Loving Jesus - Part 2 of 2

O for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's praise, Thou for resolve, my God and King, Thou triumphs of His grace. This is the Sarah Bradley, Jr. welcoming you to another broadcast of the Baptist Bible Hour.

They've tried my Lord and Master with no one to defend. Within the halls of Pilate He stood without a friend. I'll be a friend to Jesus. My life for Him I'll spend.

Until my years shall end. To all who need a Savior, My friend I recommend. Because He brought salvation is why I am His friend. I'll be a friend to Jesus. My life for Him I'll spend.

Until my years shall end. We continue today with the message entitled Loving Jesus. Certainly we have every reason to love Him, but sometimes our love grows cold and faint, and I hope that this message will stir our hearts to think again about how we have so many reasons for loving Him. I want to remind you of our new website. You will be able to read the Baptist Witness there and find many new features that we're offering at BaptistBibleHour.org.

You can also make a donation there if you would like to help with the support of this program. So this indicates then that obedience is the proof of genuine love, and this fact refutes antinomianism. Now that word may not be familiar to all of you. Those who hold the antinomian view, and there are variations of it depending on the particular group or individual that may advocate it, but they argue that a commandment should not be a part of Christianity. They see that the Mosaic law was a time when commandments were given, but that doesn't belong to us today because we're now in the era of grace. And so to impose any kind of a commandment is to go back under the law. It's to ignore grace or water down grace. They hold that love is the rule. And so as long as what you do doesn't essentially harm somebody else, it's all right.

If you see your conduct as being acceptable, you feel that what you're doing is all right, and you're not interfering with somebody else, that's acceptable conduct. But here are the words of Jesus using the word command, my commandments. Love is indeed essential. It's the motivation, but it's not separated from the commandment. Love moves Christians to joyfully obey. Jesus said, I delight to do thy will, O God. And he says when the disciple is fully taught, the one who is a follower of Jesus, when he matures, when he is taught, he's going to be like the teacher. So if you're following Jesus and you're maturing and growing, your attitude is that which Jesus expressed, I delight to do thy will, O God. You're not trying to explain away his words. You're not trying to come up with some new concept that says, commandments have no place in the Christian religion.

But you're saying, I joyfully submit. I delight to obey. I want to honor him. So when Jesus calls men to obey him, the outworking of that which has started by the transformation of their heart is going to be ongoing and displayed in their life. In fact, Jesus said in Luke, Jesus said in Luke chapter 6 verse 46, Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? So for a person to say, Jesus Christ is my Lord. I am a Christian.

I'm a follower of Christ. But they don't do what he says. He says, that's empty. That's vain. Don't call me Lord and then ignore what I have taught. Reject my teaching. Reject my commandments. Don't call me Lord if you're not going to do the things that I say. You've been chosen, if you're one of his, to obey. First Peter chapter 1 verse 2, Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.

Grace unto you and peace be multiplied. When you're justified, you're declared to be just. It's a declaration made because it's based on what Christ did for you. You in yourself are sinful, a violator of his law, unworthy, but now he declares you to be just. And he says, can any lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. So if God declares one to be justified, he is just. And there is a sense in which every child of God is completely sanctified.

Because 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 30 tells us, Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, that according as it is written, he that glorith, let him glory in the Lord. So Christ is our sanctification. But there's another aspect of that.

And that's what he's talking about here in Peter. There is a progressive aspect of sanctification where you are growing in grace. You're developing more of a hatred for sin.

You're turning away from the ways of the world. And by the grace of God, able to overcome and conquer the weaknesses and temptations of the flesh. So if you're one of his, the process of sanctification is going on in your life. And the scriptures continue to emphasize this truth. The idea that a person can claim, I'm on my way to heaven, I was baptized years ago, or I joined the church, or I went forward at a crusade, or whatever they're basing it on. And yet, they show no submission to the commandments of Christ.

They're deceiving themselves. Let's look at 1 John. John, who of course is the author of the gospel from which our text is taken, goes on and deals with this in much detail in his epistles. 1 John 2, verse 3, And hereby we do know that we know Him if we keep His commandments. So the person that says, I know Him, but I don't like His commandments and I'm not going to keep those, or whether they would verbalize it, the reality of the fact is that they ignore them and they don't obey them, then that person is deceiving themselves.

