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everyone it's good to be back in the house of our God on this Lord's Day evening for our call to worship you can turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 138. Psalm 138 I will begin reading in verse 1 a Psalm of David I will praise you with my whole heart before the gods I will sing praises to you I will worship toward your Holy Temple and praise your name for your loving kindness and your Truth for you have magnified your word above all your name in the day when I cried out you answered me and made me bold with strength in my soul all the kings of the Earth shall Praise You O Lord when they hear the words of your mouth Yes they shall sing of the ways of the Lord for great is the glory of the Lord though the Lord is on high yet he regards the lowly but the proud he knows from afar though I walk in the midst of trouble you will revive me you will stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies and your right hand will save me the Lord will perfect that which concerns me your mercy O Lord endures forever do not forsake the works of your hands amen well please turn in your hymn books to Psalm 67 Psalm 67 a as in Alpha and will stand as we sing together [Music] thank you oh God you are sure [Music] foreign [Music] oh Lord Jesus Christ [Music] amazing [Music] Grace [Music] spiritual fear to promise [Music] well let us pray our blessed and our holy God we thank you for this day we thank you for the Wonder of creation around us and the beauty of the day we thank you for your government over all your creatures and all their actions and we thank you for Redemption for the work of the Lord Jesus Christ on behalf of Sinners we praise you for his life of obedience his death on the cross as a substitute and sacrifice in his resurrection again the third day we bless you as well for his current session at the right hand of God most I and we look forward to his return again in glory to judge the living and the dead we pray that you would be glorified tonight that you would be honored as the psalmist said that you would be enthroned upon the Praises of your people as we gather together tonight we ask that you would just be pleased to bless and strengthen and encourage each of our hearts and God may you indeed cause us to reflect upon your glory and your majesty and your beauty and your love and may it be the case that our hearts would be in courage to continue to worship and glorify you each and every Lord's day and each and every day in the private place we ask God that you would just be pleased to receive our worship our prayer through your son the Lord Jesus Christ and as we come to you through him it's in the power of the Holy Spirit and we confess that you are all in all we confess as well our sins and our transgressions we thank you for the supper it does remind us of our Lord's finished work on our behalf and we do lament and we cry out concerning our own remaining corruption the Apostle deals with this in Romans 7 and Galatians 5 and unfortunately we deal with it each and every day the good we wish to do we don't do and the evil that we don't want to do we find ourselves doing so we confess that sin now and ask for washing and cleansing in the Precious Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and again we are mindful that it's through him that we have everlasting life it is through the the prophesied the promised and the fulfilled work that we find in the scriptures concerning the Son of God as well Lord we pray for those who've come here tonight that are dead in their trespasses and sins we pray that you would awaken them by the power of the holy spirit that you would cause them to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ that Son of God and that they might have everlasting life we praise you for this local church we praise you for the brothers and sisters that are here we pray for those who are unable to be with us tonight we just commend them to you and to the word of your grace and we pray that you'd undertake on behalf of all of us in terms of spiritual things she would help us to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus that you would help us to resist temptation and do protect us and provide for us in the midst of this present evil age we pray for those with ongoing physical trials and and difficulties and hardships and challenges we know that these are a great Affliction and a great burden and we just pray God in heaven that in the midst of these things they would find the joy of the Lord as their strength we pray for your blessing upon churches in our city we thank you for all the brothers that are Faithfully ministering the word of Truth and we pray that you would Prosper those local churches that you would bless them with your presence and that you would indeed use them for the Salvation of more sinners in this local community we pray for the church in Surrey and we thank you for Pastor Mike we pray for the church in Armstrong and thank you for pastor Ryan we pray for the brothers and Dryden that they would continue to be faithful and persevering and we pray that there would be a faithful Church established in that part of your world and as well God we thank you for the Saints in Honduras for the churches there in sigua tobeke we just commit them to you and to the word of your grace and we pray for the pastors and the brothers that are seeking Faithfully to minister that word of Truth May they be used by you for the Salvation of sinners in that community unity and for the extension of the kingdom of Jesus Christ on this Earth and God we do pray again for the persecuted church we think specifically of Myanmar we think of Peter our brother laboring there we praise you God for this brother's faithfulness and tenacity and for the wisdom that you have given him as well we pray for your continued protection of that Orange Grove of that compound and that you would bless the orphans the widows the persons that are in severe distress and in great need and may they indeed continue to communicate the truth of God to the people there and may we see or hear of good results coming as a result of God's blessing in that land so father help us now as we continue in worship be glorified and be honored to dwell in our midst and may we know the presence and the power of your Holy Spirit as we worship you and we pray through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well you can turn with me in your hymn books again to 243 243 again we'll stand as we sing together [Music] pray for your faith in his eyes [Music] I belongs [Music] if I do this is [Music] you know because [Music] I realize return to his heart [Music] I'll never ever [Music] you can turn with me in your Bibles to the book of First John for our meditation tonight before the Lord's Supper first John chapter 4. our Focus will be on verses 7 to 11. but I'll begin reading in verse 1 and read the entire chapter first John chapter 4 beginning in verse 1. beloved do not believe every Spirit but test the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets have gone in gone out into the World by this you know the spirit of God every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God and this is the spirit of the Antichrist which you have heard was coming and is now already in the world you are of God little children and have overcome them because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world they are of the world therefore they speak as of the world and the world hears them we are of God he who knows God hears us he who is not of God does not hear us by this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error