Assured Because of Our Love for Others, Part 2

Today on Summit line JD Greer says there are two responses to the gospel. When you believe the gospel simultaneously bees do things you lose fear and you grow in love. One of the other cannot really say, but you both are saved because someone understands the gospel through things always happen they lose their fear because they know and trust the finished work of Christ, and to begin to grow in love because their tasting of how much God is actually Bible teaching ministry Emily that it ends today. We've come to the conclusion of our series called a short discovering how we can know with absolute certainty whether or not part of God's family. The underlying truth of this whole teaching series is that he doesn't want you living in fear and doubt if you'd like to catch up on the previous messages in this study.

You can find them@cheneygreer.com.

Now let's get started with the final message titled short because of our love for others, it is conceivable that you could encounter the power of the love and grace that God has not become filled with that love and grace yourself. Anyone who is given a glimpse of by the Spirit into the love of God walks away, staggered without words really to describe it. Psalm 103 for as high as the heavens are above the earth. That's how great is God's steadfast and ever-changing love for those who know him measure that. How do you measure the height of the heavens above your that would take an awfully long tape measure to say that the edge of the Milky Way galaxy, which is one of the smaller galaxies and our universe. If you were traveling at the speed of light hundred 86,282.2 mph it would take you 100,000 years to get to the edge of the Milky Way galaxy without a frame of reference in the time it takes me is that my fingers light would've circumnavigated our globe seven times, Adele fasciitis and astronomers believe that there close to 80 billion galaxies in the universe, which by the way you do the math is more than 10 for every person who is ever lived on this planet topic and have plenty to do in heaven, I will forever to get bored because of wanted to explore other to get to the edge of our universe. They say if you were traveling at the speed of light would take 15.5 billion years. That is the analogy that God chose to measure his love for you to blow your mind all say how could you get a glimpse about love and not become a loving person yourself, Paul said that the love of God surpasses our knowledge, and if we could just get a glimpse of the height brought the length of the depth of God's love for us.

Height height as high as the heavens are above the earth. The belief impulses link.

I think of the fact that Jesus chose you before the foundation of the world. It says, which means that were before there was ever even a creation before you whatever following Jesus had set his love on you and chosen you, and purpose to die for you revelation. I say behold the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world is reasonable for diacritical world. Father noted purpose to crucify Jesus to save you.

It's a love that will extend for all of eternity never known, never will I turn my back on you says God the breath of God's love to know exactly what Paul means by that.

But what always think about is the extent of control that he exercises in our universe to work his plans for the ends that he has them all things Paul says in Ephesians 1 all things are working for the purposes that God has ordained good and loving purposes in your life, the breath of God's love of God's love how far God had to reach down to actually save me my my faults my dysfunctions my sins, they were not a surprise to God God and I go, I did know that you were like that. He saw all that when he purpose to save me while I was still a sinner. Christ died for me. Nothing about that this week. Imagine that when you were single. You had to wear a little warning label around your neck that just listed out all of your faults like a warning on a carton of cigarettes you say just displayed everybody warning Moody ferocious morning breath snores lazy anger problems occasionally lies where that's anybody they got close to you what we would got to take a look at what they were. You never get a date right this dating is by definition unconditional love.

I'm dating you to see if you're worthy of my love. Nobody goes into a dating relationship unconditionally, you know, I cannot hear what is revealed by you in the next. Our first day here I'm with you for the rest of your life for nobody does that because that is kinda creepy.

Dating is by definition unconditional love because you see that this person is worthy of your love. I've only experienced in my lifetime, one love, earthly love, that was different than that. When I looked at my child, the first child.

I did not look into her face and say now is this one.

She worthy of my love and I love her because she was mine. At no point in her childhood with any of my children why ever sit down and say Paris is not working out is not you it's me. It really is, but I just got some different things that are going on in my life right now. Men are actually her faults of anything make me love her more. I have compassion on her and I want to help her in her weaknesses.

I have set my love upon her in the depth of my love for her is different than the love that I have for anybody for any of my children. That's how I feel about them.

That's how God's love is for us, tender, compassionate, unconditional, like a father with the child who knows the faults who chooses to love in any way except a few billion light-years times more intense than any love you ever had for your kid how could you possibly encounter a love of that magnitude, and not become loving yourself. Paul said that the first fruit of the spirit is what love the sign that you have encountered the spirit of God is giving you insight into the heart of God is that you become a loving person because it is inconceivable that you could experience that kind of love and not become loving yourself Richard Baxter that that the Puritan is it a small thing in your eyes to be loved by God to be the son.

