Transcript
Speaker: And you know when you really think about it and put it into perspective for me, the God is oftentimes i think, mismarketed.
Speaker: And I say mismarketed because So many times you hear about God being this vengeful, wrathful, narcissistic, angry, evil of God that allows all these bad, that makes all these bad things happen in the world.
Speaker: When the reality is that the Bible shows us a merciful God. Yeah. a loving God, a forgiving God, a God that, as we just read, who loved the world so much that he gave his only begotten son, that through his son, we might have everlasting life and spend eternity with him. The scriptures tell us time and time again that he's quick to forgive. He's merciful.
Speaker: And if we would just choose him, then we can experience that love. And in experiencing that love, we can then return and express that love back to him that we have received.
Speaker: And love what you said. I think people get that mixed up when they don't choose God. They get upset when they do experience God's vengeance.
Speaker: But you can't expect someone who you have not shown love to be the God that he could be with you loving him. um And I think that's where the world gets messed up. if They don't choose God.
Speaker: they don't love God, but they expect the love of God. Welcome to Grace Talk, a podcast by Grace Temple Church Louisville. Experience biblical encouragement in every aspect of life as you see God through the truth of the scriptures.
Speaker: Our mission is to help save the lost and encourage the saved. Hosted by our senior pastor, Apostle Isham Cordery, and the Grace Temple Church ministry, it's time for Grace Talk.
Speaker: Hello and welcome to Grace Talk. I'm Missionary Tia Ray. I'm Elder DeAntony Ray. And today we're going to talk to you about love. Love. The greatest example of love that I find in the Bible is John 3, 16. And it reads, 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.
Speaker: Then there's roman five Romans 5 and 8 says, But God committed his love toward us in that while we're yet sinners, Christ died for us. What an amazing example of love, the sacrifice that God gave on our behalf so that we might have access to eternal life.
Speaker: Absolutely. I think that um in seeing the example that God gave um in his son dying for our sin, um that really sparks gratitude in me.
Speaker: um and And with there being gratitude, then want to express my love back to him, um not just receiving what he's given me, ah but giving back to him that love that he's shown me.
Speaker: Yes, and what better way to give that love back to him than to keep his commandments, do what he's asking us to do. 1 John 5, 1 and 3 says, whoever believed that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.
Speaker: And everyone that loveth him, that begatteth love him, also that is begotten of him. By this, we know that we love the children of God.
Speaker: when we love God and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous. Not at all. His commandments are not grievous. That's it's interesting because so many people will tell you um that it's too hard or I don't feel like I have to or should do these things.
Speaker: And in reality, um as it even states in John chapter 14, verse 15, Jesus said, if you love me, keep my commandments. So, ah The commandments are not what we do in an attempt or in a way ah to obtain salvation.
Speaker: um However, ah we do keep the commandments and we are obedient to God um because of the salvation that we have received. um And it's our way of expressing our love back to God and being obedient unto him.
Speaker: Yes, and but the only way that we're going to know how to properly love God, yes, in keeping his commandments, but reading his word in the example that he was while he was here. He not only loved us enough to sacrifice and lay down his life on behalf of us, but he also...
Speaker: came and showed us how to live, how to live out the commandments, how to live a sinless life, how to love one another, um what it really means to sacrifice Jesus was that.
Speaker: And, you know, when you really think about it and put it into perspective for me, you know, the God is oftentimes, I think, God, Mismarketed. um And I say mismarketed because ah so many times you hear about God ah being this vengeful, wrathful, ah narcissistic, angry, evil of God that allows all these bad that makes all these bad things happen in the world.
Speaker: When the reality is that the Bible shows us a merciful God. Yes. A loving God, a forgiving God, a God that, as we just read, ah who loved the world so much ah that he gave his only begotten son, um that through his son, we might have everlasting life and spend eternity with him.
Speaker: um he The scriptures tell us time and time again that he's quick to forgive. He's merciful. um And if we would just choose him, then we could experience that love. And in experiencing that love, we can then return and express that love back to him that we have received.
Speaker: And and it ah I love what you said. i think people get that mixed up when they don't choose God. They get upset when God, ah when they do experience God's mentions.
Speaker: ah But you can't expect someone who you have not shown love to be the God that he could be with you loving him. And I think that's where the world gets it messed up.
Speaker: um If they don't choose God, they don't love God, but they expect the love of God. That makes sense. um So we have to make sure that we are choosing God.
Speaker: And that's one of the things I'll never forget. I learned about free will and it wasn't, Through the word of God, it was a movie I watched and it was Bruce Almighty. And he was trying to make this woman love him.
Speaker: um and he had the opportunity to have the mind of God for a day and to experience, I guess, answering prayers and things. And he wanted this woman to love him. But that's the one thing he could not do is make love.
Speaker: love him because she had the will to choose. And I think that people get it messed up because you have to choose God. He's not going to make you love him.
Speaker: he has laid out the blueprint on how to love him. He's opened up the way he's made the sacrifice for us to be reconciled back to him. But ultimately, we still have to choose to do that. We have to choose to do that.
Speaker: We have to choose to do that again. It's not something that he will force you to do. And it's not something that he will make you do. However, if we really love God and we're really grateful for his sacrifice, then it's not a difficult thing.
Speaker: It's not a difficult thing to want to obey him. It's not a difficult thing to want to live for him. It's not a difficult thing to want to give your life and do all that you can to show Him, how much you love him and how grateful you are for the sacrifice that he has made and not just to him, but also to his children, to others who also are believers and to this world. You know, you want to share this love, this gospel, ah this great good news that you have received, this salvation, ah this transforming of your life.
Speaker: You know, that that's really all inclusive of of the love that we have received. um we we we We not only just want to go to church and, ah you know, clap our hands and dance and shout um and do all the things that come with ah worship.
Speaker: ah But we want to get out and share and show somebody. um That there is a God that loves you. There is a God that cares. There is a God that sacrificed his life. There is a God that's merciful.
Speaker: And if you would allow him and if you would just put your faith and trust, confidence in him, then he can do the same for you like he's done in my life. Absolutely. and And know you mentioned that the commandments, that it's not hard. And the Bible says it's not grievance.
Speaker: I think it's only hard when we don't make the necessary sacrifices or um open up our heart to receive what it is that God wants to do in our life.
Speaker: We have to lay down the things that when he shows us, when we say, when we examine ourselves, when we ask God to shine the light, from the lighthouse of heaven and he shows us those things, he wants us to remove those things so that he can replace it with his desires for us to help us to properly love one another, as Elder Ray said.
Speaker: and the only way that we can know how to love one another properly is loving God properly. Yeah. So today encouragement is that God loves you.
Speaker: You know, he again loved us enough to give his son as a sacrifice for our sin. But we also want to encourage you that in receipt of that sacrifice, in gratitude and gratefulness, but return that love back to him, not just in what you say. Yes. But in what you do.
Speaker: Be obedient. Express that love to God and do what he's laid before Yes. Do his commandments. Our encouragement that you are enlightened, that you are empowered, that you are strengthened for the journey.
Speaker: Be blessed in Jesus name. Thank you for watching Grace Talk.
Speaker: Thank you for listening to Grace Talk. It is our prayer that you were encouraged through the Word of God. Listen in next time as we continue to help save the lost and encourage the saved.
Speaker: Please find us on social media or join us for one of our weekly Sabbath services at effectivegrace.org. If you would like to contact us with questions or comments, please email us at church at effectivegrace.org.
Speaker: Thank you again. Grace and peace.
