Narrative Themes: The Love Of God Lesson 3

                                     The Power Of God's Love

Regarding the love of God, we have laid a good foundation. Now I want us to begin to see that God's love is not only revealed in our lives, but it has a powerful effect within our lives. When we truly get a revelation of the love of God, that revelation performs miracles in our lives. Let's now look at some bible stories and see these miracles.

 

The Love Of God Casts Out Fear 

1John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. 

What is it that drives fear out of our lives? The love of God. 

So what do we learn from 1John 4:18? The opposite of fear is not courage; it is love. 

The love of Christ is something very powerful in our lives because where there is love, fear and torment cannot exist. The most free and powerful people in all the earth are those who have a deep revelation of the love of God. 

      Now let's look at a bible narrative that explains how the love of God casts out fear 

John 20:19, 20 On that evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 

What I so love about this narrative is that even though it is a story, it is a picture of a spiritual work God performs in all of our lives. You see, the bible says the disciples were in a room with the door locked. Why is the door locked? Because the disciples are afraid of the Jewish leaders. In other words, they are afraid the same Jews who killed Jesus is going to kill them to stamp out the testimony of Christ once-and-for-all. And when it says "the doors were locked," it is implying, the doors are shut and bolted, the shutters are closed tight, the candle is out. They are doing everything they possibly know to do to conceal where they are hiding. And they are doing all of this because they are afraid.

So what does this room represent? The prison of fear. Those places where fear tries to captivate us. I believe we all have places in our heart where fear tries to hold us hostage; where fear tries to immobilize us; where fear tries to hold us in a place of captivity.

Yet, going back to our story, what does Jesus do? 

Vs. 20 Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. Jesus stepped into their room of fear, pronounced peace, and then revealed to them the cross. See my scarred hands. See my pierced side. Behold the markings of the cross. 

Though this is a story, it is a picture of a spiritual work Jesus performs in all of our lives. 

As we mentioned, this room the disciples are in represents our prisons of fear. For some of us, it is the fear of rejection. For some, it is the fear of man. For others, it may be the fear of failure. We all have places in our lives where fear tries to dominate and hold us in spiritual bondage. 

Yet, what does Jesus do to set us free from these prisons? He brings the revelation of the cross.                      He steps into these imprisonments with the revelation of the love that was in God's heart when He sent His Son to the cross. 

Ultimately, here is what I am saying: the more we understand the love that was in God's heart when He sent Jesus to the cross, the more the revelation of that love drives fear out of our heart. The Holy Spirit is going to continually reveal to us the love of God behind the cross because He knows the more we get a revelation of that love, the more it is going to dispel fear from our hearts. 

The Love Of God Dispels Unbelief

John 20:24-28 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my fingers where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." A week later the disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Stop doubting and believe." 

In John 20, after Jesus reveals Himself to the disciples, the very next story is Jesus revealing Himself to Thomas. Here is what I want us to recognize: just as the disciples were in the prison of fear, Thomas is in the prison of unbelief. He stated emphatically, Unless I see the scars in his hands and wound in his side, I WILL NOT BELIEVE! This is the prison of unbelief. 

I am certain that all of us who are disciples have areas in our life where we struggle with things like doubt, unbelief, and questions regarding the faithfulness of God. If God is so good and so faithful, why is He choosing to work like this? I am struggling to understand why He would work this way. It seems so unfair and unjust. I believe there are times we all struggle with these kind of questions. 

Yet, going back to our story, what does Jesus do in Thomas' life?

Jesus stepped into Thomas prison and brought the revelation of the cross.

Put your fingers here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Stop doubting and believe.

Please keep in mind, though this is a story, it is a picture of how God works in our lives.

How does God free us from those deep, inward prisons of doubt and unbelief? He brings into these prisons the revelation of the cross. He steps into these places of confinement with the revelation of God's love behind the cross. 

I remember hearing a wonderful Pastor named Henry Blackaby share a testimony that brings this out so well. Both his wife and daughter were stricken with terminal cancer. The doctors gave both of them only months to live. Henry struggled and fell before the Lord, asking, "Oh God! I served you so faithfully! Why did you allow this to happen?! Both my wife and daughter at the same time?! Why?!" 

Henry Blackaby then said, "God answered my prayer, but not in any way I thought or imagined. He simply gave me a deeper revelation of the cross. He gave me a deeper understanding of the love that was in His heart when He sent His Son to die on the cross."

Henry declared, "That revelation was so penetrating, I found myself on my knees telling the Lord, 'Even if you take my wife and my daughter, I will still love you. I will still trust you. I will still serve you. Yes, their loss is going to hurt deeply, but it will not change my relationship with you. I will still love, trust and serve you. You are my God." 

There are some questions and doubts so deep, only the revelation of God's love behind the cross can dispel them. It is not explanations that we need, because even explanations would not soothe the doubts and fears in our heart. It is the revelation of the love of God, that He loved me, and died for me, that soothes my doubts and calms my fears. 

Well, can I tell you the rest of the story? Reverend Blackaby said, "After I got on my knees and declared, 'Even if you take my wife and daughter, I will still love you,' that is when the Lord completely healed them. 

Sometimes when we are seeking explanations, God doesn't explain why. He just points back to the cross and says, "Trust me."