Let's turn back now to that passage of scripture we read to the first epistle of John chapter number four and we can read at verse number 10 taken in the previous verses from verse seven but let's read verse 10 and this is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent a son to be the propitiation for our sins and so on.
When we met last Lord's Day we were looking at Paul's second letter to Corinthians and chapter five and I made it clear that morning that we are going to be looking at some of the benefits of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ and to do so to kind of build up a picture of the significance of the cross for our own personal experience and not only to be informed by what the Bible says about the cross,
but to learn to appreciate the great need that we have of the finished work of the Lord Jesus and we saw the way in which God reconciles us to himself by making Jesus the one in you know sin to be sin and that we those who do not know righteousness become the righteousness of God in him.
There is that transfer.
This evening we want to look at these verses and this whole book written by John.
It's a very warm letter that he writes.
It's full of a sense of the love of God and it's full of a sense of the church being the family of God.
And as we read through the letter, John has a particular focus in mind and perhaps there are two things in particular that he wants to bear in mind as he writes this letter to them.
And as we read at the beginning of the letter, we see that he refers to fellowship or communion, the fellowship that he has himself with the Father and with the Son, Jesus Christ,
and writing so that they may also have the same communion and the same fellowship.
And that kind of understanding of the church as the family of God is sharing in the very things that John himself shared in as somebody who experienced the life and witness of the Lord Jesus.
When we come to chapter 5, we see once more that he has the desire to write these things to them at verse 13,
so that you will know that you have eternal life.
What a great purpose.
We have the whole word of God and it is for that purpose.
But specifically in this letter, John makes it clear that he wants his hearers, as God wants us this evening,
to know that we have eternal life.
And as he writes the letter, perhaps we can notice by way of an adduction that in order to help them to understand
that they are the children of God, that they belong to God's family.
There are three particular tests that he pulls together through this letter to show to them what must be true
if they are the genuine children of God.
And there is the theology test or the Christology test,
the test of their understanding who the Lord Jesus is.
A crucial test.
If they get that wrong, and if you and I get that wrong,
then everything else is going to be a model.
But if we understand something about who Christ is and what God has done in him,
then we have the foundation for a life lived as the children of God.
The second or third test, the second we can look at as the kind of moral test,
how do you live your life if you're the child of God?
How do you live your life as the light of the world?
Your life must be different.
There is a moral test.
And thirdly, there is a social test which connects with the passage this evening.
That is that they are to live together as the people of God in a particular way.
And if these three things, if they pass these three tests,
then they can be assured that they are the people of God.
And for ourselves, as we worship God this evening,
if we ourselves pass these three tests,
we can go home with the confidence that God is telling us
that we are the children of God.
And so against that background, we want to think this evening of the cross of Jesus Christ
and the message of propitiation.
I want to think, first of all, of the design.
God is the great designer.
He has designed what the church should look like.
And as we read from verse 7 onwards,
we see something of God's design for his church.
And the design comes before us with this exhortation by John in verse number 7.
Let us love one another.
And just like Paul speaking about love,
we understand and believe that John will understand love in the context of the Old Testament
and not so much from the culture in which he was writing this letter.
The Old Testament love that speaks of the free movement of God,
of searching an object to love,
of spending his energy, as it were,
for the good and well-being of that object,
and in self-sacrifice,
ensuring the well-being of the person now chosen as the object of love.
Let us love.
But here the love is not for us to love God in return for his love for us,
but it is to love one another.
And he is speaking to the community of faith.
He is speaking to the family of God.
He is speaking to the church of Jesus Christ,
for them to love the people next to themselves,
those who share family membership with them,
those who are themselves the children of God.
And as we think of ourselves as the church of Jesus Christ this evening,
here is an exhortation for us to take on board
and to allow our hearts to be examined by what the Word of God is saying
when it's telling you and I to love one another.
And it may, on the surface, be quite a simple test.
But if we do allow the Word of God to examine us as we should,
then what appears simple is actually quite searching.
that you tonight and I tonight can say with regard to all of the people of God
that we love them as we love ourselves, as we love our Savior.
It's a high standard.
It's a standard that God expects us to reach.
It is the standard that works in the family of God.
And the reason why it is, the standard,
or the first reason why it is the standard is
because love is from God.
We are the children of God this evening
because God has poured His love into our hearts,
according to Paul in Romans 5, by His Holy Spirit.
There is an invisible channel from God in heaven
into the hearts of His children,
an invisible channel through which floods into their hearts
the very love of God itself.
It's a generous supply of the love that there is in God.
And tonight, as the children of God,
we are recipients of that love.
Connected to God.
