God's Amazing Love

Amy Willis Tucker Bibles let's go back first. John will be in chapter 3 verses one through eight tonight verse John chapter 3 verses one through eight. Some verses that are difficult.

I guess in, and some matter of difference opinion not really on the final doctrinal truth is being taught. But how to interpret them, but I trust in the balance of biblical truth. These contexts can come out very clear and Alyssa look at it together.

First John chapter 3, beginning in verse one.

I call this exposition God's amazing love verse John chapter 3 verse one see how great a love the Father has bestowed on us that we would be called the children of God and such. We are for this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know him, love, and that we are children of God, and it is not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him just as he is, and everyone who has this hope fixed on him purifies himself, just as he is pure everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness and sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins.

And in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him sins and no one who sins has seen him are no sin, little children, make sure no one deceives you the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous, and one who practices sin is of the devil of the devil has sinned from the beginning.

The son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. God's amazing love which begin looking at verse one and talk about his crowning love in a series while back in numerous times since then I've spoken to you about the fact that where there's a proneness in Christian teaching that Tom God is ultra simplistic is like God can only feel one way he only loves one way is you and I can love in many different ways can we not we love a suit of clothes.

We love our pets. We love our children. We love our spouses, we love our fellow man and we all know there's differences, and that is not wrong to use the word that way. We all understand that means differently. Was I think is true about God. And while I'm not going to be exhausted anyway about the differing types of love God displays. I do want to talk about number one his crowning love what is the highest expression of love that God has ever shown will is unfolded there in verse one, when he says, and in the verse see how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us.

Actually, you could word instead of see how you could use the word behold it's is the word behold to call attention John Assange will call your attention to something that is stupendous. Something that is wondrous, something that is amazing and I hope that grabs you tonight that John wants you to be grabbed John want you to be in a good way.

Startled and taken aback at the wonder of this crowning love of God for his children 90s connecting this back to verse 29 of the preceding chapters as if you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who practice righteousness is born to be. The flow is that the very fact that you appreciate righteousness. The very fact that you embrace love and strive after righteous living shows that God has poured his love on you shows that he loves you.

Apart from God's initiative and love toward you, you would still love yourself and love sin and love the world is an amazing love that God would go to the effort and thought about it. Why did he just get rid of all of us just create a new world, but he chose to take riches thought about going to Ephesians 2 and unpacking metal begin to show the great depth of human depravity and defilement that we all have before this infinitely holy and righteous God, and yet he not because of anything in us that drew his attention or drew his affections out of his all being his own unlimited capacity to do good to those who are most unworthy that's us.

He loved us. The polyp apology fund says behold this is amazing. This is wondrous to to contemplate and I submit to you that she is crowning love. Actually when he says behold what great love and the new American Standard. Some scholars would argue it's better to say what manner of love dissect this thing look at the dimensions of it.

Look at the wonders of the greatness and the glories of this thing, this love God has for his children. It has surpassing excellence. John 1513 the Lord said, greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friend John was to grab our attention behold look at the amazing aspect of this love of God and then he comes up to that. The second phrase there that we might be called the children of God, you just read that you just go on and drink your coffee.

How you do that you you are now called the child of God out of fully holy, completely out of God's active initiative toward you, through his son Jesus Christ. That's his crowning love nothing that we know love that God has demonstrates comes to that level. Love you not say what about the great love between God the father and God the son. The Scriptures bed that out. Well I'm not going to debate you about which ones greater which once more glories except to say this God loving God is one thing God loving us the riches, the enemies, the violators of his holiness that we were the deep unending offensiveness of our very being. Before his holiness and yet for him to pour that love toward us to make us become a child of God I submit to you that is his crowning love love that took us from the dominion of Satan and the corruption of sin to the kingdom of Jesus in the kingdom of light. He one way you might categorize the love's God has shown in the Bible. I might even out and specifically said in Genesis.

But when God made all that he made in creation.

The Bible says God looked at it and said this is very good collected all it made and said this is very good.

