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Romans 13:8-10 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Good morning. It's nice to be with you this morning. Please take your copy of God's word.
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I do hope you have a copy of God's word with you because we are a people of the word.
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And join me in Romans chapter 13.
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Our text for today is Romans chapter 13 verses 8 through 10.
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As we continue our study of Paul's letter to the Roman believers this morning, I want you to be reminded
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that the first 11 chapters of this book are Paul's doctrinal magnus opus of the Christian faith.
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And the last five chapters are his application.
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The summary of his teaching in the first 11 chapters and his application transition is found in Romans chapter 12 and verse 1, which says,
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I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God,
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to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
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Paul says that in light of God's merciful work toward us, we are to give whole self devotion to him.
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And today's text falls under that heading.
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We will develop the idea further this morning.
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But before we read and consider chapter 13 verses 8 through 10,
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hear carefully that we cannot be and are not saved by our works.
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You are incapable of adding anything to the equation of your salvation.
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But if we have placed genuine saving faith in the personal work of Jesus Christ,
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if we have been given new life and quickened by his spirit,
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if we have eyes to see and ears to hear,
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then our faith is a faith that will be working.
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Today's text shows us one of the ways that genuine faith works in the life of a Christian.
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So Romans 13, beginning in verse 8, before I read,
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Beloved, let me remind you that this is God's word to us,
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written for his glory and our good.
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So we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises
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and to obey its commands.
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Oh, no one anything except to love each other.
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For the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
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For the commandments, you shall not commit adultery,
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you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,
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and any other commandment are summed up in this word.
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You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
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Love does no wrong to a neighbor.
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Therefore, love is fulfilling, is the fulfilling of the law.
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Did you lose me, Calvin?
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Don't panic on the church floor.
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I'll keep pressing on.
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There is much to consider in these three verses.
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A lifetime of thoughtful meditation and fervent application.
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Let's set our gaze upon its contents in a three-point outline as follows.
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Number one, the requirement of love, which we'll see at the beginning of verse 8.
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Number two, the regulation of love, we'll see in verse 9.
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And number three, the result of love, we see in the last half of verse 8 and in verse 10.
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You're welcome, good Baptists, for the alliteration.
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So the requirement, the regulation, and the result of love.
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So number one, let's look at the requirement of love.
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Paul here says at the beginning of verse 8,
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No, owe no one anything except to love each other.
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In the preceding verse to today's text, Paul stated, this is Romans 13 and verse 7,
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Pay to all what is owed to them, taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed,
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respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
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And then he says, owe no one anything.
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So he is continuing this thought in verse 8 by saying that if something is owed,
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then that something should be paid.
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His point here is not an anti-debt teaching,
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and some faithful Christians have seen this text that way.
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There is, of course, biblical ethic for both borrowing and lending,
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but that is beyond the scope of our time together today,
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and frankly, it's beyond the scope of this text.
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You see, Paul is turning our attention in the beginning of verse 8
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from submission to governing authorities to how we are to relate to one another.
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He presses on except to love each other.
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The implication found in his sentence structure is,
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do not let debts be outstanding, right?
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Pay to the person owed what is owed them,
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except the continuing debt of love to one another.
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A debt that will never be repaid.
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We are to love one another.
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You owe love to each other.
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Who is this each other that Paul is referring to?
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Remember, he is writing to a local church.
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So I take it to mean Christians,
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especially those whom you fellowship with,
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those who you've made a commitment to,
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those who you ought to be regularly gathering with.
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This is not to say that we shouldn't love other Christians.
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This is not to say that we ought not love all people.
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In the Sermon on the Mount,
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Jesus teaches that we are to love our enemies
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and pray for those who persecute us.
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So we are to love all people,
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but I think that Paul has in mind here
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particular objects of our love.
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Each other.
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Those people who have professed faith in Christ
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and have been welcomed into the fellowship
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of this local assembly of God's people.
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This, I believe, is who Paul is saying
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should be the object of our love in this text.
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Now, to love is the Greek word agapeo,
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which is a love that is not conditioned,
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which means that Paul is exhorting us
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to love each other regardless of the comfort
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or ease or lack thereof of that love.
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Our love for one another should not be conditioned
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on our loveliness or lovableness.
