of God. It’s amazing to me the people in this world around us, they talk about the love of God in such a cavalier way. It's very sad, many times as I hear people talking about the love of God, who do not know the Lord and I recognize they don't even understand that they've never even experienced it. It's an easy thing to discuss or talk about – ‘God loves us’ -- do we really know what that means? You and I if we are in Christ we have come to know what that means, we have come to know it personally. Experimentally, we have come to know the love of God.
This morning I want to just examine somewhat briefly what is it that we need to understand, what is it that we need to be more alert to in more fully appreciating and growing in this invaluable element of our unity in Christ? What is it that we need to understand? What do we need to be aware of, more alert to, when it comes to really appreciating the way that we’re unified in love. This isn't something we can afford to take for granted, though we do. We can't afford to. The enemy of our souls will do everything he can to disrupt this and this is a most precious thing. Our sharing in the glory of Christ, in His sanctification, His holiness, the evil one can’t stand that. Our sharing in the love of God is an extremely precious reality, so significant. I want to consider just several things briefly this morning. What is that we need to be aware of? I trust these are things that for the most part we are already aware of, to some extent, but I trust that as we see them from this perspective, God might use this as an opportunity to cultivate within us a deeper appreciation for his love, this way in which we are united together.
The first thing I want to make clear is that this love is nothing less, than a partaking of the divine nature. It's that significant. It's not something that is separate from God that He bestows upon us apart from Himself. It is nothing less than a partaking of the divine nature. What does John tell us in 1John 4:7? Love is from God. In the very next verse he says God is love. Love is a part of who God is. God doesn't bestow this upon us separate from Himself. It is an extraordinarily crucial element of His very nature and character, love is from God. God is love. In God's infinite grace, His glory, His excellence, His power, he has granted that we become partakers even of His nature. I remind you of what the Lord says through the apostle Peter in second Peter chapter 1 beginning with verse two:
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Seeing that his divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence. For by these he has granted to us his precious and magnificent promises in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
You and I partakers of the divine nature. We don't become God. That's not what he is saying obviously, but we partake of God's nature in a very real way. And in this matter of love, we can see this I something that is highlighted and emphasized and clarified numerous times throughout the New Testament especially. This partaking of the divine nature is accomplished through a work, an especially unique work of the Holy Spirit of God. I remind you of Romans chapter 5, the passage I think we are familiar with. Verse five says and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. We become partakers in the love of God through a plentiful provision of the Holy Spirit. He doesn't just mete out little bits and pieces of divine love to us, that's not the picture we’re given here. It's poured out with in our hearts. Remember when we talked about this unity, that it's a genuine unity, that is, it's an essential unity. It envelops the very essence of who we are. If this love were not poured out within our hearts, this wouldn’t be the case, it wouldn’t be true. But because it is, this is a part of who we are, it becomes a part of our very being. It's a genuine thing. I want you to also notice in the same respect that this love resembles the love that the Father has for the Son. What is Jesus saying in His prayer in that 23rd verse? That the world may know that Thou didst send me, and didst love them even as Thou didst love me. This is emphasized both in the 20th and the 23rd verse, and at the very end of the prayer. I have made Thy name known to them will make it known; that the love wherewith Thou didst love me may be in them, and I in them. Notice how Jesus explains this love or how He defines it, if you will. It's the same love that the Father has for the Son. How could there be a greater love than what exists within the Triune God? And Jesus says that this love resembles the love - it's the very same love, if you will, with which the Father loves the Son. It’s the love of God. We recognize, I trust that the ultimate demonstration of this love is in Christ. I remind you of past several passages that are so familiar to us. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. This is the ultimate demonstration of love. God sent his own son, the eternal Word was made flesh and tabernacled amongst sinners like you and I. Romans 5:8 but God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. This is a love because it's the love of God is a love that is not dependent upon the object of that love. It’s very different than the way we think of love is it not? I love you, you love me, it's got to be sort of a two-way street or I'm not so sure I want to love you. I'm not sure how much I love you anymore because you're not loving me back. In fact, you’re treating me bad. Is that the kind of love we see here? Here we see a love demonstrated that while we were yet sinners, what's it mean to be a sinner? It means to be alienated from God. It means to be at the very core of our being a God hater, the opposite of love. that's what we’re told in Romans chapter 1 -- haters of God. That’s some kind of love, That God would love us and not just say that He loves us, not just bestow some temporal blessings upon us and say ‘see I love you’. God sent his own Son. God's own Son sacrificed everything was willing to die in our place, to suffer the agony we were just talking about a little while ago observing the Lord's supper. The