Messages on the Gospel
Agape Love
by Pastor John Khng
Scripture Reading: 1 John 4:7-11, 16, 18-19; Romans 5:5-10
“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” – 1 John 4:8
“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” – 1 John 4:16
I. God is Love – 1 John 4:8,16
What is agape love? Agape love is God’s divine love. The Bible says twice In 1 John 4:8 & 16, that God is Love – literally: God is agape. It is His nature to love. God loves us because He is love. We are familiar with parental love, friendship love and romantic love but know very little about agape love. Today I would like to speak on agape love which is God’s divine love.
According to 1 John 4:7, if we have God’s love and love one another with God’s Love we are “born of God” and we know Him. The next verse says if we do not have God’s love, we do not know Him because God is Love. Let me share with you on how you can have God’s love in your heart today.
II. God Shares His Love – Romans 5:5
Think about this – We cannot have God’s love if He is not willing to share His love with us. But the good news is, God is willing to share His love with us according to Romans 5:5 which says, “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us.” This verse tells us that God’s love is poured (“shed abroad”) into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. The love of God assures us of hope. In the Bible, hope speaks of confidence.
Romans 5:2 speaks of the “hope of the glory of God” which means the hope (confidence) of spending eternity in heaven in God’s presence. Romans 5:4 & 5 speak of the hope (confidence) as we face tribulations while living on earth.
How can we have the confidence of going to heaven one day and also have the confidence to live on earth right now? The answer is that we need to have God’s love in our hearts. How can we have God’s love? We get God’s love through the Holy Spirit who lives in us according to Romans 5:5. How do we get the Holy Spirit to live in us? We are given the Holy Spirit when we repent of our sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be our personal Saviour. The word “For” in Romans 5:6 tells us the reason or the explanation of how the Holy Spirit can live in sinful man. It is because Jesus Christ died for sinners.
III. God Demonstrates His Love – Romans 5:6-10
What did God do to show His love for us? Romans 5:8 gives us the answer: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this way: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” To drive home the point that God loves us. The Bible gives us this illustration. There are three types of men in Romans 5:7 and 8 – A righteous man, a good man and a sinner. I would like to define a righteous man as one who is morally upright. A good man is one who loves and cares for other people. A sinner as one who is evil and do harm to other people.
The Bible is clear that all men have sinned whether you are a morally upright man, or a good man or a sinner – “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”- Romans 3:23. How do we know we have sinned? We know because we are all sentenced to death. Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.” These three types of men – a righteous (morally upright) man, a good man (someone who loves and cares for other people) and a sinner (an evil man) – all are sentenced to death because all are guilty of sin before God.
Who will likely be willing to die on behalf of one of these three men?
The Bible says for a righteous man – scarcely, rarely (very seldom) anyone will die for him to save him. Reason – Although he is morally upright but we may not know him personally.
For a good man – “yet peradventure” perhaps someone might be prepared to die on behalf of the good man because he has been good to him. Out of gratitude or love for this good man, someone may be prepared to die on his behalf.
How about for a sinner? For a sinner (an evil man), no one is willing to die on his behalf but God is willing to die on behalf of sinners – Christ died for us. Look at the description of us as we go from bad to worst from being ungodly to being sinners to being enemies of God.
“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” – Romans 5:6
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8
“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be
saved by his life.” – Romans 5:10
Christ didn’t die for his own sins. He is the Perfect, Sinless, Son of God. He died for our sins.
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21 It is for our sake, that Christ died on the cross. He died for men who are ungodly, who are sinners and who are enemies of God
Seven Characteristics of God’s Love:
How can we have God’s love in our hearts today? We can have God’s love by accepting His love for us. When we receive Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, God will give us His Holy Spirit and when the Holy Spirit lives in us, He will pour forth God’s love into our hearts.
THE BIBLE’S INVITATION
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” – Rom. 10:9-10 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” – Rom. 10:13 The “whosoever” includes you and me. God invites you to “call” or pray to Him. Will you do this right now?
PRAYER FOR SALVATION
Dear Almighty God,
Please be merciful to me, a sinner. I would like to repent of my sins and to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I believe that He died on the cross for my sins, was buried and rose again the third day. I would like to receive Him into my heart right now to save me from my sins. Thank you that through trusting the Lord Jesus Christ, I am now a child of God and have God’s love and eternal life. Help me from today onward to worship you faithfully, read the Bible regularly, pray and live the Christian life with your help and grace. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen!
Please write to Pastor John Khng at calvarysg@yahoo.com about your response to this message. If you have a question about God’s love, please write to ask for answers.
Scripture Reading: 1 John 4:7-11, 16, 18-19; Romans 5:5-10
“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” – 1 John 4:8
“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” – 1 John 4:16
I. God is Love – 1 John 4:8,16
What is agape love? Agape love is God’s divine love. The Bible says twice In 1 John 4:8 & 16, that God is Love – literally: God is agape. It is His nature to love. God loves us because He is love. We are familiar with parental love, friendship love and romantic love but know very little about agape love. Today I would like to speak on agape love which is God’s divine love.
