HE LOVED WHEN HE COULD HAVE JUSTLY CONDEMNED

 

Psalm 36:1-12

 

God’s love means that God eternally

gives Himself to others.

 

God’s love shows that its part of His nature to give Himself

in order to bring about blessing or good to others.

 

Psalm 103:2-5 expresses this love. “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." God gives Himself by reminding us that He doesn’t forget our sufferings. “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?” Psalm 56:8

 

The Psalms remind us that God gave Himself, because they are full of Christ. The Psalms are… prophetic about Christ’s coming; but they also tug on our heartstrings to His saving work. We see this in Psalm 2:1-12 “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, "Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us."  He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, "As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill." I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”

The Psalms are to be studied and

sung by His people.

 

Why? Because the Psalms have been treasured by many Christians in many places. Athanasius said “I believe that a man can find nothing more glorious than these Psalms; for they embrace the whole life of man, the affections of his mind, and the motions of his soul. To praise and glorify God, he can select a psalm suited to every occasion, and thus will find that they were written for him.” As the ancient church said “Always a psalm in the mouth, always a Christ in the heart.”

 In this Psalm is a lament that reflects on the wicked who oppose the faithful and on the steadfast love of the LORD. In this Psalm, David tries to capture the wonder and awe of God’s steadfast love that He would save, and not condemn us all too eternal torment. Why? There are no limits to the depraved condition to which mankind falls, if left to the ways of their own wicked hearts. Man is born in corruption….depravity means “twisted, crooked” To say that something is depraved, is to say its original state is “Twisted and crooked”

 

Now this doesn’t mean…..

 

1. The Image Of God In Man Was Totally Lost In The Fall. We are created in the image of God. “With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.” James 3:9

 

2. Man Has No Knowledge Of The Person And Will Of God. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” Rom 1:18

  

3. Man Does Not Possess A Conscience Or That He Is Totally Insensible To Good And Evil. “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,” 1 Tim 4:1-2

 

4. Man Is Incapable Of Demonstrating Virtue. “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Matt 7:11

 

5. Everything We Do Is Not Prompted By Our Love For God But For Self. “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.” Isaiah 64:6-7

 

Our depravity has positioned us that we are …..

 

1. Seriously Defaced, Disfigured, And Morally Corrupt And Our Entire Body Is Polluted.  As Paul proclaimed “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Rom 7:24

 

2. We Are Hostile Towards God And We Cannot Please God In Our Disposition. “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Rom 8:7-8

 

This is the beauty of the gospel and God’s steadfast love that we see in this Psalm. That no matter how wicked mankind become, God is still greater and ready to save sinners like you and me. David in this Psalm contrasts the depravity of wicked sinners (v1-v4) with the goodness of God. (v5-v12). It’s here in this Psalm where we see the glory and majesty of God, which He extends to fallen sinners.

 

God’s love is something that David frequently wrote,

and thought about, in his life.

 

1. David Spoke That God’s Love Forgives…..”Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” Psalm 51:1-2

2. David Spoke That God’s Love Is Compassionate……”O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.” Psalm 139:1-3

 

3. David Spoke That God’s Love Is Powerful….. “I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.” Psalm 18:1-3

 

4. David Spoke that God’s Love IS Steadfast…..”For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 100:5

 

David Powlison wrote “With these words, the psalmist David attempts to capture the wonder and power of God’s love. It is something he wrote about frequently throughout his life. Yet, though he piles superlative upon superlative and pushes the limits of language, David seems to know that the love of God can never be adequately described in words. All he can do is invite others to come and taste for themselves.”

 

How do we, explain to this fallen world about the

All-encompassing love of God?

 

Because it’s surely isn’t reckless love as some seem to think! Because David says His love extends to highest of glory “the Heavens. His love is pure, holy, transcendent, and praised at the highest levels of worship and comes from the essence of God, Himself. When we look around the globe, you would think that people would be hungry to hear the answer to that question.

 

Who doesn’t want to know what God’s

love means and looks like?

 

But, unfortunately love is a word that gets thrown around like a used baseball, in secular language. And when the world comes to its conclusion of God’s love you are left with something that is thin, pale and weak. Like everything else “Lack-lustrous” But! God’s love is “steadfast”… this can be translated 'faithful love', 'lovingkindness ', 'gracious love' or even 'mercy' in other translations. This word is hard to define because it a deeper kind of love. It is a unique covenant love that only God can give. A love that never changes, never fails. Always promised, always true. A love, a mercy, a compassion, which we can trust in, regardless of what our circumstances may be. In Exodus 34:6 we read it’s abounding. “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,” 1 Chron 16:34 we read it’s endures for all eternity. “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” In the Book of Job we read its preserving. “You have granted me life and steadfast love, and your care has preserved my spirit.” Job 10:12. In Isaiah we see His love is always present. “For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.” Isaiah 54:10

Steadfast love is one of God’s divine qualities to His character.

 

Why does any of this matter? It is His steadfast love…. that is the sole driving force and glorious work of salvation. It is His steadfast love…. which reached down to sinners and sent the Son as the atoning sacrifice for humanity to be redeemed and reconciled. It is His steadfast love…. which sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost to indwell believers, reconciling them to God the Father by uniting them with God the Son through faith. It is His steadfast love which means not one sheep will ever be snatched from the Father’s hand. “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one." John 10:28-30

 

There is another word we sometimes use to express this love and that is “unconditional” we tend to toss this word around like the secular language of this word. I myself have been guilty of this and we need to be careful that we explain ourselves, when we express to others about God’s steadfast love. Because our go to answer when asked this question about God’s love; is the first thing we say its “unconditional” But as you study the Attributes of God, I’m left asking this question.