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Yes.
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Beloved, if you are a member of this church
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and another person is a member of this church,
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you do not have to like them,
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but you are commanded to love them.
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Don't people sometimes rub us the wrong way?
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We just don't get along the way we might hope we would.
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I don't have to like you all,
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but I am commanded to love you.
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And I do.
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Love for each other is an act of the will.
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It's a decision that we make.
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Our culture has twisted the idea of love
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into a feeling, right?
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Butterflies in the stomach,
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giddiness,
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a swollen tongue that can't get words out, etc.
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But this is not the picture of love
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we see in the Bible.
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Love in the Bible is not easy.
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It is not comfortable.
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It is not aimed at the lovely and lovable.
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Love in the Bible is most clearly
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and most importantly expressed to us
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in the suffering life and suffering death
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of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
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Was He affectionate towards those He lived and died for?
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Of course.
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He was heartfelt for all those that belong to Him.
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But did He experience butterflies in the stomach,
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giddiness as He suffered the wrath of God on their behalf?
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Of course not.
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It didn't feel good for Jesus to hang on that cross for us.
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Nevertheless, He loved us.
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An act of the will for our highest good.
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He sought our highest good at His expense.
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It cost Him His very life.
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The Apostle John tells us in John 13 and verse 1,
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Now before the feast of the Passover,
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when Jesus knew that His hour had come
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to depart out of this world to the Father,
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having loved His own who were in the world,
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He loved them to the end.
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He gave Himself for their sake and ours.
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Jesus sets for us the preeminent example of love
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and we are meant to imitate Him.
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He teaches us in John chapter 13 and verse 35.
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There He says,
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By this all people will know that you are My disciples.
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And I hope all of you can fill in the last half of that verse.
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Do you know how it concludes?
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By your demographic affinity?
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You're all young marrieds with kids.
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All, most of you, young marrieds with kids?
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It doesn't say that.
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By your agreed crunchiness?
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It doesn't say that.
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Your political opinions?
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It doesn't say that.
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Your theological minutiae?
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I'm not saying we shouldn't agree on things theologically,
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but the minutiae?
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It doesn't say that.
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Jesus says,
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By this all people will know that you are My disciples
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if you have love for one another.
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Jesus places a central priority on love for one another
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as a marker of His followers.
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Show me a mature Christian man or woman
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and I will show you a person who has love for the church,
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who is humble enough to bear with other people's imperfections
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because they are aware of their imperfections,
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who forgives because they understand the gravity of the forgiveness
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that God has granted them.
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The mature Christian serves others,
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prefers their preferences,
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does not seek their own advantage,
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readily speaks words of encouragement,
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promotes truth and holy living,
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thinks of their failings as worse than others' failings,
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seeks forgiveness and reconciliation,
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and is patient with God's sanctifying work
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in the life of the church.
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Show me an immature Christian man or woman
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and I will show you a person
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who is self-seeking,
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self-important,
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obnoxiously opinionated,
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grumbling,
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petty,
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and holds grudges.
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And it saddens me to say
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that we have a mixture of both
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mature and immature Christians
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in our fellowship.
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The professing Christian
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who does not love
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is either
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A.
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immature
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or B.
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not a Christian at all.
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You see,
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the person who does not love
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does not have a clear enough,
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a big enough understanding
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of God's love
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for them.
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In 1 John 4,
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verse 19 and 20,
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John writes,
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we love
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because
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He
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first
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loved
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us.
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God has expressed to us
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His love
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and the personal work
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of Jesus Christ
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and the salvation
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of our souls.
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He has shown us
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the unconditional love
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that can be found
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in Jesus.
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Not loving us
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because we
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deserve it,
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but because
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He Himself
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is love.
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It emanates from
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His very
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being.
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And this is an
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attribute of God
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that we are meant
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to display
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in the world.
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John goes on
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in verse 20,
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if anyone says,
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I love God
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and hates His brother,
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he is a liar.
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For he who does not
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love his brother
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whom he has seen
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cannot love God
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whom he has not seen.
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And then verse 21,
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and this commandment
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we have
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from Him.
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Whoever loves God
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must also
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love his brother.
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There is no
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wiggling around this
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in the text.