agony of the cross. This is the ultimate demonstration of the love of God. This is a critical component of who God is. Love is from God. God is love. He's demonstrated His love in sending His own son. He demonstrates His love in putting his Son to death, dying in our place while we were still sinners, still enemies, in our together partaking of the love of God, if you and I indeed are now partakers of the divine nature, God's love ought to infect and affect everything about our living, everything in our lives, every area of our lives. What does Paul exhort the saints at Corinth? Let all that you do be done in love. Have you ever thought about that exhortation? Has it ever stuck out to you? It doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room, does it? It doesn’t say in most things, but in all things. That's because the love of God, if we have become, genuinely become partakers of the divine nature, it infects our entire life, our being, the very essence of who we are. Do we always act in that way? No we do not, but it’s still a reality that doesn't change that fact that the love of God has been poured out within our hearts. No matter what extent to which we may carelessly diminish that or hinder it or distort it. So that’s the first thing that I want to emphasize this morning. This love is nothing less than a partaking of the divine nature. This love is from God, maybe we could say it another way. It’s not something that we can come up with on our own. We could meditate for most of our lives and just concentrate on getting this love and we could never get a bit of it. We can’t partake of this on our own. It comes to us from God. Love is from God.
Second point to be made this morning and that is that God's love in us is first evidenced in obedience. Is that what you’d think? God's loving us is evidenced first and foremost in obedience. Now this is not something I just came up with on my own. I want you to understand just how clearly the Lord makes this known to us. 1 John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God. How do we know that, how can we be sure that we love the children of God, as we should? When we love God and observe his commandments. This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not burdensome. It’s a joy to obey the Lord. If we love the Lord, it is our greatest joy to obey Him, to honor Him. His commandments are a precious thing to us. We delight in his statutes. We delight in his revelation to us. His admonition, His exhortation. 1 John 3:23 says and this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us, and the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him and He in Him. And we know by this that He abides in us by the Spirit whom He has given us. You and I can't somehow make this happen in ourselves, but we need to understand, we need to focus our attention, first of all, on how this love is evidenced primarily, fundamentally. It is evidenced in obedience. 2 John 6 And this is love - that we walk according to his commandments. This is love. This is the love of God in us. What is Jesus say in John chapter 14, earlier on in the upper room discourse? Verse 15 If you love me you will keep my commandments. It’s a very simple statement, very concise, but unfortunately a very much disregarded by God's people many times - obedience. We have allowed Satan to discredit the joy of obedience so many times have we not? We've allowed him to cause us to look at obedience as an unpleasant thing. When you as a child really are appreciating the love of your dad and mom is it a pain to obey or do you delight to obey them? You know what that'll mean to them. It is burdensome if my attitude is wrong. It's burdensome. It's a pain to obey when my attitude is wrong. But Jesus says this is how we demonstrate our love for him. Jesus goes on in John 14 verse 21. He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. Jesus spells this out; He goes on and on about it. and He who loves me shall be loved by my Father and I will love him and will disclose myself to him. Verse 23 Jesus answered and said to him. If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. What I do with the word demonstrates the extent to which I love the Lord, the extent to which the love of God is being cultivated in my heart, is being given free reign. This provides the proper foundation for a selfless and sacrificial love selfish. A selfless and sacrificial love for one another. The foundation is obedience. What is Jesus say in John chapter 15, beginning with verse nine just as the Father has love me. I also I have also loved you. Abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love. Notice Jesus is our pattern. He's our example in this love. Jesus, the love between the Father and the Son makes it the delight of the Lord's heart to do the Father's will to be obedient, and then he says this. verse 11, John 15 these things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be made full. This is my commandment that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You see the foundation of love is obedience. You don't get to the statement. Greater love has no one that man invest then that one lay down his life for his friends. You don't get to that statement until you establish the foundation. This is fullness of joy, fullness of joy is to obey the Lord, to do His commands, His commandments. They are not burdensome because I know who God is, I’ve come to understand that God is love. God doesn't give me commandments that are not going to be in my best interest. They are going to please and honor Him and bring Him glory and produce a fullness of joy in my heart. This is important. Seems to me it's extremely important. God's love in us is evidenced first and foremost in obedience. In second Thessalonians chapter 3, beginning with verse three Paul says to the saints at Thessalonica but the Lord is faithful and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one, and we have confidence in the Lord concerning you that you are doing and will continue to, and you to do what we command and may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God into the steadfastness of Christ.
