“Because He First Loved Us” is a sermon teaching us that we love Jesus because He was willing to die for our sins before we even knew of Him.

Key verses:
1 John 4:7-21

Take your Bible, if you will, and turn with me to 1 John 4, 1 John 4, not the Gospel of John, but 1 John chapter 4. John actually writes five books in the New Testament: The Gospel of John, the first, second and third Epistles of John, and the Revelation. This morning, we want to look at 1 John chapter 4. Eventually, we’ll be looking at verses 7 to 21, but to begin, I want you to look at verse 19. A very simple statement in verse 19 and we sang it just a just a bit ago. 1 John 4, and verse 19 says:

1 John 4:19: “We love him, because he first loved us.”

God Loving Us

“We love him, because he first loved us.” That’s what I want to talk to you this morning on that subject – because He first loved us.

We’re talking about God loving us this morning, and the truth of the matter is everybody likes to talk about love. Matthew 11:42 is the first time in the New Testament that it uses the phrase “the love of God.” The love of God is mentioned the first time in Matthew 11:42. The last time is in Jude verse 21. Between Matthew 11:42 and Jude 21, that little phrase, “love of God,” appears in the New Testament 166 times, that’s 166 times. If God tells you something once, it’s important; God tells you something 166 times; He wants you to know it. He wants you to sit up and take notice. Now, that’s evidence that the love of God is one of the most important themes in the Bible, and that’s what we want to focus on this morning.

One of my mentors, Dr. Monroe Parker, spoke of the love of God in these terms. I just want to share it with you. He said, “I am not a Christian because I’m afraid of Hell. If I had no other reason to be a Christian than that I was afraid of Hell, I would become a Christian. But that is not why I’m a Christian.” He said, “I am not a Christian because I want to go to Heaven. I do want to go to Heaven, but that is not why I’m a Christian.” He said, “I am not a Christian because the Christian life is the only one that satisfies Jesus Christ and satisfies our deepest needs, but that is not why I’m a Christian.” He said, “I’m not a Christian because I want to have influence on others. I do have an influence on others. Everybody has an influence on other people, but that is not why I’m a Christian. If I had no other reason to be a Christian than to be able to influence other people towards Him, I would become a Christian, but that is not why I’m a Christian.” He said, “I am a Christian because of the love of God. I love Him because He first loved me.”

I want to share with you some thoughts this morning about the love of God. Some people do not understand the phrase, and it’s in our text this morning that God is love. They don’t understand that because they see God as angry. They see God as an unfair enemy, but that’s not the picture you find in the Bible, not at all.

I heard on the radio yesterday that they were talking about pictures of Jesus, which one was accurate, and so forth. One man spoke, and he said that none of them were really accurate because none of them were painted. There are no photographs of Jesus, and the ones that were painted were not painted by anyone who ever actually saw Him. What you see when you see that picture is somebody’s idea of what Jesus looks like, but you don’t actually see Him. Now, I don’t think it’s wrong for you to have those pictures. I don’t argue that point at all, but I understand that it is just somebody else’s idea of how Jesus looks.

Love One Another

But the picture that the Bible paints of Jesus is a picture of love. Look, if you will, at verses seven and eight,

1 John 4:7: “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.”

1 John 4:8: “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

“Beloved,” it says. This is written to people who are loved. They are the beloved, written to those who are loved. And it says, “Let us love one another.” We ought to love each other. If you’re a child of God, you should love the other children of God. But it goes beyond that. You should also love those who are not the children of God. How do you expect someone to become a child of God if they don’t see any love from the children of God?

And then it says this love is of God. God is the originator of love. All love originates with God. It goes on to say in verse seven, “Every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.” Now, it’s not saying that loving is knowing God. What it is saying is that everyone that loves is born of God because they’ve had the new birth. They’ve had their sins forgiven. They know God as their Savior. They know that He loves them because He first loved us, and therefore, they love God, and they love others. The new birth gives us love for them, who we don’t always understand. We don’t always get them.