beloved let us love one another for love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God he who does not love does not know God for God is love in this the love of God was manifested toward us that God has sent his only begotten son into the world that we might live through him in this is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins beloved if God so loved us we also ought to love one another no one has seen God at any time if we love one another God abides in us and his love has been perfected in Us by this we know that we abide in him and he in us because he has given us of his spirit and we have seen and testified that the father has sent the son as Savior of the world whoever confesses that Jesus is the son of God God abides in him and he in God and we have known and believed the love that God has for us God is love and he who abides in love abides in God and God in him love has been perfected Among Us in this that we may have boldness in the day of judgment because as he is so we are in this world there is no fear in love but perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment but he who fears has not been made perfect in love we love him because he first loved us if someone says I love God and hates his brother he is a liar for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen how can he love God whom he has not seen and this commandment we have from him that he who loves God must love his brother also amen well let us pray our gracious God and Holy Father we thank you for this Epistle of John we thank you for the truth communicated to us in this wonderful book but in the Bible as a whole we acknowledge that all scripture is given by inspiration of God and it is indeed profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction and for instruction in righteousness and as we study tonight we pray again that our hearts should be encouraged and built up and the understanding of your great love for your people that love demonstrated and manifested supremely at the cross and the work of our Lord Jesus Christ on our behalf again forgive us for all sin and unrighteousness and guide us now by your Holy Spirit and we pray through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well as we come to this particular section specifically verses 7 to 11 I want to observe or make two observations first John declares that God is love he says so in verse 8 and then secondly God John demonstrates that God is love and he does that in verses 9 and 10. so there is a declaration that God is love and then there is a demonstration that God is love so we'll jump right into that first point the Declaration that God is love but I want to First observe the context so notice in Chapter 4 verses 7 to 8 a in terms of the exhortation so the theology is in verse 8 at the end for God is love and that theology continues in verses 9 and 10 the sending of the son and then the specific work of the Sun but it's couched in a context of exhortation in other words we're supposed to love one another we're supposed to actually care about out one another we're supposed to do so in a manner consistent with the revelation of God most high so in terms of that exhortation it's quite simple notice in verse 7 beloved let us love one another now in terms of this book as a whole cam touched on this a little bit this morning in our confession study in chapter 27 but the central theme of the epistle is found at the end if you notice in chapter 5 at verse 13 John does hear what he does in his gospel at the end of his written book he gives us the purpose for which he writes so notice in 5 13 these things I have written to you who believe in the name of the son of God that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may continue to believe in the name of the son of God John 20 30 and 31 and truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the son of God and and that believing in him you may have everlasting life so John writes the gospel so that we might be saved John writes the first epistle so that we might know that we're saved and the way that John does that is by giving us sorts of uh uh uh proofs or evidences that we truly do believe on the Lord Jesus Christ so the central theme is found in first John 5 13 but the recurring emphasis in the epistle that you may know the child of God obeys the Commandments of God you see that in chapters 2 and 3 and 5 the child of God loves the truth of God you see that in chapters two and four and five the child of God has the spirit of God you see that here in chapter 4 at verse 13. the child of God loves God chapter 4 verse 19 and then again chapter 5 verse 2. but then the child of God loves the children of God so this is a means by which we may know that we are True Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ that we have passed from Death unto life and that we are rightly connected to God through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ look at the several emphases in this epistle go back to chapter 2 at verse 9. he who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in darkness until now he who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him and then over in chapter three notice in verses 13 to 15. do not Marvel my brethren if the world hates you we know that we have passed from Death to life because we love the brethren we know that we have passed from Death to life because we now love people we didn't formerly love we didn't love the people of God when we were not the people of God we made fun of them we ridiculed them we rejected them we resisted that but we know that we've passed from Death unto life now because we love the people of God he goes on to say he who does not love his brother abides in death whoever hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding him yeah and then notice in verses 18 and 19. my little children let us not love and word or in tongue but indeed and in truth and by this we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him and in our section in Chapter 4 verses 7 to 11 but then it ends in Chapter 4 verses 20 and 21. if someone says I love God and hates his brother he is a liar for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen how can he love God whom he has not seen and this commandment we have from him that he who loves God must love his brother also and then drop down to chapter 5 at verses 2 and 3. by this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep his Commandments how do we know we love each other when we uh obey the Commandments of God Paul does the same thing in Romans chapter 13. and then he says for this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not burdensome so going back to our particular section in verse 7 beloved let us love one another it's an exhortation it is encouragement it is the way the people of God are supposed to live and it works in the context of this entire us all you obey God you love the truth you've got the spirit of God you love Brethren this is how you may know that you have everlasting life when you have these fruits when you have this demonstrable proof when you have this evidence you know that God's work has been operative in your heart and then notice back in verse 7 he confirms this beloved let us love one another for love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God so the divine origin of our brotherly love comes from God himself notice for love is of God if we are communicating that one to another again there's a good sign good affirmation or confirmation that we have indeed experienced the love of God most high and that's the Practical implication of