The spouse, the beloved, but the light of the King of glory Christian believe this and think about it often, you will be eternally embraced in the arms of the love which was from everlasting and will extend to everlasting of the love which brought the son of God's love from heaven to earth from earth to the cross from the cross to the grave from the grave to glory. That love which was weary, hungry, tempted, scorned, scourged and spat upon, crucified, pierced, love which fasted and prayed. Point healed up, sweated, bled, died for you that love will eternally embrace you, it is inconceivable that you could encounter the power that love and grace and not be filled with love yourself. That's what the point John is making is G it's like imagine that that when it came time for the message here we can.

After the video done not on stage. There's nobody on stage and five or six minutes are based on a look around like what's going on so awkward to show up and suddenly just when you think that I'm not showing up in the side door of audit when I bust in I am out of breath. I got sweat all over my face mud my hairs all messed up my shirts on talks which is pretty common. But you I just look like a mess and I woke up here in my got I'm so sorry I'm late with ugly would have merely rear I was out there on give Alexander I was driving here and I had a flat tire and you know, so I asked God to change a tire and I'm not taking up the lug Dodson the lug nuts on the road so I turn I go get Aetna to pick it up and you're a honk of the horn and look up and when you know it there's a tractor-trailer I'm going 75 miles an hour it just right. Run me over to Remi over and I just didn't know what he gets good he backed up Remi over again twice by tractor-trailer men that hurt, but not cannot dust myself off the bed and tried to what you know and and so I that's why I'm late. I'm sorry what your response that you a liar. That's right your liars. You got hit by tractor-trailer 175 miles an hour, you look different. You won't different you talk different about you.

Be different. Right John says is no way for you to get hit with even a taste of the force of God's love and become a loving person yourself is inconceivable. The other story I use a lot of this is the story. The story Jesus told one my favorite parables were Jesus talks about the man never this minute is been forgiven of 10,000 talents by another man.

Now talent was a unit of money is not $75 in first century Israel 10,000 with the highest number you can count to a Greek so you said 10,000 something like, say, an infinity of something so this guy was this other guy an infinity of money. Think national debt. Okay, this guy was this other guy, the national debt and so the day comes for the debt to be paid in those days if you couldn't pay off the debt, then you would become a slave to the person that you have the money to secure work them for the rest of your life and by the end of your life. You nailed the dead, and your kids will become the slaves of their kids, and that's how one family llama get enslaved to another family life to this guy was this guy an infinity of money.

$16.2 trillion and this other guy is ready to collect it and on the day that it's going to be due there boasting in court when the guy who owes the money breaks down and he gets down on his face to source the way but he says please sir, don't put me in prison. Don't take me for my kids don't put my kids in prison. Give me one more week and I will pay off the $16.2 trillion, which is a ridiculous day because he could never pay it off everybody's watching the scene in the courtroom and Jesus story and you can almost feel the awkwardness that would've swept over the courtroom, could you not because people who aren't positioned alone other people. $16.2 trillion.

Don't get there by being a pushover. I don't get there by having a soft spot right people, who alone other people money when we call them loan not loan puppies or loan bunnies loan sharks to the real pay back your money in a timely way they serve some guy named Bruno to your door with a stick to break your kneecaps everybody's like this so pathetic when the most unexpected thing happens.

Jesus story this man. His is also emotion that Jesus calls supplied by, which is another one of my favorite records supplied me means a gut level compassion.

We don't know why. Maybe it's got a mind of his son, who knows, but it was this man, he says, stand up as you do not have another week to pay me back because as of this moment your $16.2 trillion dentist is wiped away. A man can't believe it. For the first time, as long as he can remember he doesn't owe somebody else money and he feels as light as air. Imagine what that would have been like to been forgiven. Infinity of money to escape slavery with you and your kids.

So the man walked out the courtroom feeling as light as air as he walked out of the courtroom. Another man cross industry that he knows who owes him $12 because of some money to got barred three weeks ago and the guy who you know just got forgiven. $16.2 trillion as a member of my money because a man I'm sorry it's been a rough week. I have given Ashley up at your $12. No, says the guy you will not have till next week I'm taking you to debtor's prison right now to you work it off to pay me back the same and chill out its $12 I will pay you next week and the guy says too late for that. And he grabs and Jesus is by the throat and drags him and throws him in prison. Can you imagine when Jesus is at this point the store that everybody starts rolling her eyes say come on man, be serious. Nobody that had just been forgiven. $16.2 trillion, will hold somebody else accountable for 12 and Jesus says exactly. Therefore, if you are not the kind of person who naturally is generous. If you're the kind of person who naturally does not forgive others. That's probably a pretty good sign that you have never encountered the love of God and have no concept of what he's forgiven you off.

