15th January 2024

15th January 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read - (1 John 3:16-20 focus v16)


Message (Alan Burke) 


We’ve in the last decade seen slogans like “love is love” and “love wins” used as rallying cries but scripture gives us a very different view of love than the one that has been popularised, than the drivel that is served up to us by the culture and that love is exemplified in Christ Jesus. Without Jesus we cannot even begin to comprehend what love is, for the believer we know what love is because of how our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ exemplified love towards us. He did that as he laid down his life for us. It is much more than the crucifixion, it is seen from the moment he condescended, that he who was God and was with God in the beginning but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross where he experienced the wrath of a Holy God against sin for us (Jn 1:1, Phil 2:7-8). This love that has been shown towards us is a love that we do not deserve, that we could never earn although sadly it can loose its lustre for us. When we first understand it we marvel in the wonder of what Jesus has done for us, the amazing grace that we receive but then after a while we forget, familiarity with the gospel, the wonder of what Christ has done for us fades. 


We are told in Romand that while we were his enemies that God showed his mercy to us; Romans 5:7-8; “7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:6-8). What deserve is his wrath and Jesus took it on our behalf. Without Jesus Christ, without his life and death we cannot begin to understand love. It is a love that we do not deserve, a love that was shown to us while we were still his enemies. That Jesus willingly entered into this world, took upon himself our flesh and blood that he might lay down his life for us, suffering, dying for our sake so that we might be forgiven, that is how we know what love is, he did not need to lay his life down for us but willingly laid down his life by being lifted upon that cross. 


Those two words at the end of that statement, “for us”. Jesus died as John makes clear for us, for my sake, for yours, for those who are part of Adam’s sinful race, he did it for us, for you for me, for all those who have and will repent of their sins and believe in Him. The wonder of what Jesus Christ has done should never be lost on us either as we think too highly of ourselves or that we become too familiar with the old old story, of that wonderful redemption, God's remedy for sin. Notice though what this love leads us to do, to lay our lives down for our brothers, we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. The Love of God that was so vividly displayed in Jesus Christ, in him laying down his life for us is not something simply that we acknowledge but do nothing with, no, it is rather a love that will lead us to live in a certain way. Just as our saviour Jesus Christ showed a self giving, sacrificial love we to are to show that love in our lives, it is a love that transforms us, from death to life, from hatred to love a love that means we give up our self will, our self interest, the times when it is costly, the countless little opportunities that we have. 


As you face the day ahead know the love of Christ and live the love of Christ in your life, ignore the drivel that the culture that surrounds us makes love into and look to Jesus and love like him, lift your eyes to the wonder of what Jesus has done for us.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q 42 What is the sum of the ten commandments?
The sum of the ten commandments is, To love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbour as ourselves. (Matt. 22:37–40)
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