Open—T. Porter, F. Leger, J. Hyland
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#312.
70.
Panel.
Of our game, I don't know if I'm not allowed to go out and when I come out of school I'd rather go.
Jelly Frame.
Father, we just looked to thee.
Thank you for another privilege, being in the presence of thy beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior of and we consider this meeting as before us, uh.
An open meeting, uh, ministry is Lord Manly, Lord Jesus, and we just look to Thee for thy health and thy blessing.
We looked at the two that the ones that get up to speak, they'll speak as the oracles of God, Lord Jesus and minister those things that are needful for us, for our comfort, for our edification, exhortation and and even correction if necessary. Lord Jesus, so we just look to thee for this. We pray the ones that get up.
What they have in their heart, they truly enjoyed in their own souls. Lord Jesus.
And uh, as they present it to us and water us, uh, thy precious word, they themselves will be watered to in it too, Lord Jesus, uh, so that each one that gets up is blessed as well. So we just look for thee for this Lord Jesus, and for thy health and thy blessing and, and anticipated blessing too, Lord Jesus, And we thank thee. And there were the and precious thing, Lord Jesus, Amen.
I'd like to estrate some verses without comment.
One of the speakers that practice intro.
In Genesis.
Genesis 32.
Thank you first 30 and Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, for I've seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
And then in the Gospel of John.
John, Chapter 12.
And verse 21.
Saint came therefore to Philip, which was at the stadium of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
And then the verse that was in our chapter this morning.
John 20 and verse 20.
And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his thighs. Then were the disciples last, when they saw the Lord.
00:05:03
Could we turn to Luke chapter 6 for a verse?
Luke chapter 6 and verse 46.
And why call ye me Lord? Lord?
And do not things.
Which I say.
These are searching words.
And I believe everyone who would call Jesus Lord would do well.
To have these words echoing in their minds constantly.
Especially in our day.
So the question might arise, what does the Lord say? Said a lot of things.
But one would think that in considering this verse.
That someone who is concerned with what he says here would want to know what was the primary thing, he said.
What seemed to be most important to him?
Turn over to John 15.
Let's, uh, let's start at verse 10.
If you keep my commandments.
You shall abide in my love.
Even as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love.
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
This is my commandment.
That you loved one another.
As I have loved you.
Verse 17 These things I command you that you love one another.
This portion Chapter 15, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, chapter 17 seemed to be when the Lord was pouring out His heart before He went to die for us.
Mm-hmm. And he expresses what his desire is for us while he's gone, while he's absent in the body. And if you look at the end of John 17, which was where he poured out his heart to the father.
He says, I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them.
And I in them.
So would it be safe to say?
That the most important thing.
To the Lord for us.
His people in his absence.
Because that we love one another. Is that fair to say?
Is there anything that was more important to him if we consider all his words?
And so as Christians.
Everything must flow from this.
There's a portion that's often.
Read at the Lord's Table First Corinthians Chapter 11 and I just point this out as an example. First Corinthians chapter. The portion that's often read starts at verse 23.
And sometimes it goes until verse 26.
Sometimes it goes a little longer.
But I want you to notice something about this portion. It is.
If this is the right word, it is enveloped.
In another subject.
It's in the middle of something.
That Paul was taking issue with the Corinthians about. Do you ever notice that?
Starts in verse 17.
Now this I declare unto you, and I praise you not.
That you come together not for the better, but for the worse.
But first of all, when you come together in the assembly.
I hear that there be divisions among you.
And I partly believe it.
00:10:00
Skip down to verse 20. When you come together, therefore, into one place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper. What's he saying?
I think they thought they were coming together for the Lord's Supper, right?
But he says you're not.
Why does he say that?
Four. And you know this word for whenever you see that in Scripture.
FOR it means what I'm about to say is the reason for what I just said.
And so why does he say that they didn't come together to eat the Lord's Supper? For in eating everyone taketh before other his own supper, and one is hungry and another is drunken.
What have you not houses to eat and drink in, or despise ye the Church of God, and shame them that have not?
What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.
And then he goes into.
What the Lord did for us.
Right.
Because when we have before us the bread and the wine, and we remember the Lord.
And we observe that he gave himself for us.
If we are touched with that.
The reaction should be what?
We would love one another.
And so he says, you come together, you do this, but look at the way you're treating each other.
The way you're treating each other betrays the fact that when you come together.
On the pretense of bringing the Lord to remembrance, and yet you treat each other the way you do.
It's not real.
And you know, as proof that he, this is his subject.