He that saith, I know Him and keepeth not His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in Him. But whoso keepeth His word in Him verily is the love of God perfected, hereby know we that we are in Him. Chapter 3, verse 22, And whatsoever we ask we receive of Him because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

That's the description of one who is a subject of God's grace. Chapter 5, verse 2, By this we know that we love the children of God 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.

So for somebody to say, well this is just too much, this is overwhelming, the Lord demands too much of me, I can't do that, He said His commandments are not grievous. That if we love Him, we'd like to please Him, we want to honor Him, we're going to be seeking His help and blessing in being able to do those things that are well pleasing in His sight. So seeing this to be an important truth that Jesus is conveying, let's look at some of His commandments.

What does He say? What does He expect of us? Well, let's go back to a passage we've already covered in this study in the Gospel of John to chapter 13 and the 34th verse. A new commandment I give unto you that ye love one another, as I have loved you that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples if ye have love one to another. Now this is His commandment. Our text says that if you love me, keep my commandments. Here's the command, I'm telling you that you are to love one another.

So you might say today, I love Jesus, but I've got a list of people that I don't love. You're in trouble because He says, if you love me, keep my commandments. And my commandment is that you love one another, even as I have loved you. Jesus loved His followers in spite of their stumbling and failing and faltering and so many things that we've observed in these disciples who were with Him for the years of His ministry that it's just remarkable that Jesus didn't throw up His hands and say, I've had it.

Because they so often were sidetracked in their thinking and reaching the wrong conclusions and jumping to conclusions. But it also says, having loved His own, He loved them to the end. So He's saying, our love for one another is to be like the love that He had for His own. We're to love one another.

Well of course the commandments, not only that fell from Jesus' lips, but are found throughout His Word since it's given by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. These are His commandments, so we think about some requirements for love. Husbands, you are to love your wives. If you love them, you're kind to them. You treat them with graciousness. In fact, it says that you are to treat them as being the weaker vessel.

Not that they are weaker in their intellect or in their spirituality or in many other categories, but obviously they are made differently. There is an emotional aspect that needs to be considered, and a husband that loves his wife is concerned about his wife's welfare in every detail and category. Ephesians 5 25, husbands, love your wives. Now, even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it. So a person might say, well I love Jesus.

A man could say, He's first and foremost in my life. But if he doesn't love his wife, he's not following the commandments of Jesus. Some generally are putting emphasis on the fact that wives are to be submissive to their husbands, which that passage declares in Ephesians chapter 5. And while some cringe at that thought, the fact is, of course, if a husband really loves his wife, he's going to treat her in a way that it's not going to be difficult for her to be submissive. There are those cases, though, where the husband miserably fails and treats his wife not as one who is to be esteemed and supported and appreciated and encouraged, and it becomes a challenge for her to fill her role, but she can find the grace of God to be able to do so. But not only does the Scripture teach that wives are to be submissive to their husbands, they are to love their husbands. Turn to the book of Titus chapter 2, reading in the fourth verse. This is what older women are to teach younger women, that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children. Alright, Jesus says, if you love Me, keep My commandments.

Here's something that is commanded. Wives, love your husbands. You don't just submit to them with gritted teeth. You love them.

What a difference when there is love in a marriage, love in a home. Women, love your children. Don't just tolerate them. Don't just put up with them.

Love them. Well, the days I have a tough time doing that, they can challenge me to the limit. But if we come back to the real motivation in all Christian service, what is it? The love of Christ constraineth us. And when you're having difficulty being patient with anybody, whether it's your wife or your husband or your children or your next door neighbor or the person in the church that you've had some misunderstanding with or conflict with, you come back and understand something about the love of Christ. What amazing love that was. He didn't pick you out and love you because you had such a wonderful personality, because you always thought right, did right, acted right. He loved you in spite of your failings, in spite of your sin, and in like manner we are to love others. We're to forgive one another. How often somebody will say, Well, I just can't do it.

That's all. I've been hurt so deeply this person has treated me so unfairly. I just cannot forgive. And yet Jesus says that we are to forgive as He has forgiven us. How does He forgive us? He doesn't forgive us of part of our sins, but if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We are to forgive others. So we are to love one another. And going a step farther, Jesus says in Matthew chapter 5 verse 43, We are to love our enemies. Somebody may say, Well, that's it.