the presence of Brotherly Love everyone who loves and I don't think it's generic I I just sort of love but I think it's conditioned by the context and we should read it this way and everyone who loves his brother is born of God and knows God and it's intriguing because John emphasizes being born of God I know that I've quoted baby Warfield with reference to this there's a bit of a difference but not difference as altogether different but a different way of coming at the same truth the Apostle Paul emphasized adoption as Sons by Jesus Christ Our Lord John the Apostle emphasizes being born of God Warfield writes there is a corresponding difference in the use by Paul and John of the conception of childship or sonship to God in accordance with his juridical point of view Paul speaks of sonship conferred by adoption and thinks of our acquisition of the rights and the inheritance of sons in accord accordance with his essential point of view John speaks of childship as conveyed through birth and thinks of growing up into the likeness of God accordingly Paul prefers the term Sons we are adults received by God's grace into the number of his sons and John prefers the term children or even little children we are born into the family of God as the infants of his household this difference in the use of the conception of childship is not a difference of Doctrine it is only a difference in the illustrative use of the conception of childship in the setting forth of Doctrine so you're not the first one that's ever observed this the Apostle emphasizes again under that juridical understanding with reference to the legality and inheritance of the situation that were the adopted Sons and Daughters of God but John comes at it from this having been begotten by God and so notice what he goes on to say in verse 7 let us love one another for love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and then notice that next phrase and knows God now this doesn't just mean that you kind of know that there's a God out there not just some cognitive understanding but it's experiential in nature the Bible one makes this distinction the Bible enforces this distinction man knows that God exists the fool says in his heart there is no God but the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 1 it's inescapable he knows that God exists because God has made himself manifest through the created order the the effects lead us back to the cause so that man is rendered without an excuse but just because we have this cognition that there is a God out there doesn't mean we know him that no or that knowledge is intimate that no or knowledge is encouraged by God to the people of God we see it in Jeremiah chapter 31. we see it as a promise or feature of the New Covenant they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of that not just that he's out there but they will know him savingly that great statement in Jeremiah the prophet in chapter 9 let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the rich man boast of his riches or the the the strong man boast of his strength but rather let him who boasts boasts in this that he knows me the Apostle Paul appeals to that passage in First Corinthians chapter 1 30 and 31 in the high Priestly prayer of our Lord Jesus he prays that this is eternal life that they may Know Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent and so the knowledge in verse 7 again it's not cognition there's a God out there but it's experiential it's experimental this has become a reality and a feature in our lives we know God and then notice he ends this particular section with condemnation so verse 7 beloved let us love one another for love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God he who does not love again we should Supply his brother because that's the context he who does not love his brother does not know God pretty simple logic isn't it if you know God the god of of love then you will reflect that in the way that you deal with one another if you know this God savingly then you will albeit imperfectly love the people of God that bear his image and that bear his stamp it is that blessed reality that John is encouraging us too but now notice the way that he appeals with reference to the cultivation of this love one for another he turns to this declaration at the end of verse 8. he says for God is love now the four gives us the reason or the rationale or the justification for his statement in verses seven and eight a and so he says for God is love there is a practical emphasis back in chapter three you can turn there again notice in verse 14 we know that we have passed from Death to life because we love the Brethren that's the practical fruit the Practical consequence a practical effect of the result of us having passed from Death unto life because we love the Brethren he does the same thing in Chapter 4 verses 20 and 21 if someone says I love God and hates his brother he is a liar for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen how can he love God whom he is not saying we'll hear the emphasis is theological he who does not love does not know God for God is love John is trafficking now in theology he is pointing us to truth about God as the foundation for this exhortation that we love one another now it's just here that people say well you know theology that's for pastors that's for Seminary students that's for people that have a little extra time on their hands Brethren you're all theologians every single one of you you're either a good one or you're a bad one and that's the reality that the Bible speaks to us everybody's a theology a theologian everybody has thoughts of God they're either good and proper and biblical thoughts or they're not and so don't say well I don't want that theology I'll just listen and do my thing and just sort of sway back and forth and love Jesus we're not going to sway back and forth and love Jesus without theology so notice what Paul John says here in terms of who God is God is love and I want to suggest that John is making a distinction here between God and man he makes a distinction between God and man the fact that the fact of the matter is is that man has the capacity to love but the man or man also has a capacity not to love you can never say that man is Love Can you you should be shaking your head no I I can't ever say that man is definitionally love so there's a distinction between God the Creator and Man the creature man can love man does love man should love more man loves inconsistently man loves at times the best that he can but with reference to God most high God is love the fact here is that John asserts that God is his Perfections as the older theologians would say all that is in God is God God's not made up of Parts God's not put together of a few sort of elements and and that produces God I heard someone in the past week make a very Reckless statement concerning who God is this particular individual says God is made up of three parts that my brothers and sisters is heresy first of all God is not made he is from Everlasting to Everlasting he is the creator there's nothing outside of God that made God but as well he's not made up of three parts 33 and a third percent of the father 33 and a third percent of the son and 33 and a third percent of the spirit that is not the Christian doctrine of the Trinity all that is in God is God there is one Divine and infinite being who exists eternally in three persons father Son and Holy Spirit what John is alluding to though the theology doesn't get to the particular point he is referring to the fact that God is without Parts in the history of theology that has been known as