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TITLE: GOOD FRIDAY: THE PROOF OF GOD'S LOVE

TEXT: ROMANS 5:6-8

INTRODUCTION: (1) GOD’S LOVE AND HUMAN LOVE ARE WORLDS APART, THEY ARE RADICALLY DIFFERENT. FOR EXAMPLE, NATURAL HUMAN LOVE IS ALMOST ALWAYS BASED ON THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF THE OBJECT OF LOVE.

* NOW WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS IF YOU LOVE ME, I’LL LOVE YOU. IF YOU DO THINGS FOR ME, I’LL LOVE YOU. IF YOU LOOK GOOD, I’LL LOVE YOU. IF YOU PLEASE ME, I’LL LOVE YOU, IF YOU AGREE WITH ME, I’LL LOVE YOU.

** AND MY POINT IS, WE ARE INCLINED TO LOVE PEOPLE WHO LOVE US, WHO PLEASE US, WHO MEET OUR CRITERIA FOR LOVE. AND NORMALLY WHAT THAT IS, IS SELF-LOVE, IT IS SELFISHNESS, IT’S NOT GOOD.

(2) FOR THAT KIND OF LOVE IS MORE CONCERNED IN WHAT IT CAN GET RATHER THAN WHAT IT CAN GIVE.

* AND WHEN THAT KIND OF LOVE SAYS “I LOVE YOU”, IT NORMALLY MEANS, “I LOVE ME AND WANT WHAT I CAN GET FROM YOU.”

** AND MUCH OF THE QUOTE “LOVE” THAT IS TALKED ABOUT IN OUR WORLD TODAY IS THAT KIND OF LOVE, WHICH IS NOT REAL LOVE.

(3) BUT CONSEQUENTLY, WE TEND TO ATTRIBUTE THAT SAME KIND OF LOVE TO GOD. WE THINK THAT HIS LOVE FOR US IS DEPENDENT ON HOW GOOD WE ARE OR ON HOW MUCH WE LOVE HIM, THAT HIS LOVE IS CONDITIONAL, THAT HE LOVES US WHEN WE LOVE HIM.

* BUT AS JESUS POINTED OUT IN MATTHEW 5:46, THAT EVEN TAX COLLECTORS WERE INCLINED TO LOVE THOSE WHO LOVE THEM, AND NO BIG DEAL, FOR IT’S EASY TO LOVE THOSE WHO LOVE YOU AND DO THINGS FOR YOU. BUT GOD’S LOVE IS NOT THAT WAY.

** MATTHEW 5:46 – “FOR IF YE LOVE THEM WHICH LOVE YOU, WHAT REWARD HAVE YE? DO NOT EVEN THE PUBLICANS THE SAME?

*** READ I JOHN 4:10 AND I JOHN 4:19.

**** IN LIGHT OF THAT, THEOLOGIAN CHARLES HODGE OBSERVED, “IF GOD LOVED US BECAUSE WE LOVED HIM, HE WOULD LOVE US ONLY SO LONG AS WE LOVE HIM, AND ON THAT CONDITION; AND THEN OUR SALVATION WOULD DEPEND ON THE CONSTANCY OF OUR TREACHEROUS HEARTS.”

(4) “BUT AS GOD LOVED US AS SINNERS, AS CHRIST DIED FOR US AS UNGODLY, OUR SALVATION DEPENDS, NOT ON OUR LOVELINESS, BUT ON THE CONSTANCY OF GOD’S LOVE.” (END QUOTE)

* AND I CAN LIVE WITH THAT!! IT’S NOT DEPENDENT ON ME OR MOTIVATED BY MY BEHAVIOR.

** AND BELIEVER, GOD LOVED US WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, WHILE WE WERE UNGODLY, WHILE WE WERE HELPLESS, WHEN WE WERE WORTHLESS AND OF NO ETERNAL GOOD, EPHESIANS 2:4&5 (READ THEM).

*** AND BELOVED, WE WERE BY NATURE THE CHILDREN OF WRATH, THE ENEMIES OF GOD, AND WORTHLESS AS FAR AS HAVING VALUE SPIRITUALLY, ABSOLUTELY DEPRAVED.

**** BUT GOD DEMONSTRATION OR SHOWED HIS LOVE TOWARD US, IN THAT WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS CHRIST DIED FOR US.

