How Much Do You Love Others?

(Matthew 7:12)



I. Introduction.
A. Orientation.

Weve seen eternal life is more than duration and quality:

It is knowing the Father and Jesus.

Jesus came that we might know God.

He came that we might have a relationship with Him.

He came that we might know His power in our souls.


That power, weve seen first is the power to love the Father.

Jesus loved His Father on earth:


With all the affection of His heart

He did all He did out of an ardent love for the Father,

And the desire to honor Him with His life;


With every thought in His mind

His every consideration was how He might honor the Father,

And how much He delighted to do it;


With all the strength the Father gave Him

He didnt use up His energy trying to find the next thrill,

But used it all to serve the Father,

Which, because of His heart, He enjoyed more than anything;

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With His whole soul

With every power the Lord gave Him:

Imagination, reason, will, affection.


This is what the Father commands,

This is what it means to love Him.

This is how He wants you to love Him,

And how you must if you are to know Jesus.


B. Preview.

But there is also the second greatest commandment:

You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Matt. 22:39).

Jesus showed us how to do this as well.

If you would know Him, this is what you must also set your heart to do.


We need to recognize at the outset

That loving our neighbor whether a believer or not

Is much more difficult than loving God.

God is perfect:

Its not hard to love someone who loves you so much

Who has given so much to you and for you

Who is perfect in every way,

Who is infinitely lovely/beautiful.

Once youve seen that beauty

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Which the Lord shows you when He opens your eyes by His Spirit

You cant help but love Him.


The same isnt true of mankind:

Were not quite as loveable as God,

And yet we are to love one another.

Thats what Jesus did:

He gave us the perfect example of loving our neighbor as Himself.


Lets consider three things this morning regarding Jesus love for mankind:

1. First, He did what was most difficult: Jesus loved His enemies.

2. Second, He also did what was still difficult: Jesus loved His own.

3. Finally, if you are to know Jesus, this is what you need to do.


II. Sermon.
A. First, He loved His enemies.

I wanted to start here because this is where the love of Jesus Christ begins.

As God, He loved us from all eternity.

But as man, He loved us and came to save us when we were still His enemies.


Jesus says in John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal
life.

This passage speaks of the Fathers love, but also includes the Sons.

Their love for mankind was so great,

They agreed/covenanted from eternity to do something to provide salvation.

The Father would send His Son,
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The Son would willingly come and lay down His life

To save all who would believe in Him,

The Father and the Son would send the Spirit to give His people the ability to
believe,

And the Father would give His Son the people He saved to love and be loved for all
eternity.


Notice for whom they did this: the world.

This emphasizes the state we were in when Jesus came:

We were not His friends, but His enemies.

Paul writes, For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the
ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the
good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own
love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much
more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the
wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to
God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall
be saved by His life (Rom. 5:6-10).

Paul writes regarding himself, It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full
acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I
am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the
foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for
those who would believe in Him for eternal life (1 Tim. 1:15-16).


He didnt come for those who loved Him, but for those who hated Him.

He came to die for His enemies.


Its true there were those who had already received His grace

And were already inclined towards Him, such as Joseph, Mary, Anna and Simeon;

As well as those who had been saved by Him before He ever came,

Such as Adam, Eve, Seth, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
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But even they were enemies before His grace.


Was His love limited only to those He knew would believe in Him?

He shows us that it goes beyond even these:

In Mark 10:17-23, we read the account of the rich young ruler, As He was setting
out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him,
Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said to him,
Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the
commandments, DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO
NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not defraud, HONOR
YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER. And he said to Him, Teacher, I have kept
all these things from my youth up. Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him
and said to him, One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the
poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me. But at these
words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned
much property. And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, How hard it
will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!

Getting past some of the issues that this passage raises regarding how were saved


We are saved by grace through faith and not by works,

Jesus only pointed him to the commandments and told him to sell his possessions

To show him that he didnt really keep the commandments

Lets see two things:

The fact that this man didnt receive Jesus, but turned away,

And yet Jesus loved him.


Were all familiar with the three words in Greek to describe love: eros, phileo, and
agape.

Jesus uses the word agape here: the highest form of love.

Its not that He was enamored with this young man,

But He did care for His soul.
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He cares for the souls even of His enemies.


After He was crucified, from the cross, He prayed that the Father would forgive
those who had done this to Him (Luke 23:34)

From the text, this appears to be directed more towards the Roman soldiers than
towards the Jews.


And with regard to the Jews,

As Jesus approached Jerusalem, and saw the city, He wept, and said, If you had
known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they
have been hidden from your eyes (Luke 19:41-42).

Did Jesus care for His enemies? Yes, He did.

He declared this to Israel even in times of apostasy,

Say to them, As I live! declares the Lord GOD, I take no pleasure in the death
of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back,
turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?
(Eze. 33:11).


B. And I dont think I need to spend too much time showing that He not only loved
His enemies, but that He particularly loved His own.

John writes, Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus (John 11:5).

He writes, Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had
come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own
who were in the world, He loved them to the end (John 13:1).

He told His disciples, Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you;
abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love;
just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These
things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may
be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I
have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for
his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you (John 15:9-14).

Jesus loved His own.

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When He told them to love one another, He pointed to Himself as the example of
how to love.

He said laying down ones life is the greatest expression of that love,

And He laid down His life for them and for us.


C. So whats the point?

If you are to know Jesus, you must love your neighbor, even your enemies, as Jesus
did.

When Jesus gave the second greatest, You shall love your neighbor as yourself,

The one who had asked Him, replied, And who is my neighbor?

Jesus answered with the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Your neighbor is anyone near you,

Particularly those in need, whether friend or foe.

The Samaritan loved his enemy and took care of him as he would have wanted
someone to care for him.

You are to go and do the same.


Stephen did the same as Jesus:

When the Jews were stoning him for telling them the truth,

He prayed, Lord, do not hold this sin against them, and he died (Acts 7:60).

Thats what you are to do.


Jesus says, You have heard that it was said, YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR
NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and
pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is
in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain
on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what
reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet
only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the
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Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father
is perfect (Matt. 5:43-48).

If you are to know Jesus Christ, this is what you must do.


You must particularly love your brothers and sisters in Christ.

We already saw that Jesus told us to love one another as He has loved us (John 15).

He said earlier on that same occasion, A new commandment I give to you, that
you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one
another (John 13:34-35).

Paul writes, Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one
another in honor (Rom. 12:10).

And, Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his
neighbor has fulfilled the law (13:8).


Peter writes, Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a
sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart (1 Pet.
1:22).

And John writes, This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His
Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us (1 John
3:23).


If you would know Jesus, you must not only love your enemies,

You must particularly love His people as He loves them.

This is what Jesus life was all about: love for the Father, love for His neighbor.

And theres a lot that goes into both, so well see more about this in future sermons.


Let me just close by telling you again where to find the strength/power to do this:

You only can through Jesus Christ.

If you dont know Him, you cant love this way:

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You need to turn from your sins and trust Him,

Its the only way.


But if you have trusted Him, you need to set your heart to seek Him.

You must devote your whole self to Him.

You must seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit

He is the Spirit of love, and without His fullness,

Youll never grow into the image of Jesus Christ.


And so cut off the things that extinguish His fire

The worlds influences the lust of the eyes, the lusts of the flesh, the boastful
pride of life (1 John 2:16)

And stoke those flames with the means/oil of His grace

That you might love the Father more,

And your neighbor more. Amen.


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