Christmas Love Text: Selected Scriptures Series: Advent 2008, #4 Pastor Lyle L. Wahl January 6, 2008

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1 Christmas Love Text: Selected Scriptures Series: Advent 2008, #4 Pastor Lyle L. Wahl January 6, 2008 Theme: God s Christmas Love Makes An Everlasting Difference. Introduction A well-known theologian and writer was asked how he would sum up his theology, all the insights he had gained. The theologian thought for a moment and then said, The greatest theological insight I ever had is this: Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. 1 Jesus love me. We know the Bible tells us God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 2 Yes, Jesus love me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. While Christmas is behind us, today we are wrapping up our series with the theme of love. God s love for us. Christmas Love. In the first weeks we thought about three other great Advent truths. Hope. We saw that true hope is indispensable as we tried to get a fix on our hope. Peace. We saw that Christmas celebrates Christ brining true, everlasting peace to earth. And joy. We rejoiced in the truth, the reality that Christ replaces fear with joy. Now we turn to the one that is behind each of those, God s love for us. The truth we are looking at is that God s Christmas love makes an everlasting difference. We will look at two basic questions as we explore this: First, what is God s Christmas love? Then, why is God s Christmas love important?

2 What Is God s Christmas Love? The hymn writer was correct The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell. 3 We will answer the question what is God s Christmas love by walking through a brief summary of God s love from Scripture, organized along the lines of four key descriptions of His love. As we do, be very clear on this: God s love is not simply intellectual, and certainly not cold and detached. God s love has deep, vibrant warmth beyond our ability to take in. The first key description is that God s love is part of His eternal, unchanging nature it is part of who God is. Just as the Bible tells us God is holy, is spirit, is light, so it tells us that love is from God (NASB, ESV) 4 and God is love. 5 The point is that love is part of who God is, part of His character, His nature. And God never changes. He tells us through the prophet Malachi, I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Israel, are not consumed (NASB). 6 It was because of God s steadfast, never changing character that He did not obliterate Israel because of their sin. Not only is God s character set without any changes, He never drifts off course to the slightest degree. King David testified in Psalm 103, But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children (verse 17, ESV), And Psalm 136 directs us, Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever (verse 26, ESV). Then the book of James tells us that with God there is no variation or shifting shadow (NASB). 7 God does not drift off course to any degree. Remember that in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 God tells us through the apostle Paul that love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away (verse 8, ESV). There always has been love between God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. As Jesus said in His prayer to the Father in John chapter 17, You loved Me before the foundation of the world, that is, before He created time and space (verse 24). Yes, there always has been love between God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. We might say, Yes, I can see that about God, but what about this sinful world? What about sinful me? I ve really blown it! While our sin moves God s holiness and righteousness to anger, discipline and judgment, that never eclipses, never extinguishes His love. God told the rebellious people of Judah who were headed for judgment that He would one day 2

3 rebuild them as a nation for, He said through Jeremiah, I have loved you with an everlasting love. 8 Christmas Love. God s love is part of His eternal, unchanging character. The second key description is that God s love is His committed, sacrificial care for our good. Again, the most familiar verse in the Bible tells us God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. 9 God gave. God gave His only begotten Son God the Son not only to be born into our world on that first Christmas, but to take our sin on Himself, to die to pay for our sin. Paul wrote in Romans chapter 8 verse 32 that God did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. Again, still in Romans, in chapter 5, Paul wrote in verse 6, while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly (NASB). Then in verse 8, God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. I have read these and many other Biblical statements time after time, read analogies and illustrations and tried to picture what it meant for Christ to humble Himself, to become one of us, to lay down His life for my sin, your sin. Think of just one grand statement of Christ s love in action as he humbled Himself to come to earth to die for us. God directed Paul to write in Philippians chapter 2 that Christ though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal s death on a cross verses 6-8, NLT). Yes, I have read and thought about all of this and yet I have not come close to fully understanding God s committed, sacrificial love for us, for our good. His love is amazing, wonderful beyond our ability to comprehend. Then the next key description the Bible gives us is that God exercises His love according to His purposes. This is another aspect of God s love that can be difficult to put into perspective. One thing this means is that we cannot manipulate His love to meet our agenda. For example, many have said, God loves me, and He knows I need this (whatever it is) even though the Bible says it is wrong. So it is okay. He understands. But God tells us 3

