1. Responding to
God’s Love

2. incomprehensible love.
Our previous lesson
considered God’s
incomprehensible love.

3. We defined love as :
Love is the delight in, the commitment to, the taking pleasure in and the affection for the best interest of another.

4. In regard to the love of God :
God’s love is :
so wide you can’t get around it,
so high you can’t get over it,
so deep you can’t get under it,
so long it covers everyone.

5. God has a special love for us.
Romans 5: 8-9
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

6. Our responses to God’s love :
1. It is normal to requite love.
2. Man is required to love God.
3. Loving God demands we obey.
4. We must love His family.

7. I. The normal response is
to requite love.

8. What is unrequited love ?
It is love that is not reciprocated
One sided love
“He didn’t love me back.”

9. God feels the pain of
unrequited love.

10. Ezekiel 6: 9
Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations to which they will be carried captive, how I have been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from Me, and by their eyes which played the harlot after their idols; and they will loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed, for all their abominations.

11. Luke 13: 34
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!
( cf – Luke 19: )

12. I John 4: 9
By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.
Romans 5: 8-9
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

13. The logical and normal response to one dying to save you would be love and appreciation.
I John 4: 19
We love because He first loved us.

14. “SO WHAT” is an illogical response to God’s provision.
James 1: 17
Every good thing given and every perfect gift
is from above,
Proverbs 17: 13
He who returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house.

15. God must feel as David lamented :
Psalms 109: 4-5
In return for my love they act as my accusers;
but I am in prayer. 5 Thus they have repaid me
evil for good and hatred for my love.

16. II. Mankind is required to
love the God who
created them.

17. From the beginning God has desired man’s love.
Deuteronomy 6: 4-5
Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

18. Exodus 20: 4-6
You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 5 "You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

19. Isaiah 29: 13-14
Then the Lord said, "Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service,
but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,

20. Jesus Himself repeated this warning to us via the Jews.
Mark 7: 6
He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me.’

21. The only relationship with God is to truly love Him.
The only relationship with God is to truly love Him.
I John 4: 7-8
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

22. I John 4: 9
By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
James 4: 8
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

23. III. Loving God requires that
we obey His commands.

24. Man’s relationship with God has always depended upon his willingness to obey.
Deuteronomy 11: 1
You shall therefore love the Lord your God, and always keep His charge, His statutes, His ordinances, and His commandments.

25. Exodus 19: 5
Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine;
Exodus 20: 6
but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

26. John 14: 15
If you love Me you will keep my commandments.
I John 5: 3
This is the love of God that we keep his commandments; And His commandments
are not burdensome.
II John 1: 6
This is the love of God that we walk in His commandments;

27. IV. Love for God will
motivate us to love
God’s family.

28. Notice our text : I John 4: 7-8, 11
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. …. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

29. I John 4: 20-5:2
If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also. 5: 1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments.

30. The word “hate” ( miseo ) does not necessitate a feeling of animosity.
Luke 14: 26
If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.

31. Love is the distinguishing mark of a true Christian.
John 13: 35
By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

32. I John 3: 16-19
We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. 19 We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him

33. Matthew 25: 37-40
Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'

34. God loved us when we were unlovable so we must love others who are unlovable.

35. In response to God’s love :
1. We should love Him back.
2. Love motivates us to obey Him.
3. Loving God demands that we
love those He created.

36. We are all made in the image of God so we are all capable of these responses.

37. How are we responding to the love God shows toward us ?

38. God desires your love and
offers you salvation IF your faith is strong enough to motivate you to surrender your life in obedience to His will.

39. Obedience to His gospel.
Surrender begins with
Obedience to His gospel.

40. Remember His Love

41. Draw near to God
and He will draw
near to you.
James 4: 8

42. Surrender begins with obedience to His gospel.