7th February 2024

7th February 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read (1 John 4:7-12 focus 9-10)


Message (Alan Burke)


For the believer we know what love is because Christ first loved us, he showed his love to us in sending his love among us, in sending his one and only Son. That is something that we have heard since we were wains, the wonder of what God has done but of often do we hear it and let it pass us by. What I mean by that is that if you were to see the Great Wall of China, Petra in Jordan up close in person, you would likely be blown away, you like myself have probably only seen photos. I remember seeing the Colosseum in Rome and was awe struck. Or what about the view of Mournes that we’re so use to seeing here in Co Down, when I first arrived here it caught my attention every time it came into view but now I’ve become familiar with it and rarely give attention to it. 


The love of God is something so wonderful, towards us his enemies and we have became so use to it we have lost the wonder of what has been done for us. How Jesus who was God and was with God in the beginning, came into the world, the son of God to die in our stead. This exemplifies the love of our God towards us, that his only begotten son condescended, who took to himself a true body and a reasonable soul through the incarnate. The reason why was that God sent his Son to come and He can stand in solidarity with sinners, to be the sinless sin-bearer. It was not that we were some way lovable that caused our God to do this but that our God because of his love chose to love that which is unlovable, sinners like us. 


This is love, it is not because we are deserving of it but because the Lord God lavished his love on us who were not deserve of it. Justice demand that we would take the penalty that is due for our sin but the Lord in his grace has shown mercy, his compassion on those whom he has willed (Rom 9:15). What we deserve is the wrath of God and instead through his love, sending his one and only son into the world we might have life, that we would live through him. God in and through his Son gives to some something that we don’t deserve and all that we can say in this is that he is entirely too gracious for it was not what we deserved, not what we earned, not because we are lovable but all because of his love towards us. While we his enemies, God showed his mercy towards us that while deserve only his wrath that Jesus Christ laid down his life, experiencing it on our behalf. 


While the concept of love that the world has falls so so short of the love of God, his love towards us 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. It is through him we have life, there is no life without him. While many promote a pluralism in this world, it is only through Jesus Christ that we might have life, true life, he is the only way to eternal life for Christ was an atoning sacrifice for us. When was the last time you took time thinking of the love that your saviour has shown towards you? Know that this love, the love he exemplified towards us is the love that we should have for others.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q62 What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment?
The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment are, God’ s allowing us six days of the week for our own employments, (Exod. 20:9) his challenging a special propriety in the seventh, his own example, and his blessing the sabbath-day. (Exod. 20:11)
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