the doctrine of divine Simplicity by Simplicity I don't mean that this is necessarily easy to understand Simplicity or a simple being simply mean in somebody simply means uh there you go Isaac simply means that they're not composed of Parts they're not put together if that were the case with God there would be something more ultimate than God it was out there prior and it somehow found itself together and thus God began no God is love God is his Perfections God is all that is in God is God listen to our confession of Faith at this point second second London Confession chapter two paragraph one the Lord our God is but one only living and true God whose subsistence is in and of himself infinite in being and Perfection whose Essence cannot be comprehended by any but himself that doesn't mean we can't know true things about God we have about 31 000 propositions in the Bible that teach us about God there is this doctrine of incomprehensibility and that simply means that the creature can never fully exhaust the Creator and that's what the divines mean here whose Essence cannot be comprehended by any but himself a most pure Spirit the older theologians refer that to refer to this as actus purists that means there's no potential in God there's not be coming in God there's no growth in God there's no getting better for God because he's infinitely perfect already there's no decrease in God either he is a most pure Spirit it goes on to say invisible and then without body Jesus teaches us in John 4 24 that God is Spirit the children's catechism says and he does not have a body like man and then it says without Parts this is the doctrine of divine Simplicity God is it's not that God is made up of God is uh or God is made up of three parts he's without Parts he's without passions that means there's no fluctuation in God it means he cannot be prevailed upon he doesn't move from one state to another and then it says who only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto who is immutable that means unchangeable immense that means he fills all things Eternal incomprehensible Almighty every way infinite Most Holy most wise most free most absolute working all things according to the Council of his own immutable and most righteous will for his own Glory it continues most loving gracious merciful long-suffering abundant in goodness and Truth forgiving iniquity transgression and sin the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him and with all most just and terrible in his judgments hating all sin and who will by no means clear the guilty It's a Wonderful doctrinal statement concerning theology proper or who God is but that emphasis on most loving can you describe any man any creature any woman that way they're most loving I mean in a moment of recklessness or perhaps in a in a metaphorical well that person is most loving you don't mean by that what the confession and what the Bible means concerning God most loving there's no increase you can't get more loving towards you there's no decrease either you can't get less loving towards you he is most loving God is love remember when Moses said who shall I say sent me God says I am who I am that is profound he is from Everlasting to Everlasting he is without body without Parts without passions he is great and glorious and wondrous he is most high he is most loving he is most wondrous most excellent and most awesome so John says you ought to love one another because God is love and reflecting upon that reality in a real practical way Brethren how is it the case that we're not loving toward one another how is it the case that we don't express that that affection for one another now there's not the case where we're all going to be as close as we could possibly be to everyone there ought to be that disposition or that characteristic of our hearts wherein we love the people of God and when we look through the New Testament there's all these emphases on on one and others be kindly affectionate to one another be be hospitable to one another without complaint love one another there's all these things wherein the people of God are to flesh out their true religion and in the arena or context of the local church this is a wonderful place for us to display that particular attribute that particular virtue that particular Perfection now that's the Declaration that God is love he repeats it incidentally down in verse 16 God is love and he who abides in love abides in God and God in him let's look at the demonstration that God is love in verses 9 and 10 and he does two things here first he highlights the mission of the son in verse 9 and then secondly the work of the son in verse 10. but notice with reference to the mission of the son so verse 9 it says in this the love of God was manifested toward us now the apostles don't just make statements they don't just sort of Supply data or information but they confirm it they prove it they demonstrate it it's kind of like the man who says honey I love you and then he's vicious to her he's he's vital to her or he's mean to her or the woman conversely women aren't perfect I don't want to burst anybody's bubbles but they can be quite wretched in a marriage relationship too um just something to think about she may say I love you honey but then live like a wretch toward a man talk is cheap as they say right they're ought to be a demonstration there ought to be proof the proof is in the pudding there ought to be a manifestation and that's what John says here notice God is love well how do we know that verse 9 in this the love of God was manifested toward us this is similar to what John does in his gospel John 3 16 for God so loved the world that he did what he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Paul does this in Romans 5 8 God demonstrates his own love toward us and that while we were still sinners Christ died for us so whoever asked the question well what's the proof that God is love we're going to look around you he made this world displays his wisdom it displays his power and it displays his goodness so does Providence but in Redemption you see that love vividly display okay and so John tells us it's not just the case that God is love but this is the way that God has manifested that love and then notice he explains in further detail so verse 9 in this the love of God was manifested toward us that God has sent his only begotten son into the world that we might live through him again John 3 16. John isn't doing something brand new here John John's gospel he wants you to believe that Jesus is the son of God and in first John he wants you to know that you've believed that Jesus is the son of God and God is love and the demonstration a manifestation of God's love is that he sent his son into this world but notice the way that he describes this that God has sent his only begotten son into the world that we might live through him the son is only begotten that underscores what theologians call the Eternal relation of origin in this divine find an infinite being there are three persons or subsistences and they are distinguished by these properties the father is unbegotten the son is begotten by the father and the spirit proceeds from the father and the son that's what distinguishes the persons of the godhead brethren we are not modalists we are not sibelians we are not Heretics at the point of the uh the three persons of the godhead and so when we see this language of only begotten son in the first place we ought to retain it in our translations I'm not going to pick on the ESV tonight but the ESV gets rid of only begotten and this is something that the church I guess I just picked on the ESV sorry