There is power in Love,
Because God is Love.
1 Corinthians 13:4 - 8 (NKJV) 4Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8Love never fails. …
We are going to look at just a little of what love does for us, and how intertwined it is with God.
For God is Love.
First I want to look at how Love and Faith are so woven together and how when we grow strong in them we can cast out all fear.
There are many things we fear. We fear absolutely nothing at times. We will be going along minding our own business and boom we are hit with a thought. We let it grow and get torn apart by something that most likely will never happen.
Psalms 55:4 - 5 (NKJV) 4My heart is severely pained within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me. 5Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, And horror has overwhelmed me.
Nothing visible has come at you yet your heart is racing and if it’s bad enough you can’t catch your breath.
We fear, what we believe could be the bad outcome of circumstances. We think the worst about what we have to do, or who we have to see.
We fear people.
1 Samuel 21:10 (KJV) 10And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. Look at what is happening here this king of Gath is a Philistine, the enemy.
1 Samuel 21:11 - 22:1 (NKJV) 11And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands’?” 12Now David took these words to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13So he changed his behavior before them, pretended madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard. 14Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? 15Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”
1David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam.
Because of fear David ran to the enemies camp. satan will use fear to drive you from God into his dark pit. When you are wallowing in fear or as some would call it, uncertainty or just a little anxious, you are praising satan not God. Because fear has torment. If you are a little anxious or uncertain you are being tormented. All fear which is torment is of satan.
The true and living God is a loving God.
John 3:16 (NKJV) 16For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
And because he has such love for us he does not leave us without answers. We can live a life free of the torment of fear and this is where Jesus wants us.
Jesus tells us that we must build our faith and love for him in order to escape the fear this life produces. I asked the Lord, do I work to strengthen my faith & then my love will grow? His answer was, “confirm your love IN me and your faith will grow.
Jesus said “Love in him”. The Bible tells us that God IS love. Not that God has love, but that he is love.
Now to the point:
1 John 4:17 - 19 (NKJV) 17Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19We love Him because He first loved us.
When ever you are in fear you are not trusting in God. Your love is not perfected toward Him. Complete love means complete trust. Fear is a lack of trust. Jesus has told us that things will happen in this life:
John 16:33 (KJV) 33These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
He has overcome the world and promised us that our eternal futures will be glorious.
We need to strive toward a perfect love by accepting the fact that our perfect God will keep us and help through times of trouble, if we keep our faith and love focused on him.
As you worship and love him, a serine peace takes over.
When troubles come baring the gift of fear you must believe that God truly loves you and will bring you out. As your love grows perfect the faith will grow.
Psalms 56:3 - 4 (KJV) 3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. 4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
Psalms 34:4 (NKJV) I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. Seek Him praise Him and trust Him.
Psalms 112:7 - 8 (NKJV) 7He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. 8His heart is established; He will not be afraid, …
2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV) For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
With out complete faith and love in God you can not have soundness of mind.
John 14:27 (NKJV) 27Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
1 Samuel 30:6 (KJV) 6And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
We must praise and worship God, we must spend time with him and his Word to encourage ourselves.
1 John 4:18 - 19 (NKJV) 18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19We love Him because He first loved us.
Love Him knowing that he has always loved you.
Fear is something satan is going to throw at you, be prepared to praise and worship God in order to overcome it.
When a fearful thought inters your mind stop it and start thinking like God calls you to.
Philippians 4:8 (NKJV) Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Remember God wants you to live in peace.
2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NKJV) 16Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.
Next point:
1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV) And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins”. We are all human we all fail at times. God calls us to forgive and to overlook the mistakes and faults of others. If we don’t forgive, satan can use our unforgivness to stir up division.
Matthew 18:21 - 22 (KJV) 21Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Now lets look at another aspect of God’s love.
LOVE, MERCY, GRACE.
These three are all so intricately intertwined in the being of God. They are so tightly wrapped together that it is impossible to separate them.
You can say that, “it is because of his love that he gives us his mercy and grace.” Or “It is because of his mercy and grace that he has bestowed his love on us.”
LOVE, MERCY, GRACE, 3 reasons that we have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.
Romans 5:8 - 10 (NKJV) 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Jesus came and sacrificed himself for all of us that hated him. He tells us to reach out to those that hurt us, because Jesus reached out to us.
He calls on us to live a life of love, mercy and grace toward all.
Matthew 6:14 - 15 (NKJV) 14“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
If you conceder yourself a child of God, you must forgive, you are left no other choice.
Proverbs 24:17 (NKJV) 17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;
Luke 6:35 - 36 (NKJV) 35But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
Mercy is a form of love that is given to some one that is suffering and in need, but more so it is given to those that are unworthy or undeserving. God in his infinite compassion bestowed his mercy on us that were unworthy. and brought us out of the dark mire we were in.
Psalms 86:3 - 15 (KJV) 3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily. 4 Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. 6 Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications. 7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me. 8 Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. 9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name. 10 For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone. 11 Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. 12 I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. 13 For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell. 14 O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them. 15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
As sinners God’s love and mercy is all we have, and as born again Christ like believers God’s love & mercy is what we are to show.
Mercy blesses both he that gives and he that receives. If you as a child of God are merciful, then both you and the person your showing mercy to will be blessed.
Proverbs 11:17 (NKJV) The merciful man does good for his own soul, But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.
Matthew 5:7 (NKJV) Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
Now lets tie the three together,
Ephesians 2:4 - 5 (NKJV) 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
Ephesians 2:8 (NKJV) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
Grace is unmerited favor from God’s boundless love.
Grace is the desire to do something and mercy is the act of doing it. God saw our need, felt a desire to do something and acted upon it. We are to do the same when we see someone in need.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God so loved the world that He shed His mercy, grace and love on those that hated Him.
2 Timothy 1:9 (NKJV) who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
Before time began God new he would reach out to us. We as sinners deserve His wrath, but he gloriously bestowed his love, mercy and grace upon those that would receive him.
If you have not truly believed in your heart that God raised him from the dead and excepted him as your Lord and Savior, then cry out to him and ask him to change your heart. Ask him to forgive you of your sins and make you a new creation in Him.
Acts 4:12 (NKJV) 12Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the only way to eternal salvation.
