TEXT: 1 John 2:15-17 (Read verses 7-17)
READING: John 3:1-16
SUBJ: The love of the Father considered as being to us and in us as a being a matter of experience and that we might be sensitive to His presence within.
AIM: That we might manifest the love of Christ in our praying, our relationship to the Father, and to each other.
INTR: In that I am given over to exposition, I feel compelled to consider the context of the passage before us. However, my emphasis today will be on a phrase contained herein: “the love of the Father.
1. First, I would acknowledge my inspiration for those thoughts I would share with you today. A message I witnessed by Paul Washer in a meeting this past Monday.
2. Some thoughts were there expressed that had either lain dormant for some time, or that had never really been brought out to the point both fact and experience.
3. The passage before us may seem an unusual choice in that many others might well fit the occasion. But ways are set in contrast here that need to be considered.
THESIS: Our relationship with God begins with repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. But the further development of that relationship is characterized by our Lord Jesus and others as Father and child. We see Him as Lord, we see Him as sovereign, we see Him as the judge of all the earth, but in all our interactions with Him, His redeemed ones abide with Him as “Our Father,” and we as His dear children.
I. We consider the contrast expressed here with the love of the world.
1. The word of encouragement to some different classes of believers – An old commandment (that ye love one another as I have loved you) considered in new light as the darkness is passing.
2. Consider little children, fathers, young men, as overcomers.
3. A fatal condition addressed – the love of the world called out and put into context –
1) As if it were their habitation, seeing that they are strangers and pilgrims.
2) We are in the world, but not of the world.
3) The same word is used here as is used in referring to divine love – meaning to place value upon to the point of dependence.
II. That which cannot coexist with the love of the world – the love of God.
1. As I expressed earlier, there are some issues that have suffered in my experience having been dulled because of being overly technical.
1) How easily the words “God is love” rolls from my lips.
2) Likewise, “we love Him because He first loved us.” The tendency is to try to explain it rather than embrace it. We should first consider that we love Him; and of greater importance is the fact that He loved us at all.
2. In the text we are given the condition under which the love of the Father is not in us; we would consider rather the love of the Father being in us.
1) Jesus plainly taught that, He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. (John 14:21) and further, Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:23).
2) And later: As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. (John 15:9-10).
3. A well known passage: 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. (1 John 3:1). Twice we read that God has sent forth Spirit of His Son into our hearts crying Abba Father.
4. Paul’s prayer: That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19).
III. We would consider then our approach to “our Father.”
1. The text the message began on Monday by reading And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. (Luke 11:1).
2. And from there he proceeded to Matthew 6:6-8:
1) The tenderness with which He taught the approach: Our (His and ours) Father… – and so, we are bidden to approach with childlike expectation and openness – express our desires -- And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. (John 14:13-14) – we are to come boldly (openly and honestly) to a throne of grace. We are permitted to cry in desperation as did Jacob, and we are permitted to express our thoughts honestly before our Father.
2) We worship and respect as we come – “Hallowed by thy name…” we would be reminded that the same One who is The Mighty God is also the everlasting Father. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
3. Our identity with Him in desiring His Kingdom to be manifested among men.
Conclusion: It is incumbent upon us to become as little children and this is especially true as we approach our Father and as we sense the Love of the Father in us – the love to His own, on display from all eternity.