What I'm sadly trying to say to you is maybe the fact of how and gracious some of you are in your marriage might be a better proof that you don't actually know God than anything else would look at in your life because people who encounter the loving grace of God to a one by definition always become the kind of people who are loving and gracious toward others, so test number one. We know that we know God, because we love one another.

So… Do some diagnosis here. How much do you love people. How much you sacrifice for people Johnson this one chapter before. If anyone has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against them.

How good God's love possibly abide in that person. How could you sees more than me that you could me and just close your heart to it. There's no way that you could have encountered the love and the grace of God that rescued you when you have that kind of need not become the kind of person who naturally gives away your things other people when they have a need. Where would you believe Jesus had chosen to leverage his resources for you what you are leveraging yours for the salvation of the world what you're giving like what you're giving like the whole trajectory of your life. Is it to love and serve people for the whole trajectory of your life to promote yourself. Listen, I know not everybody supposed to be a pattern, a missionary and I might say that in the slightest, but I am saying there. Some of you that need to do a fundamental rethinking of your life as you chose the career you're in and you are pursuing the goals that you're pursuing and it is all about you building a small kingdom for yourself and it is hard for me to get my mind around how you would possibly know Jesus because he gave himself for you. He became poor, you could live.

How could you not turn around and save. How can the gifts and the talents and the opportunities I have, how can they not be used to serve the world that is as lost as I was before Jesus save me how quickly do you forgive how quickly you forgive you place more value on nursing your wounds or you seen someone reconciled and come back to good and restored to God rather basic question.

Are you interested in other people person like Dave when I thought about me on Arlington talking.

I thought about me know what you talk about me for a while person it serves other people you pay attention to them was his get all of it and now the last person you talk about Jesus and we have a lot of really bad excuses for her lack of sharing Christ of the people logical mile gelato but I don't. But if two reasons.

Number one. How hard is it me if you're on top of a 10 story building is on fire and firemen break the glass. I could write you 10 story down to safety put you on the sidewalk and go back in for somebody else.

You even know his name. Somebody will combine the streams of what is happening you're like that but it was on fire and that did save me. How hard is it you were dead in sin, you were deserving of going to hell. And Jesus died in your place. Now I love him bone.

That's it.

That's is not hard to share. Or here's another thing I said I did was I don't know how once you learn how well this is hard. You figured out the remote on your TV, which took the brain of a rocket scientist.

You can figure out how to tell somebody about the love of God which defines it has saved your life. Having the real reason we don't tell people about Jesus has more to do with the fact that were more concerned about our convenience than we are there conversion and it all goes back to the lack of love because you love people. You figured out words Charles Spurgeon when asked him people who never heard about Jesus, can they be saved. Spurgeon said well that's a good question Lisa, but I had a more pressing question for our church and that is can those of us who have heard about Jesus believe in him and are doing nothing to take in the people that are never heard. Could we possibly be saved.

How could we say we know Jesus and not have hearts that just go the sign that were filled with God is that we love like God loves and that reveals itself and how we give and how we self-sacrifice and how we forgive others, like Jesus did for us not think it probably that might send some of you into despair. What's the measure. How do I know that I love enough.

The answer to those questions is no, you don't love enough. Which is why the basis of your salvation is not an how much you love the basis of your salvation is and what Christ accomplished for you. He loved enough and that he died for your loveless messenger place, but as you see that and as you believe it. You should see God's love beginning in you. Do you see love growing in you, which leads me to one more thing I want to point out before I close this one of the thing that having our eyes open to the love of God does for us and I am so glad that John just tucked it in here because at first I couldn't figure out why he didn't seem like you to change directions, but there's her it's very important that he taught these two verses that I skipped verses 17 and 18 look a bit for John four by this is love perfected with us so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment. As were talking about. I want to know that I'm say that I have confidence for the day of judgment.

There is no fear in love, perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with what church punishment. Whoever fears has not been perfected in love. Number two test number two. We know that we know God, because God's love is driven out of fear ship phrase fear has to do with punishment when you are afraid of death.

When you're afraid you're not say it's because you fear punishment you fear rejection and that prove whose lesson that you have not yet understood or believed or grass. The gospel, which is that all sin and all judgment and all condemnation have been removed forever in Christ when you grasp the finished work of the gospel.