***** GOD’S LOVE IS A GIVING LOVE THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE WORTHINESS OF THE PERSON THAT IS LOVED.

(5) AND THE SUPREME EXAMPLE OF LOVE IS THE CROSS OF CHRIST WHERE CHRIST DIED FOR UNWORTHY SINNERS WHO WOULD BECOME HIS CHILDREN.

* THE SIGN OF LOVE, TO SEE HOW MUCH GOD LOVES US, WHICH WE CELEBRATE ON GOOD FRIDAY.

** AND THE FACT THAT JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR SINNERS IS THE ULTIMATE PROOF OF GOD’S LOVE.

*** THERE WAS NO GREATER ACT OF LOVE, THERE IS NO GREATER ACT OF LOVE AND THERE WILL BE NO GREATER ACT OF LOVE THAN CHRIST DYING FOR HIS OWN, HIS PEOPLE, REBELLIOUS ENEMIES ON THE CROSS, I JOHN 4:9&10, EPHESIANS 5:1&2, JOHN 3:16. (READ THEM).

**** SO CHRIST’S DEATH IS THE PROOF OF GOD’S LOVE AND MANY TIMES WE USE THE EXPRESSION “THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING”, WELL THE PROOF OF GOD’S LOVE IS THE CROSS IN THE DEATH OF CHRIST, WHICH AGAIN WE CELEBRATE THIS FRIDAY.

(6) AND BECAUSE OF THAT I’VE TITLED OUR MESSAGE THIS MORNING, “GOOD FRIDAY: THE PROOF OF GOD’S LOVE” AS WE SEE CHRIST DYING FOR THE UNGODLY.

* AND UNDER THAT TITLE WE’LL LOOK AT 2 MAIN POINT, NO. 1 THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD’S LOVE, V. 6; AND NO. 2 THE MAGNITUDE OF GOD’S LOVE, VV. 7&8.

** AND WITH THAT IN MIND, LOOK AT V. 6 WHERE WE’LL SEE THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD’S LOVE.

I. THE MANIFESTATION, (READ V. 6)

A. NOW TO UNDERSTAND V. 6, WE MUST GO BACK TO V. 5. AND IN V. 5 PAUL POINTED OUT TO BELIEVERS THAT THE LOVE OF GOD HAS BEEN POURED OUT WITHIN OUR HEARTS THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO WAS GIVEN TO US, READ ROMANS 5:5.

* AND THAT MEANS THE HOLY SPIRIT ASSURES US THAT WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF GOD AND HE ASSURES US THAT GOD LOVES US ONCE WE HAVE REPENTED.

** AND INTERNALLY THE HOLY SPIRIT EXPRESSES TO BELIEVERS GOD’S LOVE FOR HIM, THAT WE ARE LOVED BY GOD. AND EVERY BELIEVER HAS THE HOLY SPIRIT.

1. AND SINCE WE HAVE THE SPIRIT, WE ARE ASSURED THAT GOD LOVES US INTERNALLY, BUT EXTERNALLY WE KNOW THAT GOD LOVES US BECAUSE CHRIST DIED FOR US, AND WE KNOW THAT THROUGH THE EXTERNAL EVIDENCE OF SCRIPTURE. SO IT IS CONFIRMED INTERNALLY BY THE HOLY SPIRIT AND EXTERNALLY BY THE WORD AND THE CROSS.

* AND IN V. 6, KNOWING THAT HIS READERS WOULD WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE QUALITY AND CHARACTER OF THE DIVINE LOVE THAT FILLED THEM, PAUL REMINDS THEM OF THE GREATEST MANIFESTATION OF GOD’S LOVE IN ALL OF HISTORY, CHRIST DYING FOR US AS UNGODLY PEOPLE.

** AND WHAT A DISPLAY OF GOD’S LOVE, WHAT A PROOF OF GOD’S LOVE. NOW LET’S BREAK THIS VERSE DOWN.

*** AND LET’S BEGIN BY LOOKING AT THE FIRST PHRASE, “WHILE WE WERE STILL HELPLESS”. AND FIRST OF ALL NOTE TO WHOM PAUL IS SPEAKING.