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Paul is clear here,
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it is clear elsewhere,
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that the people
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of God
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will be a people
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of love.
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Central characteristic
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of who
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we
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are.
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In Romans
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chapter 13,
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verse 8,
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this verb
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love
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is in the Greek
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present form.
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So Paul does not
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have in mind
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a single
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action of love,
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but an ongoing
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affection and care
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for each other
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with no intent
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for its end.
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It's a disposition
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that carries itself
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out
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continually.
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It's expressed
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as a disposition
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toward
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one another.
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Christians,
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those whose lives
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are united
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and devoted
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to Christ's person
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and His ways
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are to love
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and love
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and love
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each other.
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Now,
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before we move on
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to our next point,
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let's consider
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in brief
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what ought to
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characterize
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our love
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by looking
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at a passage
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meant for more
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than a reading
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at a wedding.
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Join me,
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if you will,
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in 1 Corinthians
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chapter 13.
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I'm going to read
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just verse 4
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through the first
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part of
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verse 8.
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And I just want
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you to think,
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note as we read
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both the positive
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and negative
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commands
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implied in each
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characteristic
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of love.
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So for example,
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the beginning,
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love is
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patient.
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Well,
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it's the opposite
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of patience.
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It's impatience.
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So if you're
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impatient with others,
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that's not loving.
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You could
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take the inverse
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of anything
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that's being
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said here.
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One of the
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exercises we go
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through in
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marriage counseling
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is a list
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of these.
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And I ask
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those people
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who are in
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counseling
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to characterize
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their life.
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Are you loving
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toward your
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spouse?
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And we do well
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to do this
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with anybody
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that's in our
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fellowship.
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So just think
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carefully with me
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as I read this
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slowly.
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Love is
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patient
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and kind.
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Love does not
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envy or boast.
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It is not
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arrogant
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or rude.
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It does not
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insist
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on its own
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way.
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It is not
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irritable
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or resentful.
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It does not
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rejoice at
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wrongdoing,
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but rejoices
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with the truth.
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Love
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bears all
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things,
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believes all
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things.
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I think he
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means by that
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gives the
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benefit of the
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doubt.
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Hopes all
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things,
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endures all
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things.
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Love
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never
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ends.
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So we
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are
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required.
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It is laid
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upon us
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as followers
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of Jesus
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Christ to be
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those who
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love each
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other.
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love.
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Secondly,
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we see in
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our text
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the regulation
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of love.
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We see this
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in verse 9.
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Paul says,
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for the
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commandments,
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you shall not
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commit adultery,
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you shall not
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murder,
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you shall not
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steal,
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you shall not
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covet,
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and any
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other
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commandment
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are summed
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up in this
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word.
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You shall
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love your
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neighbor as
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yourself.
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In this
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verse,
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Paul shares
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four of
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the six
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commandments
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that were
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given to
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Moses on
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Mount Sinai
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that pertain
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to our
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obligations to
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one another.
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He omits
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the fifth
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commandment,
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honor your
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father and
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mother,
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and the
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ninth
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commandment,
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you shall
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not bear
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false witness
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against your
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neighbor,
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but this is
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not some
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mystery for
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us to
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unravel and
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understand,
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because he
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also says,
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and any
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other
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commandment.
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I would
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suggest to
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you that
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Paul at
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times rambles
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things off
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under
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inspiration as
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examples to
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us.
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So he
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says,
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these four
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things,
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you shall
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not commit
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adultery,
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you shall
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not murder,
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you shall
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not steal,
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you shall
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not covet,
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and any
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other
18:10
commandment
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are summed
18:13
up in the
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word,
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you shall
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love your
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neighbor as
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yourself.
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I think
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this idea of
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any other
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commandment,
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I take it to
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mean that it
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includes the
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fifth,
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the ninth,
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and all
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the other
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commandments
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that are
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summed up
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in those
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last six
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of the
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ten
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commandments.
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That it's
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structured in
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that way
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in the
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Old Testament.
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Paul is
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saying that
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God has
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given us
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instruction
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as to how
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we are to
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live in
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relation to
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one another
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in the
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Old Testament
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law,
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in the
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Mosaic
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law.
