Because He first loved us. That is a phrase that has been a precious phrase to us at Reformed Baptist Church of Kansas City. We've used it often. It's one of the slogans, one of the thoughts that we come back to often at Reformed Baptist Church of Kansas City. From the beginning, what would characterize us as a church and what should characterize us as a church? Because He first loved us. We love. And that verse is found in First John, chapter four, verse 19. And about a year ago, right before our first anniversary, I preached a sermon based on these verses. And now on our second anniversary, I'm going to preach from the same text again. And I'm going to assume that it's been a year and so you've forgotten everything I said. And it is recorded and it's up on our website now, but it's one of our early recordings. So it's kind of scratchy. And my voice was high and squeaky back then. It was so long ago. But I think even if everything I say today is repeated, which it won't be, but there'll be a lot that's similar to what we said a year ago, it doesn't matter. There are some things, there are some ideas, there are some doctrines that are so rich and so important, we should come back to them frequently. And because he first loved us, we love is one of those that should characterize us as individuals and characterize us as a church of God. And so we're going to go back to that today. Now, briefly, the background to 1 John and then 1 John 4. 1 John is characterized by several tests or areas of tests to let the reader know, are you a believer? Do you have assurance of your salvation? Whereas the gospel of John is written that you may believe in Christ and you may have eternal life. The epistle of 1 John is written so that those who have already professed Christ may know that they have eternal life and that they may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God." That's from 1 John 5, verse 13. Do you see the difference? So, when John wrote his gospel, it was to bring people to Christ. And when John wrote his epistle of 1 John, it was then to assure and to let you know, what does this look like now that you're a Christian? There are several tests that are given throughout 1 John, but the one area that's most emphasized is love and specifically the love of the brethren. Young person, sometimes you think, well, how do I know I'm a Christian? Especially growing up in a family that professes Christ and takes you to church that preaches Christ and the gospel is seen and you're almost expected to be a Christian. It's not always easy. So young person, how do you know you're a Christian? Well, read First John. But one of the things we learn in First John is, do you love God? And I should say older person, too. I'm afraid who to look at when I say that. But older person, you want to know if you're a Christian? Well, one of the tests would be, do you love God? Do you love Christ? Do you love Christ? And do you love his people? Sometimes his people are not so lovable. but do you love the people of God? I've repeated far too often something that Spurgeon said, love me, you love my dog. If you love God, you've got to love His people. I'll leave the dog part for you to figure out. So, when we get to 1 John 4, verses 7-21, now we have the greatest treatment of that test of love, and love being the greatest test in 1 John. And of this passage of scripture, James Montgomery Boyce, who I'm indebted to for my understanding of this passage of scripture, he said, up to this point, love is seen mostly as a duty binding upon believers. But now it's seen for what it truly is, a driving disposition arriving out of the divine nature that by God's grace is now also within the Christian. This love is a divine attribute now that's transferred from God into our hearts and then can be shown outward in our lives. It's now a divine disposition in our lives if you've come to Christ. And that's why it can be a test of your salvation. Is it there? So briefly, let me give you a road map to how I'm going to navigate through verses 7 through 21 in 1 John chapter 4. I don't find John's epistle very easy to outline. So, there may be better outlines, but this is the outline we're going to take. Here's our map. We're going to divide verses 7-21 into three sections. Verses 7-12, verses 13-16, and verses 17-21. And in verses 7-12, that's the meat of it, that's the foundation. That's the bulk of what I think we'll look at, because from that everything else flows. And in verses 7-12, the theme is love one another. We're exhorted three times in verses 7-12 to love one another, and then we're given reasons for why that should be so. Those reasons will be that love is the very essence and nature of our God, who we've been saved by and who we've been born into. Secondly, then that love of God that's His nature and His essence is then displayed in history in Jesus Christ on the cross. His love is manifest and displayed in Christ. And then presently, that love of God that's displayed in Christ is presently working in His children by His spirits. That's verses 7 through 12, love one another. Then verses 13 through 16, we will take what verse 12 says. Verse 12 says that God's love abides in us by his spirit and his love is perfected in us by his spirit. And so then verses 13 through 16 speaks about God's love abiding in us by his spirit. And we'll see how this scene outward in our lives, that we have the right confession and the right doctrine of Christ and we have love for the brethren. And in the last section, verses 17 through 21, we'll see love's perfection in us. And that's seen outwardly in our confidence, in judgment, there's no fear in love, and in