We were talking in our Sunday school class this morning. We talked about many things, but one of them was how people in America sometimes don’t understand why people in other countries and parts of the world don’t think the same way that we do. Well, they don’t. They’re coming from a different culture. They’re coming from a different point of view. They’re coming from a different philosophy, and so they’re not going to see things exactly the way we see them. Now, does that mean that we reject them? Not necessarily. So, we need to be understanding.

But then it says, “Every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.” In verse eight, “He that loveth not knoweth not God,” – a person who has no love doesn’t know God. Not that love in and of itself is knowing God. Loving in and of itself is not knowing God, but knowing God brings us to know love. Those who do not truly know God do not truly know love.

“I don’t agree with you, preacher. I know somebody. They don’t believe in God, but they’re a very loving person.” Listen to me carefully. In the New Testament, which was originally written in the Greek language, there are three different words for love. In English, we have one word: “love.” In the Greek language, there are three different words. There’s eros, which is where we get our term erotic. But “eros” is that love that is physically attractive. You see someone who you think is very beautiful or handsome, and you say, “Oh, I love them.” And you may mean that when you say it. I’m not saying it’s not sincere, but there’s a higher form.

The next word is “phileo.” It’s where the city of Philadelphia gets its name. Philadelphia means brotherly love, so it’s supposed to be the city of Philadelphia. I’ve spent very little time in the city of Philadelphia, so I don’t know about it like those of you who have been there, maybe lived there. But I don’t know if it’s a City of Brotherly Love or not because I said I’ve not been there very much. But phileo, that’s the kind of love you have for your family, for your mother, your father, your brother, your sister. Is that genuine love? It is.

But there’s a higher form of love, and that is the Greek word “agapao” or, in another ending, “agape.” It is the love that gives of itself. It is not seeking its own. Paul writes a whole chapter about that verse in Corinthians 13. Love doesn’t seek its own. Love gives to meet the needs of others. So that’s what he’s saying here in verse eight when he says, “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

Now, you can’t turn that around and make it true. You can’t say love is God because as we said, there are different forms of love, different levels of love. So, not all love is God. We’re not saying that, but God himself is love. He’s the origin of love. So, if you want to know what real love is, if you want to know what love is like, if you want to know what it truly means to love, then get to know God.

Love Made Visible

Look at verse nine:

1 John 4:9: “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.”

“In this was manifested” – that word “manifested” means made visible, so that you can see it. “In this was manifested the love of God toward us.” – so the love of God toward us is made visible. How is it made visible?

Titus 3:4: “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared.”

What appeared? The kindness and love of God. Who? Our Savior appeared. Who is the Savior? That’s Jesus. Jesus is God. Jesus is God who came to Earth in human form. And Jesus comes to the Earth in human form to show the love of God.

So, watch carefully, verse nine again, “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world.”  Now, let me pause here for just a second. It says God sent his only begotten Son. I talked earlier about people who are believers being children of God. This sets Jesus apart from the rest of us. He is God’s only begotten Son. You and I, who have trusted Him and had our sins forgiven. We are the children of God by faith. We are the children of God by adoption. But Jesus is God’s only begotten Son.

Don’t ever leave that word “begotten” out because if you do, not only are you not quoting the Bible correctly, but you are actually changing the meaning of what’s being said. He’s not God’s one and only son. You can be a son of God. You can be God’s daughter, but He is God’s only begotten Son. Again, that sets Him apart from everybody else who is living today or ever has lived or ever will live.

Notice what else says in verse nine, “In this was manifested [made visible] the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten son into the world, that we might live through him.” Why did Jesus come? He said, “I am come that they might have life.” He came to give life.