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He goes
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on to
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cite
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Leviticus
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19,
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18,
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and the
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Lord Jesus
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to make
18:53
his very
18:54
point.
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So in
18:56
Mark
18:56
chapter 12
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verse 28
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through 31
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we read,
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And one
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of the
19:00
scribes
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came up
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and heard
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them
19:02
disputing
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with one
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another.
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There's a
19:04
debate going
19:05
on amongst
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the Pharisees
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and Sadducees
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about the
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resurrection.
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And seeing
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that he,
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Jesus,
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answered them
19:11
well,
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asked him,
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Which commandment
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is the most
19:14
important of
19:16
all?
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You're likely
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familiar with
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Jesus'
19:19
response.
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He answers,
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citing Deuteronomy
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6,
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4,
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and 5.
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The most
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important is,
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Hear, O
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Israel,
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the Lord
19:25
our God,
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the Lord
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is one.
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You shall
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love the
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Lord your
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God with
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all your
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heart,
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with all
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your soul,
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and with all
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your mind,
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and with all
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your strength.
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And this
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is understood
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to be the
19:36
summary of
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the first
19:37
four of
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the Ten
19:39
Commandments.
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And then he
19:42
says,
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The second
19:42
is this,
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referencing
19:45
Leviticus
19:45
19,
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verse 18.
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You shall
19:48
love your
19:49
neighbor as
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yourself.
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And this
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summarizes,
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as Paul
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here states,
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the last
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six of
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the Ten
19:58
Commandments.
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And then Jesus
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says,
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There is no
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other commandment
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greater than
20:04
these.
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So,
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we are given
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the clear
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example of
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Jesus'
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life and
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death,
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and the
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clear instruction
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of both the
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Old and New
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Testaments.
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We do well
20:16
to note the
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regulations of
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the Bible,
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and to
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recognize that
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the natural
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compulsion of
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the one made
20:24
new in
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Christ will
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be to love
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in a biblical
20:28
manner.
20:30
Beloved,
20:30
we ought to
20:30
be very
20:31
thoughtful as
20:32
we approach
20:32
the Bible
20:33
and we see
20:33
these commands.
20:35
We ought to
20:36
give the
20:36
application in
20:37
our own
20:38
living.
20:38
Is what's
20:38
being taught
20:39
here being
20:39
lived in
20:41
my life,
20:41
in the place
20:42
that God
20:43
has put
20:44
me?
20:45
I can say
20:46
to you with
20:47
great surety,
20:48
this will not
20:49
always be easy.
20:50
It is
20:51
difficult at
20:52
times to
20:53
love people,
20:54
but God,
20:56
by His
20:56
Spirit,
20:57
empowers us
20:58
to live
20:59
according to
20:59
His Word.
21:02
So know
21:02
what those
21:03
regulations are,
21:04
how it is we
21:05
are meant to
21:05
live with one
21:07
another,
21:07
and get to
21:08
work doing
21:09
that very
21:10
thing.
21:10
This is the
21:11
activity of
21:13
God's people,
21:13
devotion to
21:14
Him, love
21:15
for one
21:16
another.
21:16
love.
21:18
And then we
21:18
see,
21:19
lastly,
21:19
in our
21:20
outline,
21:21
the result
21:22
of love.
21:24
We pick up
21:24
the last
21:25
half of
21:26
verse 8
21:27
and then
21:27
verse 10.
21:29
Paul writes
21:30
in verse 8,
21:31
for the one
21:31
who loves
21:32
another has
21:33
fulfilled
21:34
the law.
21:36
And then,
21:37
love does
21:37
no wrong
21:38
to a neighbor,
21:38
therefore love
21:40
is the
21:41
fulfilling
21:41
of the law.
21:43
Now, we
21:45
must be very
21:45
careful at
21:47
this point.
21:48
As I just
21:49
noted previously
21:50
to you,
21:51
in Jesus'
21:52
summary of the
21:52
greatest commandments,
21:53
we're missing
21:54
half of what
21:54
He had to
21:55
say there
21:56
in that text.
21:56
This says
21:57
nothing of
21:58
devotion to
21:59
God.
22:00
So, what is
22:01
Paul doing
22:02
here?
22:03
We must be
22:03
very careful.