Fear vanishes because you are embraced by perfect love, perfect love that is not simply a feeling, perfect love that perfectly satisfied the claims of God's wrath against you and perfectly saved you so that there is no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus you like to have. It is no longer based on how loving you are. It's based on Jesus finished work and that drives out fear.

Most Christians that I talked to were still scared to die and I have some questions like this if you die, do you know for sure that you go to heaven. And the answer I can get back is always were not always is a lot of times this now.

Yeah it's I think I think I didn't abandon better now that I go to your church, bring my Bible every week and I know some of the God songs in my radio dial 7106.7 and I'm just listening to K love and I'm doing that by Girl Scout cookies.

I never did that before and you know something I'm pretty sure that you go to heaven and up when the heartbreaks is unknown, but they still get it.

They still don't get it because they think that injury to have.

It is something you earn. Where is entry to have. It is something Jesus earned in your place and gave to you was a gift and when you embrace that there is no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ Jesus. Nothing to separate me from his love.

I miss some of you will hear this the wrong way but I will say it anyway. I am as sure of heaven. Right now I am as sure if you put out a gun and shot me the time. My body hit the floor. My spirit would be in heaven with Jesus. I am so sure of that.

I am as sure of heaven as Jesus himself is Jesus became salvation. He took my place. My salvation is a security is how to know will be thrown out of heaven. Jesus could lose his position of the right hand of the father. Therefore there is no fear left in my relationship with God because my salvation is not based on how much I love. It's based on his finished work. So when you believe the gospel. You have simultaneously these two things you lose fear and you grow in love.

If you want about the other, you're not really say, but if you got both your saved because someone who understands the gospel to things always happen they lose their fear because they know and trust the finished work of Christ, and it begin to grow in love because their tasting of how much God is actually love them. The two things that John identifies that prove you been genuinely born again is that you have fearlessness about God because you know the gospel and love is growing in your heart because you have tasted the love of God in the gospel are these things true of you if they are not what you do you believe the gospel because the gospel is the conduit of God's power of salvation in your life, whatever is wrong whatever your whenever you're afraid you do one thing believe the gospel in rock impaired in the first week to a chair and I told you that you can only be in one of two positions in relation to the chair you're standing beside the chair or your having set down in the chair. You can only be in one of two relationships of Jesus Christ right now. Right now you are and want to relationship your standing beside him as your own authority or you have sat down and submission to him and you have sat down in your trust in the finished work of salvation he did on your behalf to believe the gospel is a summary sat down I told you not to obsess about when you made the decision to sit down because when you made the decision is not as important as the posture that you're in right now in relation to Jesus fall you that I'm looking at right our city. How do you know that you made the decision to sit down when you came in number is because remember making a decision know you know that you made the decision to sit down with the fact that you were seated in that posture right now. That's how you know how you know you made the decision to trust Christ because you never pray the prayer know this because right now you're surrendered to Christ Lordship your trust in him as Savior. There's only two categories of people in his room. Those who are standing as their authority and standing those that are in heaven and those who have sat down in Jesus righteousness and submission which are you I can answer the question of whether or not your saved in one question what is your present posture and relationship with Jesus Christ. Assurance does not come from remembering a prayer that your brain assurance comes from a posture in the present today. Are you leaning on him, trusting him to lead and give strength or are you still trying to do life in your own an important distinction we've learned today Senate life with pastor JD Greer. Be sure to request your copy of JD's new devotional sure it reflecting on your security in God's family, so pastor JD. I think a lot of us really struggle with this concept of assurance, especially when we see a friend or a loved one who is fallen away and stopped following God's out.

How can we be sure that won't happen to I yeah I think we all know somebody like that somebody who seemed like for a while they were genuine follower of Christ with them later in life.

They walk away and the question becomes, is it possible for somebody to lose their salvation. The Bible does teach that once you're truly saved.

You can never be lost and so you can't lose your salvation was also is true is that once you truly saved and you will always follow Jesus. That's something I dress and a new devotional that were given out with the series, short, we would love to get you a copy of this, we think it could be useful for you very helpful in your own path to assurance, but also just been helping you know how to counsel somebody else may be when your children are somebody just in your life and be a parent if you reach out to us in JD Greer.com. I would love to not only part of your ministry but put a resource like this in the area is only days left to request a copy so don't wait. Give us a call right now, 866-335-5220 online Katie clear.

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