'Appreciating God's Love'
A) 1 John 4:7-8 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Since God is love, anyone who claims that he knows God must love one another by caring for their welfares. Those, who are not able to love one another, do not know God.
I John 3:17-18 But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
B) What is Love
I Cor 13:4-7 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
This is the Divine love of God within the Triune Godhead and also the perfect love shown to men throughout the whole history of man since that days of Adam.
God has shown and given this divine love to us and He will help us to perfect our love so that we can be His bride seated on His throne.
If we can love one another as Jesus had loved us, then our love is perfected.
John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
C) Children of God
Rom 8:15-16 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
The moment we have believed and accept the gospel of grace, our Lord Jesus will give us the Holy Spirit of redemption or adoption and we can then call the Almighty God our Father. We become part of the family of God and enjoy the power of casting out demons, praying for the sick, intercession, preaching His gospel with signs and wonders...
I John 3:1-2 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
D) Sons of God
Rom 8:17-19 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
After we are born again, with the help of His Spirit, we must crucify our flesh. This is a painful process where we will be completely free from the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. God will then call us 'sons of God', for we have been transformed into the image of His only begotten Son, Jesus.
Rom 8:13-14 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
