God's Love Never FailsSpeaker: Dr. Paul Dhinakaran Gist: God's love was revealed when Jesus gave His life for us. His love is more than a mother's love. The sacrificial love of Jesus will never fail. His love will uphold you in all circumstances and prosper you. "Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:8-13)
What is love? God's love was revealed when Jesus gave His life for us. Jesus says in John 15:13 and John 10:15 that He laid down His life for His friends. The Bible tells in Galatians 2:20 that Jesus loved us and gave Himself for us.
1 John 4:8,16 tells us that God is Love. His love is more than a mother's love. When we think of love, the first thing that comes to our mind is the love of a mother. God says in Isaiah 49:15, "Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you!"
"By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us." (1 John 3:16)
Once a tragedy occured on the River Potomac. Many passengers were aboard a boat. All of a sudden, the boat capsized and everybody fell into the water. The news reached the concerned authorities and a helicopter was sent to their rescue. The crew in the helicopter saw a man swimming hard in the river, and so sent a basket down. They yelled, "Get into the basket. We will save you." But the man helped another drowning man to get into the basket. When the basket came down after alighting the other man on to the helicopter, the man in the river had saved another man from drowning. He was also lifted up in the basket. In the same manner, the man saved the lives of five people. When the basket came down for the sixth time, the man was missing. All efforts to trace him were in vain. He had sacrificed his life for the sake of five others. The whole country wept for him.
Jesus showed His love to all of us in a similar way. The Bible tells us in Romans 5:7, "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die." But Jesus died, not when we were good. He died when we were yet sinners in rebellion against Him. He loved us even unto death. What a great love!
Leviticus 17:11 says, "The life of the flesh is in the blood." David proclaims in Psalm 51:5, "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me." Hebrews 9:22 says, "Without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin."
Who is holy in this world? Whose blood is clean? Not a single man's blood is clean. Mankind is perishing because of the curse of sin. When we were still sinners, God loved us and came down into this world in the form of 'Jesus'. He shed His precious blood on the cross that through Him we might be saved from sin and curse. 1 John 1:7 says, "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." Through the death of Jesus, we have begun to understand what love is. The love of Jesus never fails. In Revelation 1:18, Jesus says, "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore." While we were yet sinners Christ died for us. But He rose up alive that we could become righteous.
Dear friend, you may be subject to problems and sorrows. Curse, jealousy, neglect and evil powers may try to destroy your peace. You may be at the verge of losing your job. Even death may encounter you. But, in the midst of all this, the sacrificial love of Jesus will never fail. This love will uphold you in all circumstances and prosper you.
Prayer:
Most precious Heavenly Father,
I thank You for Your love that was shown on the cross for a sinner like me. I praise You for being the same loving God forever. I confess that there is no perfection in my love towards You. In my difficult situations, I fail to recognize Your love and go for the temperary comfort and counsel of people around me. Father, forgive me for all my shortcomings. In Jesus' name, I pray.
Amen. |