That would include the animal kingdom enough the plant kingdom, and all the three so in one sense the way we use the word today. Anyway, we could say God loves all that he made. God loves all of creation. There is certainly teaching in the Scripture, not a lot but teaching in Scripture about how to treat your animals.

Take care of your livestock, but that's not even to be compared to the love God has for humankind for me and made in the image of God should great love for all mankind that the Bible teaches God's but that's not the crowning love of God, the crowning love of God is that love that is extended to his children.

You want to look at it from the mammary perspective, those who repeated and believed on Christ.

If you want to look at it from the divine, eternal perspective, those who are his predestined and elect children. Nevertheless, what it took to bring you from the place of corruption and woe and wrath to the standing of a child of God. John says this is amazing this would behold the amazed over marble over it. One of the great great great errors in pulpits today in theological schools today is a light treatment of the doctrine of CN men must know the weightiness of their true standing to have a heart of gratitude and love for God for bringing them out of that place and into this exalted glorious position as John says here being called the children of God see there's a giant chasm between God's what you might call his general love for all mankind's greatest that is in his redeeming love for his children.

I said this you sometime ago. It was an original with me, but I can't yet you know how you agree to such a truth gets a hold of you and it never lets go but just kind of a little phrase in it Rick it speaks of the truth and it's just always there will this is one of those truths that just tears me up in a good way and I don't understand what the and tear you up, but it does tear you up.

You just don't tell me. But here's the truth.

Perhaps the greatest assurance we have that God will never quit loving us is that he never started loving us as far as his elect children. He's always loved you I have loved you. He says with an everlasting love. Oh my goodness, I'm just you just need to go somewhere and lay down in a field and think about that. There's never going to try and all eternity past, when God's eyes glorious love the power of God was not pointed at me fully for me, never been a time there been John says behold this amazing love marble over this talk about here. He is crowning love.

The Bible says in love. He became man.

He bridge the gap between man and God. The Bible says he became CN he brings the bridge the gap between the sinful and the holy Bible says he died in my place. He bridge bridge. The data gap for us in love between death and life. He has transferred us from that kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of his beloved son, you know, there's nothing dearer than being a son know whether he uses that terminology amazed layer upon layer upon layer of wonder in the love of God for his children how I really would hope.

I really would hope that you sitting under my preaching would have to say would be forced to say would be compelled to say one day his preaching calls me to love God more. I just love Christ more because of his preaching.

That's the real thing I want to hear. If you do, it is not true. Tell me anyway when I get real old okay now. He says in verse one we should be called the children of God less part and such.

We are in those he throws a sinner noticed the floor. The context those these antichrists these liars.

He calls them.

These people were trying to undermine the Christian faith or try to leave the children of God and the church is astray and John says.

For this reason the world does not know was because he did not know him. Was he said they don't get you. I don't understand what you're about. Like, and harass the doctrines you treasure brothers and sisters and all of you pastors out there somewhere that may hear my preaching get all of our the fleshly notion that somehow you could take the truth of God and make it up detailing to the lost world. This is not going to work. John says they didn't know God and they don't know you, which leads to. They didn't like God.

They don't like you they didn't appreciate the goodness and glories and wonders of God and the appreciating of God that they see in you. You see the whole course of the world is one great nonrecognition of God in all of God's people in all of God's doings that his people. The world looks at us and thinks we live in fantasy land. With this this hope we have in Christ. This love for this Christ we cannot see this repenting been denying sinful and lustful desires. When the whole world is going crazy, crazy the whole world is teaching today. Whatever vile, wicked and depraved. Let us not cross your mind and heart, and alternate site we ourselves are own God.

We reject that say no. There is an objective reality.

