GOD’S LOVE

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8 NKJV).

This verse makes an amazing statement about God’s love. In it is the proof of God’s love, the purity of God’s love, and the people for God’s love.

Proof of God’s love - “God demonstrates His own love toward us.” Here in this verse we read that God has “demonstrated” or proved His love for us. And the way He proved it was to have the Lord Jesus Christ die for us. Folks are often quick to question the fact of God’s love. When they view crime, disasters, and tragedies they will often say, “If God loved us this would not have happened.” Of course, comments like these ignores the fact that our sin, not the lack of God’s love, that has caused these evils. Many show their disbelief that God loves them by challenging God to prove He loves them by providing them a job or house or health etc. But all of these man-made proving conditions are unnecessary. Our verse says that God has already proven His love to us in the Lord Jesus Christ dying for us. It is such great proof that no other proof is needed.

Purity of God’s love - “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” There are many things go falls under the heading of love that are not love at all. Immorality is often said to be caused by people being in love. That’s nonsense; true love is pure. Love “does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth” (1 Cor. 13:6). The purity of God’s love is seen in the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins. God wanted to fellowship with us, but He is holy and could not allow sin in His presence. Therefore, He sent the Lord Jesus Christ to die for our sins in order to purify us. God’s love is holy love. God’s love purifies.

People for God’s love - “Toward us . . . for us.” God’s great love is directed towards mankind. Some may think their sin would keep God from loving them, but our verse says God’s love provided Christ to die for us “while we were still sinners.” To benefit from the fact that God loves us, we must receive His great gift to us which is the Lord Jesus Christ. If we refuse the gift of love from the God of love, we will not benefit from God’s great love for you.

(Adapted from Butler’s Daily Bible Reading 3)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“By the cross we know the gravity of sin and the greatness of God’s love toward us!”

John Chrysostom (347 - 407)

Church Father, Biblical Interpreter, and Archbishop of Constantinople

Word Study

Fervent

In Acts 18:25 we read, “This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John” (NKJV).

“Fervent” is the Greek word zéō (ζέω = dzeh'-o). Literally, it means to well up, to bubble, to boil. Figuratively, zeo referred to spiritual fervor describing one who is very eager, showing enthusiasm, with burning zeal. In Rom. 12:11, the apostle Paul used the word to describe those who were “fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” In context, Apollos was “boiling” in his spirit. The word is also present tense describing Apollos as continually “bubbling over” with spiritual fervor, great eagerness and burning zeal to speak on behalf of the Lord Jesus.

Did You Know…

According to Num. 9:17, the Israelites would only take up their tents and move camp when the glory cloud moved from over the tabernacle.

Bible Quiz

Where did the Lord Jesus get the mud, He put on the eyes of the blind man healed in the Gospel of John?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz

In Old Testament times what was the job of the prophet? To deliver God’s commands to the people (Deut. 18:18).

Prophecies Fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ

An Anointed King to the Lord (1 Sam. 2:10) - Prefigures the Lord Jesus Christ as God’s Coming King (John 12:15; cf. Psalm 2:2-12)

"The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces; from heaven He will thunder against them. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to His king, and exalt the horn of His anointed” (1 Sam. 2:10 NJKV).

Imagine the presumption and futility of puny man bringing a case against the Almighty LORD! Note the phrase “shall be broken in pieces” which indicates this is a prophecy. In context, Hannah’s prophecy will be fulfilled when the Lord Jesus returns to earth. According to the apostle John, when the Lord Jesus returns, “out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (Rev. 19:15). This leaves no doubt as to the fate of God’s enemies! “Anointed” is the Hebrew word mâshîyach (mashiach = maw-shee'-akh), which in this context speaks of the future Messiah Who will be “King of kings and Lord of lords” (John 19:16). While this had a partial fulfillment in King David, it will have a more complete fulfillment in the Messianic King of Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Did You Know – Christian History

Melvin Ernest Trotter was born May 16, 1870, in Orangeville, Illinois. He was the founder of the Grand Rapids, Michigan City Rescue Mission.

Trotter was an alcoholic. Again and again he promised his wife that he would give up drink for good. Once he managed to stay dry for eleven and a half weeks. At the end, thirst overcame him. He traded his horse to pay for a round of drinks. He reached the point that he committed burglary to feed his awful habit. His wife and child suffered terribly for his sin.

They had only the one child. The boy was about two years old when Trotter came home after a drinking spree. “I went home after a ten-day drunk and found him dead in his mother’s arms. I’ll never forget that day. I was a slave, and I knew it. It pretty nearly broke my heart. I said, ‘I’m a murderer. I’m anything but a man. I can’t stand it, and I won’t stand it! I’ll end my life.” But he didn’t have the courage to do it because he feared God’s judgment. He put his arms around his wife and swore on the baby’s coffin that he'd never touch another drop. Two hours after the funeral, he staggered home drunk.

On January 19, 1897, Trotter made the decision to kill himself. Drunk, he staggered through Chicago, determined to throw himself into the freezing waters of Lake Michigan. Unable to break his habit, unable to keep his promises, he wanted to die. However, his journey brought him past the door of the Pacific Garden Mission. Harry Monroe, who himself had been an alcoholic, was leading singing. As the doorman helped Trotter in, Monroe stopped to pray for him. “O God, Save that poor, poor boy,” he pleaded. Monroe then told the audience of his own past and how Christ had delivered him from alcohol. Trotter listened and believed. That night, he answered Monroe’s invitation to make room for God in his life. Monroe explained that the Lord Jesus loved him and would change him. And that is what the Lord Jesus did.

Three years later, Trotter was asked to head a rescue work in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He went on to found a chain of missions throughout the United States to help men like himself who could not escape the slavery of alcoholism. Trotter eventually becomes a popular Bible conference speaker, especially at Northfield Bible Conference and the Winona Lake Bible Conference. In 1935, Bob Jones College (now Bob Jones University) conferred an honorary doctorate degree on him. In 1937, he appeared with Harry A. Ironside in England. In 1939, Trotter suffered a severe heart attack in Kannapolis, North Carolina, and died at his summer cottage near Holland, Michigan in 1940. Ironside was the presiding minister at his funeral.

A Little Humor

Christian Doctor: “Your recovery is a miracle!”

Christian Patient: “Thank God! Now I don’t have to pay you.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“My Way is the Highway - God!”