INTRODUCTION

1. The Love of God

a) It is profound

b) It is powerful and thus life-changing

2. The Love of God

a) It is doctrinally important

b) It is dynamic

c) It is demonstrable

 

THE SPIRITUAL STATE OF MANKIND

6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8

1. The Weight of our Sins

a) The sins of mankind are many

b) Man deserves judgment and condemnation

c) Forgiveness is taken for granted

d) It is not easy to have so many sins forgiven

2. Who would die for our sins?

a) Would a righteous man die for our sins?

b) Would a good man die on our behalf?

c) It is very hard to die for another person!

d) It is even harder to die for terrible sinners!

3. The sorry plight of sinful man

a) We are without strength

i) Moral strength

ii) Spiritual strength

b) We are ungodly

i) We are godless

ii) We are wicked and sinful

 

THE SINFUL STATE OF MAN BIBLICALLY DESCRIBED

1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

2 in which you once walked according to the ]course of this world,

according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh,

fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2:1-6

1. We are spiritually dead

2. We have committed many trespasses and sins

3. We walked in worldliness

4. We were sons of disobedience

5. We were children of wrath

 

THE DEMONSTRATION OF GOD’S WRATH

1. God’s love is indeed Great

2. He knew the terrible state of our life

3. Yet, He sent the Lord Jesus Christ to:

a) Atone for our sins

b) Redeem us

c) Offer us forgiveness

d) Show us great mercy

e) Raised us up as children of God

4 These things demonstrate the great love of God

a) His Salvation plan is awesome

b) He did not stop at forgiveness of sins

c) He made us acceptable in His sight

d) He made us His children and heirs with the Lord Jesus

 

HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND TO THE GREAT LOVE OF GOD?

17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord,

that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,

18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God,

because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;

19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

20 But you have not so learned Christ,

21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:

22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,

23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:17-24

1. The old man with its sins

These must be put away

2. The new man we have in the Lord

a) This must be cultivated

b) This deserves much commitment

3. We must learn to love the LORD

a) With all our heart

c) With all our soul

c) With all our strength Deuteronomy 6:5