Week #4: the Love of God & the Grace of God

Presupposed Truths (Week #1)

1. God has specifically revealed Himself through His Word (Hebrews 1:1).
2. The Lordship of God over all – “He rules everything” (I Cor. 5:18)
3. God is a redeeming God, actively seeking to save through Christ.
4. God is Triune, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, redemptively active.
5. Man is sinful and must respond to God’s salvation in faith, obedience, worship, praise and service.

The Love of God

What is love?
Eros (passionate)
Philos (brotherly)
Agape (true)

What is the difference between conditional & unconditional love?

1 John 4:7-21
Is the love discussed here a feeling or an action?
What does this say about God’s love?
Describe the actions and interrelationship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?

1. God is love is not the complete truth about God as far as the Bible is concerned.
a. God is spirit, John 4:24 – Spirit contrasts with flesh.
b. God is light, 1 John 1:5 – Light means holiness and purity.
2. God is love is the complete truth about God as far as the Christian is concerned.
a. John 3:16-21, Incarnation & faith in Jesus Christ
b. Romans 5:1-5, New Birth & the indwelling Holy Spirit

God’s love is an exercise of his goodness toward individual sinners whereby, having identified
himself with their welfare, he has given his Son to be their Savior, and now brings them to know and
enjoy him in a covenant relation. (Packer, Knowing God, pg 123)

The Grace of God

Christianity is a religion of grace.
The Apostle Paul told the Corinthians, “But by the grace of God, I am what I am…”

What hinders so many who profess to believe in grace from really doing so?
1 John 2:15-17, what do you really love?
1. We have high opinions of ourselves, treating small virtues as compensating for great vices.
What does it mean to rationalize?
2. We turn a blind eye to evil as long as it is safe to do so, and, similarly we think, so will God.
What does it say about ourselves that we often think God is just like us?
3. Churchmanship and “works” leave us in control. How? Why?

If Jesus does not save you, who will?

1. Grace as the source of the pardon of sin: the Gospel centers on justification and the remission
of sins before a loving & Holy Father. Romans 3:21-26
2. Grace as the motive in the plan of salvation: justification and forgiveness are at the heart of the
Gospel. Romans 8:28-30

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 3. Grace as the guarantee of the perseverance of the saints. Romans 8:31-39

Do you claim to know the love and grace of God in your own life? Can you prove it by your devotion
to Jesus Christ and your love of neighbor (the two greatest commandments)?

What is the Gospel?

Gospel means good news.

Garden
Genesis 3:14-15, So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are
you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust
all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your
offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

OT History
Leviticus 17:11, For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement
for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.

Incarnation & the Gospels

NT History
1 Peter 3:18, For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to
God.

Consummation
Revelation 22:20-21, He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come,
Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.

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Ron Smith, 302-545-9049