The Love Of God

Psalm 36, to the choir master of David, the servant of the Lord.

Psalm 36, to the choir master of David, the servant of David, the servant of David, the

Lord sets himself in a way that is not good.

He does not reject evil.

Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens.

Your faithfulness to the clouds.

Your righteousness is like the mountains of God.

Your judgments are like the great deep.

Man and beast you save, O Lord.

How precious is your steadfast love, O God.

The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

They feast on the abundance of your house.

And you give them drink from the river of your delights.

For with you is the fountain of life.

In your light do we see light.

O continue your steadfast love to those who know you.

And your righteousness to the upright of heart.

Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.

There the evildoers lie fallen.

They are thrust down and unable to rise.

Amen.

There's been a great many attempts through the centuries to beautifully capture the depths of God's love in a song.

We've sung a few songs this morning that I've attempted to do that.

My favorite song, perhaps, that really does that well was written by a man named Frederick Lehman.

It was published first in its completed form in 1919, a little more than 100 years ago.

Lehman was a German immigrant.

He was living in Pasadena, California at the time, working in a citrus packing plant.

And having written the first two verses and a chorus to the song, he couldn't find a way to complete it.

A couple of years go by and he comes across a nearly thousand-year-old Hebrew poem that he felt perfectly fit for a third verse in this hymn that he had been working on for so long.

So he adapted it to the song and he added it in.

Now, if you can imagine living just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean, you can imagine Lehman's unique vision of God's love as he writes,

Could we with ink the ocean feel, and were the skies of parchment made,

were every man on earth or every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade?

To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry, nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.

Now, that is a beautifully, beautiful description of God's love for us.

In Psalm 36, David is writing his own beautiful ballad of God's incomprehensible love.

It's a psalm intended for corporate worship from its very inception.

We see that in the superscription of the psalm.

It's sent to Israel's choir master.

It's meant to be sung by all of God's people as they gather together for worship.

But it's sent by the servant of the Lord, a title that is teeming with messianic significance.

It's really only applied in the psalms and in the scriptures to a few unique individuals,

Moses and then David, and of course, them pointing forward to God's servant, the Lord Jesus Christ.

David writes it and sends it to the choir master so that God's people would always sing of God's saving love

displayed ultimately in the work of his promised king.

Lots of people talk of God's love.

Many people speak of God's love actually without seeming to truly grasp its significance, reality.

You don't really understand the depths of it.

Cultural ideas of divine love is really more of a view of unconditional approval,

unconditional kindness, universal kindness to all people.

And of course, God is kind to all his grace shows up to the righteous and the unrighteous.

We know that that's true.

But the cultural idea of God's love, those who would acknowledge it,

is they picture more of a doting grandfather.

We spent the last couple of days with Julie's dad and stepmom.

They brought all of the grandkids to the Great Wolf Lodge.

And you can watch, some of you have met Charles, Julie's dad.

You can watch him with his grandchildren.

He dotes on them.

In his eyes, they've never done anything wrong.

And nor would they ever do anything wrong.

They've never disobeyed.

There's nothing worth judging in them.

He just wants to love them.

He wants to give to them.

He wants to provide for them in every way.

Lots of people, when they're thinking of God's love,

that's the picture that they have in mind.

Kind of this doting grandfather who sees no real wrong in you,

but just wants to shower you with all the things that your heart might desire.

But that's not at all what so excited and moved the affections of King David in Psalm 36

or Frederick Lehman as he reflected on the love of God in his great hymn.

The love of God is actually far more profound than that.

And this psalm, it gives us just a taste of the true significance of God's love.

David takes us on a bit of a journey here.

The first thing that he does for us is he paints for us a portrait of the human condition.

A portrait of the human condition.

Look with me again at the first four verses.

Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart.

There is no fear of God before his eyes.

He flatters himself in his own eyes so that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.

The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit, and he ceased to act wisely and do good.

He plots trouble while on his bed.

He sets himself in a way that's not good.

He does not reject evil.

What is this?

It's a portrait of the human condition here.

David begins the song of God's glorious love in a surprisingly sour place.

This opening stanza doesn't actually look to the Lord's beauty.

It looks to the ugliness of human sin.

And herein actually lies a key to recognizing the true wonder of God's love.

You cannot truly value it until you've come to terms with the reality of your own depravity and corruption.

The portrait David paints here is not a picture of the worst of sinners.

This is a picture of every sinner.

This is the every man.

We can fiddle around with the language even.