The way we treat one another, if you go down toward the end, he comes back to it and he says.
Wherefore, brethren, verse 33, when ye come together to eat, tarry for one another.
You see, he this scripture we so often have before us at the Lord's table was in the context that was not so positive.
The context was the way that they were treating one another.
Was not according to the heart, the Lords heart.
I think most all of us realize we've been through a lot as the so-called gathered Saints and I hope you don't take the fence when I say the so-called.
There is the gathered Saints, There are those who are gathered for the Lord's name.
We believe that it's us, so we wouldn't be here, right?
But there could be many reasons why I would be among you. Maybe I just like the way you worship. Maybe I like your deportment. Maybe I was brought up in it and I don't know anything else.
There can be all kinds of reasons why someone would be among us, but being gathered to the Lord's name is a reality.
And so when I say the so-called gathered Saints, please forgive me, but I'm referring to what we see.
What's in our hearts, only the Lord really knows.
But we've been through a lot.
Even in the short time that that I've been gathered.
And you know.
If you consider the route of all the troubles that come in and cause divisions, you're going to find that it always starts with a failure to keep the Lord's new command.
That's where it all starts to break down.
You know.
I'm a parent and I understand that sometimes love would have you to express something that doesn't look like love.
But each one of you just need to ask this question when you're dealing with another St. regardless of what the context is.
00:15:07
What I want to be treated the way I'm treating this brother or sister.
That's a simple question.
Is that how I would wanna be treated? Is that how I would wanna be handled?
And I believe that some of us can honestly say that if we were in the condition that we find some that we would want to be treated and not such a pleasant way because that's good for us, right? It's just like taking a child who needs to be trained and you're gonna have to be unpleasant with him. That's part of loving him.
But there are many times when.
It's not before us.
The Lords Commandment.
And we can.
We can do things on the pretense of guarding His Holiness.
Guarding His glory.
But what was what was primary on the heart of the Lord Jesus before he left here?
What was the the one thing that was so important to him? Is it not clear?
That he would look down from the glory.
Upon his own here and see them loving one another.
That's what was on his heart.
And so.
Perhaps we should ask that question.
Most, most men and women.
They have one or two very few things and that are primary with them that are their highest priority and everything else revolves around that.
Am I right?
The Lord would have all of our doings.
Whether with the assembly or with.
Outside the assembly, at work, at school, but primarily in how we treat one another. He would have everything revolve around this.
That she loved one another.
As I have loved you.
Now part of the problem is.
The world's definition of love has influenced us.
You know, we have a hard time with that scripture where he says love your enemies, right? And the reason I believe we have a hard time with that is because to us love means a fuzzy, a warm and fuzzy feeling. And so we interpret what he says is have a warm and fuzzy feeling about your enemies. And we just have a real hard time doing that.
But that isn't what he said.
Love. You know love.
Does what is best for its object.
It does what is best for its object, regardless of how you feel.
It's just so sad.
In any context to see love abandoned.
If you follow the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and three, all the failure starts with what?
I was left by first love.
Now I think we probably would think of that as we the first love or the best love is our love for the Lord, right?
In both the Old and the New Testament.
God did not make a difference between loving Him and loving His own.
He made no difference.
And we need to be reminded of that.
00:20:02
How can a man say that he loves God, whom he has not seen, if he does not love his brother whom he has seen?
And however you treat another child of God, the Lord Jesus.
Considers that is how you treat him.
And you can have all the warm and fuzzy feelings for him, and yet you despise one of his little ones.
You mistreat one of his own.
It's not real.
By the word of the Lord himself, it's not real.
And so many problems and so many issues.
Would just go away.
If we would consider.
This is my commandment.
That she loved one another.
And it's as I have loved you.
We won't go to all the verses in John's epistle, but he brings us out. He said, you know, if the Lord laid down his life for us, we ought to lay down our life for the breadth.
And if you're not willing to give of yourself, you're done with love.
Because by its very definition, the love that is spoken of here.
The Southwest.
It's willing to be inconvenienced.
It's willing to.
Have your interest set aside.
And maybe you wanted to do something, but there's a need that you see.
And to meet that need, you're gonna have to give up what you wanted to do That's love.
This is all very basic.
And yet, I believe all of you will observe when divisions come in, and when things come in, you can see the breakdown. You can point to where love was set aside.
Sometimes even in the name of doing what's right.
Love would not do. What's wrong?
And sometimes what has to be done has to be done.
But it's often troubling and.
I think you know what I was gonna say.
This is important.