about that but this is language that does theological labor there is distinction between the persons of the godhead in this Divine and infinite being so God is one at the level of essence or substance but with reference to person there are three persons in the godhead so one in one sense and three in another sense and so this language of only begotten of the father illustrates biblical trinitarian truth that we should not jettison we should not get rid of it we should hold on to it tenaciously because it serves to function as a a distinction between the father and the son you see it in John 1 1 in the beginning was the word the word was with God that's distinction the son is with the father and the Word was God that's the sameness in terms of divine assets and then dropping down to verse 14 in John 1. the uh the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth and then dropping down to John 1 18 no one has seen God at any time but the only begotten son who is in the bosom of the father he has declared him this is language that does theological work and it's language that is precious and ought to be confessed and held on to by the church of the Lord Jesus Christ he is indeed God from God light from light true God from true God and it's typically at this place and dealing with only begotten-ness of the son I quote Gregory of nazia nazianza he says the beginning of God must be honored by silence it is a great thing for you to learn that he was begotten but the manner of his generation we will not admit that even angels can conceive much less you so here's the way we approach it well I don't understand okay then I guess it must be false I don't get it well okay I guess we can toss it out I just can't see it well okay let's just you know re-alter and rework the creedal confessional foundation of the church be because you don't quite get it well Brethren none of us get Eternal generation God from God light from light true God from true God from all eternity the creature Can't Wrap its mind around Creator remember whose Essence is comprehended by himself alone the finite can't get its mind wrapped around the infinite but what Gregory says is that it's taught in scripture we confess that it's taught in scripture we hold on to it because it's taught in scripture even if we as the finite can't fully Plumb the depths of the infinite he goes on to say shall I tell you how it was it was in a manner known to the father who begot into the son who was begotten anything more than this is hidden by a cloud and escapes your dim sight so I think that's a good place for us to land relative to our explanation of the only begotten son it distinguishes him from the father maintains the doctrine of the Trinity but in terms of the nuts and bolts and the logistics it's kind of like when they investigate the blind man well how did he make you see I don't know he put mud on my eyes and he told me to go wash at the pool of Siloam and I did it and I can see well Brethren as I tried to point out I don't think there was any magical conveyed by the the mud on his eyes or or the pool of siloa it was a sign it was a metaphor it was a representative it was something for that man to do but it was the power of God most high working through our blessed savior to give this man physical sight so then notice what it goes on to say in verse 9. in this is uh in this the love of God was manifested toward us that God has sent his only begotten son into the world that we might live through him now this that we might live through him is a general statement he's going to get real particular in verse 10 when he talks about propitiation and we're going to get to there in just a moment but this general statement is that that we might live through him why does Jesus come into this world so that we might live through him is that a blessed reality what's the Assumption there we were dead in our trespasses and sins he uses that language in 314 we know that we've passed from Death to life when we have love for the Brethren Paul in Ephesians 3 2 verses 1 to 3 says that you being dead in your trespasses and sins so physically alive but dead spiritually liable to Eternal judgment Eternal death and yet Christ has come in order that we through his life through his death and Resurrection might have everlasting life it is stupendous it is glorious it is wondrous and something else you ought to recognize in this particular passage where he's highlighting that God is love how is that love manifested or demonstrated in the sending of his son there's this proper uh popular notion out there in Christianity that comes up once in a while kind of like this oh the Old Testament you know the god of wrath and judgment and fury and destruction and now we've got the god in the New Testament who's love and and kindness and gentleness and goodness and all the things that that we love Brethren the son did not come to procure the love of God the son comes as a manifestation of the love of God the son doesn't come to make the father love us the son comes because the father does love us it's most glorious and wondrous and precious the son doesn't come to do what he does to turn the father from one place to another relative to us the son comes as the Revelation the grand demonstration the Supreme manifestation that God so loved the world so this is the expression that John gives here of that love that he sent his only begotten son into the world that we might live through him and again this Con concept of living through our Lord Jesus Christ the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal what life through Jesus Christ Star Lord again John 3 16 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life second Corinthians 5 14 and 15 Christ died for all so that we who lived for ourselves no longer live for ourselves but for him who loved us and who died for us and then in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 5 he he made us alive through what Christ has accomplished he's made us alive so that's a general statement in terms of the benefits of God's redeeming work with reference to the Son of God now notice he goes on specifically to detail or given aspect of that work of the son notice in verse 10 I know that we're kind of walking through this it's a it's a very densely and tightly packed uh bit of theology that I think Bears our our investigation I think that hopefully it's an encouragement to you to see this and the argument in terms of the the bigger context you you should love one another you shouldn't be unkind to your brothers and sisters you shouldn't be you know a jerk for Jesus you should be those who love the people of God why because God is love and that love is demonstrated in the mission of the son he sent his son into this world so that we might have life through him but then that work of the Sun that is particularly revealed here in verse 10. so notice he says in this is love not that we loved God okay he's not talking about that right here he's not talking about that right now in this is love not that we loved God that's not the amazing thing in Scripture okay we need to disenfranchise ourselves of that notion what an amazing thing that you love God the way you do no I mean that's great I'm not going to say don't love God it's a horrible thing don't let no of course it's a great thing but that's not what's celebratory in the scriptures you sometimes hear the gospel presented and then people say yeah okay now now accept Jesus into your heart just just let him in just open that door and let him in accept Jesus into your heart the glory of the Gospel is not that Sinners accept Jesus into their heart the glory of the