God Loves Forever!

There are two great truths you must understand about God’s incredible love. His love is unconditional and everlasting. Conversely, when it comes to loving people, we often love those we feel deserve our love, those who have a natural or biological connection to us, and those whose performance pleases us or offers us certain benefits. Yes, it can be reasonably argued that this really is not love at all. Often this is how love is portrayed and perceived though!

So, this works itself out with people earning love based on performance and losing love for the same reason. As long as folks can perceive we have something valuable to offer, then they will love or share love. Unfortunately, as soon as our usefulness to them is diminished then so is their love for us. In this scenario love is very conditional, utility, and performance based. Such “love” gives rise to fears, spawns manipulations, feeds desperations, inspires worry, fuels anxiety, and breeds multiple twisted forms of insecurity. It is actually a form of torment and emotional suffering.    

In contrast, let me share with you two great truths about God’s love for you and me:

GOD LOVES EACH ONE OF US UNCONDITIONALLY AND COMPLETELY

That is correct. His love is absolute, unqualified, boundless, and real.

  

God's Love Is Absolute! It Does Not Change over Time or According to Your and my Behavior. His great love is not influenced or swayed by circumstances or situations. It cannot be lessened or weakened. God can never love you more than He loves you today, and neither can He love you less. His love is perfect! He loves you because He created you, and He chooses to love you—now and every moment of your life. He is motivated to love us because of who He is and not what we do or do not do.

Nothing That You Do, or That Happens to You, Can Separate You from God’s Love. Read very thoughtfully the words the Apostle Paul penned regarding the security and constancy of God’s incredible love. In Romans 8:35-39, he says, 

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? [36] As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. [37] Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. [38] For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, [39] Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This staggering list of experiences and supernatural personalities cannot separate the believer from God’s love in Christ! These statements are emphatic and absolute! There are zero situations where His comprehensive love begins to break down or weaken. There is no scenario you and I can dream up that would negate or cancel His profound love for us. The great Apostle Paul was not merely theorizing about abstract ideas. He had been through many of these experiences and lived to tell us about them because of the unfailing love of God! This servant of Christ had directly survived assaults from these entities and emerged triumphant by the grace of God. God’s love was tangible and real to Paul as it should be to each of us. Do not miss the all important point here...nothing can sever God’s love from us!

              — Not the thrashing flogs of tribulation

              — Nor the constant hammering of distress

              — Not the cruelty of persecution

              — Nor can the emaciated threat of famine

              — Nor can the poverty and exposure of nakedness

              — Not the looming hazards of danger

              — Nor can the piercing of the sword!

His love may not prevent these threatening developments, but He will never abandon us as we face them. His love affords us spiritual security in spite of the challenges and pains we will face. That is correct; God will not shield us from all pains and sorrows. He will; however, accompany us through everyone of them. 

In this frightful list we find every adverse circumstance that can effectively separate people from each other.  But, not one single condition can separate us from the love of God. Instead of driving us away from God’s love, these things can potentially draw us closer to Him. It is not simply that we triumph over these formidable forces, but that in doing so we bring glory to God, blessing to others, and good to ourselves. We can actually make slaves out of our enemies and stepping stones out of our road blocks. All of this is not in our own strength but, through Him that loved us (Rom. 8:37). 

Beloved, only the power of Christ’s love can bring:

                 — sweetness out of bitterness,

                 — strength out of weakness,

                 — triumph out of tragedy, and

                 — blessing out of heartbreak

GOD TOOK THE INITIATIVE TO LOVE US FIRST AND FOREVER (ROM. 8:35)

Not only is God's love absolute--unconditional and complete, but it also precedes our love for Him and will lasts forever. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” the great apostle inquires. This is a rhetorical question designed to punctuate the truth that God’s love is complete and permanent. He also loved you and me first; that is, before we loved Him. God does not wait for us to come to Him with an expression of love before He extends love to us. To the contrary! Notice “the love of Christ” in Romans 8:35.  

It is not our love for Christ, but His love for us that is emphasized repeatedly in the Scriptures. Certainly the Bible requires that we love God, but it is in response to His great love toward us. Notice what  John 13:1, says, Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. The timeframe of this passage is before Christ’s arrest and subsequent crucifixion. When the average person would be most concerned with themselves, Christ was concentrating on the needs of His followers! He loved us first and before He loved His own welfare. He loved them to the very end of His life on the cross! The same is true for you and me!!!