When you hear this word, don't point at anybody else.
Don't point to those brethren.
Or that leading one. Or this one. Or that one.
Please just.
Apply this to yourself.
This should be primary in anyone who calls Jesus Lord.
It should be primary, it should be priority #1 because it was with him.
It's what was on his heart before he left.
This is my commandment that you love one another.
As I have loved you, why call ye me Lord? Lord?
And not do what I say.
Having my heart to talk about the will of God.
Something that, uh.
It is very important for us.
In the old stages of our life, it may be that you're in high school and you have to check to look for a subject to study next year or.
Maybe you're a young adult and you're looking for a career.
Maybe looking for a partner for life?
Maybe looking for?
The opportunity for work and looking at a different option that are offered.
But there are many, many situations in our life where we need to discern the will of God.
In Romans 12 verse one to three, we have some encouragement there that will help us to discern the will of God.
So first of all, I'd like to read the second part of verse 2.
That he may prove what is good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
00:25:09
Well, this is something that you know we all want to experience. We could change the word proved by this term.
That's what the new translation says, to discern what is good, acceptable, and the perfect will of God.
I've enjoyed a thought that we don't discover the will of God, but we discern it. We discern it.
Verse one says, I beseech you, brethren, therefore, that by the mercies of God that you may present your bodies a living sacrifice.
Wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
The first thing that is very important is to realize the mercies of God.
You know if we are to meditate from chapter one.
Then to Chatterhead, we'll discover the great salvation that God provided by the work of Christ, the fact that we are sinners and we cannot save ourselves, but that God provided with such a perfect salvation.
The mercy of God and we eat from Chester 911 The way that God will deal with his people, Israel.
Again in mercy, but in view of all this goodness of God.
We are to offer our bodies a Li the living sacrifice all the acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. You know in the Old Testament the offering or dead animals.
We're encouraged to realize the rights of God over our own lives. If we want to discern the will of God in our lives, we need to realize, as our brother was saying, the Lordship of Christ in our lives.
You know there is a difference between Christianity and churchanity, and I have enjoyed a little illustration of that.
Certianity would be a person who would come to a Christian umm meeting and you would think about the soccer game or go think about going.
You know, doing some sport.
Christianity would be a person that would be playing soccer and thinking about the Lord.
And everything that we do enjoy the Lord Lord's presence, Lord's goodness.
1St is to realize that we we belong to the Lord, we paid a great price and our bodies are His.
Verse two it says and be not conformed to this world.
Not to be moulded by the world.
You know, there is a television company that says some years ago.
Give us 10 years and we will change the mentality of America.
And the the enemy is working hard to.
Change the mentality of people.
Through the different means that are available today.
Do not conform to this world.
Not to go according to the standards of this world.
But be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
The Word of God as a power to transform.
To renew our minds.
To give us.
Good judgment. Discernment.
I'd like to turn to two verses. The first one will be in Psalm 1.
We'll come back to Romans 13, Romans 12, I must say.
Psalm 1.
Aye, I'll, I'll go, I'll do it fast. But verse 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and his in his law. Does it meditate day and night.
And you shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth its fruit in its season. His leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever you do, it shall prosper.
You know, as we take the time to meditate in the Word of God and to enjoy it in our souls and seek the grace to walk in it.
There is a promise of.
00:30:00
It says that whatever you do shall process.
Through prosperity in the soul comes from meditation of the Word of God. Another portion in the UMM, the book of the Joshua, chapter one.
Joshua chapter one and verse 7.
Only be thou strong and very courageous.
The Dimaus observed to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commended thee turn not from it from the right hand or to the left, said Prosper. Whatsoever thy goeth again I promise of prosperity.
By meditating and doing the Word of God. I just want to encourage you young people to take the time to meditate that precious book. Precious book.
It's the best investment you could do in your life.
As you are faced with important decisions in your life.
The brother was talking about some troubles that came among us some years ago and reason that.
Block of love and lack of devotion to the Lord. But there is one thing that struck me in those days.
In the mid 80s.
We're a group of young people for get together for young people.
And, uh, it was on a Saturday and we went to do some tubing with the young people. We had a great time, was really enjoyable. And in the afternoon we took a break and we had our Bibles and we, we separated in small groups and we had a little, little discussion about the Scripture and then we came back together and we made a little resume of our meditation.
And one of the group there had some questions for the whole group. It was the question was, when was it the last time that you opened your Bible?
And everybody has to write on the little piece of paper, you know, like.
Like a private survey, so everybody would, you would write, you know, when, when the last time they read the Bible.