2. FOR HE USES THE PERSONAL PRONOUN “WE” IN V. 6, AND HE’LL USE THE PERSONAL PRONOUN “US” TWICE IN V. 8. NOW THE “WE” AND “US” ARE THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN JUSTIFIED, TRUE BELIEVERS AT ROME, READ V. 1.

* BUT ALSO WE KNOW TO WHOM PAUL WRITES TO IN THIS EPISTLE BY GOING BACK TO THE START OF THE BOOK IN CHAPTER 1:7, “TO ALL WHO ARE BELOVED OF GOD IN ROME, CALLED AS SAINTS.” – BELIEVERS, SAINTS.

** AND THERE ARE TWO CATEGORIES OF PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD, YOU ARE IN CHRIST OR IN ADAM.

*** SO THE “WE” OF V. 6, THOSE WHO ARE HELPLESS AND UNGODLY AND THE “US” OF V. 8, THE SINNERS OF V. 8, ARE THE SAINTS, THE BELOVED OF GOD, THOSE WHO ARE JUSTIFIED BELIEVERS, THAT’S THE CONTEXT, NOT EVERY HUMAN BEING.

3. AND I SAY THAT NOT TO TRY TO HAMMER MY BELIEF OF THE ATONEMENT ON YOU, BUT TO SET THE CONTEXT AND MAKE SURE WE USE ROMANS 5:6-8 PROPERLY, ESPECIALLY IN OUR WITNESSING.

* FOR MANY TIMES THESE VERSES ARE USED TO TEACH THAT CHRIST DIED FOR EVERYONE AND THAT IS NOT THE CONTEXT.

** NOW THE POINT I WANT TO MAKE IS “WE” IN V. 6 AND “US” IN V. 8 IS SPEAKING TO THOSE WHO ARE JUSTIFIED, ROMANS 5:1 AND THOSE WHO WOULD BE JUSTIFIED AND THE SAME THING APPLIES IN VV. 9-11.

4. NOW WHILE WE WERE STILL HELPLESS, AT THE RIGHT TIME CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY. AND WE’LL FOCUS ON THE WORD HELPLESS FOR A MOMENT.

* THIS PARTICULAR GREEK WORD MEANS POWERLESS, WITHOUT STRENGTH, FEEBLE, IMPOTENT.

** AND THE THOUGHT CONVEYED HERE IS WHILE WE WERE STILL POWERLESS, THAT IS HELPLESS, TOTALLY UNABLE TO RESCUE OURSELVES FROM THE EFFECTS OF THE FALL, CHRIST, MOTIVATED BY SOVEREIGN LOVE AND NOT BY ANY HUMAN MERIT OR ACCOMPLISHMENT, DIED FOR US, THE UNGODLY, THE JUSTIFIED AND THOSE WHO WOULD BE JUSTIFIED.

*** YES, AGAIN OUR TOTAL DEPRAVITY BRINGS ABOUT TOTAL INABILITY. WE ARE DEAD, DEAF AND BLIND AND DID NOT SEEK GOD.

**** BELOVED, WHILE MEN WERE UTTERLY HELPLESS TO BRING THEMSELVES TO GOD, HE SENT HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, JESUS CHRIST TO DIE FOR US.

5. AND GOD’S WONDERFUL GRACE JUMPS OUT AT ME HERE. FOR WHAT WE COULD NOT DO FOR OURSELVES, GOD DID FOR US. FOR AT THE RIGHT TIME, THE PROPER TIME IN HISTORY, THE FATHER SENT THE SON TO BE THE SAVIOR, GALATIANS 4:4&5 (READ IT).

* AND BROTHERS AND SISTERS, I CAN’T UNDERSTAND WHY CHRIST DIED FOR ME, BUT I’M THANKFUL. FOR I WAS HELPLESS AND HELL BOUND ON MY OWN, BUT AT THE RIGHT TIME HE DIED FOR ME.

** HE DIED FOR ME – AN UNGODLY PERSON. AND UNGODLY HERE MEANS TOTALLY UNRIGHTEOUS, UNDESERVING AND UNLOVABLE, THOSE WHO HAVE NO REVERENTIAL AWE OF GOD.

6. AND FOLKS JESUS TOOK THE PLACE OF UNGODLY PEOPLE. CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY. AND THE PREPOSITION FOR HERE IS USED BY PAUL TO DESIGNATE CHRIST’S DEATH AS VICARIOUS, MEANING A DEATH FOR, IN THE PLACE OF, IN BEHALF OF, THE GREEK PREPOSITION “HUPER”.