Gospel is that God is in Christ reconciling the world to himself the glory of the Gospel is not that we loved him but the glory of the Gospel is that he loved us and that he sent his only begotten son into this world on a mission to give us life eternal that's what John's celebrating you're not celebrating the effect he's not celebrating the consequence he's celebrating the cause in this is love not not that we love God again let's look at the passage let's examine the exhortation was for us to love one another verse 7 8 the origin of that love is divine verse 7B the demonstration of that love indicates one is born of God and knows him verse 7c the nature of Love is rooted in God who is love 8B the revelation of that love is seen in the mission of the son verse 9 and the beauty of that love is celebrated in the work of the son and we'll see that in just a moment in 10B but look at that one more time in this is love not that we loved God there's a corresponding statement there in verse 19. look at verse chapter 4 verse 19. we love him because he first loved us and if you want to put your finger there and turn back to Galatians 4 for just a moment two concepts that John is trafficking in with reference to this section is loving God and knowing god well notice what Paul does in Galatians 4 9 but now after you have known God or rather are known by God again the celebratory fact isn't that you know God not that it's a bad thing and again it's a good thing the celebratory fact is that God has known you that he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that he predestinated us unto adoption as sons and in love he did this for his glory so when we go back to first John 4 9. we have this love because he first loved us we have this knowledge of him because he first know knew us our love to God and our knowledge of God are not the cause of his love for us and knowledge of us it is rather his love for us and his knowledge of us that is the cause of our love and knowledge of him listen to John Gill not that we loved God the love of God is antecedent that means it comes before the love of God is antecedent to the love of his people it was when theirs was not so you got to think about what he's saying here you've got to think about what John is trafficking at not when they were without love to or when they were without love to him yay enemies in their minds by Wicked works and even enmity itself and therefore was not procured by theirs but on the contrary their love to him is caused by his love to them hence his love and a continuance in it do not depend on theirs nor does it vary according to theirs wherefore there is good reason to believe it will continue and never be removed and this shows the sovereignty and freeness of the love of God and that it is surprising and matchless oh that we'd have that surprising and matchless approach to the great love of God that is displayed in a passage like this God is love not just a bear statement a declaration and then there is proof in the sending of the son and in particular the work of the Sun and it's that work that we see there in verse 10 B in this is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins again it's at this point that people say you know I don't know that word I don't usually work with that word it's not a word that's in my vocabulary so I'm going to tune out for the next three minutes first of all it's not going to take me three minutes probably more like seven minutes second of all you should really want to know what propitiation means when you look at the Redemptive passages in the Holy scriptures you see all these words used you see words like reconciliation you see words like Redemption you see all these uh uh you see uh propitiation expiation satisfaction you see the word atonement it's it's all looking at the the glory of the cross from different angles it's kind of like having a diamond and you know sort of lifting it up and looking at it in the sunlight and giving it giving it a turn here or there I don't know anybody who has diamonds quite like that we should do that so you look at the diamonds and it's multifaceted it's the same Diamond but you see the luster and the beauty and the glory of it from different angles when the light hits it in such a way well that's what the New Testament authors do so the Old Testament authors do they give us the luster of God's work for us or God's grace toward us they show us they display it for us and this word propitiation is most wonderful the basic meaning is a sacrifice which turns aside God's Wrath taking away sin okay that's the basic foundational fundamental meaning a sacrifice which turns aside God's Wrath taking away sin now the Assumption with reference to propitiation is God's Wrath okay we wouldn't need propitiation if God was not wrathful toward us but we see in Romans 1 18 for the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of man who do what they suppress the truth of God in unrighteousness they know God exists but they deny him they exchange the glory of the the the the Creator God with that which is created and then in Ephesians 2 verse 3 the Apostle describes men before the cross or men outside of Christ as children of Wrath by nature and so the Assumption behind the use of propitiation is that God has wrath toward people because of their sin now the necessity of propitiation is seen in this God's Wrath must be spent God's Wrath must be EXP rest God's Wrath doesn't just get suspended sort of out there but enter The Surety of a better Covenant enter the God man the one who assumed our Humanity with all the essential properties and the common infirmities thereof and yet without sin see we need his death on the cross we need that propitiation he doesn't simply deflect the wrath of God from hitting us but he himself takes the wrath of God on our behalf there are several other places in the New Testament where the apostles use this language of propitiation as it stands here there's other forms for instance Luke 18 13. when that man can't look to heaven and he beats his breast he says God be propitious to me he understands that he's a sinner he understands that God is Holy and he understands that God has wrath for him so that's a good petition we translate it God be merciful to me the sin her that it's literally God be propitious to me now turn to Romans chapter 3. Romans chapter 3 just to see a couple instances where or the other instances where this word is used and it's in the same sort of context wrath of God Romans 3 and there is a contrast between one and three so in 118 I've already cited that or have already uh uh quoted that for the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of man so there's the revelation of God's Wrath according to verse 18 and chapter one why is that again man knows God but he denies him the Gentiles in chapter one those outside the Oracles of God are wretched they're filthy they're disgusting they're vile they transgress God's law but the Jews are no better when he gets to chapter two he points his finger at them he says you're no better you've received the oracles and yet you still continue to rebel against God in chapter 3 he reaches back to the Old Testament to make his case to corroborate to to emphasize that apart from God's grace all man everywhere is liable to to God's just wrath and Fiore so the revelation of God's Wrath in chapter 118 but then notice the revelation of God's righteousness in chapter 3 verse 21 but now he says here's the contrast wrath revealed chapter 1 verse 18. now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed now righteousness in the context I don't want to spend a lot of