But these verses tell us,
as so much of the Bible tell us,
that we are not just to be recipients.
That we ourselves are to be conduits or channels
for the love to reach others.
And it is such a beautiful thing
to experience the love of God in Jesus Christ.
And to be caught up with my Savior
and all of His preciousness
and in all of His beauty.
It's a great place to be in.
But we are not to stop in that place.
We are not going to forget that place,
but we are not to stop there.
Tonight, God requires you and I
to be the conduit,
the channel through which that love
touches other people.
And that makes the test of our love for others
the question to be answered not by ourselves,
but to be answered by the other person.
Are we conduits of God's love to others?
How much does the person next to me
feel that God's love flows through me
and touches their lives?
God's design, that's how it should be.
That's how it is in the natural family.
And much more so now,
it should be in the family of God.
God, that our family membership
ensures that we have family relationships
and that these relationships
are bound together
with the love that is from God.
And when John is setting the standard for them
in God's design for his church,
he reverses his argument
in order to show that
if they're not loving,
then certain things
are simply not true.
Anyone who does not love
does not know God
because God is love.
If we're not loving one another this evening,
if we're not loving the other person,
it means that we don't know God.
We may know about God.
We may learn a lot of detail
and have a lot of knowledge about God,
but we don't know God relationally
as his children
who are born into his family
by the power of his spirit
and because of his love.
If we don't love,
we don't know God.
And that turns the whole picture
into you and I
examining this evening
whether we do have that
living, personal relationship with God,
that relationship of faith
and of love
and of trust
that's living
and that's real.
And because of that,
anyone who does not love,
does not know God
because
God is
love.
If we're born of God,
we know God.
We are
the product of the love of God.
And as
John says in the beginning of chapter 5,
if we love
the Father that has begotten us
through whom we are born ourselves,
then we love
all of the other people
who are born into his family.
Love
is from God
and God
is love.
His very
existence
is a
continuous,
constant
being
that is love.
all of his actions
are loving.
And the God
who is love
in that way
is the God
who channels
his love
into the hearts
and lives
of his own people.
To the extent
that we can nearly
say
that the child
of God
is love also.
Because the love
that is
now channeled
into our hearts
as the children of God,
God,
it is the eternal
love of God
that will never
come to an end.
And because
it's that kind of love,
then our hearts
must be loving.
Loving God
who loved us first
and loving
brothers and sisters
in the Lord.
God
is love.
He is the
spring
and the source
of all the love
that works
in the church.
And that love
now evidences
itself
by showing
itself
in the lives
of the children
of God
who love
each other.
And as we
mentioned
in chapter 5
verse 13,
he's writing
to them
that they may know
that they have
everlasting life.
And in chapter 3
we read
that John
is saying
to them
that we know
we have passed
from death
to life
because we love
the brethren.
There's an assurance
in loving
the brethren.
There may be
some here tonight
and myself
one of them
and one of
the first
tokens
or evidences
of God
working in life
is a love
for the people
of God.
We cannot be
the children
of God
without loving
the people
of God.
God's
design
to know
in our heart
that we love
the people
of God
and to know
because we love
that we know
we have passed
from death
to life.
The design.
Secondly
I want us
to think of
disorder.
Something is wrong
and something
has gone wrong
and verse 10
refers to the
thing that has
gone wrong.
Here's the
propitiation
for our
sins.
Here is
disorder
in God's
creation.
John tells us
in chapter 3
that sin
is lawlessness.
It's rebellion
against God.
It disrupts
our relationship
with God.
It's an
inner attitude
through which
we want to
serve ourselves
and to not
God
sin is
lawlessness.
And that
sin has
come into
the world
that God
created in
all of its
beauty.
In the
beginning
the earth
was without
form and
void
and darkness
covered the
face of the
deep
and then
God said
let there be
light
and there
was light.
chaos
becomes
order
in accordance
with God's
design.
The beauty
of God's
creation.
But sin
intruded
that world
of perfect
beauty.
That world
of perfect
environment
for us to
live in.
Sin intruded
through the
sin of Adam.
And the
Bible makes
it clear
in Romans
5
that
because of
that
intrusion
of sin
that we
are all
sinners.
One man
sinned
death
entered
and death
came upon
all because
all have
sinned.
And this
evening as
we think
of our
responsibility
to love
God and
to love
the people
of God
we have
to come
face to
face with
our
sinnership
and with
the fact
that there
is no
neutrality.
There's no
one here
sitting on
the fence
and deciding
what to do
with the
gospel because
they have
the free
choice just
to dismiss
or to
accept.
It's not
like that.