* AND CHRIST’S DEATH WAS TRULY SUBSTITUTIONARY, HE TOOK THE PLACE AND THE PENALTY FOR EVERY PERSON HE WOULD SAVE. I BELIEVE HE PURCHASED AND PAID FOR THE SINS OF HIS ELECT ON THE CROSS. AND THE TRANSACTION WAS COMPLETE AND COMPLETELY TAKEN CARE OF.

** HIS DEATH WAS A TOTAL SUCCESS, AND EVERY PERSON HE SHED HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD FOR WILL BE SAVED. CHRIST’S DEATH WAS DEFINITE IN DESIGN, PURPOSE AND ACCOMPLISHMENT.

*** CHRIST DID NOT DIE SIMPLY TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR GOD TO PARDON SINNERS. ALL FOR WHOM CHRIST SACRIFICED HIMSELF WILL BE SAVED.

**** IN ITS EFFECT, CHRIST’S DEATH COULD HAVE SAVED EVERYONE IF GOD SO WILLED IT. THERE WAS INFINITE VALUE. IT WAS SUFFICIENT TO SAVE EVERYONE, BUT EFFICIENT ONLY FOR THE ELECT.

7. REDEMPTION, THEREFORE, WAS DESIGNED TO BRING TO PASS GOD’S PURPOSE OF ELECTION. READ JOHN 10:11, EPHESIANS 5:25, MATTHEW 20:28, MATTHEW 26:28, ACTS 20:28, HEBREWS 9:28.

* NOW FOLKS, THE SUBSTITUTIONARY ATONEMENT OF CHRIST IS PRESENTED AS THE BASIS UPON WHICH GOD CAN, WITH JUSTICE AND TRUTH. SAY THAT A MAN WHO HAS BROKEN THE LAW IS NOT WORTHY OF PUNISHMENT, FOR THE PUNISHMENT HAS BEEN LAID UPON ANOTHER. CHRIST’S DEATH WAS TRULY SUBSTITUTIONARY.

** AND CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY SO THAT WE WOULD BE JUSTIFIED, DECLARED RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE OF THE RIGHTEOUS ONE, CHRIST.

8. GALATIANS 3:13 SAYS: CHRIST REDEEMED US, ACTUALLY, NOT POTENTIALLY, FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW, HAVING BECOME A CURSE FOR US.

* I PETER 3:18 SAYS: FOR CHRIST ALSO DIED FOR SINS ONCE FOR ALL, THE JUST FOR THE UNJUST, IN ORDER THAT HE MIGHT BRING US TO GOD, HAVING BEEN PUT TO DEATH IN THE FLESH, BUT MADE ALIVE IN THE SPIRIT.

** READ II CORINTHIANS 5:21, I PETER 2:24, ISAIAH 53:5, ISAIAH 53:11&12.

9. AND BELOVED, AS WE GO BACK TO V. 6 WE SEE THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD’S LOVE, HE SENT HIS SON AT THE RIGHT TIME FOR HELPLESS UNGODLY PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHOM HE SAW NO GOOD OR WORTH WITHIN THEMSELVES, BUT STILL CHRIST DIED FOR THEM. HE TOOK THEIR PLACE.

* AND THAT IS A MANIFESTATION OF TRUE LOVE. AND WHAT A WONDERFUL MANIFESTATION OF IT. BUT MOVING ON WE MOVE FROM THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD’S LOVE TO THE MAGNITUDE OF GOD’S LOVE, AND THE MAGNITUDE OF GOD’S LOVE IS BROUGHT OUT IN VV. 7&8. LOOK AT V. 7 WHERE WE’LL START TO SEE OUR SECOND POINT TODAY, THE MAGNITUDE OF GOD’S LOVE.

II. THE MAGNITUDE, (READ V. 7)

A. NOW VERSES 7&8 EMPHASIZE THE MAGNITUDE OF GOD’S LOVE FOR US BY BRINGING OUT MORE FORCEFULLY AND POWERFULLY THE IMPORTANCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF CHRIST’S DYING FOR THE UNGODLY.