4 in the Bible, you shall be holy; for I am holy. 10 God s purpose for us is to be holy as He is. His love moves to develop that in us, never to excuse our failures, our sin. The foundation for knowing God exercises His love according to His purposes is the Bible s instruction that He is sovereign and works all things according to His own purposes. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 11 tells us we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will (NASB). Paul wrote in his second letter to Timothy that God has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus from all eternity. 11 God has His purposes for our world, for us. Those purposes are grounded in eternity. Ultimately, all things are for His glory to demonstrate and magnify His perfect character and ways, including His perfect love. And the good, great news is that His purposes for us are, He tells us, for peace and not [for] evil, to give [us] a future and a hope. 12 Recall the grand statement in Romans chapter 8, And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified (verses 28-30, NASB). God always exercises His love according to His purposes. I am glad He does! The best of my perspective, of our perspective, our most thoughtful and caring purposes will always be limited, incomplete, imperfect. Finally, today s fourth key description of God s love is that God s love is given by His choice alone. This is similar to but distinct from the last description. God s purposes are the big picture. His choices are the details. Consider one specific: there is nothing you or I can do to make God love us, or not love us. Really? Yes, really. As God gave the people of Israel instructions for living in the land He was giving them He reminded them, 4

5 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt (ESV). 13 God told them, I did not choose you because of who you were or what you had achieved, but because I loved you and I am faithful to my word. As Moses recalls in his prayer in Exodus chapter 33, And [God] said, I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion (verse 19). Think about two implications here. One thing all man-made religions have in common is that they try to earn the favor of their god or gods. God says, You can t do that with Me, the one and only true God! It s impossible! I will be gracious to the ones to whom I choose to be gracious. Yet people keep on trying, trying, trying to earn the favor of their gods. I recently watched a PBS program titled Sacred. It was a 90 minute film of people around the world Christians and followers of other religions demonstrating and telling first hand their religious experiences and rituals. 14 As I took in those experiences and rituals it saddened me to see so many people sincerely, devotedly trying to please their god or gods. No one, no man-made religion can earn the favor of the One, the Only true God. Secondly, I am sure you have known people who have thought that God could never love them because of what they have done or not done, or because of who they are or are not. God says, I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion. Aren t you glad for that! I am! God does what He pleases and no one can prevent, question or change His choices. There is a lot we don t understand here, but we need to take hold of and hang on to what we do understand. We are glad and humbled by His great love for us. As you try to understand Christmas love, God s love, remember these four key descriptions: It is part of His eternal, unchanging nature. It is His committed, sacrificial care for our good. 5

6 It is exercised according to His purposes. It is given by His choice alone. Why Is God s Christmas Love Important? I stated that the main truth for today is that God s Christmas love makes an everlasting difference. That brings us to our second question. Why does it make an everlasting difference? Why is God s Christmas love important? Let s consider this from a pair of contrasts. First, what does it mean to us, what are we without God s Christmas love? For one thing, without God s love we are without a Savior. We know we need a Savior because, as the Bible tells us, all of us are sinners by nature and action, 15 and because the wages of sin is death. 16 That is, we are dead in being separated from God who is holy and loving, we are dead in having no spiritual life from and with Him. It also means that in this state of death people are separated from God and if that does change before death they are separated from God forever. The Bible makes it clear that part of this separation from God is forever receiving, experiencing the just punishment for our sin. 17 We know we cannot remedy this ourselves. Scripture makes it clear that the smallest stumble makes us guilty of all of God s holy and righteous standards. As James wrote, whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. 18 So even our best and most sincere efforts cannot make us right, cannot justify us before God. 19 It was in love God the Father sent God the Son to be our Savior. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. 20 And, as we read in Romans, God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 21 Without God s Christmas love there is no Savior. And without God s Savior we would be hopelessly and forever spiritually dead, separated from God. While there is much, much more that can be said here, to be succinct, without God s Christmas love all is lost. There is no true hope, peace, joy or love. There is no true purpose for us to fulfill. As Paul wrote, we would have no hope and be without God in the world. 22 6

