God’s Love

(Life in The Spirit Seminar message)

Song:

Jesus loves me

He died for me

Nobody loves me like Jesus

What is a Life in the Spirit Seminar (LSS)?

A Life-in-the-Spirit Seminar (LSS) consists of a series of talks designed to help people realise the power of the Holy Spirit that is available for every aspect of their lives.

A Life in the Spirit Seminar is a chance to EXPERIENCE God and the Holy Spirit in our lives. Each of us has a relationship with God. We all know who He is and what great things He can do...but have you actually felt Him in your life? We were all given gifts by the Spirit in Baptism and Confirmation, but how many of us use these gifts to improve our lives and the lives of our family, church and community?

Most of us have heard about the Holy Spirit and most of us have learned aboutthe Holy Spirit, but many times that is as far as our experience has gone. The Holy Spirit is a real person, a part of the Blessed Trinity just like Jesus and the Father. We receive the Holy Spirit through the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. Through what is called the baptism in the Holy Spirit, a personal conversion experience, the power thatisthe Holy Spirit is released within us.

“Do not put out the Spirit's fire;” (1 Thessalonians 5:19).

“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” (2 Timothy 1:6)

Love is a warm, kind feeling, tender devotion and responsive.

How God demonstrated this love

1. Creation of the universe: even though God created man last, he made man in his own image and likeness. And while creating other things, God was saying (single-handedly so to speak), ‘let there be that and this.’ But when it was time to create man and because of the important and love he has for man. He so to speak summons the Blessed Trinity and said, ‘Let us make man in our own image and likeness.’ Only human being was created in the image and likeness of God.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27)

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' (Matthew 25:40).

If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. (1 John 4:20).

2. God out of love placed man in the Garden of Eden (a place of delight) where he made adequate provision for their wellbeing. “Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.” (Genesis 2:8).

3. Out of love, the Lord God gave man the rare privilege of proving names to what he has created; “Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.” (Genesis 2:19).

In some cultures, it is a sign of love and honour for parents to ask someone to give name(s) to their new born child.

4. God out of the same love made a helper for Adam. He gave him his ‘missing rib’ Eve. “The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (Genesis 2:18).

One would have expected that man would reciprocate this love of God by obeying his commands and simple instructions. But man fell to the devices of Satan and sin ‘formerly’ came into the world. So many people today are and failing because of their marital status. Some are involve in the sin of immorality.

Even though God was angry with them and drove them out of the Garden of Eden, he still had good thoughts towards and for this purpose he sent down rain on the earth so that they could till the soil for food.

God kept on tolerating with man and his wilful disobedience. At a point the scripture said God regretted creating man, “ 5The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence.” (Genesis 6:5-6, 11). God out of love and through Noah saved his family and the repentant.

God still out of love again established a covenant with man, this was a solemn agreement by rainbow not to destroy the earth again:

  8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 "I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth."

  12 And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."

  17 So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth." (Genesis 9:8-17).

However, man kept rebelling and God in turn kept on bearing. God had to use prophets to speak to his children.

2 Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: "I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me.

3 The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner's manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand."

5 Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted.

18 "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land;

(Isaiah 1:2-3, 5, 18 - 19).

3 The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.

33 "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

34 No longer will a man teach his neighbour, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." ( Jeremiah 31:3, 33-34 ).

I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. 20 Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. 21 But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols, I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD." (Ezekiel 11:19-21). 

31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live! (Ezekiel 18:31-32). 

Despite all these efforts and persuasion through God’s prophets, man continued to disobey God but God was never tired of bringing man back to himself. And out love God came to earth himself in human nature to rescue man.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).

"The multitude of your sacrifices— what are they to me?" says the LORD. "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.” (Isaiah 1:11).

“In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22).

And for this reason the blood of Christ was shed once and for all. So any act of immorality is sin that involves the blood and the body. This is extremely serious. “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.” (1 Corinthians 6:18).

Before then prophesy of Christ coming was proclaimed by prophet Isaiah:

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14).

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 7:14).

And Jesus Christ corroborated the words of the prophets: “Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” (John 10:15-16).

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. (John 15:13-16).

Christ took the curse in our own stead, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." (Galatians 3:13).

Conclusion

So wherever you are, the Lord is inviting you to come as you are. Just come with your sins and he will set you. He has come for the unrighteous as well as the righteous. So do not hold your sins against yourself, come out!

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. (Isaiah 1:18).

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mark 2:17). 

Invitation to the Thirsty

  1 "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money,   come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

  2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy?   Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

  3 Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.

  4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the peoples.

  5 Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendour."

  6 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

  7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

  8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.

  9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways     and my thoughts than your thoughts.

  10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

  11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

  12 You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

  13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD's renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed." (Isaiah 55:1-13)

God bless you

Evang. John B. Oseh