* AND THIS IS DONE BY GIVING US AN ILLUSTRATION. AND THE ILLUSTRATION IS IN HUMAN AFFAIRS, POINTING OUT IT IS RARE AT BEST FOR A PERSON TO GIVE HIS LIFE FOR ANOTHER, AND EVEN THEN IT IS ONLY FOR SPECIAL PEOPLE LIKE RELATIVES, CLOSE FRIENDS, A COMBAT BUDDY - A GOOD MAN SOME WOULD DIE FOR.

** AND SOMETIMES WE HEAR OF A PERSON WHO TRIES TO RESCUE SOMEONE AND DIES, OR WE HEAR OF WAR STORIES WHERE A SOLDIER GAVE HIS LIFE SO THAT OTHERS IN HIS COMPANY OR UNIT COULD BE SPARED FROM DEATH.

1. AND WHEN WE HEAR OF STORIES LIKE THAT WE MARVEL AND THINK WHAT A WONDERFUL ACT OF SACRIFICE, WHAT A WONDERFUL ACT OF LOVE.

* AND NO GREATER LOVE CAN BE SHOWN, THAT A MAN OR WOMAN IS WILLING TO DIE FOR A FRIEND OR SOMEBODY ELSE, READ JOHN 15:13.

2. AND NO DOUBT THERE ARE PEOPLE HERE WHO WOULD DIE FOR THEIR CHILDREN, FOR THEIR SPOUSES AND MAYBE EVEN A FRIEND.

* BUT LET ME ASK YOU THIS MORNING, IS THERE ANYBODY HERE WHO WOULD DIE FOR SADAAM HUSSEIN OR OSAMA BIN LADEN?

** OR IN DAYS GONE BY, LENIN, STALIN OR ADOLF HITLER? IS THEIR ANYBODY HERE WHO WOULD DIE FOR A MURDERER, A RAPIST, A CHILD MOLESTER, OR A THIEF? I DON’T THINK SO.

*** SO ON ONE HAND WE MIGHT BE WILLING TO DIE FOR THOSE WE LOVE, THE LOVABLE, BUT NONE OF US WOULD DIE FOR THE UNLOVABLE, WOULD WE? NO WAY!

**** WELL, THAT THOUGHT LEADS US TO THE MAGNITUDE OF GOD’S LOVE. LOOK AT V. 8.

B. READ V. 8. NOW THERE ARE TWO BIG WORDS HERE TO BEGIN WITH IN V. 8, “BUT GOD”. THEY ARE HOPE KINDLING WORDS, AND THOSE TWO WORDS COMMUNICATE A CONTRAST, A CONTRAST BETWEEN MAN’S SACRIFICIAL LOVE AND GOD’S SACRIFICIAL LOVE.

* AND IN MAN’S SACRIFICIAL LOVE, HE SOMETIMES IS WILLING TO DIE FOR THE LOVABLE, BUT GOD IN CONTRAST TO MAN SENT HIS SON TO DIE FOR THE UNLOVABLE.

** FOR GOD DEMONSTRATES, SHOW, MANIFESTS HIS LOVE TOWARD US IN THAT WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS CHRIST DIED FOR US.

1. AND THAT SORT OF SELFLESS, UNDESERVED LOVE IS COMPLETELY BEYOND HUMAN COMPREHENSION. YET THAT IS THE LOVE THAT THE JUST AND INFINITELY HOLY GOD HAD TOWARD US EVEN WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS.

* BROTHERS AND SISTERS: GOD FORELOVED US EVEN THOUGH WE WERE REBELS OF HIS HOLY WILL. I MEAN THE GOD WHO HATES EVERY SINFUL THOUGHT AND EVERY SINFUL DEED NEVERTHELESS LOVES SINNERS WHO DO THOSE THINGS.

** AND IT’S ONE THING TO DIE FOR SOMEONE YOU LOVE, BUT CHRIST DIED FOR PEOPLE WHO HATED HIM, WHO WERE HIS ENEMIES.

2. WILLIAM HENRIKSEN WRITES, “THIS DEATH WAS UNPARALLELED WITH RESPECT TO THE MARVEL OF THE IMPLIED CONDESCENDING AND PARDONING GRACE. CHRIST DIED FOR THOSE WHO WERE BAD, BAD, BAD!”

