A 50-Point Sermon on Spirit-given Love of the Triune Majesty and Love of Neighbor

More love to thee, O Christ,
More love to thee!
Hear thou the prayer I make
On bended knee;
This is my earnest plea,
More love, O Christ, to thee,
More love to thee,
More love to thee.
Once earthly joy I craved,
Sought peace and rest;
Now thee alone I seek;
Give what is best:
This all my prayer shall be,
More love, O Christ, to thee,
More love to thee,
More love to thee.
Let sorrow do its work,
Send grief and pain;
Sweet are thy messengers,
Sweet their refrain,
When they can sing with me,
More love, O Christ, to thee,
More love to thee,
More love to thee.
Then shall my latest breath
Whisper thy praise;
This be the parting cry
My heart shall raise,
This still its prayer shall be,
More love, O Christ, to thee,
More love to thee,
More love to thee.  (TH, 548).

1.  The love of God from the sinner is not from his sinful nature.

2.  The love of neighbor is not by nature but of God's Spirit.

3.  We cannot love God by nature for St. Augustine said to God, "Grant what You command."  That is, he recognized that man is incapable of the Spirit-born love of God and his fellow man by his sinful nature.

4.  The leper cannot change his spots, because it is his nature.  The same is true for the sinner.  He is devoid of all spiritual strength to change his nature.  That is, only God can change his sinful nature and make the sinner a new creation in Christ.

5.  Islam rejects the love of the Triune God.  How then can they be saved if they reject the very nature of God?

6.  There is a civil love of the sinful nature of man that is based purely upon his civil goodness.  This may be seen in a non-Christian family where they love one another.  It is a love that is not of the redemptive work of the Spirit.  It is devoid of all supernatural strength to spiritually save another.

7.  God is working all things out together for the good of His people who love Him because they were born of Him and are called according to His purpose.

8.  God did not foresee love from the "libertarian freedom" of man in the future and on that basis chose him.  Rather in the absolute freedom of God is where He alone choose who to save unto mercy and who to judge unto damnation.  

9.  Non-Christian cults do not love the Blessed Trinity.  That is, they reject the Blessed Trinity.  We are called to love God as being Triune not some doctrine that contradicts the manifold testimony of the written Word.

10.  The world religions do not exclusively love the Triune Majesty.  We are called to love, serve and worship the Father, Son and Holy Spirit alone in how someone is right with God, and in Christian living that is worthy of the gospel in a set apart lifestyle of redeeming the time that adds nothing to the matchlessness of the divine righteousness of Christ alone in justification by faith alone but demonstrates our living faith in a non-meritorious way!

11.  The empire of the occult (like Spiritism and Eager Cayce) rejects the Three Persons of the Godhead.  We ought to never rely on the occult for so-called hidden truth of God.  Rather everything we need is in the written Scriptures alone.

12.  Christians are called to love his or her neighbor no matter how great the sin, but we are not called to excuse the sin of our neighbor.  What does this look like in real life?  For example, you may want to give a word of exhortation from the written Word.  Or you may also want to pray with them or in your set apart time in Christian prayer.

13.  Christians are to love a homosexual neighbor in Christ-like love, but not excuse their sin of sexual passion.  That means there is always hope for them, because God is on His throne.  We will not stand with the ungodly but with the godly.  A Christian thing to do would be to call them to contrite repentance by word or example, and you serve a Christ who came to divide and who brings offense for He is the Rock of Offense!  What does loving your homosexual neighbor mean?  It means giving him of message from the written Word if there is time to live according to moral-repentance, or private prayer for him to walk worthy of the way Christ walked.  

14.  Christians are called to love the rapist and murderer, but not excuse their sin through God-appointed prayer for spiritual salvation of their souls.  Instead, bear the wrong, and pray for their redemption through Christ alone.  This world only offers imperfect justice through some sort of imprisonment.  There is no spiritual gain through imperfect justice without the Holy Spirit.  Reformation cannot change a person's life in the ultimate sense without the Spirit.  All the methods of man are worthless in comparison to the Spirit's presence.  We need the Spirit's presence or my words here are also worthless.  The only perfect justice was offered by Jesus at His Cross where He paid the sin debt for all of the believing ones because of the Word and Spirit that opens the heart.

15.  The love of the Triune God is the first commandment of the written Scriptures by Jesus Christ the Savior and Creator.

16.  Christians are called to love God with the whole heart.

17.  The love of God is more important than any ritual.

18.  The love of God gives boldness.

19.  Jehovah's Witnesses do not love the Triune God.  Rather they outwardly reject Him and embrace a unitarian idol.

20.  Mormons do not embrace Jesus Christ as God the Son.  They also deny the eternal self-existence of God.  That is, that God always was from everlasting to everlasting, but they embrace a creaturely understanding of God.  They reject the true nature of God that causes a denial of the love born from above.  I am not saying this to be puffed up, but we ought to pray for the unbelieving Mormons on this essential subject because it involves how someone is right with God.