John, the author of 1 John, in the first chapter of the Gospel of John, said, “In him was life and the life was the light of men.” He came to give life, and it says it so clearly here that we might have life through Him. And then in verse ten, it says, “Herein is love.” This is where it is. If you want to see it here it is:

1 John 4:10: “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Raise your hand if you used the word “propitiation” in a sentence this week. Yeah, probably not. We don’t use it much. Do you know what that is? It’s an accounting term. Do you know what it means? It means payment made in full, payment made in full.

1 John 4:10: “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Love does not originate with mankind. Love originates with God, and He loves us. That love originates with Him, and He sent His Son, His only begotten Son, to be the propitiation of our sin, and that’s what love looks like. Love gives. God so loved the world that He what? Gave. We’re not talking about money. We’re not talking about giving money here. What did He give? He gave His only begotten Son. That’s what love looks like. Love gives of itself.

His Love Is Perfected in Us

Look at verse 11, “Beloved, if God so loved us,” – and He certainly has – “If God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”

1 John 4:12: “No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.”

Isn’t that something? That’s an interesting statement. His love is perfected in us. The first thing he’s teaching us here in these verses is that if we love God and God loves us, we ought to love each other. I’m going to be honest with you. Some of us are easier to love than others.

In Ephesians chapter five, husbands are commanded to love their wives. It says, “Husbands love your wives.” That’s a commandment. Do you know that nowhere in the New Testament does it command wives to love their husbands? Peter talks about a wife loving her husband in reflection to the love that he gives her.

Then Paul, in that same passage in Ephesians, talks about loving their husbands or being obedient to their husbands. “Don’t talk to me about obedience. I’m not doing that. I’m no slave.” He’s not talking about slave; he’s talking about being obedient in response to the love that you’re given. But it goes beyond that.

In the book of Titus where Paul writes and says to let the older women in the church teach the younger women to love their husbands. Now, husbands think this through. Husbands are commanded to love their wives with no exceptions. Husbands, love your wives, period. Younger women need to be taught to love their husbands. Now, why are husbands commanded to love their wives, but wives are taught to love their husbands? Well, it’s very simple. Men are harder to love than women are. It’s very simple. That’s it, okay?

But the truth of the matter is, I like to call this the Sun-Moon principle. We look up at the moon at night. Some nights it’s a big full moon. Sometimes, we have that super moon. It looks extra large. All that means is it’s a little closer than it normally is. But the truth of the matter is, you look up at that moon at night, and it’s glowing. If you’re not in a city where you have all the electric lights and everything, that moonlight can give you quite a bit of light.

But where does the moon get its light? Is there somebody who goes up there and flips a switch and turns it on every night? No. Does somebody kindle a fire inside of it? Is there a volcano going inside of it? No. Do you know where the moon gets its light from? The sun. The moon reflects back the light that the sun gives. That’s what God is telling us when it says, “Husbands love your wives.” You love your wife and let her reflect back the love that you give to her because love is not about receiving love, it’s about giving. So, in verse 12 it says:

1 John 4:12: “No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.”

It’s perfected in us when we love others. Verse 13:

1 John 4:13: “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.”

Now, that’s a very important statement there. He’s given us of His Spirit. Every believer in Jesus Christ, everybody who has trusted Him to forgive their sins, has the Holy Spirit of God living in them. Romans 8:9 says that if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of His.” So, if you don’t have the Holy Spirit, well, apparently, you haven’t trusted the Lord Jesus to save you because everybody who trusted Him as Savior has the Spirit of Christ or the Holy Spirit living in them.

1 Corinthians 3:16: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”

So, you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you, and this is what it says in 1 John 4:13:

1 John 4:13: “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.”

So, the Spirit, it says in another place, “Beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.”

