393 - Believe in God's Love for Us#
393 - Believe in His Love for Us
(JP Text Group - Shalom Compilation)
The topic of sharing is: Believe in His Love for Us
1 John 4:16-19
16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 19 We love, because He first loved us.
Let us begin with a prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you. Thank you for preparing this wonderful time for us, your children, to come again into the temple, to come before you and offer our worship and praise. Holy Spirit, lead us, grant us grace and provision as we look up to the Lord, so that we may walk into a new week with your strength. Only by receiving your love can we live out the love of Christ. You have placed this love within us, making us strong and empowered. We commit the rest of the time to the Holy Spirit to comfort us. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen.
This month is called the month of gratitude. Why can we be thankful to God? It is because we know that at any time and in any place, there is a Heavenly Father who loves us forever. Human emotions can diminish or even disappear due to circumstances, locations, and other uncontrollable reasons, but God's love for us never changes; it transcends time and space! Those who believe in Jesus express all the truths that God gives us in one word: love, right? In one sentence, it is because God loves us.
People often ask why God created this world? Because God loves you. Why does God provide us with various supplies? Because God loves you, Hallelujah! It is not that we only think God loves us after we are healed from illness or after we pray and receive various blessings. No, we must first know that God loves us and then believe that God loves us.
Many people only stay at the level of knowing God's love. How many people know God and know Jesus? The Jesus they know may not be the same as the Jesus you know. We know Jesus, so why do we still come to church? Because we want to know Jesus more. When we know Jesus more, we understand that God loves you, Amen.
Just like between a husband and wife, you know he loves you, so why do you still expect him to say it? Why say it again today when he said it yesterday? Can it be said just once at the wedding? Many people do this; they say "I love you" at the wedding and never say it again. It should be said often.
God's love for us is also telling you every day. How can we know? Through the Bible and by listening to sermons, we can know that God loves us, Amen. According to what the Bible tells us, we have come to know and believe the love which God has for us. What does this mean? When we see Jesus, we know that our Heavenly Father loves you. But just knowing is not enough; we must also believe, because knowing without believing does not benefit us much. Are there many people who know Jesus? There are many who know these two words! But how many people have truly experienced Jesus' blessings? Very few.
Many people say they know Jesus, know the Bible, and even know various doctrines, but do you know how much Jesus loves you? God has written so many doctrinal truths to show that He is a God who loves us. If we receive various truths and become proud and arrogant, it is of no benefit; you only know God but do not believe that He loves you. We receive the Bible and the truth, and besides knowing Him, we must also believe that He is a God who loves us. Because only when a person truly believes will they sincerely act according to God's words, right, brothers and sisters?
Someone might ask how can this be manifested? Let’s use love between men and women as an example. For instance, if a man really likes a girl and knows that she likes a certain color of clothing or a specific brand of ice cream, what will he do? He will go to great lengths to find and give it to her because he believes that such a gift will surely please her.
How do we know this God and believe in this God? You can know Him when you listen to sermons, and believing in Him is the part you are willing to live out in your life. Every day in life, we make choices. When faced with problems and unsure whether to choose A or B, we should look at how God wants us to act in the Bible. If we believe and act according to God's words, we will surely be blessed. This is knowing Him and believing in Him, Amen.
Let’s look at a passage from Hebrews 6:4-8:
4 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. 7 For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled receives a blessing from God; 8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.
Let me ask the brothers and sisters, is this passage addressed to believers or non-believers? If you think it is addressed to believers, be careful, because what is the outcome mentioned later? Being burned means eternal hellfire! Is salvation related to behavior? It is unrelated.
Let’s look at something mentioned in this passage: concerning those who have once been enlightened, tasted of the heavenly gift, partaken of the Holy Spirit, tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come.
Such people know Jesus, and it can even be said that they have tasted Jesus' grace, right? But brothers and sisters, have you ever thought about this: does a person who has been healed by Jesus and has experienced Jesus' blessings necessarily believe in Jesus? As we just mentioned, knowing God and believing in God are different.