Specifically and unmistakably God demonstrated love first to provide salvation for us. Notice carefully what  1John 4:9-10, says, In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. [10] Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Once again I repeat how real, tangible, meaningful, significant, and substantial the love of God is! Calvary clearly states how God feels towards the world. He did not even withhold His own darling Son from extraordinary suffering and finally death for our sins to save you and me. Beloved, this is more than huge; this is gigantic… astronomical... stupendous… colossal! God did not remain safely in Heaven stating repeatedly that He loves us. No, He became a man, lived with us, shared our heartaches and pains, and then actually died for us. He loved us enough to do something meaningful for us! 

Yes, God Loved Us First; This is Why He Took The Initiative.

John said it simply and eloquently: “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). It is correct for us to respond to His great love with love to Him. Understand, before we were lovable…He first loved us! Paul also reminds us of this saying in Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” The proof of real love is the great substitutionary sacrificial atoning death of Jesus Christ, the Son of God at Calvary! So, in the most meaningful expression of love ever…God was shouting, “I love you!” All this transpired before we could do anything to influence Him to love us! Even when we were at our worst, He has a standing statement through the Cross of Christ that He loved us!

Furthermore, Love really is what God is—He gives love its real definition and parameters. “God is love” (1John 4:8). In this respect, love is the essence of the self-giving nature of God. His extraordinary love for us seeks to awaken a responsive love in us for Him. Profound expressions of divine love pepper the pages of the entire Bible. It has been well observed that nature articulates the skill, wisdom, and power of God with excellence. But it is solely in the Scriptures where we discover God giving Himself and all He possesses to us, in order to win our response and to possess us for Himself. Love is what God is. It defines Him and He delineates real love! The kind of love that requires and demands for selfish reasons is entirely foreign to the type of love modeled by the Lord Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. Love is not God, but God is love. He is the real definition of love. He presents love as sacrificial, selfless, others-oriented, boundless, meaningful, substantial, and significant. By God's definition love is primarily an action word and not merely an emotion. It is a sound choice to seek the highest spiritual welfare of another.  

Love is also What God Does. Obviously He expresses love. God loved and gave; He loved and sought—just as a shepherd seeks his wandering sheep. God loved and suffered, proving His love by giving HIS ALL ON THE CROSS FOR THE REDEMPTION OF HUMANITY. God, according to His brand of love, wills good for all His creatures. We do not always perceive the good He wills for us, but never-the-less He does seek our highest welfare. 

God Is Always Waiting with Open Arms, Ready to Receive Those Who Turn to Him in Faith. He longs to embrace us, forgive us, save us, restore us to full fellowship with Himself, and to bless us as His children. Yes, God loves us sinners enough to save us. Is this not clearly what John 3:16, is saying “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”? Yes, we are guilty perishing sinners who are not even close to being right with God. We have gravely offended Him with our ignorance of Him and His will for us. We do not measure up to His infinite perfections in any wise. While perishing forever in the Lake of Fire is a real threat to the unsaved, the hope of salvation through Jesus Christ is equally valid. We must do as the Scriptures prescribe and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. It is Christ Jesus who died taking the blame for our sinfulness. God accepted Christ’s death as the full payment for sin and raised Him back to life again. While we cannot trust a dead Savior, we can turn to a living Lord in repentance and faith. Acknowledge to God that you too are a sinner, and that you are truly sorry for the way you have violently assaulted His Majesty. Believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died in your place to save you from your sins. Recognize that Jesus is alive forevermore and is waiting to save you the instant you truly turn to Him. Believe the Gospel of Christ before it is eternally too late for you.

What an Encouraging Thought, that Nothing—Absolutely Nothing—can Separate Us from God's Love for Us. Look once more at Romans 8:39, where the Bible says, “Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” That is correct; nothing at all can sever us from the "love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." If you are saved by God's marvelous grace, then God loves you forever! Since Believers are "in Christ Jesus" absolutely nothing can separate us from God's love! Drink deeply from this well of truth. Allow it to free you from questioning God’s great love. You are loved unconditionally and forever by the great God who is love in its most perfect form and expression. Go ahead and accept this truth. Remember, the truth always has this freeing facet! Be free from fearing God will walk out on you because of your repeated failures. He can still change your life and advance you beyond where you are. He will do this because He loves us too much to leave us where He found us originally! Through God’s love we are released from the clutches of fear and insecurity. The LIE that we must perform somewhat perfectly to earn God’s love or blessings must lose its power to control our minds, hearts, and actions. We can never perform well enough to earn such high love; it can only be realized and received by grace. We do not deserve it! It is freely offered! Accept it; fully receive it!   

