READ TIM: 3:1-9
READ ROM. 1:18-32
READ JOHN 3:16

Selfishness motivates our world
Instead of love for God and others, selfishness predominates. A study of books, magazines and newspapers reveals that the majority of people are indeed looking out for number one. The recurring themes are: "What's in it for me?" "Do unto others before they do unto you." "You only go around once, so grab all the gusto you can."

NEW YORK, NEW YORK
A violent storm knocked out power lines July 13 resulting in a 25 hr. black out marked by widespread looting and violence. The final cost of the blackout, including damage to property, the city's bills for overtime pay for policeman, and losses to business and people, was estimated at 310 million dollars.

The love of many will grow cold
Matt 24:12
"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. (NKJ)

1.The Greatest Affection
For God so Loved the World
*God's love is not restricted [incarcerated]
God cannot be confined or limited in his love in anyway.

a. (v.) To deprive of freedom or liberty:

o cage
o hem in
o restrain
o restrict
o free (antonym)
o liberate (antonym)

2. The Greatest Action
That He Gave His Only Begotten Son
*God's love is not regretted [remorseful]
God does not show you a courteous expression of regret.

1. God does not feel sorry for himself because he chose to love you. God is not disappointed that he saved you. God is not distressed of his decisions about loving you. 2. When God looks at you he does not remember you with a feeling of loss or sorrow; he does not mourn over his love for you

a. (n.) Unhappiness caused by the failure of one's expectations:

o disappointment
o dissatisfaction
o frustration
o letdown
o discontent
o satisfaction (antonym)
o fulfillment (antonym)

3. The Greatest Affirmation
That whosoever believes in him
*God's love is not retreated [gone into retirement]
1. God will not withdraw his love from us
2. God's love cannot be receded.
3. God's love will not retire..
4. God's love cannot fall or draw back.

4. The Greatest Assurance
will not perish
*God's love is not [contradictory]

1. God's love cannot be opposite of himself because he is consistent with himself
2. God's love cannot contradict his Son who is the very object of his love
3. God cannot disclaim his own love because he is love
4. God cannot dispute his own love
5. God cannot discredit his own love

5. The Greatest Alms
But have everlasting life
*God's love is not retracted [dishonored]
God's love cannot be limited by time or space, and this is the reason for giving us eternal life because God's love is eternal and it stands firm in the heavens


Love makes an effort
Love makes an effort to keep the bond of peace through the unity of the Spirit, no matter what the cost. If we as Christians are so easily segregated by our differences, then love is not the ruling factor in our hearts. The love of Christ knows no limit. The cross is a perfect example of that love. Christ bore our sins upon himself covering every offense. If we do not love we limit ourselves because love is eternal.

Love conquers all
If we love God then we will serve him, and if we are servants of God, than we are commendable in every way with much patience and endurance. All tribulation, distress, turmoil, affliction and trials, can all be conquered by that one and great-unlimited power, love! The strength of God in every heart is love. The peace of God in every soul is love. The joy of God in every life is love. The kingdom of God is love. The Son of God is love. All things that pertain to God is love.

2 Cor 6:4-6
4 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, 5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; 6 by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, (NKJ)

We are invited to feast in his love
God is no respecter of person and he will pour out of his love to all who receive him and opens their heart to him. It is for this reason that Jesus says, "Behold I stand at the door and knock, and if anyone hears my voice and opens up the door, I will come into him and will feast with him". The Lord Jesus Christ stands at the door of our hearts and he wants us to let him in. It is this love that God pours into our hearts that transforms us in every way.

Rom 5:5
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (NKJ)

The love of God will renew you
The love of God renews us and causes us to rise up with wings as an eagle. It's this love that goes so deep into our being, that it recreates us until we are the exact image of God. Everyone who is possessed by God must walk in love, because truth and love cannot be separated. This is the very essence of God and why he crowns us with lovingkindness.

Ps 103:4
Who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies.

God gives us the freedom to choose whether we should love him or not. We must make a conscious decision to love him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.

Deut 6:5
Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Psalms 18:1 I will love You, O LORD, my strength. (NKJ)

The greatest free will offering
God not only calls us sons and daughters but he also bestowed upon us his gracious loving Spirit, in which he has given us his holy power to love without limit and without reservation. God's love has no restraint; it bears all things, hopes all things, and believes all things. This is love not that we loved first, but that God loves us and calls us his children.

Love must govern all the gifts
All the gifts of God should be properly monitored and motivated by love. It is foolish for us to think that we can manifest the gifts of God without first maintaining a life style of love. God gave because he loved. To be endowed with great eloquence and a knowledge that can fathom all the mysteries of the ages, and yet not be possessed by God's love, it will amount to nothing.

LOVE
Love your neighbor
Matt 5:43
"You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' (NKJ)

Love your enemies
Luke 6:27
"But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, (NKJ)

Love keeps the commandments
John 14:24
"He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me. (NKJ)

Love one another
John 15:12
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. (NKJ)

Go after love
1 Cor 14:1
Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. (NKJ)
1377 dioko (dee-o'-ko);
follow (after), given to, (suffer) persecute (-ion), press forward.

Love or be cursed
1 Cor 16:22
If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come! (NKJ)

Faith works through love
Gal 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love. (NKJ)

We stand before him in love
Eph 1:3-7
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (NKJ)

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