There's a personal God who gave us his law in his truce, and we don't obey his law to try to appease him. We obey his law because were his children. He's made us his children. I think were crazy. I mean right now just a moment shark week is starting on the Discovery Channel of you notice had been much good watch on TV while no sports. Whatever but some badminton going from China or something. I don't know shark week in your ear where you hear when shark week starting because your hopes and something bigger than that but that role shark week. I hope Pam recorded I would have but I'm not sure how to do it throws Hartwick far as I know other than that goofy narrative about sharks being almost like humans and all that stuff and they feel pain and I think you did crazy was she's going to appear because she thinks this is all that I give Amber talk about these animals, like their people but that is wrong that bothers me. If your children sit know you ligatures like the stupid that stuff out there that is it's magnificent the way God made all these creatures. But all this narrative about all these things I feel and think and all the stuff that's done, why do we want to be together. Why do we want to hear the preaching of the word. Why do we want to walk the way, we won't because God's makes his children is the crowning love of God. It's been displayed in the universe. Loving wretches like us are you listen to me child of God you him not make God not love you. You can't make him not love you. You never started loving you. He's always loved you and he will never stop loving well is crowning love and John talk something about his completing love.

This love, he showers on us is about a process that he's going to bring it to a completion verse two beloved, now we are the children of God that saddled you are. You just don't look a lot like it yet. Then he says it's not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when he appears, we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is so really we are now the children of God, though actually in a real manifest visible way. It's not very obvious now, don't misunderstand me. The balance of biblical truth. There are fruits in our lives.

And there is a righteous attitude and and and disposition, and certainly righteous behavior that should show people with the children of God. But there's a magnanimous statement about who we are. That's coming yet in the future.

The unveiling is coming of Christ. There we they unveiled Christ but there also be the unveiled children of God when he comes again. That's why says when he comes again will see him will be like him and we will see him just as he is listen. He saved you to make you like Jesus and in this process. In common space history. That means sometimes correction. That means sometimes discipline that mean sometimes pain you trust. Believe me, listen to me. There is not one.

The shepherd came after that he does not apprehend and bring all the way home we will be with him and glorified with him. One day you say to the world today.

We don't look much different than the M to the world. Today we reflect mostly our natural birth but there is a day that's coming when we will come to maturity out of our new spiritual birth and will be like Christ glorified with him.

This is almost like we need to live in this world under this love of Christ that will will bring this process to completion. And when you live in this world.

With this attitude, world rejects us when the world thinks were strange by the way, we don't fit this place. You did there was a day when you could say it was a general Christian consensus to the morals of our country. That's all we don't fit it all today and when we don't fit in. When it's difficult to difficult and when we are persecuted and were heartbroken. We need to remind ourselves it ain't over yet. One day they're going to see me glorified with my Savior. It will be worth it all and we live it that hope you see originally man failed in sin, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden fell into sin, and as a result of falling in the Sandman was no longer able not to see in nor able not to die, but in this new birth. We become the children of God, and we come to the final glorification limit the maturation of the new birth. We will then not be able to see it and then we will not be able to die is reversed it all for us. As part of what it means to be like Jesus.

Jesus is not able to see Jesus is not able to die in one day will be just like you. It's all coming. What was my point is completing love. He who began a good work in you will perform it until the day of Christ Jesus Coppola cross-references Philippians 321 will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of his glory by the exertion of the power he has even to subject all things to himself. Second Corinthians 38. How will the ministry. The spirit failed even a rather failed to be even more with glory how what you mean how how the minister the spirit failed to be even more glory. His point is, when Moses came off the mountain he received the letter of the law literally. Paul called it the ministry of death. Not that the law was wrong were wrong but for the children. It could bring nothing but death. The law couldn't bring the children home the forgiveness to glorification, but nevertheless, with that cold law. The letter of the law would Moses came down the bow since his face shone with the glory and the people could look on his face, and here's what Paul, Paul is saying he sank. So now the ministry the Holy Spirit, Jesus, the preaching of the gospel to change your heart make you all live in Christ Jesus bring the Holy Spirit to bear residing in your hearts.

He will continue to sanctify you bring you all the way home, the glory said that the Lord is going to be far far far greater than any glory. Moses had seen Gato met Sonia. It's going to happen. Our Lord promised this to is John 14 three if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also brothers and sisters, we might be coming to a day in this country we have to hold onto when I see him it's going get better. That could be modeling if that's the way it is.

That's enough. It's his completing love John 639 all that the father gives me loose nothing but raise it up on the last day. Romans 829 for whom he foreknew he also predestined to become conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Christ is the first and one day will be like him.

