TITLE: True Love

TEXT: Romans 5:5-8

PROPOSITION: God demonstrates true love toward mankind.

QUESTION: How?

KEY WORD: Attributes

READING: Same

INTRODUCTION:

          1. Last week - What love is not.

          2. Today - the positive side - What love is.

          3. God's love for us shows us some attributes of love.

          GOD LOVES US "IN SPITE OF ..."

I. The fact that we are not lovable.

          A. Rom. 5:8 "yet sinners" (v. 6 - "without strength")

          B. I Pet. 3:18 "the just for the unjust"

          C. I John 4:9-10 "not that we loved God"

II. The fact that we are not all alike.

          A. John 3:16 "the world"

          B. Eph. 2:4-5 Sins are different - God's love= same

          C. Heb. 9:28 offered to bear sins of many

III. The fact that we do not act as we should.

          A. Parent should understand this.

          B. Mark 10:21 rich ruler - "Jesus loved him"

          C. Luke 23:34 on cross "forgive them" = enemies

          D. Matt. 26:28 Blood was for remission of sins

IV. The fact that we often let inferior things mean more to us than He does.

          A. Rom. 8:35 Who can separate us from love of God?

          B. Matt. 6:33 Seek kingdom of God - FIRST!

          C. What do you ALLOW to keep you from loving God?

          OUR RESPONSE:  WE MUST LOVE GOD IN SPITE OF:

I. The fact that "we saw thee not" in the flesh.

          A. Thomas saw and believed John 19:24-29

          B. Rich man Luke 16:29-31

II. Temptations.

          A. Matt. 4 Jesus was tempted- Loved God

          B. Gen. 39:9 Joseph - sin against God?

III. Weaknesses and human frailties.

          A. Some our own fault:  lust, selfishness, desires

          B. Some fault of others: gossip, betrayal, lies, criticism, vengeful attacks

IV. The fact that we don't understand the "whys" as He does.

          A. We want IMMEDIATE answers to prayer.

          B. We blame God for things that are NOT His fault.