OUTLINE:

Godly Love
- “Is my life consistent with God’s love?”
- “Am I willing to lay down my life for others, not because I am emotionally attached to them, but rather for our Father’s sake in Heaven, the way Christ did?”
- “Is my heart right before God?”

God’s Love On Trial
How many times have YOU said to God, “Show me that You love me!” How many times have you “demanded” that God reveal His love to you? And how many times have you used the EVIDENCE of His love for you as PROOF that His love for you even exists???

Ro 5:8 [Amplified Classic]
But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.

Jn 14:21
“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”

Mt 7:12 NLT
"Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.

God’s Morality In the Law
- blog -
Ro 2:20b, “having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth.” The fact is that the law is a perfect reflection of God’s holy character.

God's Law, which lays down commandments for His creation, is motivated by God's perfect Love.


The Sphere Of God
Love and the law of God coexist in the same sphere, namely, God’s essence. These are inseparable qualities (among others) that, though distinguishable individually, nonetheless always function in perfect synchronicity, harmony, and immutably.

Heaven
We will have implicit obedience because our love will be pure like God's!

Heaven
Perfect peace!

Balance Statement
Sanctification takes time; therefore, to our series title, “Undistracted devotion to the Lord” <— this, too, takes time!

Perspective
- None of us are perfect.
- Our faith isn’t.
- Our love isn’t.
- Our deeds aren’t.

Sanctification
God sanctifies our hearts (that's where it starts!). Fruit is the evidence of His love abiding in us. Increasing evidence means increased sanctification (e.g. we “keep His word” - 1Jn 2:4-5).

Sanctification
If truth ever puts us back into bondage, it’s not truth’s fault, it’s our own. Truth sets us free, by God’s design.

1Jn 5:3 [Amplified Classic]
For the [true] love of God is this: that we do His commands [keep His ordinances and are mindful of His precepts and teaching]. And these orders of His are not irksome (burdensome, oppressive, or grievous).

When Love Motivates
We do what's right in God's eyes with joy and ease, because we love Him. His commands are no longer "burdensome" to us! 1Jn 5:3

The Sphere Of Love
Anyone abiding in the sphere of love WANTS to DO what love desires. In the case of children of God, it is to OBEY their Father in Heaven.

Post- vs. Pre-Sinning Obedience
By now, most of us are pretty good at obeying the “recovery from sin” commandments in the Bible (e.g., confess, ask forgiveness, etc.); however, obeying commandments that keep us from sinning in the first place constitutes a much better lifestyle.

We need to find the righteous lifestyle that protects us from sinning in the first place.

The Whopper
We sometimes adopt lifestyles that inhibit our own sanctification. If we consistently sin in one particular area in our life, we need to step back, evaluate our lifestyle, and make appropriate adjustments.

The truth is that we lose blessings when we choose to focus our attention, and often our affections, on someone/something other than our “first love,” Jesus Christ.
i.e.- Ro 8:28