He's the firstborn over all go to be born into this new eternal existence of glorification with Christ prayed this John 1724 father, I desire that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, in order that they may behold my glory walked in with me forever.

John says the world didn't know us, the world didn't get us. We don't fit the part that's because they can't really physically see much difference between us and them. But one day one day we will bear the glory of our Savior Jesus Christ and by the way, stated his righteousness will see a thin bill sit there one number three is crowning love is the love he showed us register, save us and make us the children of God, is completing love. He's going to bring this all away through glorification. It's all because of love then thirdly his consecrating love is consecrating love beginning there. If you will, in verse four likely verse three list Arthur everyone who has this hope fixed on him purifies himself, even as he is pure he goes on everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness and sin is lawlessness. We talked about having this hope fixed on him. It means resting are grounded on him.

It means his promises are what were baking all in and were baking on it because we begun to apprehend the great love he has for us.

God does not deal with the. Since this threatening overlord uses do what I tell you our LC deals with us as a loving father who gave his son to make us his own to consecrate just contemplating this love is a consecrating or has a consecrating effect, a purifying effect on our lives if we set the compass of our hearts on Christ and one day being with him. This purifies us, Christ is our Northstar. He's the one that we focus upon and he gets us home. It is his love that sets us apart from a life of habitual sin. Sin that kills and destroys and 80 Robberson brings out that this is a linear verbiage participle sometimes in these verses where he's talking about. Not one who commits sin, but one who embraces and practices sin as his way of life. That's what the antinomian's of this day would believe that you can just indulge in sin and embrace sin and display wealth Jesus Christ covers me.

I'm okay, he says, no, no, no, that kind of what I call having as your purpose and pattern of life to see and cannot be one who knows God because when you know God's love, it changes you. And it consecrate you has a purifying effect on you must saying that you stop sending know I'm saying that it has, it causes you to begin to be a hater of the sea in your flesh. Love a hater of the sea in your flesh lives is why keep talking about you being a repent or you didn't just repent, you became a repent or verse, forget everyone who practices sin again a linear action there continues on in the embrace of see it as if nothing's happened to him is is it practices lawlessness and sin is lawlessness and then verse five, you know that he appeared in order to take away sins.

And in him there is no sin.

He appeared to go to the cross that he might remove us from the curse of sin and the penalty of sin when he comes again he will remove from us the presence and all the consequence sin had on us and in the world and the point is if you love him and your kids. You cannot at the same time embrace is a purposeful pattern of life, embracing that which the Bible calls lawlessness and sin. You do see, but it shames you it hurts you and ultimately can't bring you pleasure.

There may been pleasure in the moment, but it breaks your heart as you contemplate that your child of God. He promised this consecrating effect in our lives. John 1613, Jesus said that when the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth for he not speak on his own initiative.

Whatever he hears he will speak and he will disclose to you what is to come over to the spirit of God that he's placed in us is a part of the way God guides us into righteous living.

Whatever else the Holy Spirit does he does two things. He convicts of sin, and he illumines the Scriptures.

Those are two very purifying our consecrating means ministries in our lives. Jesus prayed for our consecration. In John 1715. He says I do not ask the to take them out of the world, but to keep them from literally out of the power of the evil one. Don't let him hold sway in their lives there no longer hears that no you can't get into this foolish man centered fleshly concept that I've got to somehow get a measurement on the sea and the number sins of the type of sins. And if I can check the right boxes often. I'm going to be okay and I probably a Christian that is foolish nonsense, you'll never win at that game. That's a dog chasing his tail. It's the attitude towards sin. The unwillingness to embrace and make it the pattern of your life.

Look at verse six. In our text. No one who abides in him. Hey, that's the word we talked about this morning. No one who rest in him, no one whose place their confidence in him as their Savior. No one who abides in him sins. Again, the pattern or practice of sin and no one who sins has seen him or knows him. No one who embraces sinful living. No one who embraces teaching that is clearly a violation of Scripture can possibly know the God listen to me can possibly know the Christ are belong to the Christ, who came to abolish sin.