And you know, I was so surprised that.
About 90% of the group.
That last Saturday, I'd read the Bible the previous Tuesday.
The Assembly Bible reading.
I was struck. I was a, you know, new believer at the time and I was shocked.
And you know, that was the mid 80s came 1991 when there was some trouble in the sunlight.
And I knew many of the young people would go see the leader of the young people and say, hey, what, What do we do? What, what should we do?
That used to be in the Word of God.
Did not buy the truth from the Word of God.
You know we will be tested.
And if we don't get accustomed to read the Word of God and meditate it, we're gonna look to others for answers. And no baby miss like.
So may the Lord, you know, not only for young people, I must say, because.
If the young people are not reading the Bible, what about the parents?
You know we cannot force our children. It's true.
But maybe we can encourage. Maybe we can open the Bible on our table. I know.
I have a hard time to get my family together the one meal sometimes because everybody's flying everywhere for work or for study, other reasons. But it's so precious, so precious.
To ensure as a family that precious thoughts of God.
Just want to encourage you young people and also young parents to invest in the enjoyment of the word of God. You know, sometimes a little 5 minutes after a meal. It's so, so good.
So good.
I've been so blessed by having this little devotion. Sometimes just a little verse would just encourage.
Let's go back to Romans chapter 12, just in conclusion.
So we we read about to realize the rights of the Lord in our lives because of his mercies.
Not to be conformed to this world.
And I'd like to say just a little word about that.
00:35:02
You know, tech, new technologies can be seen as a good servant, but also as a bad master.
So I would say to you.
You know, the use of Internet and all this kind of thing I would say to you.
May we seek the grace to use it for His glory.
It's very easy to be influenced by this kind of thing and to our mind, influence.
By the value of the world if we are not wise with these things.
But again, it could be a good servant if if it is used for the glory of God.
The last part says that you may prove what is good and acceptable and the perfect will of God.
God has a path race for us.
And if we are to discern it, if we are to hear the voice of the Lord.
If we are to make the good choices.
We need to keep close to him.
Ensure by taking time in His word in prayer.
Will help us and you know, the enemy is attacking us very much on these things. Sometimes we are too busy with so many things that we neglect the meditation of the Word of God and prayer. I must say that it's a struggle for me. I have to get up a little earlier sometime, but then I realize that I have to go to bed earlier at night, the night before. That's hard.
Because there are many things to do, but it's worth, it's worth the the effort.
Just the last person closing in Silician.
Chapter One.
It's a prayer of fall for the Philippians.
Philippians chapter one and verse 9.
In this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment.
That he may approve things that are excellent.
That she may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.
Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ until the glory and praise of God.
I'd like to read verse 10 again, that she may approve things that are excellent, that she may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.
Or we can change a word approved by discern.
They are things that are good.
But there are things that are excellent.
And may the Lord give us to discern those things in our lives.
That are excellent.
And the things that are excellent have been viewed. The glory of the Lord is.
And truly, these things will bring a real fulfillment in our lives.
In the DM will be for his glory and his friends.
We've had something before us this afternoon concerning the subject of love and the will of God. And I was thinking as our brethren were speaking, that really we cannot discern or walk in the will of God unless we have an understanding and appreciation in our souls of the love of God. You know, the Lord Jesus said if a man loved me, he will keep my commandments, and he also said my commandments are not grievous.
Because, as we've often heard, when the heart is engaged, the feet will fall.
I have enjoyed a little definition of purpose of heart. We often think of Daniel and that purpose of heart he had in standing firm in his day. And it was a very difficult day. It wasn't the days when they were back in Judea, back in the in the land of promise. No, it was a very difficult day to stand for the Lord and he purposed in his heart and really purpose of heart is and is a is an object.
Where where an object before us and the heart in motivation motivated by that object. Because if the heart isn't engaged, then when the difficulties come, one is going to turn aside and give up. But what I'd like to do for a few moments now is go back to the thought of love that was brought before us in John's Gospel and to back up perhaps a little bit in what we've had before us and lay a little groundwork that I believe leads up to what our brother Ted.
00:40:20
Brought before us in connection with love.
I'd like to do it by connecting four well known portions in John's Gospel. The first one is near the end of the third chapter.
John's Gospel, chapter 3 and verse 35.
The Father loveth the Son, and then I want to connect it with a verse in the 17th chapter.
Chapter 17.
And verse 23 I in them, and thou in me.
That they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them.
As thou hast loved me. And then back in the 15th chapter again.