* “IN THEM THERE WAS NO GOODNESS THAT COULD HAVE ATTRACTED THIS LOVE. IN THE DEATH OF JESUS FOR SINNERS GOD DEMONSTRATES HIS OWN SOVEREIGN LOVE.” (END QUOTE)

** AND BELOVED THE INCREDIBLE GRACE OF GOD’S LOVE WAS DEMONSTRATED, PROVED BY CHRIST DYING FOR SINNERS, HIS ENEMIES. WHAT LOVE!!

AND AS I WRAP UP THINGS TODAY (1) CHARLES SPURGEON SAID, “IF THERE IS ONE SUBJECT MORE THAN ANOTHER UPON WHICH I WISH EVER TO SPEAK, IT IS THE LOVE OF CHRIST.”

* “BUT IF THERE IS ONE WHICH QUITE BAFFLES ME AND MAKES ME GO BACK FROM THIS PLATFORM UTTERLY ASHAMED OF MY POOR FEEBLE WORDS, IT IS THIS SUBJECT. THIS LOVE OF CHRIST IS THE MOST AMAZING THING UNDER HEAVEN, IF NOT IN HEAVEN ITSELF.” (END QUOTE)

(2) PAUL SAID IN EPHESIANS 3:19 (READ IT).

* AND WE AS BELIEVERS KNOW OF IT THROUGH THE SPIRIT. NATURALLY WE DON’T UNDERSTAND IT, BUT SUPERNATURALLY THE LOVE OF GOD IS POURED OUT IN OUR HEARTS THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO IS GIVEN TO US.

** NOW WHAT IMPACT SHOULD GOD’S LOVE HAVE ON US AS BELIEVERS? WELL, I WANT TO CLOSE WITH TWO THINGS IN PRACTICAL APPLICATION.

(3) NO. 1 THE LOVE OF GOD FOR US AS SINNERS SHOULD MOTIVATE US TO BE DEDICATED TO CHRIST TOTALLY, TO SELL OUT.

* THE HYMN WRITER ISAAC WATTS WROTE “LOVE SO AMAZING, SO DIVINE, DEMANDS MY SOUL, MY LIFE, MY ALL.”

** AND WHEN WE SEE GOD’S LOVE FOR US AS HELPLESS, UNGODLY SINNERS, WE SHOULD BE MOVED TO SERVE HIM. FOR IS THERE ANYTHING THAT HE COULD ASK US TO DO THAT WOULD BE TOO GREAT A SACRIFICE FOR US IN CONSIDERATION OF HIS SACRIFICE? I THINK NOT. WE ARE DEBTORS, READ ROMANS 12:1&2.

(4) BUT THEN NO. 2 WE SEE FROM OUR TEXT TODAY THAT LOVE IS ABOVE ALL SACRIFICIAL. IT IS THE SACRIFICE OF SELF FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS WHO MAY CARE NOTHING AT ALL FOR US AND WHO MAY EVEN HATE US.

* BELOVED WE SHOULD SEE VERY CLEARLY FROM OUR PASSAGE TODAY THAT TRUE LOVE IS NOT A FEELING, BUT A DETERMINED ACT OF THE WILL, WHICH ALWAYS RESULTS IN DETERMINED ACTS OF SELF-GIVING. IT’S NOT AN EMOTION BUT AN ACTION, NOT AN ADJECTIVE BUT A VERB.

** AND TRUE LOVE IS THE WILLING, JOYFUL DESIRE TO PUT THE WELFARE OF OTHERS ABOVE OUR OWN. IT LEAVES NO PLACE FOR PRIDE, VANITY, ARROGANCE, SELF-SEEKING OR SELF-GLORY. IT IS AN ACT OF CHOICE WE ARE COMMANDED TO EXERCISE EVEN IN BEHALF OF OUR ENEMIES.

(5) LOVE IS A FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT. AND AS WE ARE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, LET US LOVE OUR ENEMIES, LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER, AND LET US LOVE THE LOST WHO NEED TO HEAR ABOUT GOD’S LOVE.

* WHY? READ OUR TEXT.

** AND IF YOU HAVE NOT TURNED TO CHRIST, I WOULD ASK YOU TO CONSIDER GOD’S SACRIFICIAL LOVE AND TURN FROM YOUR SIN TO FOLLOW CHRIST TODAY.