According to 1 John 4:7, if we have God’s love and love one another with God’s Love we are “born of God” and we know Him. The next verse says if we do not have God’s love, we do not know Him because God is Love. Let me share with you on how you can have God’s love in your heart today.
II. God Shares His Love – Romans 5:5
Think about this – We cannot have God’s love if He is not willing to share His love with us. But the good news is, God is willing to share His love with us according to Romans 5:5 which says, “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us.” This verse tells us that God’s love is poured (“shed abroad”) into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. The love of God assures us of hope. In the Bible, hope speaks of confidence.
Romans 5:2 speaks of the “hope of the glory of God” which means the hope (confidence) of spending eternity in heaven in God’s presence. Romans 5:4 & 5 speak of the hope (confidence) as we face tribulations while living on earth.
How can we have the confidence of going to heaven one day and also have the confidence to live on earth right now? The answer is that we need to have God’s love in our hearts. How can we have God’s love? We get God’s love through the Holy Spirit who lives in us according to Romans 5:5. How do we get the Holy Spirit to live in us? We are given the Holy Spirit when we repent of our sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be our personal Saviour. The word “For” in Romans 5:6 tells us the reason or the explanation of how the Holy Spirit can live in sinful man. It is because Jesus Christ died for sinners.
III. God Demonstrates His Love – Romans 5:6-10
What did God do to show His love for us? Romans 5:8 gives us the answer: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this way: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” To drive home the point that God loves us. The Bible gives us this illustration. There are three types of men in Romans 5:7 and 8 – A righteous man, a good man and a sinner. I would like to define a righteous man as one who is morally upright. A good man is one who loves and cares for other people. A sinner as one who is evil and do harm to other people.
The Bible is clear that all men have sinned whether you are a morally upright man, or a good man or a sinner – “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”- Romans 3:23. How do we know we have sinned? We know because we are all sentenced to death. Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.” These three types of men – a righteous (morally upright) man, a good man (someone who loves and cares for other people) and a sinner (an evil man) – all are sentenced to death because all are guilty of sin before God.
Who will likely be willing to die on behalf of one of these three men?
The Bible says for a righteous man – scarcely, rarely (very seldom) anyone will die for him to save him. Reason – Although he is morally upright but we may not know him personally.
For a good man – “yet peradventure” perhaps someone might be prepared to die on behalf of the good man because he has been good to him. Out of gratitude or love for this good man, someone may be prepared to die on his behalf.
How about for a sinner? For a sinner (an evil man), no one is willing to die on his behalf but God is willing to die on behalf of sinners – Christ died for us. Look at the description of us as we go from bad to worst from being ungodly to being sinners to being enemies of God.
“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” – Romans 5:6
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8
“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be
saved by his life.” – Romans 5:10
Christ didn’t die for his own sins. He is the Perfect, Sinless, Son of God. He died for our sins.
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21 It is for our sake, that Christ died on the cross. He died for men who are ungodly, who are sinners and who are enemies of God
Seven Characteristics of God’s Love:
- God’s love is unconditional love – Romans 5:6,8.10 - He loves ungodly people, sinners and even His enemies. He loves the unlovely, the undeserving and even the ungrateful.
- God’s love is sacrificial love – John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16 – The Greatest Love – is God’s love; The Greatest Sacrifice – is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God’s Only Begotten Son on Calvary’s cross and The Greatest Offer – is the Offer of Salvation – “that whosoever believes in Christ will not perish but will have everlasting life.”
- God’s love is longsuffering love– He is waiting for sinners to repent and believe the gospel – 2 Peter 3:9
- God’s love is disciplining love – He chastens those who belong to Him so that we can be partakers of His holiness – Hebrews 12:6; 10.
- God’s love is edifying love – seeks to build up, seeks to help and seeks to be a blessing – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
- God’s love is surpassing love – Ephesians 3:17-19 – His love is immeasurable. His love goes beyond human understanding. Apostle Paul prayed that we “May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,“ – Ephesians 3:18-19a
- God’s love is eternal love – He loves us forever – Jeremiah 31:3 says, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love.”
How can we have God’s love in our hearts today? We can have God’s love by accepting His love for us. When we receive Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, God will give us His Holy Spirit and when the Holy Spirit lives in us, He will pour forth God’s love into our hearts.
THE BIBLE’S INVITATION
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” – Rom. 10:9-10 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” – Rom. 10:13 The “whosoever” includes you and me. God invites you to “call” or pray to Him. Will you do this right now?
PRAYER FOR SALVATION
Dear Almighty God,
Please be merciful to me, a sinner. I would like to repent of my sins and to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I believe that He died on the cross for my sins, was buried and rose again the third day. I would like to receive Him into my heart right now to save me from my sins. Thank you that through trusting the Lord Jesus Christ, I am now a child of God and have God’s love and eternal life. Help me from today onward to worship you faithfully, read the Bible regularly, pray and live the Christian life with your help and grace. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen!
Please write to Pastor John Khng at calvarysg@yahoo.com about your response to this message. If you have a question about God’s love, please write to ask for answers.
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