His incredible love is always extended to you and to me. Listen to the precious words of the prophet in Jeremiah 31:3, saying “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” This is God speaking ever so tenderly to His people. Can you hear Him speaking to your heart? His love is of an everlasting character, and with such love He draws us unto Himself. God does not love us because we deserve His love and have performed well enough to earn it. His love is everlasting towards His people. His love will never quit on you and me. God will never turn His back on you. The Lord Jesus will never ever ever walk out on you to forsake you. He will not pack up you stuff and leave it outside of the house on the doorstep. He will not change the locks to the house while you are away from home. God will not serve you with divorce papers. No, His love is an everlasting love and He constantly seeks to draw us closer to Himself. The best thing for any human being is God, and here God offers us the very best—Himself. His love moves Him to seek us out and summons us unto His glorious person! What a fascinating thought! God wants to be with you and me. Beloved, it is our responsibility to accept His love, receive it, and delight in it. When we do so we will enjoy an inner freedom and level of acceptance that we cannot experience by any other means. This is what God offers you and me. Will you take Him up on His offer? Will you say yes to the Lord Jesus who said yes to the cross for you?

Earning The Privilege of Leadership!

Some families obviously stand out above the rest! When you meet them and as you get to know them, this conviction is strengthened. They are fresh and alive, and each family member is enthusiastic, motivated, and productive. When we look even closer at such families, we soon discover a spiritual leader who has qualities not found in the average person. He or she is the kind of leader who excels by employing a workable strategy. We want to be that kind of father and parent!

As a spiritual leader, Timothy was urged to conduct himself in a manner that no one would look down on his youthfulness in a condescending way. You know, “He is too young to lead himself, much less anyone else!” So Paul counselled Timothy to earn the respect of the people he was appointed to lead. But, how was he going to do that? How can we earn the privilege of leading others? Though we have the right and authority to lead, have we earned the privilege to influence the lives of others? Paul indicates we can earn the opportunity to truly influence others by becoming “an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”(1 Tim. 4:12). Though these guidelines apply to all areas of leadership application, I would like to apply these principles to a father and his family. This strategy also wonderfully applies to a single mother trying to raise her children in the Lord. Accordingly, a father or parent must provide a good example: Paul did not offer general motivations by merely saying “Be a good example.” No the faithful old apostle issued a checklist:

Be An Example With Your Words (1 Tim. 4:12)

The conversation of the servant of God is to be exemplary. Jesus made it extremely clear that whatever comes out of the mouth reveals what is in the person’s heart. Matthew 12:34, O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Matthew 12:37, For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

      1.  Use True Words.

Proverbs 12:22, Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight.

      2.  Use Controlled Words.

In Eph. 4:26 Paul says, “be ye angry, and sin not.” There’s a place for holy wrath and righteous indignation, but not for the sin of anger—especially the smoldering kind that lasts into the next day and longer.

Proverbs 25:28, He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.  (See Col. 4:6).

      3.  Use Gracious Words.

Eph. 4:29 says, “let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth.” The speech of a believer should never be less than pure. It is embarrassing to hear someone who claims to serve Jesus Christ speak ungodly words. That just reveals a dirty heart. There’s no place for corrupt or filthy communication in the Christian life.  Speech that glorifies God “is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers” (v. 29).

Be An Example Through Your Conversation (Conduct) 1 Tim. 4:12

You are to be a model of righteous living—a person who lives out his convictions based on Biblical principles. Nothing about you should cause shame for the name of Christ.  The things you do the places you go, the things you possess—every aspect of your life is a sermon.  That sermon either contradicts or substantiates what you say.

Make your example count through consistently emphasizing godliness.  Remember the future and welfare of your family is at stake. Lead them with your good lifestyle! We cannot become holy on our own, but God gave us his Holy Spirit to help us obey and to give us power to overcome sin. Don't use the excuse that you can't help slipping into sin. Call on God's power to free you from sin's grip.

Be An Example Through Charity (Love) 1 Tim. 4:12

Ministering to your family in love doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a hugger and kisser. There is absolutely nothing at all wrong with warm expressions of family affection, but there is more to love than this. The Apostle Paul and Epaphroditus showed their love to the church by hard work (1Thess. 2:7-12); Phil. 2:27-30).  We all are to offer self-sacrificing service on behalf of others; this is especially true at home. 

When we say the right words and live the right way but lack love, we are demonstrating a wrong view of God's expectations (1 Cor. 13:1-7).   Love is a primary motivation in all of Christian living.  Love is made visible through actions of help, assistance, correction, affection, re-enforcement, and interest.  After words and actions have had their say, love makes the message ring true or false.  Little girls and boys need desperately the love of their godly father.  I still believe that the main key to preventing fornication among young unmarried people is the right kind of affection at home.  The same could be said for gangs, drugs, and alcohol.

