God's Love Is Conveyed to Us Only Through Jesus Christ
God's love is conveyed to us only through Jesus Christ, and it leads us to present our bodies as living sacrifices and to give our lives for our brethren.
David Wilkerson emphasizes that God's love is fully expressed through Jesus Christ, as stated in John 1:16. He explains that understanding this love is crucial for our daily lives, as it compels us to follow Christ's example of self-sacrifice. The sermon highlights that just as Jesus laid down His life for us, we are called to lay down our lives for others, not in martyrdom but by dying to our own selfish desires. A true Christian, who has surrendered to God, can then bring hope and life to others through the transformative power of Christ's love. This process involves a deep spiritual inventory and a willingness to be cleansed by Christ's blood.
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According to John, all of God's love dwells in Jesus, He writes, "And of his fullness have all we received..." (John 1:16). How have we received the Father's love? We've obtained it by being in Christ.
But, you may ask, what's so important about knowing God's love is conveyed to us through Christ? How does this affect our everyday lives?
How does God's love impact our lives? We have to look to Christ as our example. Jesus has already told us the Father loves us in the same way he loved the Son. So, what impact did the Father's love have on Jesus?
"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us..." (1 John 3:16). Here was the fruit of God's love in Jesus: He gave of himself as a sacrifice for others. The second half of this verse tells us the purpose of God's love in our own lives. It reads, "...and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." God's love leads us also to present our bodies as living sacrifices.
Have you ever thought about what it means to truly lay down your life for your brothers and sisters? John isn't talking about becoming martyrs on foreign soil. He isn't referring to being an organ donor. And he doesn't mean we're to take the place of some condemned criminal on death row. Christ alone made that sacrifice. No, the only kind of Christian who can bring life and hope to his brethren is a dead one. Such a servant has died to this world--to all self, pride and ambition.
This "dead" Christian has allowed the Holy Ghost to take a spiritual inventory of his soul. He sees through the corruption and ungodliness in his heart. And he willingly goes to God's altar, crying, "Lord, consume me. Take it all." He knows that only through being cleansed by Christ's blood can he give his life for his brethren.
Sermon Outline
- I. God's Love is Conveyed to Us Only Through Jesus Christ
- A. John writes that all of God's love dwells in Jesus
- B. We receive the Father's love by being in Christ
- II. The Importance of Knowing God's Love is Conveyed Through Christ
- A. This affects our everyday lives and our understanding of God's love
- III. The Impact of God's Love on Our Lives
- A. We must look to Christ as our example
- B. Jesus has already told us the Father loves us in the same way he loved the Son
- IV. The Fruit of God's Love in Jesus
- A. He gave of himself as a sacrifice for others
- B. God's love leads us to present our bodies as living sacrifices
Key Quotes
“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us...” — David Wilkerson
“...and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” — David Wilkerson
“He knows that only through being cleansed by Christ's blood can he give his life for his brethren.” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- We must die to this world and allow the Holy Ghost to cleanse us through Christ's blood in order to bring life and hope to our brethren.
- God's love leads us to present our bodies as living sacrifices and to give our lives for our brethren.
- We must look to Christ as our example and follow his example of laying down his life for us.