Longing for a Perfect Love for God

A. Story of a letter from my dad– imperfect love pointing to perfect love; Heather H.
B. As followers of Jesus, we must surrender to our ultimate identity: living as the ones whom Jesus loves. As seen in the gospel of John- ‘Lazarus’ 11:3, ‘John’ 13:23, ‘the ultimate goal’ 17:26

A. The Garden is where we must begin and end.
● 4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. 7 She also gave
some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.   8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” 11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
● God demonstrates acceptance in His love in the midst of our sin with a substitute and clothing for our shameful vulnerability. 21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. (Genesis 3:8-10, 21)

● 15 “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world— the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life— comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. (1 Joh. 2:15-17, NIV)
● The Serpent’s lie is that we can preserve our life and sustain our own life through the idolatry of self-love. (“You will not certainly die”)
● Jesus says we find our life by losing it in this age through love for God. A love that is demonstrated by not loving the world. (“whoever does the will of God lives forever””)

A. This is the most liberating and transformative truth. Jesus stated that if He be lifted up, He would draw all to Himself.

● 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.(1 John 4:9-10 NIV)

B. We are to cultivate a deeper love for God, by seeking the glory that comes from the only God
1. 41 “I do not accept glory from human beings, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? (John 5:41-44 NIV
2. We are called to keep Jesus' commands.
● “If you love me, keep my commands. (John 14:15 NIV)
(“Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”)

● 1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

C. Our maturity in love is centered on being broken over what breaks God’s heart in the context of His family, the church.
1. The Holy Spirit grieves tenderly and jealously within us, wooing us to love God more and more.

● Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. (Revelation 2:4 NIV)

● Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. (Revelation 3:19 NIV)

● 22 If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed! Come, Lord! (1 Corinthians 16:22 NIV)

● 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:23 NIV)

Our Longing to love God perfectly, is the raw material for our success in loving Him with our everything.

A. Giving ourselves to meditation on His word: What God says about Himself and about us.
B. Earnest Prayer: fervent dialogue with the God you want to love.
C. Edification and confession: Living in a deep fellowship with the body of Christ, where we give love to others, as well as laying aside all that breaks the communion of loving God completely. As God initiates love to us and makes Himself approachable, so should we model this love in the body as we mature, to live through edification and confess our sin to remain approachable to others.