Be An Example In Spirit (1 Tim. 4:12)

       1.  Inner Enthusiasm. ‘In spirit’ . . . describe the inner enthusiasm and excitement of a child of God” says Warren W. Wiersbe. Therefore, the word “spirit” refers to excitement, eagerness, intensity, passion, exuberance, and zeal.  It describes the child of God as bubbling over with an irrepressible fervor.

       2.  Spiritual Enthusiasm.  Guy King concluded that “spirit” refers to enthusiasm and describes it as a:

“ . . . . quality strangely lacking from the make-up of many Christians.  Plenty of enthusiasm  for a football match, or for an election campaign, but so little of it for the service of God.  How the magnificent enthusiasm of the Christian Scientists, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Communists should put us to shame.   Oh for the flaming zeal again that once the church knew.  This fine spirit will greatly help Timothy as he seeks to consolidate the position and to advance the line.” —Guy King, Leader, 79

The excellent parent is to exemplify spiritual enthusiasm in his Life, Labor and to his Lord.  How shameful it is to see the Lord’s servants work with a poor, reluctant, complaining spirit, or with little excitement, or enthusiasm about the work of the Lord.  Just one extra-long drawn out drudgery!   

Be An Example In Faith (1 Tim. 4:12)

The word “faith” carries the idea of ‘faithfulness,’ ‘trustworthiness,’ ‘consistency’ or ‘fidelity.’                                                                                                                          

     1.  Faith Is Made Evident in Faithfulness.

Timothy was to be consistent, faithful, and trustworthy in his ministry. People can follow that kind of a leader.  Consistency separates those who succeed from those who fail.

1 Cor. 4:2, Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

At all times and in all trials show your family, how they ought to maintain unshaken confidence in God by your example!  Weather it is tithing, soul winning, singing, praying, Bible reading, burden bearing, or waiting on God; be faithful at all times.

      2.  Faith is Made Evident in Fidelity.  (Dependability)

Fidelity is being faithful to your Ministry, to your flock, to your class, to your home and family, to the public, and certainly to your God. Fidelity means the people who know you have NO doubts about you; they are free to depend on you always without regret or reluctance.

           a. Preserving All. Fidelity consists in honestly keeping, preserving, and coming through when required. This involves whatever is entrusted to our care. It is preserved from lose or damage in our care.  This is the goal of every godly father—he desires to preserve his entire family from sin, Satan, and hell. 

           b. Improving All. Improving whatever is placed in our trust for improvement.  It is better than it was because of our faithful care.  Seek to develop servants for Jesus Christ through your family ministry is the idea here. While it is wonderful when a family produces a good doctor, a solid lawyer, a business strategist, a strong godly pastor, the aim is to fully develop each family member to reach their potential in Christ!

The Lord Jesus Christ was absolutely faithful to His Father and as a Good Steward of the Disciples that the Father gave Him, He lost none of them.  Every genuine convert was preserved and improved under the Lord Jesus’ faithful care and ministry! John 17:12, While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. 

John 18:9, That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.

Beloved, decide that you will lose nothing that God commits to your charge, and you will improve every precious gift that He gives.  Every person, opportunity, moment, and ability faithfully employed in His work to preserve and improve what He gave you to work with! Preserve and improve your family—you are the leader. By the grace of God take the initiative. Don’t be a hit and miss dad who emphasize spiritual and family matters for a short period and then forget all about it, but be consistent and faithful to your family. They need a faithful investor into their spiritual and moral welfare. They require a model to follow; the model you provide them. Decide to provide them with that mentor and example every day and always. Give them the kind of attention that will shape them for Christ.

Be An Example of Purity (1 Tim. 4:12)

Paul ended emphasizing virtue and chastity. The word “purity” refers not only to sexual chastity, but also to the motives and intents of the heart.  If your heart is pure, your behavior will be pure as well.  This implies integrity and consistency and reinforces the entire list. History has shown us that a family can be devastated by sexual impurity on the part of the parents. Men in leadership are vulnerable in that area when they let their guard down. We all must maintain absolute moral purity. Parents cannot effectively influence their children to be pure, when they are unwilling to live out this standard for themselves. Do as I say, and not as I do simply does not fly!
These are all vital constituents of Christian living. Carelessness in any one of these areas can spell failure and even disaster. The above qualities are to be developed, not just for public display, but as the uniform texture of our life.

Some families stand out visibly above the rest! They are fresh and alive, and the people involved are enthusiastic, motivated, and productive. Looking behind the scenes, you find a leader who has qualities not found in the average person. He or she is a leader who excels. Be that kind of father!