Chapter 15 and verse 9. As the Father hath loved me.
So have I loved you, continue ye in my love, and then just drop down again to the 1St. I believe we had earlier verse 12. This is my commandment, that ye love one another as I have loved you. So often when we take up any subject in the Word of God. It is hard to move beyond what something means to us. And brethren, don't misunderstand me, I trust that when we take up the subject of the love of God.
The subject of the love of the Lord Jesus that it means everything to our hearts.
But I don't believe we can really appreciate and understand how we are to love one another unless we go back and see what it is in relationship to the Father and the Son. To understand the the what divine love really is, we need to go beyond the fact that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. Now that is a wonderful truth. And so often in a gospel meeting, the gospel preacher will begin, or at least at some point in the gospel meeting.
He will quote that precious gospel verse and it is a wonderful thing. God looks down in this world this afternoon and He loves every person in this world, and so much did he love the world that He sent His Son.
To go to Calvary's cross so that whosoever will might be saved. Wonderful subject, but I don't believe again. As I say, we can understand what divine love really is until we begin with God's side of things. And so we begin here in the end of the third chapter with this precious statement. The Father loveth the Son. We think of the Father's love for us, but just to stop for a few moments and consider the Father's love for the Son. There are three times that this statement is made.
In John's Gospel, it's repeated in the 5th chapter, and it's repeated a third time in the 10th chapter. The Father loveth the Son. And when we think of that relationship that existed from a past eternity, the Father and the Son, the Lord Jesus did not merely simply become the Son in incarnation. He became a man in incarnation, but he was the Son from a past eternity.
That's why Isaiah prophesied unto us. A child is born, that's his incarnation.
But then He quickly adds unto us, The Son is not born, but a son is given. In fact, you never read of the sun being born. The sun was given or sent. The Father sent the Son. He gave His only begotten Son. You have to have something or someone to send something or someone. I don't have any sons. I couldn't send a son to help you in your extremity because I don't have a son myself. But God had a son from a past eternity.
And what kind of a son? A son of whom it says I was daily his delight.
And I believe that Verse has far more reaching thought than just in his pathway here.
It's true he was daily the delight of his Father in his pathway here, and heaven could open up in a voice declare.
00:45:06
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, but he was daily the delight of the Father.
From a past eternity. And oh, that's the very one that the Father sent. And think of that relationship that was there from a past eternity, the Father loveth the Son. I say this is the basis. If you and I can just grasp a little bit in our souls, I know we'll never fully grasp it, But if we can just grasp a little bit in our souls this afternoon of what this statement means, the Father.
Loveth the Son, the Son in whom he was well pleased, the Son who never did one thing to please himself, the Son who in his pathway here fully accomplished to the glory of God.
All that he was sent to do and could say, therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life for the sheep. And so I say, this is the basis. But then we have something else developed for us in the 17th chapter where we have the Lord Jesus, what we often refer to as the Lord Jesus, High priestly prayer to his Father. And there he says at the end of that 23rd verse.
And hath loved them as thou hast loved me. I think this is one of the most tremendous statements in the Word of God, one of the most tremendous things to get a hold of in connection with the subject, the thought of divine love. And that is that the Father loves us with the same love that he loves his beloved Son. And that's something to think about, brethren, you and I this afternoon are loved with no less love.
Than the Father has for the Son. The Father loves everyone of His children with that same intensity, that same quality of divine love that He loves His Son. Now I realize that the Lord Jesus, as the only begotten of the Father, remain at, remains and will remain distinct in that way for all eternity, even when the Father's house is filled with children in a coming day and the family of God is complete.
No one will ever, No son or daughter of God will ever take the place.
Of his beloved Son He will remain distinct for all eternity, but nevertheless to realize.
That you and I are loved by the Father as the Father's children with that same love. That He loves the Son. Brethren, if that doesn't draw out our hearts, if that doesn't touch our hearts, I don't know what goes on within our hearts because I believe what will really develop and deepen our love for the Lord Jesus and our love for one another is to be occupied.
And have an appreciation of His love, that divine love, the love of the Father for the Son and the love of the Father for his children. You know, it's not that we are to try to generate some response of love within ourselves. That will not work. That will only do one of two things. It will puff us up, but probably more than more often than not, it will discourage us.
As we realize how little we really do love the Lord, and as we realize how our response changes.
Our love wanes and waxes. That's only going to discourage us. But to go to the Scriptures like this and to be occupied with that love, that never changes.
