October sermon of the month:
True Love
Romans 5:6-11

Jim Bishop, a newspaper columnist, wrote a story about a real event that occurred at the turn of the century. It was about a young couple that was preparing to catch a train. It was a cold winter day and snow was on the ground. As they walked across the tracks, they both laughed and talked, as do young people. She then looked at him and asked, "What is true love?" He gave her a dictionary answer, and she looked at him and laughed, saying, "You don't know what true love is!" They continued laughing as they rushed across the tracks. But as they got halfway across, her high-heeled shoe got caught in one of the tracks. It was so cold that they couldn’t loosen the multiple buttons on her shoes. They pulled and pulled, trying to free the high-buttoned shoe loose, but the shoe would not budge. Seeing the approaching train, the young lady fainted. The young man held her in his arms, but he was young and there still was time for him to run across the tracks. He saw the train coming closer, and, realizing that he would not be able to save the girl, he buried her head into his bosom and shouted out amidst the roar of the train, "THIS IS WHAT TRUE LOVE IS!" as he stayed there and died with her.

When we read Romans 5:6, we hear Jesus shouting to us, above the roar of the cross, “THIS IS WHAT TRUE LOVE IS!” Everything that God has done for us centers around His love! But what is the love of God? Reverend Brian Bill asked the question, “How do we define it?” Reverend Bill acknowledged that human love is generally a response to the conditions and circumstances around us. We love because someone pleases us or because they’re good looking or because they make us laugh. By contrast, God loves us because that’s the kind of God He is. Period! Nothing in us causes Him to love us. Matthew Henry has said that, “The great God not only loves His saints, but He loves to love them.” Just think – we were ungodly and spiritually weak. We were without strength, but Christ died for us.  The word “asthenes,” which is translated, “without strength,” means “weak, worthless, useless, helpless, destitute, and powerless.” We were enemies of God because of the sin that was in our lives. Before we accept Christ as our Savior, this was the description of our lives. We had no desire to change. We were not only helpless, but also vile. We were irreverent and impious, and we refused to acknowledge God as God!

It doesn't matter that we considered ourselves good by man's standards. Before we accepted Christ as our Savior, we were sinners. We were not righteous and we were not good when Christ died for us. In Romans 3:23, we are told that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. In Romans 6:23, there is only one response to our sin – it is death. But in due time, right as the train of destruction was about to overtake us, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Galatians 4:4-5) The Scripture is very clear in 2 Corinthians 5:21, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” He died for us. At the Cheesecake Factory, there is a chocolate cake that is so good, so delicious, so mouth watering, that they call it “Death by Chocolate.” The idea is this: That cake is so good, it is worth dying for! We sometimes use the expression, “It’s worth dying for!” to express our fondness of something. This misguided saying is only an effort to convey the height of our enjoyment for that object. It is the strongest language to reflect our feelings about it. But most of us would not actually be willing to die for chocolate cake or a great car! Love is demonstrated the best in sacrifice, and that is what Christ did for us! 

When comparing God's great love to the love of man, Paul said in Romans 5:7, “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.” But Christ was willing to die even for his enemies. The word, "scarcely" indicates that it would be difficult to find someone who would be willing to make such a sacrifice. But God's true love is reflected here: "God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) But it didn't stop with His death; every believer who receives the work of Christ on Calvary becomes justified by the blood of Christ. This allows us to be saved from the wrath of God. Colossians 1:14 explains that in Christ, "…We have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins." Romans 5:10-11 – “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.”

Consider this story of sacrifice
During the war in Vietnam, a young West Point graduate was sent over to lead a group of new recruits into battle. He did his job well, trying his best to keep his men from ambush and death. But one night when they had been under attack, he was unable to get just one of his men to safety.

The soldier left behind had been severely wounded. From their trenches, the young lieutenant and his men could hear him in his pain. They all knew any attempt to save him – even if it was successful -- would almost certainly mean death for the would-be rescuer.
Eventually the young lieutenant crawled out of hiding toward the dying man. He got to him safely but was killed before he could save himself.

After the rescued man returned to the States, the lieutenant’s parents heard that he was in their vicinity. Wanting to know this young man whose life was spared at such a great cost to them, they invited him to dinner.

When their honored guest arrived, he was obviously drunk. He was rowdy and obnoxious. He told off-color jokes and showed no gratitude for the sacrifice of the man who died to save him. The grieving parents did the best they could to make the man’s visit worthwhile, but their efforts went unrewarded. Their guest finally left. As the dad closed the door behind him, the mother collapsed in tears and cried, "To think that our precious son had to die for somebody like that!" Think about it; Jesus died for somebody like you and me! That, My Friend, Is True Love!

Would you like to know how to receive Him and experience His true love? Turn in your Bible to Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
If you are willing to put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of His blood, right now you can receive His salvation!

Please let us know if you’ve made a decision for Christ and we will be happy to send you some information that will help you begin your walk with the Lord!