Rom. 8:31-39, The Fruit of the Spirit: Love (5)

We have been giving ample evidence of the “love of God” all over Scripture.  I remember someone beginning a sermon series on John 3:16 and he said that his series of sermons could go on for the rest of his life because there was no end to Biblical material on the subject.  God’s love is everywhere!  Let me give you this little “list” wherein we ask, “what kind of person did God faithfully love in this passage?”

·       Gen. 3:21: Adam, who at the time had committed sin for the first time.

·       Gen. 4:13-15: Cain, who killed his brother, and was being judged by God.  But he cried out to God and God, in love, was merciful.

·       Gen. 6:5-8 (2 Peter 2:5): The wicked world. Noah preached to them; i.e. repentance was open to any who would hear).

·       Gen. 14:21-23: The wicked cities (Sodom, Gomorrah, etc.).  God gave them testimony through Abraham after the defeat of Sodom’s enemies.

·       Gen. 16:15-17:2: Abraham.  He was a “believer” (Gen. 15:6), but now failed to trust God.  He should have known better than to try to maintain God’s faithfulness by having a son through Hagar.  Yet, here we see God coming to Abraham in faithful love.

·       Gen. 19:29: A foolish man, Lot.  He had chosen life with Sodom and then was to be punished with them.  Yet, God’s faithful love is extended.

·       Gen. 26:1-12: Isaac.  He was a “repeat” sinner (committing the same sin his father Abraham had committed: failure to trust God’s protection).

·       Gen. 31:9; 32:29: Jacob who shoots himself in the foot time and again by his scheming attempts to protect himself rather than to trust God. 

Genesis continues with illustrations of God’s faithful love shown to Judah, Joseph, Joseph’s sons and more from Jacob.  No one is perfect.  So how are you and how am I like these people?  We need to understand that we cannot make God NOT love us.  For believers in Christ, nothing shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.  And that same love is extended to the world: for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Let me make sure you understand: God loves you so much that when you walk contrary to His loving and wise will He will discipline you as a good father disciplines his son (Heb. 12:3-9).  God’s “spankings” loving seek to correct us and to keep us from a wrecked and painful life, and a life that does not glorify our Creator and Savior.  God’s loves us!