A New Kind Of Love

Transcript

Alright, thank you very much. Always nice to be put on the air by my friends at the transmitters. Appreciate that. And, hello, radio friends. How are in the world are you? You doin’ Alright today? Well, sure, I’ll wait for you to answer because I know some of you do. You’ve told me so. (Laughs)

We’re looking at Romans 8 as a contrast to 2 Peter 2. This second chapter of 2 Peter is an awesomely judgmental chapter, talking about false teachers. Israel in the days before Calvary and those centuries after God chose Abraham as his own and Abraham’s descendants became a nation, Israel.

It said there were false prophets among the people. And he says, now there’s going to be false teachers among you, right in the congregation of redeemed people, there’ll folk who are teaching false doctrine. “Even to the extend of denying,” said he, “the Lord that bought them.” The person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ and the inherency of the Word of God, the Bible, are two cardinal doctrines upon which you and I must never wobble. John R. Rice told me many years ago. He said, “Brother Bob, every generation has to fight the battle of the Bible. The attack on the authority and the inherency of the Word of God continues every generation. You have to settle that.”

And, I might add, every generation has to face the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is either God in the flesh, or else, he’s an impostor. The person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ and the inherency of the Word of God, the Bible, are great foundation stones of our faith. Our Lord Jesus, God the Son, coming down the stairways of the stars, taking upon Him human nature, living a perfect life, dying a perfect death, atoning death as God’s Passover lamb, rising again from the dead to be our living Savior, our high priest, our elder brother, our Lord and our coming King, this Jesus available to all who will call upon Him.

The Bible says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” That blessed truth, together with faith in the Word of God, will provide a foundation for your faith on which you will never waiver. Error, error begins with the scriptures and the work of God. Jesus said, “You do err in not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God.” This is the same thing I’m talking about. Error begins out those two places. And so, Peter says, “False teachers, even denying the Lord that bought them.”

Pernicious ways, a bad influence, covetousness, feigned words, making merchandise of people. That’s manipulating people and not afraid to speak evil, of dignities and presumptuous. They are addicted to sinning, cannot cease from sin. They beguile unstable souls. They have an influence on people who are uncertain about their own faith. They’ve forsaken the right way and followed the way of Balaam who loved the wages of unrighteousness. These people are in love with money. Wells without water, they don’t have any refreshing part in their lives.

Clouds carried with a tempest, no showers of blessing. Aye-aye-aye! Oh, what a picture. What a picture of sinful, unregenerate human nature that got into religion. There is no one more biased and no one more intolerant than an un-Born Again person who has some religious connections. I’ve had experience with that throughout my lifetime in the pastorate and in education and in political matters. The person who is a liberal, as we say, the person who wants to change all of the old foundational beliefs of classic Christianity, always asks you and me to be tolerant. Where’s your tolerance? Where’s your brotherly love? Where’s your kindness?

Why don’t you be tolerant of others? But when you dare to proclaim the truth as you see it, oh, then you’re biased. Then you’re a bigot. Then you’re not really educated. You’re ignorant. There is no one so intolerant as somebody who is religious but rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ. Once you know that, you’re not too shocked about it, you run up against it from time to time in our world. Notice what Peter is talking about. By contrast, because I don’t like to dwell only on the negative side of God’s truth. I want to get the positive, encouraging side of it, too, at the same time.

By contrast and we looked at Romans 8, “A person who is truly living in the Spirit, not after the flesh.” Peter said that these people of whom he was speaking walked after the flesh. They walked after the flesh. 2 Peter 2:10, “In the lust of uncleanness, their own desires are their credo.” Now, by contrast, the person who has met the Lord Jesus Christ and is trusting Him as Lord and Savior is not living on the basis of old, simple, human nature. But now, as Paul puts it, “After the Spirit who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit,” there’s a new commitment to the Holy Spirit of God.