I know the young people today aren't so familiar with the thermometers that we grew up with where there were numbers down the both sides of a piece of wood and there was a glass tube in the middle with a ball at the at the bottom with some red mercury in it. And according to the temperature, that mercury would move up and down, whether if it was cold, that mercury would drop. If it got warmer, that mercury would rise. You know, that's like my love for the Lord Jesus.
Sometimes it's hot, but more often than not it's cold.
And it says in the last days, the love of many shall wax cold. But there are not. Well, we're numbers on the side. Those numbers are like the love of God. They're like the love of the Lord Jesus. Those numbers remained consistent. Those numbers never changed. And isn't it wonderful that we can rest on something this afternoon that never changes? The love of the Father for the Son and the love of the Father.
00:50:19
For each of his children. But then we have something else where we read in the 15th chapter.
Let me just read it again, he says in verse 9, As the Father hath loved me.
So have I loved you? Not only are we loved by the Father with that same love that He has for his Son, but we are also loved by the Lord Jesus with that very same divine love. We are doubly loved. We are loved by the Father. We are loved by the Lord Jesus. The love that the Lord Jesus has for you and me, for each one of his own, is the same love that the Father has for the Son. And it is the same love. It is no less love.
Than the Father has for each of his children. You know, any of us who've had children perhaps find it hard, have found it hard to love all of our children equally or at least to express equally that love to each of our children. But oh, God in the Lord Jesus have no favorites. God has no favorites in his large family. The Lord Jesus has no favorites in regard to each of his own. We are loved.
By that same love. But you know, as we're often reminded, whenever we take up any aspect of the truth, there's always something to exercise our consciences and our hearts, always something brought to bear on our souls in regard to what they want. That particular line of truth is that's brought before us. And I don't want to add to what our brother Ted said, but I want to go on now and just notice that verse again that we read later in the chapter.
To complete the little picture that I believe that the Lord gives us, the Spirit of God gives us here in John S Gospel.
And that is the Lord Jesus then, having given these confirmation of his love.
He says this is my commandment, that you love one another. But he doesn't stop there.
You know, if this was the Old Testament, it would say that we're the loved one. We're to love our neighbor as ourselves, and they were to love one another in the Old Testament. But Christianity always supersedes and provides to go beyond what you have in the Old Testament. And so the Lord Jesus looked at this little company around him in anticipation of his departure to the Father. He was going to leave them in a cold world.
But he says this is my commandment, that she loved one another. And then he gives them the standard.
Because has been brought before us, you and I, the love that the practical love that is to be expressed amongst the people of God is no less love than the Father has for the Son. It is no less love than the than the Father has for his children, and it is no less love than the sun has for each of his own. We are to express that same divine love one with another.
It's more than just natural love and like natural love, loves when there's something lovable in the object, when there's something good, and when there's a response. Now don't misunderstand me, Divine love delights in a response. My son, give me thine heart. That's what he wants from our hearts. He died to win our hearts affection. He wants our love. But Divine love while it delights in a response.
It isn't dependent on it. When did God love us? When there was a response in our hearts? When there was anything good in US while we were. God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners.
Christ died for us, and I just want to point out very briefly, we could go through a number of scriptures.
But it's interesting when you come to the epistles that John wrote to the seven churches in his day, there are only two assemblies that the Lord confirms his love to. At the beginning, they lost their first love, but at the end he confirms his love first of all to Philadelphia. And you say, oh, I can understand that. I know why he confirmed his love to Philadelphia. There was a freshness there, a fervency. They were seeking by grace to keep his word.
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And not deny his name, you say? I understand that. But what's the next one? Laodicea. Complete indifference to his claims and his love. As many as I rebuke, as I love, I rebuke. And chasten, did he love them and Laodicea any less than he loved them in Philadelphia? He didn't love their practices, but he loved them just the same. And so if we can just get a hold of this in our souls, I believe it will give us that practical expression of love.
Unconsciously, without trying to generate it within ourselves, it will give us that unconscious.
Practical love that will flow out to one another. And I say again that love that you and I are to show 1 to another is the same love that the father has for the son. John 3.
It is the same love that the Father has for his children, John 17. It is the same love that the Lord Jesus has for his own. John 15. And this is my commandment. It's not a choice. This is my commandment that you love one another. But that's not enough, brethren, with the love that the same love that he has loved us.
296.
Love you Vine, all praise and selling joy of heaven to earth. Come down first fruits of thy new creation. Faithful, holy, may we be joyful in my full salvation. More and more conformed the 296.
Love divine always.
Down.
But I thought they had to go ahead and go together and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Yes.