our love for our brethren again. That's a lot to swallow, but I think it's good to see all of that. We're going to see loving one another, and then God's love abiding in us by the Spirit, and then God's love being perfected in us. So that's a roadmap. Let's get behind the wheel then and try to travel these wonderful verses 7 through 21, and we're going to try to do this in 30 minutes, and that's far too short, but bear with me. In verses 7 through 12 then, we'll read these, understanding in verses 7 through 12, I think the foundation to it all, that John says, love one another, and he exhorts us three times, see if you can pick it out, and he gives us reasons for those exhortations. Verse 7, Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and he sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time if we love one another. God abides in us and his love has been perfected in us. I think you see the love one another's in there. So the first part, the first love one another in verses seven and eight, we see that love is the very essence, the very nature of God. But we also see in verse seven that God is the source of all love. In verse seven, it says, Beloved, let us love one another for love is of God. You understand what that means? All love flows from God. He is the source of all love. Even the love of the non-redeemed, of the unconverted. When we see mere pagans, for lack of a better word in my mind, who love each other in a family. A parent loves his or her child. A husband and wife love each other. Children love their grandparents. In a family where Christ is not known, don't you see love there? Don't you see the grace of God there? Why is that? because man is made in the image of God. Shattered though that image may be because of sin, there's still an image of God there that through that image of God and God being a God of love, love flows even there. God is a gracious and caring God who provides love and is a source of love even when Christ is rejected. But when you're born of God, the God of love, then that love that flows through you is a supernatural love that the world can't understand. It goes beyond just the normal everyday but still enjoyable love that people know. Implied in that then is, because remember this is part of the test of love, if you do not know this supernatural love, if it's not displayed in your life, then you must not be born of God, the God of love. So God is the source of all love, but the main point of this section of the love one another is that God is love in verse 8. And also in verse 16, it's repeated, God is love. It doesn't say that God is loving. It says God is love. Love is not merely something God does, but it is who he is. Do you see the difference? Do you see why it's important? What that means is that love permeates all that he is and all that he does. God is eternal, but he's eternally loving. God is infinite, but he's infinitely loving. God is holy, but in his holiness, he is all loving. Everything he does, everything he is, is permeated by love. God is love. Now, a wonderful thought occurs from this. It is evidence of the triune nature of who God is in Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Now, young people, Do you ever scratch your head when you try to think about God being Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Three persons, but all God? Now, if I said, older people, and asked that question, you'd have to say, yeah, I've got a bald spot here because I've been scratching my head so much about that. It's hard to fully grasp who God is in His triune nature, but the fact that God is love is evidence that He is a Trinity. Augustine says, for God to be love necessitates the persons in the Godhead to express it. For God to be love necessitates the persons in the Godhead to express that love. Let me put it this way. Love requires an object or an action, doesn't it? And before anything was created, what existed? What always existed? I should say who always existed with a capital W to give you a hint. God. God is full and complete. He lacks nothing. He wants nothing. He needed to create nothing for himself. He had everything in himself. And so for him to be love, but then to be by himself, that implies that within the Godhead there are persons to share that love among each other. Now, if that was the only proof you had of the Trinity, it would be hard to prove it, but I think it's a wonderful thought to pursue, and we see perfect love within the Trinity, the I am God, I always was, I am, I always will be, I'm fully self-contained, I need nothing, and I am a God of love, and it's shown perfectly within the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as they love one another within the Trinity. What does that have to do with us? Well, for you, Reformed Baptist Church of Kansas City people that go all the way back to our beginning. Do you remember what we first studied in our worship when we started meeting together in a living room of some poor soul's house? Do you remember where we started? John chapter 17. in the prayer of Jesus before His Father on behalf of His people before He went to the cross. That wonderful chapter in John 17. And when we looked at that, what does He pray for the church before He goes to the cross? And whatever Jesus prays is probably according to the Father's will and probably will happen. And so we can take great comfort in what He prays and then to say, let's do it. Let's fulfill what He's praying. And remember, we had six marks of the church from John 17. Do you remember what those six marks were? It's been a while since we've reviewed those six marks, and they might be different depending on who