 

Is this/my explanation of God’s divine love

the best that I can do?

 

The more I study and examine the gospel in my life, I would say, “There is a better way to explain this biblical truth, than to use Christianize terms. When you think of the word “Unconditional” you think it begins and ends with sympathy and empathy, with blanket acceptance. But is that true biblically? God does not calmly gaze on you in benevolent affirmation. God’s care and love, goes beyond that to be unconditional in His love. I’m not saying “This word is wrong to use. Please, this one word speaks volumes about His love though the gospel.

 

But should we just stop there and

think that’s good enough?

 

It so much more than loving others/all equally, despite their faults and short-comings. That would be a general love of grace that God displays over all His creation. But it’s another, to understand to the superlative of God’s love that He has over His adopted children through the gospel. Though I love you all, but there is a special benevolent love I have over my family and children. And though our reaction of love is tainted by sin, God’s love is untainted by sin. As the Psalmist wrote “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 112:1-2 . As the prophet Hosea penned “Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the LORD are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.” Hosea 14:9. God’s love is unconditional, but His love is much better than unconditional.

 

1. God’s Love Is Active.

 

He decided to love you and me when He could have justly condemned us to eternal torment. This is clear in the Triune God’s relationship to mankind through the gospel. “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:9-10. God is involved, He is merciful and He pours out grace over my life. Through His redemption He accepts unconditionally by His divine love. But, He doesn’t just simply tolerate me, because of His unconditional love. His love is transforming and conforming, you and me, into the image of His beloved Son. Through His sanctification God is changing each and every one of us for His glory…..conditionally. “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Cor 3:18

 

God’s love actively does what is best, better; that was demonstrated in the Cross at Calvary. He suffered for you so…. He fights for you and defends you. And most all He is transforming you form one degree to the next. Unconditionally He loved us, and He saved us by the working of His grace. But God is not satisfied with the status-quo. God is always, constantly pushing us forward. He calls us closer in our walk with Him. Its God who pursues you and changes you for His glory. He is jealous over you and He is not detached from your life. That’s why God’s love is much better than unconditional. And if God actively loves that means he actively hates. God hatred for evil whether it’s done by you, or done to you. God demands that we respond to it. How? By believing, trusting, and obeying from a heart of joy through the gospel. Unconditional love of God is so much more than saying “You’re okay in my eyes. I accept you, just because you are you.”

 

2. God’s Love Has A Goal

 

God’s love is accepting (absolutely), yet it’s opinionated, choosy, and intrusive. As the Apostle Paul said “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Cor 5:14-17

 

Does His love go beyond unconditional? Yes, it’s powerful and purposeful. God has a goal for the sinner to cross through His redemptive plan. Again don’t get me wrong God’s love is…..Patient, a gift, and He receive you just as you are: sinfilled, suffering and confused. And though God’s love is unconditional…. it has conditions. God’s love is not dependent on what you do, it very much depends on what Jesus did for you and me.

 

Here are the conditions! 

God’s love has two requirements. 

1. Perfect obedience

2. Sin bearing substitute

 

Two requirements that every one of us fail to do, and unable to satisfy, a holy God. Jesus by His active obedience and sinless perfection to do the will of Father demonstrated that in His life and death. And it’s through His perfect work that we are loved unconditionally, because of Christ’s righteousness. This is why David could pronounce these words about God’s steadfast love (v6) God’s love reaches to the heavens and He extolled the unconditional grace and unfailing mercy to rise above the swamp of man’s sin. And God rewards us with everlasting life through the perfect work of His Son.  This love has no limits or boundaries. (v5-v6) This is what draws David to praise, in contrast to sinful men who cease to do good. (v3) “he has ceased to act wisely and do good.” The Lord’s unfailing love that is full of His abundant grace, to be poured out over a sinner you comes to Christ through the gospel. (v8-v9) A constant flow that is not satisfied with the status-quo, but constantly flowing like a fountain of abundant life. And David’s pray this for his people and this is something we need to be doing for one another as well. (v10)

 

Our great God who saves, is inexhaustible and remains

steadfast and He is our source of life.

 

This is why we are to be climbing this mountain because His love goes beyond words that describe His excellent greatness. As Steve Lawson said “The higher men set God and the lower they place themselves, the greater they will magnify the grace of God in Christ to span this great divide.” The more you climb His Mountain, the more you begin to realize that His love over me was more than just “unconditional” it was better!

 

You and I needed something better, 

than just unconditional.

You and I need the crown of thorns.

You and I need the promise to the repentant thief/tax-collector.

You and I need to know; “I will never leave nor forsake you.”

You and I need forgiveness

You and I need a Shepherd

You and I need a Heavenly Father

You and I need a Perfect Savior

You and I need to become like the One who loves you

You and I need the better love

 

And by the steadfast love of God that is what He offers you and me. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” Titus 2:11-15. Paul would go on to say to Titus. “For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:3-8

 

His love is unconditional, but His love is 

far better than just that.