Eyewitnesses of Love Manifested

So, we’ve seen that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world, the Savior of mankind. In verse 14:

1 John 4:14: “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.”

Now, look at that the second word in verse 14, is “we.” Who’s “we” in that verse? I think there are some who say, “Well, that’s all of us.” You can apply that to all of us, but it’s more particular than that. He says, “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.” Who is John talking about with that pronoun “we”? Well, if you go back to the first chapter of 1 John in the very first verse, watch this. He writes, the same writer writing, to the same people, the same book, he said:

1 John 1:1: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;”

So, we heard Him, we saw Him, we touched Him.

1 John 1:2: “(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)”

1 John 1:3: “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

1 John 1:4: “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”

What is he saying? John is saying that we saw Him. We were there with Him. We heard Him speak. We touched Him. We walked with Him. We sat where He sat. We ate where He ate. When He laid down to rest, we laid down to rest. When He got up to go, we got up to go. For over three years, we were with Him. He was her,e and we’re here to tell you. Go back to chapter 4 and verse 14:

1 John 4:14: “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.”

We are eyewitnesses. We saw Him. We were with Him, and we’re here to tell you about it. That’s what John is saying.

Whosoever Shall Confess

Verse 15:

1 John 4:15: “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.”

Now, that’s, again, a very important statement. Let’s look at it again, verse 15:

1 John 4:15: “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.”

“Whosoever” – the one who confesses that God lives in him, and he lives in God. What does it mean when he says confess that Jesus is the Son of God? Let me tell you what it doesn’t mean. It’s not like this: Long before I was a Christian, I told this many times here, I was never an atheist. There was never a time when I said there was no God, but there was a long time when I did not know God. I believe that God existed, but I didn’t know God.

“Did you pray?” Yeah, I did sometimes, not all the time, not regularly, but I did pray. “When did you pray?” Usually, when I got in trouble like most people. The truth of the matter is I would pray, but I didn’t know if my prayers were heard. I didn’t know exactly how to pray. As I said, I was in trouble, and I thought, “Well, let me see if God will help me.” But I always believed that there was a God.

And if you had asked me, “Do you believe there’s a God?” I would have said, “Yes.” I thought everybody believed there was God. I did not know when I was young that there were people who didn’t believe in God. When I found that out, it was a big shock to me.

How do you not believe in God? It was kind of like this. Two summers ago, in our camp, we found out that a lot of the campers and some of the adults there did not know that thunder is caused by lightning, and we were shocked. How do you not know this? How do you not know that lightning causes thunder? “No, really?” Yeah, really. It really does.

Do you know what some of them did? You know what they did? I’m about to show you. Get down on the podium here. Oh, I can’t, I don’t have it with me. I thought I had my phone with me. But you know what they did? They looked that up. “Oh, it does, really does.” That’s what we were trying to tell. It’s just amazing to me that people didn’t know that.

Well, as shocked as I was to find out that people didn’t know that thunder is caused by lightning, I was surprised when I found out people didn’t believe there was God. I understand I didn’t know God, but I believe that God existed.

And if you had asked me, “Do you believe that God has a Son?” I would have said, “Yeah.” If you had asked me, “Do you believe that His name was Jesus?” I would have said, “Yes.” And “Do you believe that He lived over on the other part of the world, a couple of thousand years ago, was crucified and rose?” I would have said yes to all of that. And “You weren’t a Christian?” I was not a Christian because I would have said yes to those questions in the same manner as if you said to me, “Do you believe George Washington was the first president of the United States?” I’d say, “Yes.” To me, that was a historical fact.

But that was not being saved. I was not saved until I came to put my faith in the fact that when Jesus Christ died on the cross, He paid for my sins, the things that I had done. I trusted Him to forgive my sins, and it was at that moment that I was saved. It was at that moment I came to know God. It was at that moment that He gave me of His Spirit. Although I did not know at that moment that He gave me His Spirit.