22:05
I state in
22:05
the introduction
22:06
to our text
22:07
that we
22:07
cannot be
22:08
and are not
22:09
saved by
22:10
our works.
22:12
you are
22:13
incapable of
22:14
adding anything
22:15
to the equation
22:16
of your
22:16
salvation.
22:19
But if we
22:19
have placed
22:20
genuine saving
22:21
faith in the
22:22
person and
22:22
work of
22:23
Jesus Christ,
22:23
if we have
22:24
been given
22:24
new life
22:25
and quickened
22:26
by His
22:26
Spirit,
22:27
if we have
22:27
eyes to see
22:28
and ears to
22:29
hear,
22:29
then our
22:30
faith is a
22:31
faith that
22:32
will be
22:32
working.
22:35
You see,
22:35
if we were
22:36
able to
22:37
perfectly keep
22:38
the law
22:38
on our
22:39
own,
22:41
we would
22:41
have no
22:41
need.
22:42
of Christ.
22:43
But no
22:44
one is
22:45
capable of
22:46
this work.
22:47
Every single
22:48
one of us
22:48
have broken
22:50
God's
22:51
law.
22:53
We needed
22:53
the perfect
22:54
righteousness
22:55
of Christ.
22:56
That's why
22:56
God had to
22:57
become a
22:57
man and
22:58
come to
22:58
earth to
22:59
fulfill the
23:00
righteousness
23:00
required.
23:02
It's one
23:02
half of the
23:02
equation of
23:03
our justification
23:04
and to
23:05
die the
23:05
death that
23:06
our sin
23:07
purchased
23:08
for us.
23:09
Both
23:09
things,
23:10
life and
23:11
death of
23:12
Christ.
23:13
What's
23:13
called the
23:13
active and
23:14
passive
23:15
obedience of
23:15
Christ by
23:16
the theologians
23:18
of old.
23:19
Both
23:19
things matter.
23:21
So we
23:22
can't
23:22
fulfill the
23:22
law.
23:23
We're not
23:24
going to
23:24
fulfill the
23:24
law in
23:25
that sense.
23:26
That is not
23:26
what Paul is
23:27
saying.
23:28
He's not
23:28
suggesting in
23:29
our text that
23:30
if you can
23:30
only love
23:31
well enough,
23:32
then you
23:32
will have
23:33
kept the
23:34
law.
23:35
That you're
23:35
to be
23:36
thinking about,
23:36
well,
23:37
have I?
23:37
Have I done
23:38
enough?
23:38
I think I'm
23:39
a loving
23:39
person.
23:39
Perhaps God
23:40
will accept
23:40
me based
23:42
on this.
23:43
Not at
23:44
all.
23:45
Remember,
23:46
the entire
23:46
thesis for
23:47
his letter
23:47
is found
23:48
in the
23:48
opening
23:48
chapter.
23:50
Chapter
23:50
1,
23:51
verse 16
23:51
and 17.
23:52
He says,
23:52
I'm not
23:53
ashamed of
23:54
the gospel,
23:54
the good
23:55
news,
23:55
for it,
23:56
the gospel,
23:57
is the
23:57
power of
23:58
God for
23:58
salvation
23:59
to everyone
24:00
who believes,
24:01
to the Jew
24:01
first and
24:02
also to the
24:03
Greek.
24:03
For in
24:04
it,
24:04
in the
24:05
gospel,
24:05
this good
24:06
news,
24:07
the
24:07
righteousness
24:08
of God
24:08
is revealed
24:09
from faith
24:10
for faith.
24:12
As it is
24:12
written,
24:12
the righteous
24:13
shall live
24:14
by faith.
24:17
And he
24:17
then spends
24:18
the next
24:18
11 chapters
24:19
expounding
24:20
on this,
24:22
opening up
24:23
what that
24:24
means,
24:24
what does
24:25
it mean
24:26
for the
24:26
righteous
24:27
to live
24:28
by
24:29
faith.
24:31
And we
24:32
see Paul
24:32
explain that
24:33
the law
24:34
serves
24:35
two
24:36
purposes.
24:38
Firstly,
24:39
the law
24:40
exposes
24:41
our
24:42
sinfulness
24:42
and therefore
24:43
our need
24:45
of a
24:45
savior.
