Exploring the Depth of God's Covenant Love
Summary
In this Advent season, we have been exploring the profound themes of hope, peace, joy, and now love, as they are woven throughout the narrative of Scripture. Today, we delve into the biblical understanding of love, which is far deeper and more substantial than the common perceptions of fondness or desire. The Hebrew word "hesed" captures this essence, describing a covenantal, loyal love that is committed to the good of others, irrespective of their worthiness or responsiveness. This steadfast love is not self-serving but is dedicated to the true well-being of the recipient, aiming to bring them closer to the peace of God.
The story of Scripture is a grand narrative of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration, all underpinned by God's unwavering love. Before creation, God's love existed as an intrinsic part of His character. This love motivated the creation of the world and our adoption as His children. Despite humanity's fall, which introduced sin and brokenness into the world, God's love compelled Him to initiate a rescue plan through Jesus Christ. In John 3, we see that God’s love for the world was so profound that He gave His only Son, so that through belief in Him, we might have eternal life.
This love is not contingent on our actions or worthiness. Romans 5 reminds us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, demonstrating the depth of God's love. Our response to this love is to walk in repentance and faith, aligning our lives with His commands, which are given for our good. As we await the restoration of all things, we are invited to live in the reality of God's love, knowing that nothing can separate us from it.
Key Takeaways:
- The Nature of God's Love: God's love, described by the Hebrew word "hesed," is a covenantal, loyal love that seeks the good of others, regardless of their worthiness. It is not based on merit but is a steadfast commitment to our well-being. This love is intrinsic to God's character and is not self-serving but dedicated to what is truly good for us. [30:23]
- Creation and God's Love: Before creation, God's love existed as part of His nature. This love motivated the creation of the world and our adoption as His children. Despite knowing our strengths and weaknesses, God loved us and created us to be recipients of His love. [34:14]
- Redemption Through Jesus: God's rescue plan for humanity is centered on Jesus Christ, sent in love to save us from sin. This act of love is not dependent on our worthiness but is a demonstration of God's desire to pour out His love on us eternally. [38:45]
- Living in God's Love: Our response to God's love is to walk in repentance and faith, aligning our lives with His commands. This involves turning away from sin and trusting in God's love, which is for our ultimate good. [47:56]
- The Assurance of God's Love: Nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. This assurance should shape our lives, reminding us that God's love is stronger than any sin or power that opposes us. [46:15]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[28:58] - Introduction to Love
[30:23] - Understanding Hesed
[31:51] - Misconceptions About God's Love
[33:10] - Creation and God's Love
[34:14] - God's Love Before Creation
[35:26] - The Fall and Doubt in God's Love
[36:54] - Redemption Through Jesus
[38:45] - Belief and Eternal Life
[39:53] - Restoration and Full Knowledge of Love
[41:44] - Invitation to God's Story
[43:05] - Assurance of God's Love
[44:36] - Nothing Can Separate Us
[47:12] - Living in Repentance and Faith
[49:34] - Commands for Our Good
[51:05] - Loving God and Others
[52:12] - Joy in Loving Others
[53:35] - Jesus' Return and Our Response
[54:29] - Prayer and Benediction
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. 1 John 4:7-10 - This passage speaks about God's love and how it is demonstrated through Jesus Christ.