All of us
together
are listed
as those
who have
sinned
against God.
and when
I see
the way
in which
sin
intruded
God's
perfect
environment
two
particular
things
stand out
for me
in that
account
in the
Bible.
The first
is that
it has
affected
man's
relationship
with God.
Adam is
hiding from
God.
There is
disorder.
It also
affects
Adam's
relationship
with Eve.
They are
covering
themselves
because
they are
ashamed.
What was
beautiful
and in
order
has been
turned into
chaos
because of
the sin
of Adam
and the
sin that
becomes
the sin
of
humankind.
And let's
tonight
absorb
that simple
truth
that we
are all
sinners
before God.
the rest
of the
Bible
means
nothing
to us
unless
we
absorb
that
and
embrace
that.
The
disorder.
And the
key thing
is what
is God's
response
to the
disorder?
Is God
with all
respect
sitting as
a bystander
and watching
the world
go into
chaos and
is unaffected
by what
happens?
Well the
Bible tells
us that
is not
the case.
And the
God who
is love
in these
verses is
the God
in chapter
one who
is the
God who
is light.
And light
speaks to
me of
the salvation
of God
shining into
a dark
world.
But light
also speaks
to me of
the holiness
of God.
Of the
light that
came down
in the
Old Testament
and the
people of
God
weren't
allowed to
touch or
come near
the mountain
in case
they were
destroyed.
The
holiness
of God.
God is
light.
And I
need to
be aware
as we read
the word
of God
that God
is not
the unmoved
mover of
everything
but that
he is
moved by
everything
that happens
in his
own
creation.
that when
he created
the world
at first
he saw
everything
including
humankind
and God
saw everything
and it
was all
very good.
As soon
as God
created
there are
new
relationships
that belong
to the
creation
in which
we live
and there
is this
relationship
of delight
in what
God
himself
has done
and
now
I'm
expecting
that there's
a different
response
because of
your
sinnership
and mine
and what
is that
different
response?
It's what's
at the
center of
our
understanding
of
verse 10
it is
the wrath
of God
and as
Paul says
in Romans
1
the wrath
of God
is revealed
from heaven
against all
and godliness
and righteousness
of men.
There is
a breaking
forth
of another
channel
and it's
the channel
of the wrath
of God
a wrath
that is there
because of
his holiness
a wrath
that is now
focused on
every sinner
in the world
as the object
of his divine
wrath
and the wrath
that speaks
of
destruction.
The writer
to Hebrews
says that
our God
is a
consuming
fire
and that
we are all
waiting for
the day
of the
judgment
of God
and the
revelation
of the
divine
wrath.
God
is
moved
by our
sin
and he
is moved
in his
wrath.
There emerges
something new
in our
relationship
with God
because of
the entrance
of something
new which
is our
sin
and that
something new
is the
wrath
of God.
God
and we
can remind
ourselves
that
wrath
is not
the opposite
of love.
Hate
is the
opposite
of love.
There is
the God
who is
love
constantly
continually
forever
but there
is the
God
now
who is
holy
who is
angry
with us
because
of our
sin.
And as
surely
as there
is no
place
of
neutrality
as far
as our
sinnership
is
concerned.
There is
no
place
of
neutrality
as far
as the
wrath
of God
is
concerned.
His
wrath
is not
diverted
from you
unto the
next
person
and you
are to
be
left
without
any
sign
of the
wrath
of God
resting
upon
you.
Each
and every
one of
us
together
this
evening
because
of our
sin
we are
the
objects
of the
wrath
of God.
And that's
why Paul
says in
Ephesians 2
that we
are by
our very
nature
the
children
of
wrath.
The
wrath of
God
is resting
upon us.
And what
does that
make us
see?
The
wonder
of the
mystery
of God.
The
God who
is love
unchangeably.
the God
who is
holy
unchangeably.
It's the
God now
who is
expressing
himself
in a
new way
toward
us
because
of our
sin.
It doesn't
change his
love.
It doesn't
change his
holiness.
But there
is a
new
relationship.
The
disorder
and the
impact of
the
disorder
on
God.
And perhaps
at this
very moment
it's a
moment for
contemplation.
A moment
for silence
because this
is what
God is
saying.
And this
is how
he sees
us
because of
who we
are.
And a
moment of
contemplation
to allow
the voice
and the
being of
God to
shine into
our
darkness
and to
awaken us
to the
reality of
our plight
as those
who have
sinned,
as those
who are
the objects
of his
wrath,
and as
those who
are hissing
through this
world at
what sometimes
feels like
some
horrific
rate
into
an
eternity
when we
will
meet
with
God.
Can you
tonight be
disinterested
in the
message of
the gospel?
