The Love of God
Bible Study Time 8-12-07
Bible Study Time 8-12-07
Well, that certainly is a good old song, and what a message! On whom will we call when the storm clouds gather? To whom can we look when we need deliverance? Where can we go but to the Lord?
In Ephesians and Colossians, Paul reveals the highest and most exalted view of the God who, because of His great love, has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love. We were dead in trespasses and sins:
Ephesians 2:4-7 NKJV
4 But God, who is rich in mercy . . .
5 . . . made us alive together with Christ . . .
6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
With these facts in mind, Paul went on to say:
Ephesians 3:14,18,19 NKJV
14 . . . I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,*
18 (that you) may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height —
19 (of) the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
The more we understand the love of Christ, the more we will be filled with the fullness of God. Paul had seen the glory of God, and he said, with the fullness of God, we have to understand and comprehend and rejoice in the love of Christ which ww I just hope and pray that all believers will be able to grow spiritually to the point that they can understand the love that I sensed when I stood there in the presence of the Lord.
We live in a three dimensional world, but Paul described the love of God in terms of four dimensions. He said, I hope that you will be able to comprehend the width and length and depth and height of the love of God.
The human mind cannot comprehend the magnitude or the power of God’s love, but those who open their hearts to God through Jesus Christ can actually experience the love of God. Only then can we be filled with the fullness of God.
This is the love that sent the only begotten Son of God to the cross of Calvary. This is the love that made it possible for us to be baptized into the death, burial and resurrection of Christ so that we receive redemption, justification, sanctification and so forth. This is the love that prompted God to give us His word.
The Bible is the word of God, and in it we learn of the love of God. By studying the Bible we learn of God’s nature, and we learn of His plan and purpose for the ages.
The two most important things that we need to be successful in this life and in the life to come are information and motivation. Whether you talk about this life or the life to come, success depends upon having the right information and having the motivation to act upon the information we’ve got.
Noah was a man who lived in a dangerous world. The Bible says that when the Lord looked at Noah’s world, He:
Genesis 6:5-7 NKJV
5 . . . saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
7 So the Lord said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them."
But the Bible says that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, and as a result, God gave Noah a critical piece of information. He told Noah that a great flood was coming. He said:
Genesis 6:13 NKJV
13 . . . Noah,"The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
So, God gave Noah the information that he needed. Not only did God tell Noah about the flood, but He also told Noah what he needed to do to survive the flood. He said:
Genesis 6:14,17,18 NKJV
14 Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.
17 And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die.
18 But I will establish My covenant with you . . .
So Noah at this point knew what he needed to do to survive the flood, but what was he going to do with this information? Did Noah have the motivation to act upon the information that God had given him? As we all know, Noah did build the ark because he truly believed what God had told him. So when the ark was finished, the Lord said to Noah:
Genesis 7:1 NKJV
1 . . . "Come into the ark, you and all your household . . .
Genesis 7:4-5 NKJV
4 For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made."
5 And Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him.
Genesis 7:10 NKJV
10 And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth.
Genesis 7:16 NKJV
16 So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in.
Peter said that Noah was a preacher of righteousness, and it would appear from Genesis, Chapter 6, that Noah did his preaching for 120 years while he was building the ark. But then, even after Noah and his family and all of the animals and birds went into the ark, the door to the ark remained open for seven more days. God gave the people of the earth seven more days of grace.
God is truly longsuffering, and His love is beyond human comprehension. God obviously postponed His judgment as long as He could. He waited for 120 years while Noah warned the people. Then, God waited another seven days, giving the people every chance to enter into the ark. But after that last seven days, God shut the door to the ark. After that, there was no more preaching. After that, there was no more room for repentance. The time for judgment had come.
Up to that point, however, the door had been open. God was waiting for people to hear the word of the Lord and heed the warning of God. They had the information they needed, but they did not have the motivation to act when they didn’t believe. To be successful in this life and in the life to come, we must have the correct information, and we must believe it. When we really believe it, we will have the motivation to act.
Noah and his family were saved and brought through the flood because God gave Noah the information he needed. Noah believed what God told him and was motivated to act. Noah built the ark, entered into the ark and became the heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
This, of course, stands as a beautiful illustration for us today. The Bible tells us that the judgment of God is coming. When God looks down upon our world today, He sees violence, corruption and calloused hearts. He has said that tribulation such as the world has never seen before is coming.
Today, the scientific community is very concerned that an asteroid may strike the earth in the not too distant future. They say that if that happens it will cause devastation such as the world has not seen for millions of years. They say that the dinosaurs became extinct millions of years ago because of the impact of a great asteroid. Likewise, they say that the extinction of man may be the consequence of the next asteroid impact.