2. Romans 5:8 - This verse highlights that God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
3. Ephesians 1:4-5 - This passage discusses how God predestined us in love before the foundation of the world.
#### Observation Questions
1. How does the Hebrew word "hesed" describe the nature of God's love, and how is it different from common perceptions of love? [30:23]
2. What are the four parts of the biblical narrative mentioned in the sermon, and how do they relate to God's love? [33:10]
3. According to the sermon, what is the significance of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection in demonstrating God's love? [38:45]
4. How does the sermon describe the assurance that nothing can separate us from the love of God? [46:15]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. What does it mean that God's love is not based on merit, and how does this understanding challenge common misconceptions about divine love? [31:51]
2. How does the concept of "hesed" love influence our understanding of God's actions throughout the biblical narrative, especially in the context of creation and redemption? [33:10]
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that our response to God's love should manifest in our daily lives, particularly in terms of repentance and faith? [47:56]
4. How does the assurance of God's unbreakable love provide comfort and motivation for believers facing trials and challenges? [46:15]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you doubted God's love due to personal circumstances. How can the understanding of "hesed" love help you see those situations differently? [35:26]
2. The sermon emphasizes that God's love is not contingent on our worthiness. How can this truth impact the way you view yourself and others, especially those you find difficult to love? [31:51]
3. Consider the areas in your life where you struggle to align with God's commands. How can a deeper understanding of His love motivate you to walk in repentance and faith? [47:56]
4. How can you actively remind yourself of the assurance that nothing can separate you from God's love, especially during challenging times? [46:15]
5. Identify one specific way you can demonstrate God's "hesed" love to someone in your life this week. What practical steps will you take to ensure your actions are for their true well-being? [30:23]
6. The sermon mentions that God's love is demonstrated through Jesus' sacrifice. How can you incorporate this understanding into your daily gratitude or prayer practices? [38:45]
7. How can the themes of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration shape your perspective on current world events or personal challenges? [33:10]
Devotional
Day 1: The Unyielding Nature of God's Love
God's love, as described by the Hebrew word "hesed," is a covenantal, loyal love that seeks the good of others, regardless of their worthiness. This love is not based on merit but is a steadfast commitment to our well-being. It is intrinsic to God's character and is not self-serving but dedicated to what is truly good for us. This love is a profound assurance that, despite our flaws and failures, God remains committed to us, seeking our ultimate good and drawing us closer to His peace. [30:23]
Psalm 136:1-3 (ESV): "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever."
Reflection: Think of a time when you felt unworthy of love. How can you embrace the truth of God's steadfast love for you today, despite those feelings?
Day 2: Creation Motivated by Love
Before creation, God's love existed as part of His nature. This love motivated the creation of the world and our adoption as His children. Despite knowing our strengths and weaknesses, God loved us and created us to be recipients of His love. This foundational truth reminds us that our existence is not accidental but a deliberate act of divine love. We are invited to live as beloved children, secure in the knowledge that we are created and sustained by a love that predates time itself. [34:14]
Ephesians 1:4-5 (ESV): "Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will."
Reflection: How does knowing that you were created out of love change the way you view your purpose and identity today?
Day 3: Redemption Through Unconditional Love
God's rescue plan for humanity is centered on Jesus Christ, sent in love to save us from sin. This act of love is not dependent on our worthiness but is a demonstration of God's desire to pour out His love on us eternally. Through Jesus, we are offered redemption and the promise of eternal life, a gift that underscores the depth and breadth of God's love for us. This love calls us to respond in faith, embracing the salvation offered through Christ. [38:45]
1 John 4:9-10 (ESV): "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."
Reflection: In what ways can you actively respond to God's unconditional love and redemption in your daily life?
Day 4: Living in the Reality of God's Love
Our response to God's love is to walk in repentance and faith, aligning our lives with His commands. This involves turning away from sin and trusting in God's love, which is for our ultimate good. As we live in the reality of God's love, we are called to reflect His love in our interactions with others, embodying the grace and mercy we have received. This journey of faith is one of continual growth, as we seek to live in alignment with God's will. [47:56]
Colossians 3:12-14 (ESV): "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony."
Reflection: What is one specific way you can demonstrate God's love to someone in your life today?
Day 5: The Assurance of God's Unbreakable Love
Nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. This assurance should shape our lives, reminding us that God's love is stronger than any sin or power that opposes us. In moments of doubt or fear, we can rest in the certainty that God's love is unbreakable and ever-present. This truth empowers us to live boldly, knowing that we are held securely in the embrace of divine love. [46:15]
Romans 8:38-39 (ESV): "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Reflection: How can the assurance of God's unbreakable love give you courage to face a current challenge in your life?