time here but it's that which God demands and that which God supplies but now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed being witnessed by the law and the prophets even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe but there's no difference for all of sin and fall short of the glory of God being justified freely by his grace now notice through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God set forth remember Jesus doesn't procure the the god of love but Jesus manifests or God's love Jesus manifests God's love God set forth Jesus as a propitiation by his blood through faith notice to demonstrate his righteousness not his Mercy his kindness his grace oh yeah those things too but Paul has a specific point in view Paul wants to show that the gospel vindicates God that in the gospel God doesn't compromise his Holiness God doesn't compromise his righteousness God doesn't just sort of look the other way relative to our sin no Christ stands in our place Christ receives in himself the penalty that is due for us we speak of substitution area atonement it means just that Christ took our place to satisfy Divine Justice and so Paul highlights that to demonstrate his righteousness because in his forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed to demonstrate at the present time his righteousness and then notice the end game in verse 26 that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus Jesus the gospel is airtight it's foolproof there's no chinks in the armor you can't say well you know if God receives these wretches into his own favor that must mean he compromised his law no he didn't Jesus fulfilled that law that must mean that he he compromised in this particular no he's just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus turn to the book of Hebrews Hebrews chapter 2 a passage where again we see this emphasis on propitiation It's a Wonderful gospel word that we ought to find great encouragement from the Lord God Reveals His wrath toward people like us but he's also revealed his righteousness through our Lord Jesus Christ and the Salvation wrought by him 2 17 therefore in all things he had to be made like his Brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to god notice to make propitiation for the sins of the people propitiation Christ took the Wrath and fury of God and satisfied Divine Justice for us Brethren this is the place where we we get an amen here this is beautiful do you you understand that right this means you know when Jesus cries on the cross you know my God my God why has Thou forsaken me you and I are never going to have to cry that cry and if we did there's a billion reasons why he should forsake us because we've transgressed his law and nausea and yet because of what Christ does at the cross not just deflecting the Wrath but taking the Wrath and thus satisfying Divine Justice I kind of like the older theologians and their nomenclature instead of atonement that's where we sort of emphasize and atonement's a good Biblical word and we should emphasize that they often spoke of satisfaction satisfaction the satisfaction of God's justice this is the propitiation wrought by Jesus he went to that cross not because of his Sins not because of his crimes not because of his misdeeds he went there for hours second Corinthians 5 21 Paul says God made him Christ who knew no not made him Christ but God made him and I'm defining him there is Christ God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that doesn't mean he's morally compromised that doesn't mean he actually sins but it's through imputation our sin is heaped upon the Savior God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him our sin heaped upon the Savior and punished his righteousness heaped upon the Sinner and blessed it is beautiful before the gospel is glorious it is wondrous don't ever say I don't want to hear all these different words study these words fill your heart and mind with these words these words are like freight trains carrying good things to your soul and if we jettison that if we get rid of the theological Enterprise yes there's goodness to be found in scripture but we don't get all of the richness we don't get to hold that diamond up and see it from the various angles and go wow that's amazing and then again first John chapter four uh first John 4 we've seen but go back to First John chapter 2 another place where we say propitiation first John chapter 2 specifically in verse well we'll read verse one my little children these things I write to you so that you may not sin that's why John writes he doesn't want you to sin great expression of his Apostolic Ministry I I'm writing to you so that you may not said we need Scripture so that we may not sin what is the the psalmist say in Psalm 119 I think it's verse 9. I uh Thy word I've hid in my heart why because I get awards at Awana I'm not saying that's bad get awards at Awana but Thy word I've hidden in my heart that I might not sin against thee right we hide the word of God in our hearts so that we might not sin against it why does John write so that you may not sin but John knows the doctrine of remaining sin that's why he says and if anyone sins which is going to be an inevitability and if anyone sins we have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous and he himself is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the whole world and by that I do not believe he means all men without exception he means all men without distinct picture he means men from every tribe and tongue and people and Nation he means various ethnicities various people groups not for our sins but for the sins of the whole world if propitiation is applied to the entirety of the world then everybody's going to be saved but the Bible does not teach that the Bible does not teach universalism John specifically is the Theologian of the cosmos Jesus was in the world or Jesus made the world he was in the world and the world did not know him he uses World in John 1 three different ways John Revelation 5 I think he has the best explanation of what he means by the world men from every tribe tongue people and Nation John 4 42 what happens when the gospel comes to the Samaritans they confess that Jesus is the savior of what the savior of the world they don't mean all men without exception they mean Samaritans alongside of the Jews they mean Gentiles alongside of the Jews we've seen that in our studies in Ephesians 2 and 3. it's not the case that we have two separate peoples of God we have one one people of God Jew and Gentile that are one new man under Jesus Christ Our Lord so in conclusion with reference to this particular section of scripture he doesn't just assert that God is love or declare that but he demonstrates it in the sending of the son and in the work of the son in terms of propitiation and then to conclude this brief section of the of the the epistle he says if God so loved us we also ought to love one another we also ought to love one another in other words when we say I love you there ought to be demonstrable proof of that doesn't mean you have to hand flowers every single time you say it or chocolates or you know whatever it is your your your other likes well I'm going to bring you a goat and that's really going to demonstrate my love for you and that's a good demonstration so that's not the only way this demonstrable proof that we love the people of God when you look look at the love of God for his people you don't have to kind of scratch your head and say I don't know what he means I don't know what he's talking about again we know specifically what he's talking about in the mission of the