You'll notice probably there's a footnote even in the bottom of the page in your Bible on that first verse.

Or actually what this literally reads as is,

transgression speaks into my heart, deep into my heart, David writes.

This is every one of us.

It's a poetic display of the human condition.

This is a picture of you here.

It's a picture of me.

So as we were carefully examining a portrait in an art gallery,

let's just take a moment and soak in what it is that David says about this.

Because this is actually the key to really understanding God's love.

Five things stick out to me here.

First, sin comes from within us.

Sin comes from within us.

Look again at verse 1.

Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart.

Transgression here is a crossing of a moral boundary.

Speaks is interesting because this is typically the term that's used for the oracles of God.

It's as if David is taking transgression, sin.

He's personifying sin and letting sin take the place of God as it speaks.

And where is it that this transgression and this sinfulness speaks?

Deep within us.

Deep within our hearts.

The popular idea is that with maybe just a few exceptions,

people are basically good.

That if we just reach down deep inside of us,

there's something good there and we can all be better and do better and make things better.

The scriptures actually teach the opposite of that.

It says in Jeremiah that our hearts are deceitful,

that they're wicked beyond what we can even really understand.

They're desperately sick,

incapable,

apart from grace,

of being healed.

And that's what David's on about here.

Sin personified enters deep in our hearts,

meaning it comes from within us rather than being foisted upon us from an external source.

You see,

we could go back to that 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 8 that we read a few moments ago.

1 Peter 5 · chapter mention

And we could say,

okay,

that's where sin really comes from.

Sin is not something I do.

Sin is something that the adversary forces me to do.

It's that great devil made me do it that you use when you're finally getting in trouble as a kid, right?

Wasn't me,

mom.

Satan made me do it.

No,

the scripture actually says the opposite here.

No,

it's actually coming from within you.

James clarifies this for us in James chapter 1 when he says that each of us is tempted

James 1 · chapter mention

when we are,

Lord and enticed,

not by an external source.

We are Lord and enticed of our own desire,

of the own lust that's in us.

When we want what we want,

we are then enticed to sin against the Lord.

That's our nature.

In other words,

we sin because it's in our nature to do it.

We're not sinners because we sin.

We sin because we're sinners.

That's what David's on about here.

Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart.

Sin comes from within us.

The second thing that sticks out to me here is this.

Our nature has no fear of God.

This is our human condition before Christ apart from grace.

We have no fear of God.

Get the second part of verse 1.

There's no fear of God before his eyes.

Paul quotes this.

Some of you will remember in Romans chapter 3.

Romans 3 · chapter mention

Paul strings along a number of different Old Testament passages.

He's asserting that all people are sinful before God,

that we're all sinners.

This is the one he concludes with.

He quotes this very phrase.

There is no fear of God before their eyes.

That's why we come back to this passage,

and we say this isn't really about highlighting

the extreme wickedness of a select few.

No, this is every man.

This is the human condition.

Paul affirms that for us in Romans chapter 3.

Romans 3 · chapter mention

What is he talking about?

But this is not the typical Hebrew word for fear,

that reverential fear.

It's a different kind of word that's being used here.

This is abject terror that is meant here.

David says,

Christopher Ashe says,

It's not simply that they have not learned reverence,

but they have not learned to be properly frightened of God

in his majesty and holiness.

To be frightened of God is the necessary precursor to grace.

Not to tremble before God

is both the root and the result of transgression, he writes.

And that's helpful.

If we take the popular idea

that God's love really is just like this doting grandfather

who doesn't really see much wrong,

all he wants to do is shower us

with the deepest desires of our hearts,

then we're completely missing a huge piece of this.

In order to really understand his love,

we have to understand his holiness.

That's one of the biggest problems with that popular view.

It minimizes, sometimes outright denies God's holiness

and his just wrath against sinners.

That's a fatal error.

Until you tremble before his holiness,

you cannot understand the fullness of his love.

Third thing that sticks out here.

In our human condition,

our fallen nature apart from grace,

we are self-deceived.

Self-deceived.

Verse two.

He flatters himself in his own eyes

so that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.

I'd encourage you to go and look

at what Jonathan Edwards has said about this.

He's written so many ways that we flatter ourselves

in our sin.

We're self-deceived,

but the sense of the verse is simple.

The sense of it is that we are so self-deceived

that we're blind to our own lostness,

never able to learn to hate our own sin.

That's a common picture of us in the Bible, isn't it?

That we're blind.

We're in darkness.

Self-deceived.