Is it
possible for
you to
listen and
not to be
moved and
not to
think?
To think
about who
you are
and to
think about
who God
is.
The
design,
the
disorder,
and thirdly,
the
demonstration,
the show,
the display
of God's
response.
What will
God's love
do in the
light of your
plight?
what will
God's love
do in the
light of
his own
wrath?
Is God's
love going
to cease
working because
of the
intrusion of
sin?
We see
love
working in
this new
magnificent
way,
and that's
what we
have in
version number
10.
And this
is love,
not that we
loved God,
but that he
loved us
and sent
his Son.
the
response to
his own
wrath on
the part
of God
is not
to abandon
us and
to leave
humankind
into its
lostness and
final judgment,
but as
the missionary
God to
send his
missionary
Son into
the very
world of
disorder and
of chaos.
And the
holy and
the beautiful
Son of
God becomes
God's
missionary
ambassador
into God's
world in
order to
deal with
the disorder
that sin
has brought
into the
world.
And we
should never
lose sight
of the
significance
and the
mystery and
the beauty
and the
glory of
the Son
of God
coming into
the world.
His
birth
in
Bethlehem.
Not any
other child
that we
can celebrate
their birth,
but the
entrance of
the Son of
God into
the world
because God
so loved
the world.
God's love
responds by
sending his
Son.
God sent
his Son to
be the
God
world.
And how
does this
channel work?
What happens
when love
comes down
in this
way?
God sent
his Son
to be the
propitiation
for our
sins.
A big
word.
A word
that we
can shy
away from.
But it's
the word
that God
uses.
It's a
crossword.
It's a
word that we
need to
understand.
If we are
to understand
the love
of God,
the
propitiation
concerning
our sin.
And in
John's
culture,
and in the
pagan culture,
propitiation
was something
that people
were familiar
with.
And we're
familiar with
it because
propitiation
is something
that happened
at the
pagan temple
when something
went wrong
and the
God needed
to be
appeased.
The person
who offended
is to
bring a
sacrifice
or a
payment
to the
pagan
temple
in order
to appease
the wrath
of the
God who
is offended.
And so
it is
the offender
that brings
the sacrifice
to the
person who
is offended.
And that
highlights
the beauty
of this
initiative
of God's
love.
That in
our
lostness
and in
our
wrath
and our
disorder,
God does
not wait
for us
to take
the
initiative
because
if he
did,
nothing
would
ever
happen.
But God
himself
not only
takes
the
initiative,
he
himself
makes
the
provision
so that
his own
wrath is
taken
away.
he provides
his son
so that
the son
becomes
the
sacrifice
who
suffers
for sin
and turns
away his
wrath.
death.
And part
of the
miraculous
event
that takes
place when
that happens
is that
the God
who is
to be
propitiated
is the
God who
provides
the sacrifice
and the
sacrifice
is his
own
son.
And when
we read
the story
of the
cross,
the only
begotten
son who
came into
this world
of disorder,
he is
the son
upon whom
God laid
the iniquity
of us
all.
That's
what we
read in
Isaiah
chapter 53.
And it
was the
will of
the Lord
to crush
him,
he was
crushed
for our
iniquities.
That the
channel of
the eternal
wrath of
God
is
redirected
so that
it lands
on the
passion of
his son
and the
fullness of
the wrath
of God
is poured
out on
the son
of God
in order
to appease
the wrath
of God
and in
order to
bring about
the
calmness
of our
restored
relationship.