24:46
The law
24:47
is what
24:47
brings to
24:48
us the
24:48
bad news
24:50
that
24:50
necessitates
24:51
good
24:52
news,
24:54
shows us
24:55
whether in
24:56
writing or
24:57
written on
24:58
our hearts
24:58
that we
24:59
need to
25:00
be
25:01
redeemed.
25:03
Paul writes
25:03
in Romans 3
25:04
in verse 20,
25:05
for by
25:05
works of
25:06
the law
25:06
no human
25:07
being
25:08
will be
25:08
justified
25:08
in his
25:10
sight.
25:11
The word
25:11
justified
25:11
means to
25:12
be made
25:13
right,
25:13
to be
25:14
declared
25:14
righteous.
25:16
By
25:16
works of
25:17
the law
25:17
no human
25:18
being
25:18
will be
25:19
justified
25:19
in his
25:19
sight
25:20
since
25:20
through
25:21
the law
25:22
comes
25:22
knowledge
25:23
of sin.
25:25
The sin
25:25
exists,
25:26
we know
25:26
about it
25:27
because
25:27
of the
25:28
law,
25:29
it exposes
25:29
it
25:30
to
25:31
us.
25:32
Then he
25:33
goes on,
25:34
verse 24
25:35
of chapter
25:36
3,
25:37
we are
25:37
justified
25:38
or made
25:39
righteous
25:40
by grace
25:41
as a
25:41
gift
25:42
through
25:43
the
25:43
redemption
25:44
that is
25:44
in Christ
25:45
Jesus
25:46
whom God
25:47
put forward
25:48
as a
25:49
propitiation
25:49
by his
25:50
blood
25:50
to be
25:51
received
25:51
by faith.
25:53
So we
25:54
can be
25:55
declared
25:56
righteous
25:56
because
25:57
Christ
25:58
dies
25:59
in our
26:00
place,
26:01
taking on
26:01
the debt
26:02
that needs
26:03
to be
26:04
paid by
26:04
us,
26:05
the infinite
26:06
debt
26:06
that sin
26:07
has purchased
26:07
for us.
26:08
Christ
26:09
dies
26:09
in our
26:10
place,
26:11
propitiation,
26:13
a replacement
26:13
sacrifice
26:14
for us.
26:15
I've said
26:16
to you
26:16
the core
26:17
of the
26:17
gospel
26:18
of Jesus
26:18
Christ
26:19
is penal
26:19
substitutionary
26:21
atonement.
26:22
We needed
26:22
Jesus to
26:23
die in
26:24
our
26:24
stead
26:26
at the
26:26
penalty
26:27
for our
26:27
sins.
26:29
would be
26:29
paid.
26:31
Romans
26:31
6
26:32
and
26:32
verse
26:32
23,
26:33
Paul
26:33
there
26:33
says,
26:34
for the
26:34
wages
26:34
of
26:35
sin
26:36
is
26:37
death,
26:37
but the
26:38
free
26:39
gift
26:39
of
26:39
God
26:39
is
26:39
eternal
26:40
life
26:40
in
26:41
Christ
26:41
Jesus
26:42
our
26:43
Lord.
26:44
So the
26:44
law
26:45
exposes
26:46
our
26:46
sinfulness
26:47
and
26:47
therefore
26:48
our
26:48
need
26:49
of a
26:51
savior.
26:51
So he
26:51
can't
26:51
possibly
26:52
be
26:52
saying
26:53
we
26:53
can
26:53
fulfill
26:53
the
26:54
law
26:54
on
26:54
our
26:54
own
26:55
for the
26:56
salvation
26:56
of our
26:56
souls.
26:57
Secondly,
27:00
the law
27:00
teaches us
27:01
the
27:01
ethic
27:02
of a
27:02
life
27:03
devoted
27:03
to
27:04
God.
27:04
What
27:04
should
27:05
the
27:06
person
27:06
who
27:07
has
27:07
been
27:07
made
27:08
new,
27:08
who
27:08
is
27:09
empowered
27:09
by the
27:10
spirit,
27:10
whose
27:11
old
27:11
self
27:11
has
27:12
died,
27:12
has
27:12
a
27:12
new
27:13
self,
27:13
who
27:13
is
27:14
able
27:14
to
27:15
now
27:15
live
27:15
in
27:15
a
27:15
way
27:16
that
27:16
is
27:16
pleasing
27:17
to
27:17
God,
27:17
how
27:18
should
27:18
their
27:18
life
27:19
look?