The New Testament says that

until the Lord returns,

people will go on being deceived

and deceiving themselves

and deceiving others.

It will just continue

again and again and again.

That's the human condition.

Fourth thing.

We're totally corrupted.

Totally corrupted.

Verse three.

The words of his mouth

are trouble and deceit.

He has ceased to act wisely and do good.

It's that common dual paradigm of word and deed.

What's David saying?

He's saying everything about us

is touched by sin and depravity and corruption.

There's no part of our lives

where our corruption is not evidence.

It's in the way that we talk.

It's in the things that we do.

It's everywhere.

It shows itself in everything.

And then the fifth thing we find in verse four

that our sin is all-consuming.

He plots trouble while on his bed.

He sets himself in a way that's not good.

That is, he digs his heels in.

He digs his heels in

in these things that isn't right.

He doesn't reject evil in his life.

He pursues his own sinfulness.

Think about this picture here.

He plots trouble while on his bed.

There's a reason that stress and anxiety

affect our sleep.

We lay in bed at night.

Life is quieted.

Distractions are removed

unless you have a three-month-old.

You're alone in the privacy of your own thoughts.

It's often in those moments

that those thoughts begin to rage

with various anxieties in our life.

We're laid in your bed at night

and you thought about those who crossed you

or those who you're unhappy with

and you began plotting,

boy, if they just said this to me,

this is what I would say back.

Or if they just did this,

this is how I would get my vengeance

or this is how I'm gonna deal with this thing.

It's in our nature, isn't it?

It's in our nature to do it.

It's in that stillness that we ought to pray,

that we ought to repent.

Instead, our nature plots

and our hearts are further hardened

in that self-deception.

What's David doing here at the beginning

before he ever mentions

the first thing about God's love?

He has to set the proper stage for that love.

By saying, here's who we actually are.

This is what's true of our nature,

true of our human condition.

And this is an essential backdrop

to the dramatic description of God's love

that we find in the next stanza.

So that we not only see a portrait

of the human condition,

then we come to see the preciousness

of God's steadfast love.

The preciousness of it.

Look at verse five.

Your steadfast love, O Lord,

it extends to the heavens.

Your faithfulness to the clouds.

Your righteousness is like the mountains of God.

Your judgments are like the great deep.

Man and beast you save, O Lord.

How precious is your steadfast love, O God.

The children of mankind take refuge

in the shadow of your wings.

They feast on the abundance of your house

and you give them drink from the river of your delights.

For with you is the fountain of life.

In your light do we see light.

Standing in stark contrast to man's nature

is the nature of God.

David lists four divine attributes here.

The capstone of those,

the most preeminent of those in this psalm

is steadfast love.

God's steadfast love,

it refers particularly to his covenantal love.

Throughout the Bible,

we see a series of covenants

that God makes with his people.

All of them are pushing forward to something.

They're pushing forward

to a promised salvation

through a savior king.

And that covenant,

again and again,

it is steadfast

in that it's unchanging.

He will never renege.

Even more than that,

it's rooted entirely in love.

How is God's covenant rooted entirely in love?

In this sense,

nothing else compels God

to make a saving covenant with man

except love.

It's the only possible explanation

for God's desire

to provide any salvation

from this sinful state at all.

There's no other explanation.

We can offer him nothing.

We bring nothing to the table.

One old preacher said,

we bring nothing to our salvation

except the sin that makes it necessary.

He can get nothing from us

that he cannot create in a moment.

Why would he do it?

Why would he make this covenant?

Because he loves us.

It's the only explanation.

Flowing out of that steadfast love

is seeing all of these other attributes

that David mentions here.

Because he loves us,

because that love is steadfast,

he will always be faithful

to do what he's promised.

Because he loves us

and because that love is steadfast,

he will be righteous

in executing this promise.

Because he loves us,

because that love is steadfast,

he's perfect in his judgments

to establish that promise.

And we see it unfolding progressively

through the scriptures.

Step by step by step,

more and more and more of God's love

do we see.

Because he never changes his promise.

He is faithful to it

even when we are unfaithful.

And all of those attributes,

we're told in verse six,

are working toward the salvation

of those hopelessly described

in the first four verses.

Notice what he says.

The end of verse six is amazing.

All of these attributes

are working to this salvation.

Man and beast you save,

oh Lord.

What does he mean by that?

He only means to say

that God's salvation,

what all of this is moving towards,

is total in its scope.

That God in salvation

is doing a greater work

than just providing you forgiveness.

He is pushing forward

to a great recreation of all things

in the new heavens,

in the new earth.

