God’s Love

Ephesians 3:16-19, NIV
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.


Introduction: It is always heartwarming to hear the word love. However, all love is not the same. There are three Greek words that describe love. First, there is eros, passionate love with sensual desire and longing. Second, there is philia, the love of friendship. Third, there is agape, a total commitment or sacrificial love. This is God's love.


1. The width of God’s love.
1) Plains are broad, and valleys are narrow.
2) Some people are broad-minded, like a plain, while other people are narrow-minded, like a valley (Pr 14:30).
3) The infinite love of God is wide (1Jn 4:7-9). He welcomes all sinners and abandoned people who come to Him (Ro 3:22).
① A Samaritan woman by the well in Sychar (Jn 4:13-14).
② A woman caught in adultery (Jn 8:10-11).


2. The length of God’s love.
1) The beginning and the end of the invisible universe (Job 11:8-9; Jer 31:3).
2) God is compassionate and slow to anger, because of His love (Ps 103:8-9; 2Pe 3:9).
　
　
3. The height of God’s love.
1) God wants us to be a person of character, complete in faith, not lacking anything
(Eph 3:16-18; Mt 5:48; Eph 4:13).
2) He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who truly loves him is careful to discipline him (Pr 13:24; 29:15).
3) The height of God’s love takes care of us through discipline and rebuke (Heb 12:5-11).


4. The depth of God’s love.
1) To love a person deeply means to care for that person.
2) To love a person deeply means to participate in that person's suffering (Ro 12:15).
⊙ The difference between sympathy and love - Jesus cried with Martha and Mary
(Jn 11:33-35).


Conclusion: Our faith and hope will be complete in heaven, and our love will grow deeper in heaven. The world and everything in it will pass away, but God’s love will remain forever.