Grace Fellowship Grace Fellowship ChurchChurch

Pastor/TeacherPastor/TeacherJim RickardJim Rickard

Tuesday, May 25, 2010Tuesday, May 25, 2010

www.GraceDoctrine.orgwww.GraceDoctrine.org

DoxologyDoxology

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;Praise Him, all creatures here below;Praise Him, all creatures here below;Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.—Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.—Amen.Amen.

Memory VerseMemory Verse

John 15:13, John 15:13, “Greater love has no one “Greater love has no one

than this, that one lay down than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”his life for his friends.”

John 15:9John 15:9

The Abiding Life of The Abiding Life of Love!Love!

““Just as the Father has Just as the Father has loved Me”loved Me”

AGAPAO which means AGAPAO which means “love” in Aorist, Active, “love” in Aorist, Active, Indicative, Third Person, Indicative, Third Person,

Singular.Singular.  

It is a mental attitude love It is a mental attitude love based on the perfect, based on the perfect,

harmonious relationship harmonious relationship Christ has with the Father. Christ has with the Father.

““I have also loved you”, I have also loved you”, Jesus turns from discussing Jesus turns from discussing the Father’s love for Him the Father’s love for Him to His love for those who to His love for those who

are His disciples. are His disciples. (Relationship)(Relationship)

AGAPAO Aorist, Active, AGAPAO Aorist, Active, Indicative, Indicative, First Person, First Person,

SingularSingular - R - Referring to all eferring to all the disciples who abide in the disciples who abide in Christ and stresses the fact Christ and stresses the fact

of occurrence, not its of occurrence, not its nature.nature.

The love Christ has for His The love Christ has for His disciples is past, present, disciples is past, present,

and continues for all time. and continues for all time.

Principle: Principle: This love is founded on the This love is founded on the

principle of propitiation, principle of propitiation, providing positional truth providing positional truth

and sanctification. and sanctification.

Yet this passage takes it a Yet this passage takes it a step further, where the step further, where the

emphasis of Christ’s love emphasis of Christ’s love is on the “disciple” not just is on the “disciple” not just

all believers. all believers.

It is emphasizing the love It is emphasizing the love of Christ for those who are of Christ for those who are abiding in Him, those who abiding in Him, those who

are occupied with the are occupied with the person and Word of Jesus person and Word of Jesus

Christ.Christ.

““Abide in My love”, MENO Abide in My love”, MENO in the Aorist, Active, in the Aorist, Active,

Imperative, Second Person, Imperative, Second Person, Plural. Plural.

It’It’s an order directly from s an order directly from our Lord to remain in the our Lord to remain in the

sphere of His love.sphere of His love.

EN AGAPE, the Dative of EN AGAPE, the Dative of Sphere. A mental attitude Sphere. A mental attitude

love,love, which is free from all which is free from all sinfulness; minus mental sinfulness; minus mental

attitude sinsattitude sins. .

John 15:9, John 15:9, “Even as the Father “Even as the Father has, has, does and will foreverdoes and will forever love love Me, I also love you all; Me, I also love you all;

You allYou all abide in abide in the the sphere ofsphere of My love. My love.””

This is part three of five This is part three of five of the evidence of an of the evidence of an

“abiding life.” “abiding life.”

1) Answered prayer, vs. 71) Answered prayer, vs. 7

1) Answered prayer, vs. 71) Answered prayer, vs. 72) Glorification of the Father, vs 82) Glorification of the Father, vs 8

1) Answered prayer, vs. 71) Answered prayer, vs. 72) Glorification of the Father, vs 82) Glorification of the Father, vs 83) Residing in the sphere of the 3) Residing in the sphere of the Savior’s love, vs. 9 Savior’s love, vs. 9

1) Answered prayer, vs. 71) Answered prayer, vs. 72) Glorification of the Father, vs 82) Glorification of the Father, vs 83) Residing in the sphere of the 3) Residing in the sphere of the Savior’s love, vs. 9 Savior’s love, vs. 94) Obedience to His Word, vs. 104) Obedience to His Word, vs. 10

1) Answered prayer, vs. 71) Answered prayer, vs. 72) Glorification of the Father, vs 82) Glorification of the Father, vs 83) Residing in the sphere of the 3) Residing in the sphere of the Savior’s love, vs. 9 Savior’s love, vs. 94) Obedience to His Word, vs. 104) Obedience to His Word, vs. 105) +H, Sharing the Happiness of 5) +H, Sharing the Happiness of God, vs. 11 God, vs. 11

The pattern is the Son’s The pattern is the Son’s relationship to the Father. relationship to the Father. Jesus has set the precedent Jesus has set the precedent

for the spiritual life - for the spiritual life - “abiding love” “abiding love”

- indicating relationship. - indicating relationship.

God’s Personal LoveGod’s Personal Love::

1. God's personal love 1. God's personal love emphasizes the object of emphasizes the object of

divine love. God is perfect, divine love. God is perfect, and therefore, His personal and therefore, His personal love can only be directed love can only be directed

toward perfect righteousness.toward perfect righteousness.

a. The object of God's a. The object of God's infinite, eternal, infinite, eternal,

unchangeable personal unchangeable personal love must always be love must always be absolute perfection, absolute perfection,

(Divine Righteousness). (Divine Righteousness).

b. When we believe in b. When we believe in Christ, one of the forty Christ, one of the forty

things He gives us is His things He gives us is His +R, therefore the Trinity +R, therefore the Trinity

can personally love all who can personally love all who believe in Christ. believe in Christ.

Eph 2:4-10 Eph 2:4-10

God cannot personally love God cannot personally love the unbeliever who is in a the unbeliever who is in a

state of real spiritual death.state of real spiritual death.Eph 1:5 Eph 1:5

Grace Fellowship ChurchGrace Fellowship Church

Tuesday, May 25, 2010Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Tape # 10-058Tape # 10-058

The Abiding Life of Love, Part 1The Abiding Life of Love, Part 1Upper Room Discourse, Part 373Upper Room Discourse, Part 373

John 15:9; Eph 1:5; 2:4-10 John 15:9; Eph 1:5; 2:4-10

James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2010