Well, scientists may be better at predicting the future than they are at conjuring up the events of the past. They would do well to read and believe the Biblical account of Noah’s flood, but their fear of a future asteroid impact is in line with scripture. The Apostle John saw a vision of the coming tribulation period and in the vision:
Revelation 6:12-17 NKJV
12 . . . there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon* became like blood.
13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.
14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.
15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders,* the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains,
16 and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!
17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
During that time the people of the earth will worship the devil whom John called the dragon, and they will worship the antichrist whom John called the beast. John said:
Revelation 13:4-10 NKJV
4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying,"Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?"
5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue* for forty-two months.
6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.
7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe,* tongue, and nation.
8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
10 He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
God has certainly given all of us fair warning. He spelled out for us exactly what lies ahead for this planet, and He spelled out for us exactly what we have to do to escape the coming judgment. Jesus said:
John 3:16-20 NKJV
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
John said that at the end of the tribulation period God will send hailstones upon the earth that weigh 100 pounds each, but will the men of the earth repent? No, John said that they will blaspheme God because of the plague of hail. They will refuse to come to the light because the light would expose their evil deeds.
Today, God is offering an ark of safety for those who are willing to enter. The door to the ark is open wide. Jesus said:
John 10:9 NKJV
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
He said:
John 14:6 NKJV
6 . . . "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Jesus said:
Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Jesus Christ is the ark of safety that God has provided for those who are willing to hear the word of the Lord and act upon what they learn.
The believing remnant of Jews during the tribulation period will be protected by God. The wrath of Satan and the wrath of the antichrist will be poured out on them, and they will suffer greatly, but God will protect them and bring them through the judgment, even as God brought Noah through the flood.
However, those of us who believe today will not even be present on the earth during the tribulation period. Paul said that believers today are already citizens of heaven and one of these days Christ who is our life shall appear, and then we also shall appear with Him in glory. He shall change our lowly bodies, make them like unto His glorious body, and our salvation will at that point be complete. While the events of the great tribulation period play out upon the earth, we will be enjoying our exalted position with Christ in the glory of heaven.
Well, I trust that you this morning have already taken God’s warning to heart and have entered into the ark of safety by putting your faith in Jesus Christ. If not, the door to the ark is open wide, and Jesus Christ is waiting for you to make that decision.
It’s been a pleasure studying with you this morning, and I’ll look forward to studying with you again next week at this same time.
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
In Ephesians and Colossians, Paul reveals the highest and most exalted view of the God who, because of His great love, has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love. We were dead in trespasses and sins:
Ephesians 2:4-7 NKJV
4 But God, who is rich in mercy . . .
5 . . . made us alive together with Christ . . .
6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
With these facts in mind, Paul went on to say:
Ephesians 3:14,18,19 NKJV
14 . . . I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,*
18 (that you) may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height —
19 (of) the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
The more we understand the love of Christ, the more we will be filled with the fullness of God. Paul had seen the glory of God, and he said, with the fullness of God, we have to understand and comprehend and rejoice in the love of Christ which ww I just hope and pray that all believers will be able to grow spiritually to the point that they can understand the love that I sensed when I stood there in the presence of the Lord.
We live in a three dimensional world, but Paul described the love of God in terms of four dimensions. He said, I hope that you will be able to comprehend the width and length and depth and height of the love of God.
The human mind cannot comprehend the magnitude or the power of God’s love, but those who open their hearts to God through Jesus Christ can actually experience the love of God. Only then can we be filled with the fullness of God.
This is the love that sent the only begotten Son of God to the cross of Calvary. This is the love that made it possible for us to be baptized into the death, burial and resurrection of Christ so that we receive redemption, justification, sanctification and so forth. This is the love that prompted God to give us His word.
The Bible is the word of God, and in it we learn of the love of God. By studying the Bible we learn of God’s nature, and we learn of His plan and purpose for the ages.
The two most important things that we need to be successful in this life and in the life to come are information and motivation. Whether you talk about this life or the life to come, success depends upon having the right information and having the motivation to act upon the information we’ve got.
Noah was a man who lived in a dangerous world. The Bible says that when the Lord looked at Noah’s world, He:
Genesis 6:5-7 NKJV
5 . . . saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
7 So the Lord said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them."
But the Bible says that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, and as a result, God gave Noah a critical piece of information. He told Noah that a great flood was coming. He said:
Genesis 6:13 NKJV
13 . . . Noah,"The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
So, God gave Noah the information that he needed. Not only did God tell Noah about the flood, but He also told Noah what he needed to do to survive the flood. He said:
Genesis 6:14,17,18 NKJV
14 Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.
