An Act of Love
God's love is a choice, not a reaction, and it is the foundation of our adoption as His children, giving us peace and rest, and promising to never abandon us.
David Wilkerson emphasizes that God's love is unconditional and not based on our worthiness or understanding of doctrine. He illustrates that God chose us and adopted us as His children even when we were lost in sin, highlighting the depth of His mercy and love. Wilkerson reassures us that we do not need to have everything figured out; the assurance of being loved by God is enough. He draws a parallel between earthly and heavenly fatherhood, affirming that just as earthly fathers do not abandon their children, our Heavenly Father will always be with us. This profound love allows us to rest in the knowledge that we are cherished and never alone.
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God did not wait until I became "good enough" to be His son. And He did not wait until I had all my doctrines figured out. No, He said, "Even when you were lost in sin, I came to you to be reconciled. I loved you when you were wallowing in filth. I called you, chose you and adopted you for no other reason than that I love you."
Sometimes I wonder how God ever could have looked down on us and loved us. We are so unlovable, so mean sometimes, so unworthy. But in His mercy He says to each of us, "I want you, I choose you, because I want to be a Father to you!"
"Beloved, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God" (1 John 3:1).
"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (4:10).
He chose me, not because I loved Him first, but because He loved me first. He adopted me as His child only because He loved me.
All this brings me to a wonderful conclusion: I do not have to figure it all out. I do not have to understand the deep doctrines of justification, sanctification, mortification, glorification. All I have to know is that He picked me to be His son, which means that I am loved by God the Father.
It does not matter what hell tries to throw at me. Nothing can move me from this wonderful knowledge: I am loved and I can rest in that love. He who chose me and loves me will keep me and carry me -- and never abandon me. He will never let go of my hand, because He is Abba Father -- mine!
Beloved, I am an earthly father and you cannot name any reason in heaven or on earth why I would ever abandon or leave one of my children. I ask you: How much more is your heavenly Father going to be with you through everything you endure in this life?
Sermon Outline
- God's Unconditional Love
- The Nature of God's Love
- The Power of God's Love
- God's love gives us peace and rest
- God's love will never abandon us
Key Quotes
“He chose me, not because I loved Him first, but because He loved me first.” — David Wilkerson
“He who chose me and loves me will keep me and carry me -- and never abandon me.” — David Wilkerson
“Beloved, I am an earthly father and you cannot name any reason in heaven or on earth why I would ever abandon or leave one of my children.” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- We can trust God's love because it is based on His character as a loving Father, and He will never abandon us.
- God's love gives us peace and rest, and it is the foundation of our adoption as His children.
- We do not have to figure out the deep doctrines of justification, sanctification, mortification, and glorification to know that we are loved by God.