This salvation that he provides

out of his divine love

is total.

It's complete in all things.

Paul reminds us in Romans eight,

the world itself,

nature itself,

it groans under the curse of sin

and it's awaiting

the great revelation

of the Lord Jesus Christ

in his return

when he sets all things right.

Not only are you forgiven,

but God is making all things new.

This salvation he provides

out of his divine love,

it is a total and complete

and precious salvation.

And who is it for?

It's for the people

that David described

in verses one to four

because that's the only people

that there is.

That's why God's love

is so great.

Do you see how the psalm

is now beginning to take shape?

Do you see why David

began where he did?

Though we are wretched

and totally corrupt

in our nature,

God is faithful

and his love compels him

to rescue us

from sin and death.

great emphasis

is given in verses

five and six

to the extent

of this covenantal love.

Look at how

David describes it.

This steadfast love,

it extends to the heavens.

His faithfulness

goes to the clouds.

His righteousness

is like the great mountains

of God.

His judgments

are like the great deep.

He's using nature

as a picture

of the extent

of God's love.

He's saying it,

it's limitless.

We can't plumb

the depths

of God's love

any more than we can

plumb the depths

of the great deeps.

His steadfast love,

in other words,

it has no end.

I want you to think

about that

in relationship

to the first four verses.

The first four verses,

we have a picture

of total corruption.

our sin

that is in our nature,

it affects

every part of our lives,

our thoughts,

our words,

our deeds,

everything.

It's there,

it's present.

But even still,

God's love

is greater.

His steadfast love

is more profound.

Calvin says this,

this is so good.

However great

the depth

of wickedness

which there is

among men

and though it

seem like a flood

which breaks forth

and overflows

the whole earth,

yet still greater

is the depth

of God's providence

by which he rightly

disposes

and governs

all things.

And what is that

providence

working toward?

Romans 8 tells us

it's all working

for the good

of those who love him,

who are called

according to his purpose.

it's all working

for the salvation

of his people

promised

in his covenant.

As great

as your sin is,

God's love

is greater still.

Isn't that amazing?

A few of us

this week

had an opportunity

to visit

with the community

pregnancy center

in Lake Norman.

We pray for them

on a regular basis.

I know you pray

for them regularly.

If you ever get

an opportunity

to go and visit

at one of their

open houses,

I'd really encourage

you to do that.

Sarah Lynn kind of

works as a liaison

between our church

and that ministry

and I'm sure she has

some of those dates

in her mind

she could share

them with you

and I would encourage

you to do that

to hear about

what they're doing.

In their building,

the lady that gave us

a tour the other day,

there's a room

in there

where there's

a giant tree

painted on the wall

and coming out

from that tree

are just a bunch

of branches

and the branches

are extending

around the other

walls in the room.

It's almost

to the point

where it begins

to surround

whoever comes

in the room.

On those branches

are individual leaves

and on the leaves

are names,

all kinds of names.

Each of those names

represents a child

who was murdered

in his or her

mother's womb.

they're on the wall

because at some point

after the abortion

she said

sometimes it's days,

sometimes it's months,

sometimes it's decades.

Mother has come

to them for counsel,

has repented,

trusted Christ,

given her baby

a name,

given her baby

a burial

and they put that name

up on the wall.

and what has that

meant to communicate

to us?

It's the wonderful

extent of God's love.

There is no sin

so great

that God's love

is not greater still.

There is no sinner

so corrupt

that his faithfulness

is any less sure.

you think of the greatest

sin that you've ever

committed,

the greatest sinner

that you know.

God's love

is greater still.

His mercy

is faithful

and it's true

and it's there

for those women

and those men

who do such things.

It's there for those

who do even greater

things than that.

that's the extent

of God's love.

And then we get

to verses 7 and 9

and we see

David begins

to drill down

even a little further

to describe

the benefits

of God's love.

So glorious

is his love

that the faithful

finds shelter

beneath the shadow

of his wings.

How precious

is your steadfast love,

O God!

The children

of mankind

take refuge

in the shadow

of your wings.

They feast

on the abundance

of your house.

You give them

drink from the river

of your delights

for with you

is the fountain

of life

and in your light

do we see light.

How can this be?

Sinners were condemned

in verse 1

for not trembling

in abject fear

before the Holy God.

Is it not then

a contradiction

to just a few verses later

say that we may then

run to him

like little chicks

run beneath the wings

of a mother hen?

That's the picture.

Is that not a contradiction?

No, it's no contradiction

at all.