17 And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die.
18 But I will establish My covenant with you . . .
So Noah at this point knew what he needed to do to survive the flood, but what was he going to do with this information? Did Noah have the motivation to act upon the information that God had given him? As we all know, Noah did build the ark because he truly believed what God had told him. So when the ark was finished, the Lord said to Noah:
Genesis 7:1 NKJV
1 . . . "Come into the ark, you and all your household . . .
Genesis 7:4-5 NKJV
4 For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made."
5 And Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him.
Genesis 7:10 NKJV
10 And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth.
Genesis 7:16 NKJV
16 So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in.
Peter said that Noah was a preacher of righteousness, and it would appear from Genesis, Chapter 6, that Noah did his preaching for 120 years while he was building the ark. But then, even after Noah and his family and all of the animals and birds went into the ark, the door to the ark remained open for seven more days. God gave the people of the earth seven more days of grace.
God is truly longsuffering, and His love is beyond human comprehension. God obviously postponed His judgment as long as He could. He waited for 120 years while Noah warned the people. Then, God waited another seven days, giving the people every chance to enter into the ark. But after that last seven days, God shut the door to the ark. After that, there was no more preaching. After that, there was no more room for repentance. The time for judgment had come.
Up to that point, however, the door had been open. God was waiting for people to hear the word of the Lord and heed the warning of God. They had the information they needed, but they did not have the motivation to act when they didn’t believe. To be successful in this life and in the life to come, we must have the correct information, and we must believe it. When we really believe it, we will have the motivation to act.
Noah and his family were saved and brought through the flood because God gave Noah the information he needed. Noah believed what God told him and was motivated to act. Noah built the ark, entered into the ark and became the heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
This, of course, stands as a beautiful illustration for us today. The Bible tells us that the judgment of God is coming. When God looks down upon our world today, He sees violence, corruption and calloused hearts. He has said that tribulation such as the world has never seen before is coming.
Today, the scientific community is very concerned that an asteroid may strike the earth in the not too distant future. They say that if that happens it will cause devastation such as the world has not seen for millions of years. They say that the dinosaurs became extinct millions of years ago because of the impact of a great asteroid. Likewise, they say that the extinction of man may be the consequence of the next asteroid impact.
Well, scientists may be better at predicting the future than they are at conjuring up the events of the past. They would do well to read and believe the Biblical account of Noah’s flood, but their fear of a future asteroid impact is in line with scripture. The Apostle John saw a vision of the coming tribulation period and in the vision:
Revelation 6:12-17 NKJV
12 . . . there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon* became like blood.
13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.
14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.
15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders,* the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains,
16 and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!
17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
During that time the people of the earth will worship the devil whom John called the dragon, and they will worship the antichrist whom John called the beast. John said:
Revelation 13:4-10 NKJV
4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying,"Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?"
5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue* for forty-two months.
6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.
7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe,* tongue, and nation.
8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
10 He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
God has certainly given all of us fair warning. He spelled out for us exactly what lies ahead for this planet, and He spelled out for us exactly what we have to do to escape the coming judgment. Jesus said:
John 3:16-20 NKJV
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
John said that at the end of the tribulation period God will send hailstones upon the earth that weigh 100 pounds each, but will the men of the earth repent? No, John said that they will blaspheme God because of the plague of hail. They will refuse to come to the light because the light would expose their evil deeds.
Today, God is offering an ark of safety for those who are willing to enter. The door to the ark is open wide. Jesus said:
John 10:9 NKJV
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
He said:
John 14:6 NKJV
6 . . . "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Jesus said:
Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Jesus Christ is the ark of safety that God has provided for those who are willing to hear the word of the Lord and act upon what they learn.
The believing remnant of Jews during the tribulation period will be protected by God. The wrath of Satan and the wrath of the antichrist will be poured out on them, and they will suffer greatly, but God will protect them and bring them through the judgment, even as God brought Noah through the flood.
However, those of us who believe today will not even be present on the earth during the tribulation period. Paul said that believers today are already citizens of heaven and one of these days Christ who is our life shall appear, and then we also shall appear with Him in glory. He shall change our lowly bodies, make them like unto His glorious body, and our salvation will at that point be complete. While the events of the great tribulation period play out upon the earth, we will be enjoying our exalted position with Christ in the glory of heaven.
Well, I trust that you this morning have already taken God’s warning to heart and have entered into the ark of safety by putting your faith in Jesus Christ. If not, the door to the ark is open wide, and Jesus Christ is waiting for you to make that decision.
It’s been a pleasure studying with you this morning, and I’ll look forward to studying with you again next week at this same time.
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
1 comment:
Jim,
You make very good points. I especially like how clearly you make it that the Church will not enter into the tribulation. I hope your blog has lots of visitors.
km
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