preached it. But what I preached for several weeks, the six marks of the church were joy, holiness, truth, mission, and what the last two were? Love and unity. The specific order we took them in was joy, holiness, truth, mission, unity, and love. Those were the marks of the church that Jesus was praying would be fulfilled, and that's what we should be pursuing. At the end, where it gets hard to understand is the unity aspect. What's it mean to be unified? But we saw that it was a unity of holiness and love. Jesus defines this unity we're to be pursuing and that he prayed for, that we'd be unified as a people in holiness and love. And the neat part about what that was is that unity of holiness and love reflects the Trinity in its unity of holiness and love. The Trinity is separated from sin, but united in love. And so then the Church of God is to be separate from sin, but united in love. I won't go through the whole sermon, but I hope that that reminds you of some things we talked about a couple of years ago. With that being said, turn to John chapter 17. We have to read the ending of that prayer because what we will see here in John 17 verses 20 through 26, we'll see then Jesus speaking of that unity and holiness and love that we're to be unified like the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are unified. And we're put into that unity and then we receive the love that the Father has for Christ, that same love Jesus is praying would be given to us And so you have this wonderful picture, how the people of God are then united in the Trinity and their unity and their love. And it's just a glorious thought. We can't pursue it any farther today, but I will. I would like to read this in John 17, verses 20 through 26. Jesus is saying, I pray not only for these, not just for my disciples, but for all Christians, but also for those who believe in me through their word. that they may all be one as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be one in us. That the world may believe that you sent me." I like that. That the world may believe that you sent me. There's a reason for this unity. And the glory which you gave me, I have given them, that they may be one just as we are one. This is Jesus speaking, I in them and you in me, that they may be made perfect and one and that the world may know that you have sent me. Do you see the wonderful unity there and the purpose for that unity? But listen to this, and have loved them as you have loved me. Isn't that great? The same love the Father has for the Son has been prayed that we might know that love as well. Father, I desire that they also, whom you gave me, may be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which you have given me for you loved me before the foundation of the world. Oh, righteous father, the world has not known you, but I have known you and these have known that you sent me and I have declared to them your name and will declare it that the love with which you love me may be in them. and I in them." Do you remember that from a few years ago? The amazing thing about this passage of Scripture in the context of God being a God of love, and God being a God of love is evidence of Him being triune, is that, do you understand what's going on here? When we come to Christ, and we're placed into the family of God, we are then plunged into the perfect love of the Trinity. Do you catch that in this passage of Scripture in John chapter 17? The very love of the Trinity. We now are plunged in and united with God in the midst of the Trinity and we're plunged into love, the perfect love of the Trinity. Amen. Think about that during the day. And beyond, we said a couple of years ago that love then is the greatest mark of the church. It makes us most like Christ and it holds together all the other marks, the truth, the mission, the joy, the holiness, love unites all of those. And someone said, and I've lost who said this, but someone said love is the glue that holds the church together. The aroma that attracts the lost and what makes us most like Christ. Love is the glue that holds the church together, the aroma that attracts the lost, and what makes us most like Christ. I think we see those first two points in John 17, verses 20 through 26, that love is a glue that holds the church together and the aroma then that attracts the lost. So they would know that you sent me, is what Jesus is saying. That's what makes us most like Christ, which will lead us to the next point. But then understand, because God is love, let us love one another. The second love one another in verses 7-12 is in verses 9-11. And I think what we see in verses 9-11, if you look in verse 9, it says, in this the love of God was manifested toward us. That means displayed, put on display. And he goes on then to say that it was manifested through Christ. who is sent for us and on the cross in full display of God's love, that we might have salvation through Him. And so, whereas God being love is love in all of eternity, now in history, that love of God, the God of love, is displayed in Christ Jesus on the cross of Calvary. We see that in verses 9 through 11. In verse 9, God declared Himself to be the God of love through Christ on Calvary. He manifested His love. He declared Himself to be the God of love through Christ on Calvary. The cross is God's public display of love for the world. And it's a wonderful encouragement for us. Look to Christ. Look to the cross to see the love of God. Augustinus again said, the cross is the pulpit from which Christ preached God's love to the world. The cross is the pulpit from which Christ preached God's love to the world. In verse 10, it says in