​The Love Of God
Romans 5:6-11
Introduction
Today is Valentine’s Day!
 
God loves you more than any human ever could!
 
How to respond to God’s Love
1.  Accept God’s Great Love
-God reaches down to you and me through His Son
   -God is love!  1 Jn 4:8a  Love is His very nature!
   -He sent His Son Jesus to demonstrate His love
      Jn 3:16,  1 Jn 4:9-10
-God loves us just at the right time-  today, right now!
 
-God loves is greater than any human love!
   -Earthly love only goes so far-  vs 7
        -no one is lining up to die for death row inmates!
        -that is exactly where every human stands before God!
   -Paul mentions Christ’s death 5 times in these 6 verses
 
-Jesus died for the ungodly-  total opposite of perfect, pure
   -We are born hostile to God, rebellious, separated from Him
  
-Jesus died for us “while we were still sinners”  vs 8
    -We missed the mark in life, came short of doing God’s will
 
-Accept God’s Great Love!
   -Romans 1-4  we must simply place our faith in Him
   -Romans 3:23-24  We who have sinned are justified by grace!
 
2.  Apply God’s Love
-Stop living in fear
   -We are declared righteous/justified by Christ’s blood vs 9
      -legally acquitted of all our sin;  no longer guilty
   -We are reconciled with God  vs 10
      -Jesus made peace between God and us
      -this term is rarely used in other religions- man-made deities
        don’t personally relate to humans, unimaginable!
-Stop making excuses-
   -vs 9  If we are justified, then we don’t face God’s wrath!
        -stop living as if God is out to get you, punish you!
        -stop sabotaging your future by living in your past!
             -God has erased our guilt, our shame!
   -vs 10 If we are reconciled then we are saved right now!
         -stop making excuses for your sin, for not growing up!
         -Jesus empowers us to overcome sin! 
              See Hebrews 7:25  and  Romans 8:34
         -Jesus personally walks with us, lives inside of us! 
         -Jesus is a prayer away every moment!
 
-We must stop beating ourselves up and living in defeat!
-Stop making excuses for living a shameful, carnal life!
 
3.  Give God’s Love
-Declare your gratitude vs 11
   -We rejoice- boast in God, not in ourselves!
   -We give God all the credit when others see good in us
   -Humbly proclaim that Jesus is your personal Savior!
 
-Love others like God does  1 John 4:7-8
   -Be the first person to initiate reconciliation!  
   -Forgive completely- let them go, erase their guilt!
   -Practice humility- seek forgiveness immediately when wrong!
   -Ask Jesus for help!  Godly relationships require God’s help!
 
 
How will you respond to God’s love right now?
1.  Make it personal
 
  
 
 
2.  Make it public!
 
 

​Trust the Story of the Virgin Birth
Luke 1:26-38
Every Bible story is important
2 Timothy 3:16  All scripture is inspired, profitable
 
The Bible is one story
-How God has redeemed us from our sins through Christ
-There are many stories, but they all point to this Main story
-Each smaller story is meant to increase our faith in God
 
The Virgin Birth story is a small but significant story!
-Recorded in Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:26-38
-Matthew 1:23 says this fulfills the Isaiah 7:14 prophecy
-The early church continued to declare their belief in it
-Textual evidence suggests it was NOT inserted later
 
Why would someone reject the Virgin Birth story?
-Attempt to discredit the unique nature of Jesus Christ
    -they would have to reject multiple other verses
-Disbelief that God performs miracles in our world
    -multiple other Bible stories would  have to be rejected
-Rejection of the Bible as a historically accurate record
    -Many have tried and failed to disprove this idea
    -We don’t have to check our brains at the door to believe
       in the Bible
-Belief that it is unimportant to our faith
    -Emphasis on his sayings, example, not his historicity
    -This would mean God’s word is untrustworthy
    -We have to accept all or none of the story of Jesus
-I welcome a personal conversation with anyone who is honestly
   and intellectually struggling with the Virgin Birth.  Let’s sit
   down sometime and examine the evidence together! 
 
I desire for us to trust the Story of the Virgin Birth
-Read Luke 1:26-38
 
 
 
 
Observations from Luke 1:26-38
adapted from Christian Theology by Millard Eerickson, 1985
1.  Salvation is supernatural
-John 3:5b-6  We must be born again, of spirit and water
-John 1:13  we are spiritually born of God, not by our will or by
   nature
-No one can save themselves- we needed God to intervene
-Our Savior Jesus came from outside of humanity!
-Stop trying to earn or keep your salvation by human effort!
 
2.  Salvation is a gift of grace
-Mary did nothing to earn God’s favor, many virgins available
-vs 34  “How can this be?”  Only God can do what we cannot do
-No one is deserving of God’s grace! 
-God offers
 
 
3.  God can do anything
-God is all powerful and has all authority to act
-The birth of Jesus is the most unique birth of all time
-Gen 18:14  “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”
-When we believe in the virgin birth, we can believe that God can and will work in our lives, to free us from the humanly impossible task of resisting temptation and living a pure and holy life
-God can save everyone, no matter how far they are from God, no matter how dark their lives
 
Trust the story of the Virgin Birth
1.  Admit that you cannot save yourself
 
2.  Accept God’s love and forgiveness as a free gift
 
3.  Let Jesus be the Lord/boss of your life
-Luke 1:38  “I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary.  “May it be done to me according to your word.” 
-Romans 10:13  “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”