The Demanding Love of God

What does love look like?

Is love just romance, left to chance?

Is it only for the lucky? Only for the beautiful?

Is it just a momentary bliss?

It’s more than this. If all of life comes down to love then tell me what does love look like?

So, what does love look like?

1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

2Jn 1:6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

Does He love us just the way we are?

If he does, why does He say in Rev. 3:19, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”? His love requires my change.

His love is…demanding!

Why is His love so demanding… so conditional? Why doesn’t He just love me the way I am? Why is His love expecting so much from me?

Joh 21:15-17 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. (16) He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. (17) He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

What kind of love is it?

1Jn 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Heb 12:5-10 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: (6) For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. (7) If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? (8) But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. (9) Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? (10) For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

His love demands holiness…

Gen 17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

Deu 18:13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

1Ki 8:61 Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.

1Jn 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

1Jn 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

His love demands our perfection. It is the inherent property of God’s love to bring to completeness, those whom He loves.

God loves you so much that HE IS NOT WILLING TO LEAVE YOU JUST THE WAY YOU ARE!

1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

The Love of God is committed to completing a work in your life.

Melchisedec was the King of Salem and Priest of the Most High God. Jesus was made a high priest after the order of Melchisedec (Heb 6:20).

He is the Lord of lords and King of kings (Rev 17:14; 19:16)
He made us kings and priests (Rev 1:6, 5:10)

1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Jesus left us an example… that we should follow in His footsteps (1 Pet 2:21).

Heb 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

Heb 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

Heb 5:8-9 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; (9) And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

What is the manifestation and expression of His love?

1Jn 4:9-10 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. (10) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1Jn 3:16a Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: …

Act 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

The song below will express these thoughts with audio and visual...

Arms Wide Open

by Misty Edwards

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Click image below to play the power point slide of song with lyrics. Press your spacebar after each line of song to progress through the slide show as the video of the song is played above.

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

I asked last week, how do you fall in love with someone? Let me rephrase the question this week…

How do you hunger? How do you thirst?

Easy… stop eating and drinking.

Why did the Israelites have to go through the wilderness?

Deu 8:2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

We know that is the wilderness represents a time of testing. It is also a period of detoxification from this world, its riches and its pleasures. The Israelites got out of Egypt… but Egypt never got out of them.

Num 11:5-6 We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: (6) But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.

Num 20:5 And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.

Things that they lusted after (their idols), left unremoved/unrepented from their heart, led to their death.

It’s why fasting is so important. It causes you to hunger and thirst… and the questions is, where will you direct your lust when your hunger and thirst arises?

1Ch 28:9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

Why did I start this whole teaching about love and now talk about fasting?

If you don’t give up, and put away all of your lusts and idols and FAST from all that which comes between you and the Lord, you will not understand and appreciate the depths of His love for you… in other words, you won’t fall in love with the living God, because you have given your love to other things… or someone else.

What is the manifestation and expression of our love toward God?

1Jn 3:11,14 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

1Jn 3:16b-18 ...and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (17) But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? (18) My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

1Jn 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

The Love of God at work in His saints causes one to conform himself, to subjugate himself to the will and word of God.

Jesus said:

"I lay down my life" (John 10:17) and "Love one another as I have loved you and by this all men will know that you are my disciples if you have love one to another" (John 13:34-35)

Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Joh 15:9-13, 16 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. (10) If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. (11) These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. (12) This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. (13) Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (16) Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Rom 13:8-10 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. (9) For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (10) Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

This is your challenge: fall in love with Jesus.