this is love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. And so through the cross, we see the love of God. And through the cross, we can show the love of God to others. And through the cross, we're then brought into the family of God, adopted as his sons and daughters, like we spoke of last week. And so, yes, God is a God of love. Therefore, we should love one another. And because God displayed his love through Christ on Calvary, we should love one another. The third point in verses seven through 12, God is working presently. We said of God's love being eternal in him and being shown in history through Christ. But now, presently, God is working his love in his people by his spirit. In verse 12, we read, No one has seen God at any time. It's almost like there should be a but here, by the way. But if we love one another, God abides in us and his love has been perfected in us. That abiding means indwelling. And I think it's implying the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that when you come to Christ, the Holy Spirit lives within you, then to sanctify you and to teach you and direct you. And in this case, then to have the love of God be abiding in you through him. And then verses 13 through 16 amplify that. The abiding of the spirit of God, placing the love of God in us and perfecting it. And so God is working his love in his people by his spirit in the present time. Now, we have already spoken of the Trinity, about how God being love implies the Trinity and how, oh, it's such a wonderful thought that we are plunged into the love of the Trinity. Well, we know from Ephesians chapter 1, we looked at that last week, that all three persons of the Trinity are intimately involved in your salvation. Doctrine is a wonderful thing when you understand how it applies. Oh, that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit all personally have interacted with you to see you come into their family. It's the same thing in our love. Do you see in verses 7 and 8, I think the emphasis is on God the Father, His love, And then in verses nine through 11, the son's love is then shown on the cross. And in verse 12, the spirit's love is abiding within us. And so the father, the son and the Holy Spirit are active in us to see that the love of God is showing forth in our lives as his people. And then we are adopted in the family of God by the spirit being at work in us. And the spirit is then making us more and more like Christ. It's been said that the spirit of God takes the word of God to make the child of God more and more like the son of God for the glory of God. It's kind of catchy, isn't it? The spirit of God takes the word of God to make the child of God more and more like the son of God for the glory of God. And that's part of what this abiding of the Spirit in us and then God's love abiding in us does, because it makes us more and more like Christ in our love. That's part of the Holy Spirit's working. It is abiding in us and perfecting that love in us. But also, there's something else that's subtle here in the very first part of verse 12, but I think it's rich. The Spirit's abiding in us includes making God and God's love being known through us. In verse 12, John writes, no one has seen God at any time. Seems like a funny thing to say in the midst of all this, doesn't it? No one has seen God at any time. But then he says, if we love one another, God abides in us and his love has been perfected in us. That word for perfected means to be completed, to be made full, to be made brought to fruition, to be known fully. What John is saying here is no one has seen God at any time. God is Spirit. You can't see God. But when we love one another with the love that's infused in us by the Spirit of God, God is seen in us. Do you see that? Do you see the privilege and the responsibility we have as the love of God flows through us that God who cannot be seen now is seen? Yes, God displayed His love on the cross of Calvary. for all to see, but now He's infusing His love through the Spirit into our lives. So now He can be seen through us when we love one another. Do you see how important that is? And I have to ask a question. Does the world look at us and see the supernatural work and love of God in us to be drawn to the God of love? Does the world see that in us? Oh, as we pray for one another, that should be one of the things we pray frequently. May the love of God flow through us, that the world may see the unseen God through us as we love one another, and we love Him, and we love the lost. So God is love, therefore we should love one another. God displayed that love through Christ on the cross, therefore we should love one another. And God is working His love in us and through us by the power of His Spirit. So we should love one another. That's the first section. That's the foundation to everything else. And so then in verse 12, it outlines, I think, the rest of our passage of Scripture, 13 through 21. Because in verse 12 it says, if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. And so verses 13 through 16 gives us more details about what does it mean for God to abide in us by the power of his spirits and using his love? What does that mean? How does that show forth? And then verses 17 through 21 is then giving us details of what does it mean then for God's love to be perfected in us? And how does that look as it shows forth? So let's look at it. Verses 13 through 21 in that manner. In verses 13 through 16, we have more details about how God's love abides in us by his spirit and shows forth verse 13. By this, we know that we abide in him and he in us because he has given us of his spirit. And we