Quotes
"And so, when we look back at the Old Testament, the ESV translates the Hebrew word hesed. I don't remember. I know like three Hebrew words, and that's one of them. So don't get too wrapped up in that. But it's this covenant, loyal love, that carries with it this obligation to do good. An obligation to do something. An obligation to act." [00:29:35] (23 seconds)
"So one of the books that I was reading this past week looked at it and said that this steadfast love of God is a moral attitude that is directed to another's good, whether or not that other person is lovable, worthy, or responsive. So it's a moral attitude. It's intrinsic to their character. It's not just a choice or an inclination, but it's a compulsion." [00:29:58] (25 seconds)
"And it's dedicated to another's good. So it's not self-serving, it's not about what's good for me, but this sort of steadfast love is about what's good for the recipient of that love. But it's also not necessarily just nice or just trying to keep them happy, but it's for their good. What is truly good for them, what will bring them closer to that shalom peace that we talked about a couple of weeks ago." [00:30:37] (31 seconds)
"God's love is given regardless of whether we deserve what it is that he's giving to us. Love isn't only given when you're good, but regardless of what we have done. Now when we think about love, we can also look at the opposite of love. So if I'm working for my good at the expense of somebody else, am I loving them? No." [00:31:25] (26 seconds)
"And so that's the theme that we're looking at here in Advent, is love. And we've been tracing this theme through the story of all of Scripture. And it's a story in four parts. And you did pretty good last week. Who remembers the four words that we use to remember these four parts of the story? Creation. Fall. Redemption. And restoration. So that's the whole of Scripture." [00:32:42] (28 seconds)
"And his steadfast love existed before creation as a part of who he is. So in 1 John 4, the Apostle John tells us that, God is love. So this loyal love that seeks the good of others, that is who God is. That is intrinsic to his character. And so that means that his creation of the world and our adoption as his children, all of those things were done out of who he is, out of love." [00:33:22] (34 seconds)
"So in love, Paul writes, he predestined us. Before you were born, before the world was made, God knew you. He knew your strengths. He knew your weaknesses. He knew the beautiful things that would come from your life. He knew the terrible things. That would come out of your life. And he loved you. He loved you before all of those things." [00:34:14] (28 seconds)
"God's rescue plan for this world is Jesus, God's son, sent in love. And in John 3, the apostle writes that this is how God loved the world, that he gave his one and only son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life. So God's will, what he wants, what he desires is to pour out his love on us. And his love is so great. His love is so wide and so deep that it will take forever for him to do that." [00:37:11] (40 seconds)
"Our place in his kingdom isn't predicated on us fixing ourselves up, but rather he still saves us while, or he saves us while we were still sinners. In Romans 5, Paul writes that God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. This is the definition and the standard of God's love, that Jesus gave up his life so that we could live in and experience the love of God." [00:38:24] (31 seconds)
"And so in Jesus's life, his death, his resurrection, we see God's love made real. We see God's love defined. We see it revealed to us. But that is still for us an ongoing process. There isn't a single one of us who completely understands, who completely comprehends the depth of God's love. We only see and understand and experience God's love in a partial sense." [00:39:39] (33 seconds)
"So Jesus is coming again to restore all things. Creation, fall, redemption, and then finally, the restoration. We were created... We were created to live in the love of God. And on the day that Jesus comes back, all of creation will be restored to the place that it was created to be. from the beginning, at the center as the object of God's redeeming, restoring, and renewing love." [00:40:53] (30 seconds)
"And if God was willing to do that, if the gospel is true, then is there anything that he is going to hold back from you? Is there any bad thing that can happen to you that he will not heal, that he will not make whole, that he will not make right again one day? He loves you. And there is nothing at all, nothing in all of creation that will ever be able to separate us from that love." [00:46:20] (33 seconds)
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