So, what is he saying here? He’s saying:

1 John 4:15: “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.”

He’s not saying like I would, “Yeah, yeah, God has a Son. His name is Jesus.” That’s not it. It’s far deeper than that. Go back, if you will, to verse two of this chapter, 1 John, chapter four, and verse two. Watch it carefully, “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God,” Want to know the Spirit of God? Here’s how you can know the Spirit of God:

1 John 4:2: “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:”

1 John 4:3: “And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”

Look at what it’s saying, “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit.” Every spirit you come in contact with that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh – now, there’s more to that than just saying, “Yeah, I believe that God had a Son whose name was Jesus.” What you’re saying, first of all, is that you believe that Jesus Christ – Christ is not Jesus’ last name.

I like going into the bank where I walk in, and as soon as I walk in, they say, “Hello, Mr. McClure. How are you?” I like that. That’s recognition. Jesus never walked into a place of business, ever, when He was on the Earth, and people said, “Hello, Mr. Christ. How are you doing today?” Never have. Why? It’s not His name. “Not His name?” No. It’s a title. It’s not just a title; it is His title.

“Christ” comes from the Greek word “Christos,” which is equivalent to the Hebrew “Messiah” that we translate as Messiah. In either way it means the anointed one, the sent one. It means the one sent from God, the one who is the Savior.

So, what John is saying here in verse two, “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God; Every spirit that confesses that Jesus [the Savior of mankind] is come in the flesh,” – not just a spiritual appearance, but He was here in the flesh, that Spirit is of God. That Spirit is from God. In verse three, “Every spirit that confesses not that Jesus has come in the flesh is not of God.” That’s pretty clear, isn’t it?

Born of God

Now, take your Bible and turn it over to chapter five, 1 John five, and verse one. Here, the same writer writing to the same people says, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ,” – is the Christ, is the Christ. What does that mean? Is the Savior. Whoever believes that Jesus is your Savior, he’s born of God, born of God. Jesus said, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Then He said, in the same conversation, He said, “Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” He cannot see the kingdom of God. He cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Two things: Gospel of John 3:3 to 3:5 and 7, he says that if you believe in Jesus as your Savior, you’re born of God and to be born again. Nicodemus asked the most logical question in the world he says, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered and said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” He’s not talking about physical birth. He’s talking about spiritual birth. He’s talking about rebirth. He’s talking about being reborn in the image of God, in which God originally created and intended man to be. It’s exactly what it’s saying:

1 John 5:1: “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.”

You love the Son of God, but then you love the brethren. Verse two:

1 John 5:2: “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.”

Now, go back to chapter 4, if you will. We’ll finish up there.

Live in Faith

Verse 16 of chapter 4:

1 John 4:16: “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”

1 John 4:17: “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.”

What is he saying here? Verse 18:

1 John 4:18: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

You don’t need to live in fear. You need to live in faith. Faith is the cure for fear. He said we have known and believe in verse 16 God’s love for us. We have known and believe God is love. We have known and believed He who loves us lives in God and God lives in him.

In verse 17, “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment.” When God’s day of judgment comes, you do not need to be afraid. You don’t need to live in fear. In verse 18, you need to live in faith and know that when you stand before God, your sins have been forgiven not because you were such a good person, not because you were such a charitable person, not because you were such a moral person. It’s because your sins were forgiven. We love Him because He first loved us.

We sang it a while ago, “Oh, how I love Jesus. Oh, how I love Jesus.” Why? “Because He first loved me.” Now, if you love God, you’ve got to love your brother also. What did we say earlier? Some people are harder to love than others. They just are. Some people have different ways about them, and they make it more difficult to love. So, I don’t have to love them. No, that’s not what it says. It doesn’t say you love them if they’re lovely. He just said love, period.

Ask Yourself These Questions

We’re going close with this. I ask you questions, a series of questions. I don’t want you to answer out loud. I want you to think about it.

Question number one: Can you say, honestly in your heart, can you say, “Thank God. I’ve trusted Him and I’ve been saved by His grace. Don’t answer that, just answer it in your own mind. Can you say, “Thank God. I’ve trusted Him and I’ve been saved by His grace.”