have seen and testify that the father has set the son as savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love. And he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Now, we've already seen the spiritual role in all of this, I think, from verse 12. But let me remind you of Romans chapter 5, verse 5. which says, the love of God has been poured out in our hearts. The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given us. I hope I'm not the only one loving this, but we saw earlier how we are plunged into the love of the Trinity, the perfect love of God in the Trinity, but now we see then that perfect love of the Trinity is poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who abides in us. And then I think in verses 13 through 16, we see two, at least two. But since our time is limited to effects, then it happens through that abiding of the spirit and his love through us. In verses 14 through 16, we see then that the abiding of the spirit and his love in us is seen outwardly in our confession and our right doctrine of Christ Jesus. We read that We testify that the Father has set the Son as Savior. We confess that Jesus is the Son of God. We know and we believe the love of God for us. So when one has the love of God flowing through him, then the right ideas and the right confession of Christ then flow out of him. That's part of the whole package of salvation. It's also remember in first John, we're looking at tests of our salvation. If you can't confess who Christ is, then you don't dare call yourself a Christian. If you don't know what that means, you have to confess the right Christ and the right Son of God. And so God's love given to us by the Spirit causes us to testify rightly of the Son as our Savior and as the Son of God. Such a salvation knows and believes the love that God has for us. And so the love of God in us produces the right confession of Christ. And this fits in with what we talked about a few weeks ago. That love then produces a desire for us to know him better and to know him rightly. We've been praying for one another that we'd be filled with the knowledge of his will and our wisdom and understanding and that that knowledge would grow even more. I think the Spirit's love that's infused in us then causes that desire to know him more and to know him rightly. The second thing, which is kind of hidden, I think, in this passage, but it does transition us to the last section of scripture. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God and God in him. Implied in that is, if God's love abides in us, then we will love the brethren. We will love one another. Abiding in love implies not just loving God, but loving God's people. It's an evidence for our salvation, as all of these tests of love are. But then loving God's people then takes us to the last section, verses 17-21, because that's where John then gives us more details about God's abiding love being perfected in us. What does that mean? And how does that look as it flows out of us? Starting in verse 17, love has been perfected or made complete or made full or shown fully among us in this, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. If someone says, I love God and hates his brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother whom he can see, or has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God must love his brother also." So here we have a section that's commenting on our perfection of love, the perfection of love that's being wrought in us through the abiding spirit. And again, that idea for perfected means The idea of bringing to completion the fullness of the love of God in us. More and more seeing the love of God being shown in us as it should be. And the Spirit does this as we grow, as He makes us more and more like the Son in our adopted family. How do we see this? Well, in at least two ways that we see here in this passage of Scripture, in verses 17 through 21. At least two ways we can see this then. First, in verses 17 through 18, this love that's being perfected, that is being brought to the full, is seen in our having confidence in judgment. Knowing the love of God through the Spirit and through Christ brings boldness in the day of judgment. We just sang that wonderful hymn, and can it be, at the end, where you want to sing louder and maybe put up higher, although the tune we had, we couldn't go any higher. Bold, I approach the eternal throne. I have confidence before God because of the love of God that's been shed in my heart and the salvation that's been brought to me. I have confidence. What do I have to fear? And so the spirit working his love through us then brings that to fruition, that we have confidence in judgment. We have confidence in the face of fear. In fact, that love casts out fear, John says. The love of God displayed by Christ and now infused in us by the Spirit disperses the darkness and it casts out fear. And as we're sanctified by the Spirit, we know and then we exercise that love and it becomes more and more perfected in us. God's love is not meant just to be thought about or to be relished. It's to be used and to be exercised as we exercise the love of God for Him and for our brethren and for the lost. It becomes all the more apparent and all the more full, and it grows and grows and grows. Therefore, because we have no fear in judgment, let us love one another. The last evidence, the last way of seeing this love is in verses 20 through 21. It's seen outwardly then, as we've seen all throughout this passage, haven't we? It's seen outwardly in that we are to love our brethren. In verses 20 and 21, we read, If someone says, I love God, but he hates his