Knowing God’s Love - John 3:7-21
How can I know the love of God more?
Review
Logic vs Discernment
7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. - John 3:7-15
Here Jesus is again speaking to be able to discern spiritual things
But He is also setting up where He is taking Him to revelation of what He will do for humanity
God’s Love
Loved Poured Out
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. - John 3:16-18
The Blockage
A Spiritual Reason We Don’t Know God’s Love
While these are possible reasons from a human perspective, there is a greater spiritual reason
There’s a difference between not knowing God’s love and being separated from God’s love
What do I mean by not knowing God’s love?
4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. - Revelation 2:4
Most interpret this as a love for God that has grown cold
That’s not the case
2 “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. - Revelation 2:2-3
We can tell from the books Acts and Ephesians and here in Revelation that the early church in Ephesus was characterized by both love and zeal
Their love for God had not gone cold, even 50 years later
So what’s wrong with their love?
15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints… - Ephesians 1:15
They had a love towards all the saints, but now it’s gone
4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. - Revelation 2:4
Love and Action
Have you stopped loving your brothers and sisters?
At first glance, you’d probably say no
Why? Because you’re probably thinking of a love based on how you feel about the person
Love isn’t based on feelings
Anyone who has been married for a length of time knows that love is not determined by feelings, it’s shown by works
Words are meaningless unless there is action put to them
Jesus wasn’t admonishing this church to love more in their feelings, He was commanding them to love in action
5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. - Revelation 2:5
Do the works you did at first
It’s action, not feeling
The Blockage Removed
The Connection Between God’s Love and Our Love
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. - I John 4:7-12
I must suggest based on the text we read in Revelation that this love that John speaks of here is love in action
Yes, there is the affection we have towards each other, but love without action are empty words
Knowing God’s Love
What really stops me from knowing the love of God?
The deep and true answer is found in the love for one another
Love in action where our words match our deeds
A sacrificial love
If you want to know the love of God in your own life, love someone else the way Christ has loved you
Taking Action
5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. - Revelation 2:5
We have 3 instructions here
Remember where you’ve fallen
First they should remember their first state
It is possible to slip away gradually without realizing what is happening.
A useful counter is to go back in thought to the first days.
The Greek imperative is present, with a meaning like ‘keep on remembering’, ‘hold in memory’.
Repent
The second step is repent (the aorist points to a sharp break with evil). Christians can never dally with wrong.
There must be a sharp break with it.
Do the works you did at first
Do the things you did at first, i.e. the works that had issued from their first love
What works of love can you do?
Love and Light
This has a profound affect that is bigger than yourself
God’s love extends God’s light
19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” - John 3:19-21
Now it’s time to show this same love given to you by God towards others and watch how your experience of God’s love fills you up