God’s love for His people
Introduction
As a communion service – no better theme thank to think of God’s love for His people
Example of Mark’s Testimony – God loves us
God has loved us in Christ – even when we were an enemy and in sin and rebellion
Eph 5:25 – Jesus gave Himself for love of the Church
Amazing, sacrificial love
Acts 20:28 – purchased with the precious blood of Jesus
Looking at v3-7
Paul is full of praise and worship to God
He begins to give reasons to praise God
Chose in Christ before the foundation of the world
Predestined in love to become adopted into God’s family
Fully accepted in the Beloved
Some many truths in these verses
One long sentence in the Greek
v3-6 – the role of the Father
v7-12 – the blessings in Christ
v13 – the role of the Holy Spirit
Overview:
God’s Electing Love
God’s Adopting Love
God’s Redeeming Love
God’s Electing Love (v3-4)
We must not be frightened of the word elect
Matt 24:22, 24, 31
Jesus had no speaking about those whom the Father had given Him – the elect
They were precious to Him
Rom 8:33, Col 3:12, 2 Tim 2:10
Paul speaks of the elect
Many other verses
Paul contemplates this in light of his own experience
Gal 1:15, 2 Tim 1:8-9
God’s grace was given before time began
Rom 11
Can we fathom the word of God, we are called to accept the word of God
Rom 9:14-16
Salvation is ultimately of God and of His mercy
Deut 7:7-8
God chose to love them
The doctrine of election should lead to tremendous thankfulness and humility
It takes away of ourselves
We fall at God’s feet amazed at His love
v3-4
Every blessing is mediated through Jesus Christ
Chosen to be holy and without blame – to become like Jesus Christ
To no longer be slaves to sin
God’s electing love is the first thing that comes to Paul’s mind
God’s Adopting Love (v5-6)
Difference between NIV and NKJV
"In love" having predestined us
We have been given a destiny
That we should be adopted to become children of God
By Jesus Christ
According to the good pleasure of God
This doctrine should bring us tremendous comfort
We can cry out "Abba, Father"
We are to pray, "Our Father …"
We have become members of God’s family
We have all the rights of inheritance through Christ our elder brother
This is not a cold/calculated doctrine but the blazing love of God
1 John 3:1
Do we reflect upon this – that we have been made the children of God
Once we were not part of God’s family
Once children of the devil
Plucked out and adopted – children of the living God
Some adopted children never feel equal to the blood family
Some adopted children feel the opposite – that they are completely equal
This is how we should feel as members of the Church of Christ
We all have the same rights and priviledges
We are fully accepted in the beloved
v5-6
Fully accepted in Christ, all to the praise of God
Our purpose is to bring praise to God
We are the gift from the Father to the Son – John 17:6, 9, 12, 24
In love, predestined to be adopted as children of God
God’s Redeeming Love (v7)
v7
Redemption is a wonderful word
Not often used to day
Example of the meanings
We were once slaves of sin, to the law and to satan (Eph 2:2), the fear of death (Heb 2:15)
Jesus gave His love as a ransom for many – Mark 10:45
Tremendous grace lavished upon us
Christ died for us whilst we were still sinners
We have redemption through Christ’s blood
Communion time allows us to reflect on this
What cost!
Redeemed – fully by God
All through God’s grace
Full forgiveness of sins
Closing Remarks