7 Now, let s move to the other side of this contrast. What does it mean to us, what are we with God s Christmas love? For one thing, with God s love we have a Savior! Luke records the angel telling the shepherds, there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 23 The apostle John declared, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (NASB). 24 Paul wrote, When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who are under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 25 Again, God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. 26 One more statement by Paul, When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life (NLT). 27 This was no unexpected situation or emergency bandaid solution! This is God s eternal plan, purpose and blessing. Ephesians chapter 1 tells us, [God] chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved (NASB). 28 And in time, when we came to God through Christ, God has poured out His love within our hearts through the Holy Spirit He gave to be within us. 29 And because of this, as we read in Romans, What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own 7

8 Son but gave him up for us all, won t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God s right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep. ) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow not even the powers of hell can separate us from God s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord (NLT). 30 While there is much, much more that can be said here, to be succinct, with God s Christmas love all is gained, all is ours! There is true hope, peace, joy and love! There is true purpose for us to fulfill! We are, as Paul wrote, blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ! 31 We have been raised up from being spiritually dead and are seated with Christ in the heavenly places! 32 We are eagerly waiting for Christ our Savior to return from heaven, where our true and everlasting citizenship is! 33 We now long to be and then will always, forever be with Him! 34 Yes, make no mistake about it, God s Christmas love makes an everlasting difference! Conclusion. Many, if not all of us here this morning know and are experiencing this the greatest and most beautiful gift ever given the love of God in Jesus Christ. Thank and praise God for His love now. 8

9 There are some, many who know about it, but have not yet received and opened God s gift of Christmas Love in Jesus. They are not experiencing the everlasting difference He wants to bring to them. Bertha Adams was seventy-one when she died. Sadly, she weighed only fifty-one pounds when she died. The coroner s report read cause of death malnutrition. Among her possessions the authorities found keys to two safe deposit boxes at two different banks. They found over $1 million in cash and securities in those two boxes. Yet she had lived by begging for food and getting the little clothing she had from the Salvation Army. She was wealthy! But, tragically, she failed to open those boxes and benefit from their resources. 35 That is where many people are spiritually. God s Christmas Love wrapped up in Jesus is a treasure beyond measure and description. He offers it to all today. Jesus offers to forgive all our sins, give us life forever with Himself, give us true hope, peace, joy, love and so much more. What each one needs to do is to open the box, that is, to reach out to Jesus and place their faith in Him. In these next quiet moments of reflection, if you have questions or want to talk about this, speak with me or someone else here today. Then for those who have received God s love in Christ, thank God again for His indescribable gift of Christmas love in Jesus. As well, Question: Are there people you will be seeing, visiting with in this post-christmas season who need to be told about Jesus, who need to reach out to Him? Remember them. Reach out to them with God s love. 1 Cited by Joseph Hartropp in Joy is the simplest form of gratitude : 12 quotes from legendary theologian Karl Barth. < 10 May Accessed 26 November John 3:16. 3 Frederick M. Lehman. The Love of God Public Domain. 4 1 John 4:7, NASB, ESV. 5 1 John 4:8. 6 Malachi 3:6, NASB. 9

10 7 James 1:17, NASB. 8 Jeremiah 31:3. 9 John 3: Leviticus 11:44; see also 1 Peter 1: Timothy 1:9. 12 Jeremiah 29: Deuteronomy 7:7-8, ESV. 14 Sacred. Production Company: WLIW New York. Thomas Lennon, Director Premiered on PBS 10 December Romans 3: Romans 6: See, for example, Matthew 25:41, 46; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 14:9-11; 19: James 2: Romans 3: John 3: Romans 5:8. 22 Ephesians 2: Luke 2: John 1: Galatians 4: Romans 5:8. 27 Titus 3:4-7, NLT. 28 Ephesians 1:4-6, NASB). 29 Romans 5:5. 30 Romans 8:31-39, NLT. 31 Ephesians 1:3. 32 Ephesians 2:6. 33 Philippians 3: Thessalonians 4: Account cited in Charles R. Swindoll, Tightwads, in The Finishing Touch: Becoming God s Masterpiece (Dallas: Word, 1994), pages Copyright 1994 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. 10

11 2018, Lyle L. Wahl Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture marked (NASB) taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV ), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois All rights reserved. 11