Question number two: Can you say, “I am not only saved, but if I know my heart, right now I am living in the will of God. I’m doing, living my life the way He would have me to live it, going in the direction He wants me to go and accomplishing what He wants me to accomplish. I’m living in the will of God”?

Just think about these questions. Can you say, “I’ve trusted Him, I’ve been saved by His grace”? Can you say, “I’m not only saved, if I know my heart, I am living in the will of God right now”?

Third question: Whether saved or lost, if you’re not currently right with God, would you say, “Pray for me”? Don’t respond right now, but would you say, “Pray for me. I’m not right with God,” right now, whether you know Him as Savior or you don’t yet know Him as Savior? You say, “I’m not right with God.

I’m going to tell you that Sunday night in 1969, I was led to the Lord. The pastor who led me to the Lord was Pastor Schermerhorn, who was here not long ago. He didn’t have to spend any time telling me that I was, I already knew, that everybody knew me, knew that it was obvious. He didn’t have to spend any time telling me I was lost, separated from God.

That was obvious. He didn’t have any time to spend, any time telling me that I was on my way to Hell because I would go home at night, and I would go to bed, and I would close my eyes, and I would think about what’s going to happen if I die. All I could picture was darkness, nothing else, just darkness.

So, the question is whether you’re saved or lost right now, would you say, “Pray for me”?

And then the fourth question and we’re finished: If you need to trust Jesus, would you trust Him now, and if you need to come back to Him, would you come back to Him?

~~~~~~~

Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, thank you so much, and we have the privilege of coming to you and calling you our heavenly Father. Oh, how we love Jesus because He first loved us. Our heads are bowed, and our eyes are closed. We’re going to finish praying here in just a second. Before we do, let me, with your head bowed and eyes closed, ask you two of those questions again.

Whether you’re saved or lost, if you are not right with God right now, would you raise a hand and say, “Pray for me.”? Nobody looking around and see. Would anybody raise a hand to say, “Pray for me.”? Praise God. Any others? Yes. Put down your hand. We’re going to pray for you. Lord Jesus, I see hands, but you see hearts. Lord, I just pray there are folks here today who say, “I need prayer. My heart’s not right with God. Whether I’m saved or I’m not, I know I’m not right with God.”

If those persons that raise their hand are not right with you because they’ve not trusted you as Savior, it’s my prayer that they would do so now. They’d open their heart, and they would pray, and they’d say, “Lord, I believe. I believe you love me. I believe that you paid for my sins at the cross. I believe you rose again and I’m trusting you right now as my living Savior, to forgive me, to save me, to give me everlasting life. Thank you, Lord Jesus.”

Now, maybe you prayed that prayer with me, maybe you didn’t. If you didn’t and say, “Well, I’m still not sure about it. I’ve still got a question about it,” we’re going to sing a hymn in a minute, I’m going to step off the platform, you come, and we’ll have somebody sit with you and take a Bible and show you how you can know that you’re saved.

But if you, as we said, you say, “No, I know I’m saved, no doubt about it, but pray for me. I’m still not right with God. There’s something in my life right now that I know it’s not right.” Father, I pray that such a person would open their heart and surrender to you and say, like the old hymn writer who was quoting the Psalms, and said, “Search me, oh God, know my heart today. Try me, know my thoughts, I pray. See if there be some wicked way in me. Cleanse me from every sin and set me free.”

Whatever it is that separates you from the Lord, whatever it is that keeps you from being right with Him, right now, why don’t you just give it to Him? Why don’t you just surrender it to Him right now? If you need to trust Jesus, trust Him. You need to come back to Him. Come back now.

We’re going to sing the hymn. I’m on my way down in front. If God spoke into your heart and you need to respond, this is your opportunity. Father, bless each person here according to their spiritual need and help them to respond according to their spiritual need, to the love of God in Christ Jesus. For it is in Jesus’ name, that we pray. Amen.

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