Jesus
on his
way
to the
cross
he had
a prayer
which he
repeated
three times
and the
prayer was
because
there was
a cup
the father
was giving
to him
a cup
that's
described
in Isaiah
52
as the
cup of
wrath
and as the
cup of
staggering
because of
the eternal
wrath of
God
and God
is taking
that cup
and going
to place
it in the
hand of
his son
as he
goes to
Calvary's
cross
and Jesus
knows
that the
cross will
be a
staggering
experience
he knows
that the
cross will
be a
crushing
experience
because in
the words
of Revelation
14
he's going
to drink
the cup
of God's
wrath
poured
full strength
undiluted
he's going
to drink
the cup
dry
and we
go to
Calvary's
cross
and we
read Psalm
22
and we
see something
of the
staggering
and the
crushing
of the
body
of the
son of
God
on
Calvary's
cross
with his
heart
melting
with his
bones
being out
of joint
the sheer
weight
of the
eternal
wrath
of God
and darkness
surrounds the
cross
that's what
wrath means
isolation
is experienced
in the cross
separation
from God
that's what
wrath means
the depths
of the
distance
that
Jesus
experienced
between
himself
and God
the father
on Calvary's
cross
is the
measure
of the
wrath
of God
my God
why have
you
forsaken
me
he suffered
in her
place
he suffered
the wrath
of God
and there
is a
word
that Jesus
uttered on the
cross
and it's a
word that
speaks of
calm
it's a
word that
speaks of
calm for
him
but it's a
word also
that speaks
of calm
in God
the wrath
is turned
away
and when
Jesus said
it is
finished
it was
done
he had
drank the
cup
to its
dregs
he had
satisfied
the wrath
of God
and the
God
whose
response
to the
disorder
of sin
and his
own wrath
was to
sing to
son
it's
now the
God
if we
can speak
so with
reverence
it's
now the
God
himself
knows
what it
is to
be
calm
with regard
to his
relationship
with those
who are
his people
and that's
what Isaiah
refers to
in chapter
12
as we
close
I will
give thanks
to you
oh Lord
for though
you are
angry with
me
your anger
is turned
away
and you
comforted
me
where has
the change
taken place
has it not
taken place
in two
places
your anger
was turned
away from
me
that's the
beauty of
the cross
that's what
it means
for you
and for
me
who are
under
the wrath
of God
that God's
anger
is turned
away
we cannot
ignore that
that's so
precious
but the
change
also
takes place
in the
prophet
and in
the sinner
and the
person
who comes
to Jesus
you
comforted
me
with the
same
calm
with the
same
peace
with the
same
sense
of
being
the
children
of God
and tonight
that's
why
the call
for us
to love
one another
is important
and it's
important
because
no matter
how a
relationship
with other
people
becomes
disordered
by something
going wrong
we have
the example
of God
our Father
that the
disorder
brought about
by our
sin
didn't bring
an end
to his
love
but that
instead
he showed
his love
in a new
and unexpected
way
and tonight
we can go
from here
as those
who are
beginning to
appreciate
more and
more
what the
love of
God
looks like
and when
something
happens
and when
things do
go wrong
and when
somebody
hurts me
and when
somebody
gives me
every good
reason
not to
love them
to come
back to
the cross
and to
see how
God's
love worked
it doesn't
stop working
it finds
new ways
to overcome
and so
let's be
inspired this
evening as
we leave
here to
love the
Lord of
course in
the first
place
and to
love one
another
and through
the challenges
of life
to have
our own
love working
in new
and different
ways
as we
fulfill
God's
design
as the
people of
God
loving
one another
in the
chaotic
world in
which we
live
and how
the world
needs
a church
that is
functioning
in accordance
with God's
design
to see
something
and perhaps
to feel
something
of the
love that
flows
from you
as a
close I
was going
to quote
this verse
which I
just came
across today
it's from
the hymn
God is
love
let heaven
adore him
and with
this I
close
God is
love
and though
with blindness
sin afflicts
the human
soul
God's
eternal
loving kindness
guides and
heals
and makes
us whole
sin and
death
and hell
shall
never
over us
final
triumph
gain
God is
love
so love
forever
over the
universe
must reign
may be so
in our hearts
may be so
in our world
and may we
give glory
to God
by loving
him
and loving
one another
may God bless
his word
let us pray
most gracious
God we
worship your
name
you are
the God
who has
done
wonderful
things
who has
made yourself
known
in the
special way
in your
son
and we
rejoice
in that
and help
us oh
Lord God
tonight
to love
and return
help us
to embrace
to receive
help us
to rejoice
in the
message of
salvation
and help
us to seek
you with all
of our hearts
that we may
find peace
and rest
in you
and know
the calm
of your
wrath being
turned away
and have the
joy of
knowing that
we are the
children of
God indeed
bless our
hearts in
that way
we pray
as we
journey on
from here
and bless
our hearts
as we
journey on
to the
week as
it unfolds
before us
have mercy
we pray
and hear
us
we pray
these things
for Jesus
sake
Amen
concluding
psalm is
psalm 122
in the
Scottish
Psalter
it's on
page 416
and we're
singing at
verse number
6
psalm 122
at verse
number 6
and the
tune is
Belmont
pray that
Jerusalem may
have
peace and
felicity
let them
that love
thee and
thy peace
have still
prosperity
we're singing
from verse 6
to the end
of the psalm
to God's
praise
peace and
In some felicity
Let them not love
Beyond thy peace
But still prosperity
And for thy wish
That peace may still
Within thy walls remain
And ever may
Thy policies
Prosperity retain
Now for my friends
And brethren see
Peace be in thee
I'll stay
And warm the hands
Of God our Lord
And sing thy good
Amen
I'll go to the main door
After the benediction
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
The love of God the Father
And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
Be with you all now and forevermore
Amen