21.  Love of the eternal Christ is a sign of true faith.  Do you really love Jesus Christ?

22.  Love of Christ is manifested in obedience to God.

23.  Love of Christ leads to service to others whether outside or inside the body of Christ.

24.   The second commandment is love towards others.

25.  Genuine love towards others is the fruit of the Spirit.  That is, love is not meritorious.   Rather only the life and death of Christ is meritorious.

26.  Love toward others is a command of Christ.

27.  Jesus commands us what are cannot do by nature.  God must cause us to grant what He commands if He chooses to, but He is not obligated to save anyone.  Rather He saves us based on His graciousness and mercy.

28.  Let Jesus write your biography, because He is Incarnate Love.

29.   The object of love for a Christian is God the Father.

30.  The object of love for a Christian is God the Son.

31.  The object of love of a Christian is God the Spirit.

32.  The object of love of a Christian is other believers in Christ.

33.  Christians are called to love those who despise, hate and abuse us no matter what.

34.  Christians are not called to self-destruction.  That is, self-defense is a good weapon against cruelty.

35. Christians ought to know that they love Christ.

36.  The love of Christ is personal.

37.  The love of Christ is conquering.

38.  The love of Christ is unbreakable.

39.  Christian should love Christ intimately.  That is, do you merely do devotions, or is your life a picture of devotion?

40.  Christians should love like God the Father.  Have you forgotten that the Father's love sent Jesus Christ into the world to save sinners though Jesus saves us from the very wrath of the Father?  Its the Father's plan to save His flock through His dear Son by His Spirit in the power of His Word.

41.   The love of Christ is sacrificial.  That is, we are called to love by giving our lives for people like Jesus at His Cross.  It takes discernment to know when to act and immediate obedience.

42.  See how the Father loves His Son!  I suggest to you that this love of the Father for His Son is the same love He has for each of His elect children who are called from above!  He does not make us into His Son but He loves us through His Son.

43.  The love of God is described as great, everlasting and abundant.

44.  The love of God is seen in the heart of a true Christian.

45.  Baptismal waters do not bring the love of God.  Rather it is God's Spirit and Word that truly brings what the sinners did not have by nature: (namely, the sacrificial love of God).

46.  God is described as Somebody who loves with lovingkindnesses to His friends in Christ alone (Ps 17:7; 36:10; 63:3; 69:16).

47.  There is no true love of God in the Roman practice of indulgences, because only Jesus is Head of His Church.

48.  Sexual love is not redemptive love.  It is better to have a love born of God than to think honoring God is through sexual love.

49.  Jesus Christ loves God's people alone because it is of the Father.  That is, He always obeys the mission of the Father.

50.  God's love does not have to be universalism for it to have real meaning.  Rather God's love is particular and discriminatory, but He also possesses hateful angry for those who are in rebellion against His holy Majesty.  No one should be shocked that God hates evil and evil people.  What about you?  Do you hate evil?  This world loves evil more than good.  Man's goodness by nature is merely civil goodness.  Civil goodness cannot save anyone.  Rather only the perfect standard of goodness in the life and death of Christ alone can save.  We are called to love the goodness that comes from God alone, but also not excuse the sin of the people of this world.  We can also appreciate man's civil goodness from the standpoint of God's predestinarian plan in using evil for the good of His people.  Remember civil goodness is not real goodness.  I suggest to you that civil goodness is men in light of men but if light of God it is filthy garments!  God does not seem to be in a hurry to save anyone.  It takes time but His Spirit always works with the written Word.  The written Word speaks about love.  True love does not mean in the end glorification for godhood.  Rather love means having fellowship and friendship with King Jesus Christ and His people.

I was a wand'ring sheep,
I did not love the fold;
I did not love my Shepherd's voice,
I would not be controlled.
I was a wayward child,
I did not love my home;
I did not love my Father's voice,
I loved afar to roam.
The Shepherd sought his sheep,
The Father sought his child;
They followed me o'er vale and hill,
O'er deserts waste and wild:
They found me nigh to death,
Famished and faint and lone;
They bound me with the bands of love,
They saved the wand'ring one.
Jesus my Shepherd is;
'Twas he that loved my soul,
'Twas he that washed me in his blood,
'Twas he that made me whole;
'Twas he that sought the lost,
That found the wand'ring sheep,
'Twas he that brought me to the fold,
'Tis he that still doth keep.
I was a wand'ring sheep,
I would not be controlled;
But now I love my Shepherd's voice,
I love, I love the fold.
I was a wayward child,
I once preferred to roam;
But now I love my Father's voice,
I love, I love his home.  (TH, 396).