27:20
And
27:20
the
27:20
law
27:20
teaches
27:21
us
27:21
this
27:22
ethic.
27:23
Again,
27:24
Romans 12
27:25
and verse
27:25
1,
27:26
Paul there
27:27
says,
27:27
I appeal
27:27
to you
27:27
therefore,
27:28
brothers,
27:28
by the
27:28
mercies
27:29
of God
27:29
to present
27:30
your
27:30
bodies
27:30
as a
27:31
living
27:31
sacrifice,
27:32
holy
27:33
and
27:33
acceptable
27:34
to
27:34
God,
27:35
which
27:35
is
27:35
your
27:36
spiritual
27:36
worship.
27:37
So he
27:38
says,
27:38
because
27:38
God
27:39
has been
27:39
merciful
27:39
to
27:40
you,
27:40
right?
27:40
First
27:41
11
27:41
chapters
27:42
of
27:43
Romans,
27:43
because
27:43
this
27:44
is
27:44
true
27:45
of
27:45
you,
27:47
devote
27:47
your
27:47
entirety
27:48
to
27:49
him.
27:50
What
27:50
is that
27:51
to look
27:51
like?
27:51
Well,
27:52
he goes
27:52
on to
27:52
expound
27:53
on that
27:53
in the
27:54
rest
27:54
of his
27:55
letter.
27:56
And of
27:56
course,
27:56
we find
27:56
much other
27:57
instruction
27:57
in the
27:58
text as
27:59
well.
27:59
So the
27:59
law
27:59
teaches
28:00
us
28:00
the
28:01
ethic
28:01
of
28:02
a
28:02
life
28:02
devoted
28:03
to
28:03
God.
28:04
And it
28:04
is
28:04
to
28:05
this
28:05
second
28:06
purpose
28:06
that
28:06
Paul
28:07
is
28:07
referring
28:07
to
28:08
in
28:08
the
28:08
last
28:08
part
28:09
of
28:09
verse
28:09
8
28:09
and
28:10
in
28:11
verse
28:11
10.
28:13
John
28:14
says
28:14
the
28:14
same
28:15
in
28:15
1
28:16
John
28:16
chapter
28:17
5
28:17
verse
28:17
1
28:18
through
28:18
5,
28:18
a
28:19
book
28:19
written
28:19
for
28:20
the
28:20
examination
28:20
of the
28:22
of
28:24
our
28:23
faith.
28:23
And
28:23
central
28:24
to
28:24
that
28:24
examination,
28:26
John
28:26
places
28:26
love
28:27
for
28:28
the
28:28
brothers.
28:30
He
28:30
writes
28:30
this,
28:30
everyone
28:31
who
28:31
believes
28:31
that
28:31
Jesus
28:32
is
28:32
the
28:32
Christ
28:33
has
28:34
been
28:34
born
28:34
of
28:34
God.
28:35
And
28:35
everyone
28:35
who
28:35
loves
28:35
the
28:36
Father
28:36
loves
28:37
whoever
28:37
has
28:38
been
28:38
born
28:38
of
28:38
him.
28:39
If
28:40
you
28:40
place
28:40
your
28:40
faith
28:41
in
28:41
Christ,
28:41
you've
28:42
been
28:42
born
28:42
of
28:42
God.
28:42
And
28:42
if
28:42
you've
28:43
been
28:43
born
28:43
of
28:43
God,
28:43
you
28:44
will
28:44
love
28:44
everyone
28:45
else
28:45
who's
28:46
been
28:46
born
28:52
and we obey his commandments.
28:55
These ways that love has been regulated in the Bible.
28:59
For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments,
29:03
and his commandments are not burdensome.
29:05
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world,
29:09
and this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith.
29:13
Who is it that overcomes the world?
29:15
Except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
29:19
So we have an empowered faith.
29:23
God does not leave us to our own to prove that he has saved us,
29:26
but he has given to us the helper, the paraclete,
29:29
who comes along and helps us to live the way that he asks us to live.