It's the benefit

of God's steadfast love.

Because of his limitless love

those who tremble

before him

may also rest

beneath the shadow

of his wings.

those who seek refuge

in him

feast at his table.

They drink deeply

of his delights.

God makes his enemies

to be his children

and their inheritance

is life

and light.

Those who were once

self-deceived

in darkness

and blind

now have seen light.

those who were once

dead

in their trespasses

and sins

have now

in his shelter

been given life

and life eternal.

By nature

we're in darkness

we're deceived

we're destined for death

but those who seek

the Lord by faith

are brought to life

they're delivered

from darkness

into his marvelous light

of truth

and righteousness.

And thus

with David

we sing

that the steadfast love

of the Lord

is not just wonderful

it's precious

to us.

It's precious

and the preciousness

of that love

is then to drive

everything in our lives

which brings us

to the final section

of the song.

David shows us

a portrait

of the human condition

he speaks

of the preciousness

of God's steadfast love

and then he provides

for us

a prayer

for the faithful

a prayer

that the faithful

can pray

together.

At the end of the song

he brings those

other two truths

together

the truth

that we are

dreadful sinners

and God's steadfast love

is precious

he merges them now

as he calls

us to action

this is a prayer

we're to pray

but it's not a prayer

that just anyone

can pray

or that anyone

would pray

it's a prayer

that only those

who quote

know you

and the quote

upright in heart

would ever pray

they're not upright

in heart

because they're

without sin

they're upright

in heart

in this context

because they fear

the Lord

and they trust

in his steadfast

love

for salvation

the prayer

sounds three notes

that should be

routine

in our own prayers

first

the prayer

seeks God's

steadfast love

anew

it seeks it anew

look at verse 10

oh continue

your steadfast love

to those who know you

and your righteousness

to the upright of heart

why ask God

for something

that is by definition

enduring

and everlasting

and limitless

this isn't a prayer

of anxiety

this isn't

coming from the heart

of someone

who is worried

that maybe

God will change

his mind

and therefore

must plead with him

and beg him

not to change his mind

and to continue

in that steadfast love

that's not what this is

this is a prayer

of faith

it's a prayer

of faith

that God

will indeed

do

what he said

he would do

Spurgeon said

although

a continuance

of mercy

is guaranteed

in the covenant

we are yet

to make it

a matter

of prayer

the real

prayer

of faith

asks God

to do

what he's promised

to do

do your prayers

look that way

what is your heart

of prayer

in moments

like this

are you praying

because you're

just worried

that God

won't be faithful

or are you crying

out for God

simply to fulfill

his promise

because your heart

is sure

that he will

be faithful

that's the difference

that's what David

calls us to hear

he seeks

God's steadfast

love anew

but then

he does something

different

he acknowledges

the weakness

of his own flesh

verse 11

let not the foot

of arrogance

come upon me

nor the hand

of the wicked

drive me away

drive me away

from what

the steadfast

love of the Lord

from trust

in his grace

what is this

part of the prayer

it's a prayer

for sanctification

it's a prayer

that God

will sanctify

us through

that steadfast

love

so that we

will not be

driven

to abandon

the faith

again says

Christopher

Ash

at one level

this is a prayer

against being

conquered

by an ungodly

power

at a deeper

level

it's a prayer

against all

the forces

of sin

the world

and the devil

that wage war

against our souls

for the greatest

danger to the church

and to the individual

believer

is not so much

that we will be

persecuted

by an enemy

but that we will be

seduced

or pressured

by the power

of sin

into denying

faithfulness

to Christ

that's what

this prayer

is

don't let

the sin

that is in me

drive me away

from you

that's a humble

prayer

we read it

earlier

humble yourselves

therefore under

the mighty hand

of God

what is that

about

it's about

recognizing

your own

tendency

prone to wonder

Lord I feel it

prone to leave

the God I love

we sing

no one

ever left

the faith

who didn't

first cease

to acknowledge

their continued

susceptibility

to sin's

persuasive power

spiritual pride

is what leads

to this abandonment

and it's only

humility

and humility

and prayer

that tethers

us tightly

to faithfulness

to Christ

behooves

us then

to remain

steadfast

in this

acknowledgement

seeking always

that God

hold us

fast