Are you with me.

He came to point out what it was and do away with it. You can't claim to be hears and knowingly embrace and promote it. Can't get contemplating the great love of God for us as a consecrating effect look grasping more and more of the love of Christ is far, far, far more powerful to clean you up than emphasizing the law of God, though that must be talked would teach the law of God in order to show ourselves how much we need the grace of God and or show ourselves afresh how much we rest on the provision of God in Christ Jesus as our Savior. Look at verse seven little children make sure no one deceives you in context.

Again, the antichrist spirit the false teachers and the liars.

There were plenty in this day and there was allotted in the Gentile culture in particular I'm sure got over the Jewish culture to want to turn the public embracing of sin and wickedness and some of them were teaching that Christianity is somehow compatible with all this giving of yourself over to sin and wickedness. So he says let no one deceive you about this the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous, but he makes it his purpose and pattern to honor Christ and live according to his righteous standards. He is a righteous one. He's like Christ. Verse eight, but the one who practices sin is of the devil. This verse eight for he has sinned from the beginning and the son of God appeared for this person to destroy the works of the devil so strong condemnation here against the antinomian spirit.

This been around forever basically says grace covers everything else and there's not even to be any mention or teaching of law are morals were just all do what we want because were all in the grace antinomianism I think is what was keying in evangelical circles for decades when people emphasize mainly that I asked the Lord to save me and so I'm done, you know you will. Having tons of eyewitness to an older person.

They should preacher I did that we when you did that I will have you become something I do become a new man in Christ Jesus. Is there new thriving passion of your heart to honor him and please him and live for him as her new repenting in your soul gets all that the Scripture would say is lawless and sinful. Not that you just jump through a hoop one time. That's the antinomian concept this, check off the box. Grace covers me law.

No, no need to slaughter all we just do what we want. This is a strong condemnation of that kind of false teaching. One who comes at us with that kinda permissiveness in Christianity is of the devil. He is up to those things. Christian cannot join up in a calls that Christ came to destroy that with the text says we can begin verse eight he practices of the devil for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The son of God appeared for this person purpose to destroy the works of the devil. These things do not fit us. God is our father. Righteousness is our aim. We do not live in purposeful practicing our habitual sin for the same reason, a son or daughter who loves and respects their parents were not habitually rebel against them and what's the calls. That isn't the goal of every parent.

There's a day when when our children are young and we have to teach them right and wrong because there's a consequent I still believe in spanking.

By the way, but there's a time when they get older that there bigger than you are and their older and if you're hope that by that time they love you never learned it's wise to obey. Mom and dad that's what I mean by the love for God concentrates us is going to destroy the works of the devil. The text says in the last phrase. This reminds us that Satan is defeated, the sentence has been pronounced, but we wait for the final punishment to be meted out. This desire as we contemplate God's love. This desire to be repent or to please the Lord and never embrace sin nor justify sin comes from the heart of love for God because he loved us first. He loved us with a love so glorious it captivates our minds and it directs our hearts, that is, it purifies concentrates us teenage girls out with getting the kids one night and they're going in the car. She said they were going in the person driving civil going to so-and-so's house is having a party was.

She knew what that meant. She heard about the partisan zones of, and she said well, could you please take me home.

I can't go to a place like that one reference to the RL. What's wrong with you Fred.

Your father is going to hurt you. She said no I'm I'm afraid that I would hurt him. That's what the Bible teaches. That's the child of God. You may keep a bunch external rules and look righteous. But God don't care about that. He wants to know do you honor my word because you love me from your heart because you've grasped the crowning love. I've had for you. You've grasped the completing love. I'm going to give Jim to make you just let my son, Jesus, you inherit everything with him one day you let this now have a consecrating effect on your life.

The policeman and honor him and glorify and when you walk in this flow were never perfect, but you don't know CH you will do anything is when you see a proud legalist is flaunting their rule keeping is it that makes them righteous and you realize it's coming from a motive of self-promotion, not a motive of I'm a rigid center not been so overcome by the love of my God. For me I just want to live for him