I can't go with you there. Well, I'm not just espousing a personal opinion here. I would admit as anybody else that loving your enemy is not all that easy. But here's what Jesus taught. Matthew chapter 5 verse 43, Ye have heard that it has been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies. Bless them that curse you, and do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you. You say, Well, I just have a hard time feeling any warm, fuzzy feelings about my enemy.

Well, I don't think the text is saying that you're going to sit around some evening and you think about somebody who indeed is your enemy and say, I just really love that person. I really appreciate them. There's so many good qualities about them.

You may be having a hard time thinking of any good qualities, but here's how you love them. You do good to them that hate you. Whatever you can do in a positive way, doing good to them, not retaliating, not seeking vengeance, not trying to harm them, not talking about them behind their back. You do good to them and you pray for them which despitefully use you. You pray, Lord, it would take the power of your Holy Spirit to change their heart, but I know you're able. Lord, work in that person's life. It would surely be to your glory to see a transformation. Help me to have the right spirit and the right attitude. Help me to be the tool in your hand if it's your pleasure.

You can bring about something good in this person's life. Now the result of this, Jesus says, that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven, for He maketh the sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. See, if you were in charge of the rain, your enemy wouldn't have a chance.

You'd drive the place up and say, you're not getting a drop. I hope your crop withers and you get nothing. But your Heavenly Father sends the rain on the just and the unjust. Here's one farmer praying for rain and God answers his prayer and gives him rain. Here's another farmer cursing because he hadn't had any rain, but God gives him rain anyway. Isn't God gracious? He said, if you're going to be like your Father, if you're going to be identified as being like your Father in heaven, here's how you are to conduct yourself.

You are to love your enemies. And then you recall after the resurrection, Jesus met with Peter. Peter had denied the Lord and was distraught over his failure. But in John chapter 21, Jesus meets with him. Verse 15, So when they had thine, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. And he saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

If you love me, prove it by your actions, not just to be words. Feed my sheep. And he saith unto him the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? And he saith unto him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee? He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. And he saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee?

Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Now if Jesus were physically present here today, and he sat down and conversed with you and said, Do you love me? And you said yes. And Jesus asked you the second time, and you say yes.

And he asked you the third time, do you think you might be a little disturbed like Peter was? And he would be saying, If you love me, forgive that person that you've refused to forgive. If you love me, you demonstrate that love by your actions. If you love me, you keep my commandments. You don't just sit here and say, I love you, Lord. You put your words into action. You demonstrate it by the way you live, the way you act, the way you treat other people.

Dr. John Brown of England penned these words. What are the commandments of Christ? The whole revelation of the divine will respecting what I am to believe and feel and do and suffer is contained in the Holy Scriptures is the law of Christ.

Both volumes of Christ are the work of the Spirit of Christ. His first and great commandment is, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and soul and strength. And the second great commandment is like unto the first, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. The commandments of Christ include whatever is good and whatever God hath required of us. If you love me, keep my commandments. His commandments are to be kept implicitly, without hesitation, without reservation, without trying to remove some because you're not comfortable with it. But you obey His commandments. You don't pick and choose. You obey His commandments and you do it joyfully. You've seen children sometimes when they are told to do a particular task and they are not happy about it and they get that pouty look on their face and you see parents call them out and say, Wait a minute, you're not only going to do the task, you're going to straighten up your face. You're going to change your attitude. So this matter of obeying the commandments of the Lord is not to do it resentfully, but joyfully, I'd like to do thy will, O God.

Where are you today? Can you say, I love Jesus. Does your life display that? Have you taken up your cross to follow Him? Have you identified with Him in baptism?

This is a command. Have you followed Him? Have you believed on Him? If you haven't, may this be the day that you demonstrate your love for Jesus by becoming His follower and identifying with Him.

Savior, I come to Thee, on Thee I come. Can you say today, I love Jesus? And if you're able to say that, you have to admit, I love Him only because He first loved me.

He initiated it. The Father loved the people before the foundation of the world and gave them to His Son. And the Son came in the fullness of time, laid down His life for them, and demonstrated the greatest of all love. Does that love display itself in your life?

Have you taken up your cross to follow Him and demonstrate that you want to serve and honor Him, being grateful for His amazing love and grace? Now, until we greet you again next time, this is LeSare Bradley, Jr. saying, may God richly bless you. Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Copyright © 2020 Mooji Media Ltd. All Rights Reserved. No part of this recording may be reproduced