Title: Love the God of Love
Gospel of John (24) Love the God of love (John 1:16-21)
<God's love>
The most important part of John 3:1-21, which tells the deep spiritual mystery that Jesus told Nicodemus, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, cannot enter into the kingdom of God,” is John 3:16. is. Luther nicknamed this verse “the little gospel”. The word ‘little gospel’ does not mean that the gospel is small, but it implies that God’s love and the entire content of the gospel are small.
Human love changes according to circumstances, moods, and conditions, but God's love is unchanging. People usually never forget their first love, but in reality, first love is nothing special. The most important love is constant and unchanging love. People with ‘first love syndrome’, obsessed with their first love, have a weak sense of responsibility. The family attitude of steady and unchanging love is more important than the romantic attitude of first love. The same goes for grace. A steady grace is more precious than a sparkling grace.
Also, God's love is the great and deep love of the cross. God sent his only begotten Son into the world to be crucified (verse 17), not to judge the world, but to save it. Since you loved the whole world, how great is that love? The world resisted God, but God loved the world. The love of God is the devoted love of the cross. The cross is not a weapon to drive out demons, but a sign of God's great love.
One day, a child who did not know Jesus went to church with his aunt. At that time, the child asked, thinking of the cross on the back wall of the pulpit as a ‘plus sign’. “Auntie, why is there a ‘plus sign’ on the front wall?” My aunt answered after a while. "Hey! do you know jesus That ‘plus sign’ is a sign that Jesus added life, salvation, and joy!” In the same way, God added the joy and hope of heaven through the sacrificial love of the cross.
<Love the God of love>
God's love abounds everywhere. If you think a little bit, you can find traces of God's love everywhere. However, no matter how much God's love overflows, if people do not open their hearts and accept them, the love of God becomes empty love. Just as a pair of pairs must meet to make a sound, God's love does not show its true value if people do not respond. So love the God of love supremely
The love of God is the most basic of the life of faith. If you put something other than God as the object of love, God will never appear as the God of blessing. Why are people sometimes given problems and prayer topics? Problems and prayer topics are tools to remind us not to deviate from the priority of loving God. In John 21:5, the resurrected Lord asked Peter, “Do you love me?” That question is still the question God asks. First, love God and show that love through love for your neighbor.
One day, two thirsty deer came to Ongdal Spring. However, the Ongdal Spring was too small for two to drink at the same time. Then the flower deer said to the stag deer. “You drink water first.” Then the deer answered. “No, you drink first.” After asking each other to drink first, after a while the two deer drank the cool water to their heart's content and left Ongdal Spring.
After a while, two thirsty wolves visited Ongdal Spring. Then the red wolf said, “Ugh! I came first, so I drink first.” Then the black wolf that was following me threatened me. "Hey! Don't you even know seniors? I am older, so I drink first!” The two wolves struggled like that, but in the end, both wolves could not drink water, and the springs were stained with blood.
We need more love because there are quarrels and conflicts everywhere. Love of neighbor is God's way to bless me. If you love your neighbor, you will live from your own soul and you will be blessed. If you hate your neighbor, you will die from your own soul and your blessing will disappear. Don't be angry with each other like <Popcorn in the Pot>, don't be cold towards each other like <Ice Cream in the Refrigerator>, and melt each other warmly like <Chocolate in the Summer Sunshine>.