The third thing that I want to remind you of, I want to bring to your attention in regards to this love third thing is this, there are specific ways for us to cultivate, to enhance, to grow in this love. This comes from God. We can't produce it within ourselves, no matter what we do but we are given the opportunity, the responsibility, the joy of growing in this love. Isn’t that an amazing thing? We’re given this love but were also given that with this love comes a responsibility. It’s from God, not from within us at all. But because it's from God and it's been given to us, we now have a responsibility. We are to indeed take that seriously. I want to remind you of several passages where you see this expectation in the apostle Paul in Philippians. For example, the first chapter verse 8 notice what Paul's expectation is for the saints at Philippi, he says for God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus, and this I pray that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment. Paul says to the saints in Thessalonica in the fourth chapter the ninth verse he says now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. This comes from God. God teaches us to love one another but you notice that Paul is praying for the saints that they will abound still more and more in their love. Ephesians chapter 3. This is part of Paul's prayer for the saints at Ephesus as he bows his knees before the Father. He begins to pray in verse 16 that God would grant the Ephesian believers according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner man so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. That's quite a potential we have because that the love of God has been poured out within our hearts, to be filled up to all the fullness of God. In this regard, we are given several exhortations and I think their important. first of all, we are to diligently pursue love. It’s not something to just sit on. We had been given this; this is a wonderful thing. We are to be actively engaged; we are to pursue love. What does Paul say there in first Corinthians chapter 14 verse one? Pursue love. What does Paul say in his exhortation to Timothy in first Timothy first Timothy chapter 6 verse 11? But flee from these things you man of God and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. What does Paul encourage Timothy to do in second Timothy chapter 2 verse 22? Now flee from youthful lust and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace. This is something that we are to pursue. Notice how Peter puts it in first Peter chapter 1 verse 22 He says, since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart. Here's a deliberate, very intentional attitude on our part to pursue love to grow in our love to be fervent in our love for one another. I do want you to notice that in this passage we just read in first Peter 2:22, The relationship of the truth to love. You have that same relationship in Philippians. In Philippians chapter 1 verse nine we read this. I pray that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment. This relationship of truth to love is very important. It’s significant. Notice in 2 John chapter 1 the elder to the chosen lady and her children whom I love, in truth, and not only I but also who know the truth for the sake of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever. Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father in truth and love. In 3 John, you see the same emphasis the elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love, in truth, but I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. For I was very glad when brethren came and bore witness to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. He says he has no greater joy than to hear of this. We are to diligently pursue this love and that the pursuit has to be in conjunction with increasing understanding and knowledge and embracing of the truth. They go hand in hand. It’s not a love that we should go out on her own to determine what it should look like and how it should function, And what's important to love. It’s a love that is to be pursued in relation to the truth. Another way that we cultivate, and grow in this love is that we embrace a desire to build one another up. We are told that in the first verse of first Corinthians chapter 8. Love edifies, it builds up. Is this our desire? Is this what we see in love? Sometimes I think our problem with this is that all we can think about is what we should get from it and the way everyone should treat me. That's how I think many times. That's not quite the right way to look at it, is it? God's love has been poured out in my heart and I need to be looking for ways to exhibit that love and to encourage other people to build them up. Love edifies, love builds up, it doesn't tear down. Love is patient, love is kind is not jealousy does not brag. It's not arrogant doesn't act unbecomingly does not seek its own, not provoked, is not intake a new account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. In Ephesians chapter 4 Paul says in verse 15, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. One of the ways that we grow in this love is we see it as a means of growth, of building one another up. I see this great marvelous gift that unites us in Christ as a means of building you up, of building up the body of Christ. That's how I should see that, isn’t it? We should see it as the means by which we’re built up too. I’m not saying it’s just one way. It’s not all of you, but we have a tendency to look at it that way more. We have a tendency to look at more we can get from love than what we can give in love, right? That's our tendency. Another thing that I would say in some specific ways that we can cultivate and enhance this love, is that we can exhibit, we can commit ourselves to a personal devotion for this love. I love how Paul puts this in free Romans chapter 12 and the 10th verse he says be devoted to one another in brotherly love. That's a command. I'm to be devoted. That requires personal devotion. Well, what does personal devotion require? Sacrifice, does it not? For me to be devoted to one thing means I have to give up other things. That's very basic. If I want to be a professional racecar driver, I would have to give up a bunch of other things and devote myself to that, whatever it may be. If I devote myself to be a scientist, I have to give up other things and that's what we are exhorted to do, to be devoted to one another in love. That's how we cultivate this love. That's how we grow in it. we give up the love of self. Notice he goes on and says be devoted to one another in brotherly love give preference to one another in honor. I put you above me. I'm not just thinking of myself. That's Paul's full emphasis there in Philippians, is it not? The second chapter, If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, If there is any consolation of love, If there is any fellowship of the spirit of any affection and compassion make my joy complete by being of the same mind maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit. Notice -- nothing, not just a few things. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind, let each of you regard one another as more important than himself. Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus. Christ is the example. We are to maintain the love of Christ, the love that God has granted to us in Christ.