29:36
He characterizes us in this way.
29:41
So we see in these three verses the requirement of love,
29:45
the regulation of it, and the result.
29:49
Love it.
29:51
Now I want to issue in some closing statements
29:54
two encouragements of application.
29:58
First, if you find in yourself any conviction this morning
30:03
for your lack of love,
30:07
ask yourself,
30:09
am I a Christian?
30:11
I never want to give any reason to doubt
30:15
for those who are truly saved.
30:19
But if you are not saved,
30:21
I want to fill you with doubt.
30:26
I want you to really reckon with the state of your soul.
30:32
Turn from your wickedness.
30:34
Place your faith in Jesus Christ,
30:36
and he will save your soul.
30:40
If you have settled that you are a Christian
30:42
and still find yourself less loving than you ought to be,
30:47
do three things.
30:49
First, pray that God would work love for his people
30:52
in your heart by the power of his spirit.
30:55
I have no doubt he will answer this prayer in the affirmative.
31:00
Secondly,
31:01
read the Bible with a mind towards God's love for you
31:05
and the commands to love.
31:09
Allow the spirit,
31:11
by the word,
31:12
to warm your heart.
31:13
because when our reckoning,
31:17
the magnitude of God's love for us
31:19
is present in us,
31:21
in our minds,
31:22
it outflows into love
31:24
for others.
31:27
John Durant,
31:28
this is the quotation on the back of your bulletin this morning,
31:30
said,
31:31
As nothing in believers was so good
31:32
as to cause him to love them,
31:35
so nothing is so bad
31:36
as can cause him to withdraw his love
31:38
from them.
31:40
A reality that needs to be meditated on.
31:43
constantly.
31:46
And then thirdly,
31:47
connect with someone in the church
31:49
for prayer,
31:51
study,
31:52
and accountability on the matter.
31:55
These are the normal means of grace
31:56
that God uses to grow us
31:57
in our devotion to him.
32:00
It should be done by those who profess faith in Christ.
32:06
Second,
32:07
second encouragement,
32:07
I want you to know, church,
32:10
that I am generally
32:12
so encouraged
32:14
by the manifold ways
32:16
that you love
32:17
one another.
32:20
Outside of our fellowship,
32:22
we'll have people visit,
32:23
we'll have pastors
32:24
that hear things about our church,
32:26
and they will express,
32:27
we hear that your church
32:29
loves each other well.
32:31
That's so encouraging to me.
32:33
And I will tell you,
32:34
the primary reason
32:35
that it's encouraging to me
32:36
is often people will ask,
32:38
how was that accomplished?
32:40
And they want me to give them
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three steps
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to how
32:43
I taught you all
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to love each other.
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And I simply say,
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for my part in it,
32:50
I open up the word
32:51
and I preach.
32:52
It's God who works
32:54
in the lives of his people.
32:55
It's such a picture
32:56
of the spirit
32:58
working in you.
32:59
It gives me such
33:00
gospel hope
33:01
to see the way
33:02
that you all love
33:03
one another.
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I think many people
33:06
have reason
33:07
to look at our congregation
33:08
and say,
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those people
33:10
are disciples
33:11
of Jesus Christ.
33:12
Look how they love
33:13
each other.
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So keep it up.
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Be encouraged.
33:18
Don't stop.
33:20
Press on.
33:21
This life is short,
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and the reward
33:24
that awaits you
33:25
is great.
33:26
I know that you all
33:28
are tired
33:29
pouring out
33:30
an immense amount
33:31
of care
33:32
within your homes
33:33
and outside of your homes.
33:35
Just keep
33:36
pressing
33:37
on.
33:39
At the end of your life,
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you will never regret
33:41
loving
33:42
too much.
33:45
Galatians chapter 6,
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verse 9 and 10,
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Paul says,
33:47
and let us not grow weary
33:49
of doing good.
33:51
For in due season
33:52
we will reap
33:52
if we do not give up.
33:54
So then as we have
33:55
opportunity,
33:56
let us do good
33:56
to everyone
33:57
and especially
33:58
to those
33:59
who are of the household
34:00
of faith.
34:02
Let's pray together.