mission of Assad and in the work of the son and in terms of theological emphasis we see the nature of God here God is love but God is righteousness God is Holiness and again these aren't so many parts that make up our God God is his Perfections all that is in God is God that without Parts in our confession secures that understanding the manifestation of the love of God he sends his only begotten son into the world and the mission of the only begotten Son of God emphasizes that love he Bears the punishment that was for us on that cross so that you and I not only might have life but we might have it abundantly well Brethren I hope that this has been an encouragement I hope that your hearts are filled with love back to God and hopefully with love toward one another because we've got this vertical emphasis in scripture in terms of the supper but there's a horizontal emphasis in terms of the supper as well we do this as a church as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes and you do it corporately you do it as the gathered people of God and you do it with love to him and with love to one another well let us pray our gracious God and Father we thank you for your holy word we thank you for this wonderful section of scripture where it tells us what you are who you are it shows us that this is in fact the case and we rejoice in the sending of the only begotten son into this world we thank you that we have life through him we thank you for this doctrine of propitiation that we will not taste the Wrath and fury and Judgment of God because Christ already took it on our behalf may this cause us to rejoice and to praise and to worship and to glorify your great and awesome name and we pray through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well you can turn back in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 26. that'll be the section that we read after the brothers pass out the bread they will pass out the bread we will sing A Hymn while they do so and then I'll read the section appropriate to the bread pray and then we'll take the bread but just a few reminders in terms of the supper the supper is for believers only it's not a converting ordinance it's not for unbelievers to try to make them Christians that's been a a view in the history of the church we do not have that view we believe that the Bible says it is for believers so if you're not a Believer we just ask that you not take as well the supper is for believers who are dealing with their sin not perfectly not spotlessly but in First Corinthians chapter 11 there was abuse at the Lord's Supper they had a meal in conjunction with the supper and at that meal the haves were excluding the have-nots and Paul says that is to betray the body of Jesus Christ it is to betray the work of our Lord Jesus Christ on our behalf as well the ordinance or the supper is a means of Grace to be sure but the elements remain this saying we don't change the bread into the actual body of Jesus we don't change the wine into the actual blood of Jesus and then of course the focus of the supper is on Christ preoccupation with the Savior that doesn't mean you shouldn't confess your sins if you've got sin to deal with there'll be some moments for you to do that but the emphasis isn't on how bad we are the emphasis is on how good he is there's an old story of a Scottish covenanter gathering for the supper and the minister noticed that as the cup got closer to a particular woman she cried harder and cried louder because she was mindful of her own sinfulness and her own unworthiness of course when the minister got to her he handed her the cup and he said it's for Sinners again Sinners dealing with their sin which is typically evidenced by somebody crying over the fact that they're not worthy to participate the people that are not worthy to participate are unfortunately in the person's do participate so again preoccupation with Christ ought to be the mindset when it comes to the supper so I'm going to ask the brothers to come and pass out the bread will remain seated while we sing hymn number 275. hymn number 275. [Music] always [Music] our life [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] I pray for me [Music] [Music] I want to read the section in Matthew's gospel the institution of the supper by our Lord Jesus Christ on the night that he was betrayed so I'll read beginning in Matthew 26 at verse 26 and as they were eating Jesus Took bread blessed and broke it and gave it to the disciples and said take eat this is my body well let us pray a God and our father as we reflect upon a passage like this in the larger context of your word we stand in awe we stand amazed at the work of the Savior on behalf of Sinners we praise you for that life of obedience that that righteousness that he that he brought to fruition as well we thank you for that substitutionary death that broken body reminds us of the great love of God Almighty it reminds us of the mercy revealed to us in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ and we Rejoice that you have made us partakers we rejoice in your grace that has saved us your grace that has taught our hearts to fear and may we Marvel and may we wonder and may we adore that the work of the Lord Jesus Christ on our behalf and we pray in his Most Blessed name amen we'll take together well you can turn to number 276 again remain seated as the brothers pass out the wine if you're inclined to take juice instead of wine the juice is in the outer ring so the wine is in the inner part of the tray so number 276 [Music] because they know [Music] pull over now we are on your eyes [Music] Jesus [Music] name he washed by us [Music] foreign [Music] Jesus he was happy [Music] the same we are [Music] awesome [Music] we continue reading in verse 27 then he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying drink from it all of you for this is my blood of the New Covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins but I say to you I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my father's Kingdom and when they had sung A Hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives let us pray again our father we thank you for the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that cleanses us from all sin you see that emphasis upon his sacrificial death on the cross on behalf of All Those whom you gave to him and we Rejoice that you are so good and so gracious and so merciful to us and we thank you for the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and we pray in his Most Blessed name amen will take together well you can turn with me in your hymn books to 352. 352 a great summary statement concerning the truth of the Gospel will stand as we close our service today and may God be glorified through the singing the Saints of Christ thank you yes [Music] foreign [Music] through everything [Music] for all his friends [Music] now may the God of Peace who brought up our lord Jesus from the dead that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant make you complete in every good work to do his will working in you what is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and ever amen we thank you our father for this Lord's day we thank you for the Lord's house and for your people and the privilege that is ours to gather together to sing your praises to look to the Holy scripture to pray to you and may you go with us now may you cause your face to shine upon us may you keep us may you protect us and may your nearness be our good in this coming week and we ask this through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well please be seated for a brief time of meditation