There’s a new law of life, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ. “Hath made me free from the law of sin,” and there’s a new set of priorities. They mind the things of the Spirit. There’s a new dynamic. The Holy Spirit quickens your mortal bodies. There’s a new leadership lead by the Spirit of God. Verse 14, “There’s a new heart cry — Abba, Father, Papa, God. Not a cry of fear but of family love. There’s a new assurance. “We have the witness of the Spirit in our hearts,” verse 16. There’s a new hope. We’re living in hope of the day when God will restore all of the creation and take away the curse of sin from it all and from us.

New power in prayer — the Holy Spirit helps our infirmities, our weaknesses, because we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us. Paul says, “with groanings which cannot be uttered.” This life in the Spirit, by the enablement of the Holy Spirit of God involves all of this.

And what else? Well, the last time we got together, we have just reached into Romans 8:28. This blessed promise that many of you have learned to quote. You learned it in childhood and it has stood by you through the many years, hasn’t it?

“And we know”, Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” And the purpose of God goes back to the — before the dawn of creation whom He did for know, He did predestinate to be conformed to the image of Son. That He, that is, the Lord Jesus, might be the first born among the many brethren. And then, He called you whom he did predestinate. He also called and whom he called? Them, He also justified and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

God’s purpose started with planning for you, calling you, saving you and bringing you safe home to glory. And he says, “All things work together for good if you love God and you’re called according to His purpose.

The last time we got together, we were commenting on the importance of our heart that loves God. Love them that love God. Our Lord Jesus met Simon Peter there by the shores of the sea of Galilee one early morning. And after breakfast, He drew Peter aside and said, “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?”

And Peter said, “Why Lord, you know, I’m fond of you.” And so, He asked him again the second time. You recalled the story? “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?” And Peter said, “Why Lord, you know, I’m fond of you.” And so then, the Lord Jesus changed the verb form. He said, “Are you really fond of me, Peter?” Now, it says, Peter was grieved. Peter was grieved that the Lord said to him the third time. “Do you love me?” And he said, “Lord, you know all things. You know how I brag that I was going to be faithful to you, you know how I stood by the fire and warm myself and then denied that I even knew you when you were there in the judgment hall. You know how I cried my heart out after when I realized what I had done. You know all things. Yes, Lord, you know.”

Well, see, our Lord Jesus had said to Peter, “Early on, before the crucifixion, Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired thee that he might sift thee as wheat. But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not.” See? Oh, dear. Well, here you have it. Our Lord Jesus asked the question, “Do you love me?” with John 3:16 Calvary love, agape.

And Peter answers, “Lord, I love you like a brother.” And the Lord Jesus said, “Well, do you really love me, agape, with a Calvary love?” And Peter said, “Lord, you know that I am fond of you. I love you like a brother.” And so, then, the Lord Jesus said, “Do you really love me like a brother?” I’m translating here from my Greek New Testament. And Peter said, “Lord, you know all things. You know that I am fond of you. I love you like a brother.” Well, that’s as far as Peter could get at that time. We’re talking about those that love God, them that love God.

And Paul, in his writings here, is under the direction of the Holy Spirit of God. And so, He says, “To them who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” See? All things work together for those that love God with an agape love. That’s what’s God is looking for. That pure, deep, sweet, Calvary love, that the Holy Spirit of God puts in your heart when you trust Jesus Christ, the Savior. You can’t love God unless God puts his Holy Spirit within you. You’re not capable of it. “Herein is love. Not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His son”, John says.

You can’t begin to love God the way you ought to unless the Holy Spirit of God loves God through you. “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost who is given unto us,” Romans 5:5 says. And so, the rationale for things that happen, turns out to be the heart that has been to Calvary. If you’ve been to Calvary and the love of God is in your heart, the circumstances around you will strangely seem to make sense when you look at them through Calvary. Well, we’ll get at this the next time we get together.

Dear Father today, help us to love Thee with a holy Calvary love. In Jesus’ name, I ask it. Amen.

Till I meet you once again by way of radio, walk with the King today and be a blessing!