in his

covenantal

love

why

because the

third note

sounded in the

prayer

verse 12

it recognizes

the end

for the

impenitent

wicked

it recognizes

their end

you have

verse 12

there

the evildoers

lie fallen

where is

there

it's

wherever the

place is

that has

driven the

singer away

from God's

steadfast

love

it is

the place

outside of

the covenant

there

evildoers

lie fallen

they are

thrust

down

and here's

this amazing

phrase

they're unable

to rise

the prayer

envisions

a final

judgment

in which

God's

wrath

will be

poured

out

on them

in

eternal

death

notice

the

contrast

between

the wicked

and the

faithful

as we've

studied

several

psalms

in a row

now

those

who

trust

in

God's

steadfast

love

will be

raised

to life

those

who

continue

in sin

are rendered

unable

to rise

their

judgment

is decisive

it's

eternal

and remembering

their end

is a

safeguard

against

joining

them

and it's

a great

motivation

for sharing

the gospel

with them

would you

just flip

a few

pages

to the

right

to

psalm

73

this

was

Asaph

who

wrote

psalm

73

this

was

something

of his

plight

there

in the

beginning

of the

psalm

he tells

us

that

his

feet

had

almost

stumbled

his

steps

had

nearly

slipped

and the

reason

in

verse

3

is

because

he

was

envious

of

the

arrogant

when

he

saw

the

prosperity

of

the

wicked

in

other

words

he

looked

at

those

who

did

not

love

the

Lord

who

lived

!

the way

they

wanted

to

live

and

he

realized

that

life

seems

to be

better

for

them

you

ever

felt

that

way

of

course

you

probably

have

and

he

becomes

nigh

he's

very

nigh

to

just

leaving

the

faith

altogether

his

feet

are

about

to

slip

but

then

look

what

he

says

verse

16

but

when

I

thought

how

to

understand

this

it

seemed

to

me

a

wearisome

task

until

I

went

into

the

sanctuary

of

God

and

then

I

discerned

their

end

and

what

is

it

that

he

discerned

verse

18

truly

you

set

them

in

slippery

places

you

make

them

fall

to

ruin

how

they

are

destroyed

in

a

moment

swept

away

utterly

by

terrors

like

a

dream

when

one

awakes

!

oh

Lord

self

you

despise

them

as

phantoms

and

when

my

soul

was

embittered

when

I

was

pricked

in

heart

I

was

brutish

and

ignorant

I

was

like

a

beast

toward

you

but

because

he

seen

their

end

he

says

nevertheless

I

am

continually

with

you

because

you

hold

my

right

hand

you

guide

me

with

your

counsel

and

afterward

you

will

receive

me

into

glory

it's

the

same

thing

we're

seeing

in

Psalm

36

recognizing

and

acknowledging

the

end

of

the

wicked

is

a

great

motivator

to

live

and

remain

in

holiness

and

faithfulness

to

the

Lord

God

as

he

holds

us

fast

!

God

has

actually

proven

this

steadfast

love

and

he

has

proven

it

he

proved

it

by

himself

taking

on

human

flesh

in

the

person

of

Jesus

Christ

so

that

he

might

die

in

our

place

that's

how

it's

proven

Romans

5

God

shows

his

love

for

us

in

that

while

we

were

still

sinners

Christ

died

for

us

1

John

4

in

this

the

love

of

God

was

made

manifest

it

was

displayed

among

us

that

God

sent

his

only

son

into

the

world

that

we

might

live

through

him

in

this

is

love

not

that

we

have

loved

God

but

that

he

loved

us

and

how

was

that

love

proven

John

he

says

he

proved

it

because

he

sent

his

son

to

be

the

propitiation

for

our

sins

that's

such

an

important

word

his

son

completely

satisfies

his

wrath

against

sinners

described

in the

first

four

verses

of

our

psalm

that's

how

God

proves

the

love

he

doesn't

just

state

the

love

but

he

himself

becomes

a

man

in order

that

he

might

die

our

death

Tim

Keller

said it

this

way

we

are

more

sinful

and

flawed

in

ourselves

than

we

ever

dared

believe

and

yet

at

the

very

same

time

we

are

more

loved

and

accepted

in

Christ

than

we

ever

dared

hope

!

who just doesn't want to do anything

but tell us how great we are

and give us all the things that we ask him for.

That's not love.

No, the beauty of God's love

is that all of us are undeserving of it.

And yet he goes to tremendous lengths

in order that he might redeem us and forgive us.

And that's why it's so precious.

That's why it's so precious.

And so we should never stop writing songs about it.

And we should never stop preaching sermons about it.

Because if David's right, and I think he is,

we'll never be able to exhaust

the glorious love of the Lord

and his steadfast love for his people.

Let's pray together.