The fourth thing that I want to mention this morning. First of all, we've noted this love is from God. Secondly, God’s love is evidenced first and foremost in us through obedience. Thirdly, there are some specific responsibilities we have in regard to this love in terms of cultivating it, growing in it. Fourthly, there are some critical ways for us to protect this love. This love is under attack. I said this earlier. I think it's important for us to recognize this isn't something that God is given to us and we're just in this peaceful vacuum and when we decide to, we can try to cultivate it and make it better and grow in it. That's not the way it is. We don't live in a peaceful vacuum in this world, do we? We’re in a battle zone, we’re in a struggle, and there's anything we can be sure of it’s that the evil one cannot stand the love of God; he’s opposed to at every front. We’re to be steadfast. One of the ways we protect this is we should be steadfast in love. The writer of Hebrews says let love of the brethren continue, chapter 13 verse one. Chapter 10 verse 24 we’re not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, but rather we’re to be coming together to stimulate one another to love and good deeds. This is one of the ways we protect love as well as help as encourage it. First Peter 4:8 he said we’re to be fervently loving one another. In the fourth chapter he says, keep fervent in your love for one another, keep fervent. That's keeping on, that steadfastness, that's persevering, that's loving when I don't feel like it. That's loving when I have so many reasons in the flesh and not to. Keep fervent in your love one another. Don’t just go through the motions and pretend. Be fervent, be zealous, make sure it's from the heart. There needs to be steadfastness, there needs to be deliberateness in regards to maintaining and protecting this love, Colossians chapter 3 verse 14 says this: and beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. put it on.
Those words put honor added in their italicized. If you notice the idea is that we are to be deliberate in embracing the love of Christ in relation to one another, especially it's the perfect bond of unity. The 21st verse in the book of Jude says Keep yourselves in the love of God. An interesting thing to say is it not? I can't get God's love that I can keep myself in His love in the sense in this sense that I'm keeping myself active alert, faithfully demonstrating that love. I can't keep myself in God's love in the sense of His loving me. I don't need to. Another way that we protect this love is through forbearance. All this is such a difficult thing, is it not, to forbear, and yet it's such a needed thing; we all need to forbear every one of us is in desperate need of somebody forbearing in relation to us. If we think we’re not, we’re in a lot of trouble. Paul says in Ephesians 4:2 with all humility and gentleness, with patient showing forbearance to one another in love. Later on in the same book Ephesians 4, verse 31 let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God's beloved children and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you. We’re to be forbearing, we’re to be steadfast, deliberate, we are to practice forbearance, we are to be on guard. Remember what Paul says there Romans 12. Let love be without hypocrisy, abhor what is evil, Cling to what is good. We’re to be on guard -- Paul warns later on in Romans chapter 14 the danger of carelessly using our Christian freedom in Christ In such a way as to harm a brother. verse 15 of Romans 14 for if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. These are ways that we protect this love within us. I'm going over these quickly. And I trust that maybe you have some time to ponder them later on your own. One last thing that I want to mention just in closing this morning and that is that the love of God guarantees our security in Christ. In the end this is the thing that really matters. What a blessed truth. I remind you of the passage that is so familiar to us. I don't know how you could read it too often. Romans 8:35 who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation, or distress of persecution or famine or nakedness peril sword just as it as it is written, for thy sake we are being put to death all day long. We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered, but in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. What a precious thing this is, that we’re united together in this love which is incorruptible
