1 John 3:1-3, 16 “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure…16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
True love cannot lay dormant. Love longs for expression. If you command it to be without expression, you command it not to live. Love is not satisfied with expressing itself in words. Love must express itself in deeds, as the old proverb says, “Actions speak louder than words” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).
Love is willing to sacrifice and express self-denial. The greater the sacrifice, the greater the quality of love is expressed. Love is willing to endure pain, and losses, and crosses. These principles of true love make the truth of Scripture even greater when we consider that God is love.
1 John 4:8, 16 “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love… 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”
Because God is love, He must express His love; He cannot merely speak of His love. His love must be expressed through action.
God does not say to mankind, “I love you; and you must believe that I love you although I do nothing for you to prove my love.”
Instead, He gives us abundant proofs of His love. The Apostle John (the apostle of love) made a tremendous statement when he said, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us.” In John 3:16 he stated, “For God so loved the world that he gave…”
I want to show you how to perceive the love of God. Most of mankind fails to perceive, recognize or understand the love which God has manifest to us.
#1. There are many ways in which God displays His love, but most men fail to recognize. We may perceive the love of God...
· Through the surroundings into which we were born: I’m glad I was born an American… to law abiding parents… Etc… Many people, born with greater manifestation of God's love, fail to perceive it. There are ten unchangeable: They are life conditions over which I have no control. My parents, Time in history, Race National Heritage, Gender, Birth order, Siblings, Physical features, Mental abilities, Aging. They are life conditions chosen for me by God. I must accept them as His wise and loving provision for my ultimate benefit. God’s “unchangeables” are the starting points for His character training in me, and they are the means of developing His special message through me. If we are unhappy with one or more of these “unchangeable” features of our life we will be hindered in our spiritual growth and may even posses a floating bitterness towards God.
· In the wise and just laws He has given: The commandments of God are a great gift to mankind. They tells us the wisest and the happiest way to live. It forbids us nothing but what would harm us, and withholds nothing from us that would bring us real joy.
The commandments that say “Thou shalt” and “Thou shalt not” are like danger signs posted for our benefit.
Romans 13:8-10 “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
· In the daily manifestations of His divine providence: Providence is the care, guardianship, and control exercised by divine direction. If our eyes were really open to see the abundance of God's providence we would begin to see every loaf of bread and every drop of water as a manifestation of the Love of God.
Psalm 68:19 “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. Here we may perceive the love of God.”
Psalm 68:19 “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. Here we may perceive the love of God.”
· There are some who would accuse God of being unjust, unfair and unloving because not all was born with the same privilege.
WARNING: There is danger in taking up the offence of others. Where there is lack – this is the result of sin. BUT, where there is lack – there is also abundance of grace.
2 Cor 10:12-13 “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. 13 But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.”
#2. The greatest manifestation of God's love is revealed in the death of Christ on the Cross. “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us.”
· There can be no greater proof of love than for a person to lay down his life for the object of that love. Many have given their life for love of country and for love of humanity.
· Our Lord Jesus Christ has proved his love for sinners by dying for them. It is one thing to die for a great country or for the furtherance of humanity, or for a great cause; but it is entirely different to die for sinners – for our sakes; for felon's of God's law.
Romans 5:6-8 “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
· Our Lords sacrifice was greater than any other because there was no claim of death upon Him. Death has claim on sinners only!
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
· Our Lords sacrifice was greater because there were no appeals made to Him to die for us. His death was voluntary! Jesus came Unasked, Undesired and Unsought, to lay down His life for the Ungodly!
Isaiah 53:2-6 “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