brother, he's a liar. For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God must love his brother also. So we see then that the outward perfection of this love that is seen in unloving our brethren, We cannot say we love God who we don't see, if we don't love our brother who we can see. If we love God, we love God's people. You love me? You love my dog? You can't have it both ways. And if you're saved by the supernatural love of God, you will supernaturally love both God and his people. But it's interesting, isn't it? Even though the Holy Spirit gives us a new heart and the love of God is infused in our lives so that it's natural, so to speak, for us to supernaturally love because we've been born of a supernatural God with supernatural love. Why in the world then does he turn around in verse 21 and then command us to love? It's not only natural for us as believers to love, but then in verse 21, it's commanded that we love our brethren. Does that seem a little funny? If you love God, you will love your brethren. And I command you to do so. But that's the nature of our God. We're not perfect yet, are we? And we need to be commanded. We need to be reminded. We need to be told, even though it's natural for the believer with the spirit abiding in their new heart to supernaturally love their brethren, we are commanded to do so. It's expected, but it's commanded. The law is the law of love. Yes, but it's still the law. that needs to be obeyed out of love. And so we're commanded to do so, and we're happy to be commanded to do so. But it ought to give us more pause to think and be committed to loving our brethren. It's a command. And we've been given all of these resources to do it. Look back to everything we've seen. God is love. He displays his love in Christ. And that comes to us. He infuses his love through the spirits. We have no fear in judgment. And we're to love our brother. We have all these resources and all these encouragements. And so when he commands us to love our brother, it's not a burden. His commands are not burdensome. So to love our brethren. I skipped over verse 19. And so as I close, I'd like us to look at verse 19. Now, you may notice that when I read verse 19, some of your versions may say, we love him because he first loved us. But I think most of our newer versions, the him is not there. Some people think it's implied. I don't think so. I think it's we love. It's not just love him, but we love because he first loved us. It's broader and deeper than just just loving him. We love because he first loved us. And so hidden in the midst of this section is really the theme of that whole section in verse 19. We love because he first loved us. I said before, this is something that's been almost a slogan, one of the slogans we've used in our young church's life. We love because he first loved us. I want you from this point on, whenever you see that on the bottom of a letter, an email, because he first loved us. Wherever you see that on a website, I want you to think of all that we've looked at in this passage from verses 7 through 21 about the richness of God's love and how he's displayed it and infused it and how it's such a wonderful resource and encouragement to us and it's meant to be used. If we have a catchphrase, because he first loved us, don't let it just be a catchphrase. Remember to unpack the meaning behind that. Because he first loved us, because Because of God alone in his glory, we love and we serve him with all our heart, soul, strength and mind. Because he, he who is the source of all love and is love, is in his very essence love and his very nature love. Because he first, by his nature of love, then he moved first to redeem a sinful, helpless, undeserving, even dead people. Because He first loved. He moved first to raise us to a new life in love. A love displayed by Christ and infused into us by the Holy Spirit. Because He first loved us. Us! Not just me. Not just you by yourself. But He loved us. Together. To make a people of God all His own. Because He first loved us. We love. We love so that He and His love would be on display in our lives and in us as a church to the world as we love Him and as we love one another. So because He first loved us, let us love one another. Let us pray. O dear Loving, and merciful and sovereign Heavenly Father. Nothing else really can be said. I don't know what else to say. Your word is sufficient. Your love is more than sufficient. We stand in awe that the God who is love, who needed nothing and needed no one to show that love and to know that love, created us. And then in our sin, we fell But that same God who is love, He showed His love through Christ on the cross for us, that He might bring us to Him. And then He infused that love into us by the Holy Spirit, that then that love might flow through us and out of us, that we might love one another. We might love you. We might love the lost, so that the world might see the unseeable God because of the love of God in us. O Lord God, make it be so. I pray, Lord, that You would empower by Your Spirit, Your love to be flowing through us in all holiness, but in all love, that the purity and the love of God would be seen in us as Your people and be the aroma that brings the loss to Christ and be the love that makes us more and more like Christ. And Lord, if there's anyone here who does not personally know this love that conquers sin, that conquers wrath, that conquers hell, that conquers death. May this be the day that you pour the love of God in their hearts and redeem them from their sin and bring them into the love of God and the family of God. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.