To speak for myself, I spent nearly three years in the church, I knew Jesus, and I even knew more than many believers. At that time, I was so annoyed by those who believed in Jesus, they chased after me, talking to me about Jesus every day, urging me to believe in Jesus. To refute them, I began to study the Bible, and I really studied it more seriously than they did, quickly finishing reading the entire Bible and checking various materials, with the sole purpose of refuting them and leaving them speechless, and I really did.
I often went to church, but only for one purpose: to see what problems the person speaking had. After he finished speaking, I would start to refute him. Many times, I left him speechless. Did I believe at that time? No. I was very clear in my heart that I did not believe in this Jesus. I thought that those who believed in Jesus were just boring, a spiritual crutch, and that there was no such thing as heaven or hell in the world. That was my thought at that time. So knowing Jesus and believing in Jesus lead to completely different outcomes. You can know Jesus, but if you do not believe, the outcome is still not being saved.
If you know Jesus, will you experience Jesus' blessings? This is possible. You see, many people before they knew Jesus, when they encountered problems they could not solve, would worship all kinds of gods. But once they know Jesus, when they encounter difficulties, they treat Jesus like any other god. Such people only know Jesus but do not believe in Him.
Only when you believe in Jesus do you know who He is and what He can bring you. As I mentioned earlier, there are too many people who only know Jesus, know that God loves them, and always talk about Jesus loving you, the Heavenly Father loving you; they all know this, and they may even say they have been enlightened and tasted the heavenly gift, heard others' testimonies, and seen others' testimonies, but they do not believe. This is the problem.
The passage continues, saying that if they fall away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance. What does this mean? This person clearly knows Jesus and knows that Jesus loves him, that He shed His blood on the cross for his sins, but he just does not believe. For such a person, how can he be made to repent again? If you tell him about Jesus' cross, he will say, "I know, I know even more than you!" What else can you tell him? Therefore, such a person cannot be made to repent again because he knows everything but does not believe.
Isn't this person quite scary? He knows even more than you, argues with you more, and can pull out a whole set of scriptures to talk to you, yet he does not believe. And we know that we really do not have as much biblical knowledge as he does; we know that Jesus loves us. This is why those who simply believe in Jesus have more testimonies in life than those who have knowledge. Knowing Jesus is a good thing, but believing in Jesus is even more important. You must believe that the Heavenly Father loves you. It is mentioned that if they fall away, they cannot be made to repent again; it is not that God does not give him a chance, but that he himself does not want those opportunities.
Because they crucify the Son of God again and put Him to open shame. What does this mean? He knows everything but does not believe. We call such people willfully disobedient, and it is truly a pity for them. The passage gives an example: just like a field that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled receives a blessing from God.
What does this mean? For believers, knowing Jesus and believing that He loves us and being willing to act according to God's words, your heart is like a field, and God will often send down rain. If you are willing to act according to God's words, you will receive blessings from God; but if you hear these truths and are unwilling to act according to these truths, or even say you do not believe these truths, what will grow will be thorns and thistles, close to being cursed, and the outcome will be burning.
In this world, there are many theologians who study the Bible every day but do not believe in Jesus and do not believe that our God loves them. It is truly a pity because their outcome is also close to being cursed, and the end will be burning. We hope that everyone comes here not to learn a bunch of theological or biblical knowledge, although these are important, but to transform these into God's love for you, Amen. The more truths you understand, the more you should conclude that God loves you more and more. Our Heavenly Father loves us, and the greatest manifestation of this is the cross.
1 John 4:9-10:
9 By this, the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins; this is love.
Everyone must remember that love is a verb, not a noun. A verb must bring forth action, Amen. Why do we need the Heavenly Father to love us? Because without His love, we cannot live. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, prepared the Garden of Eden, and placed Adam and Eve in it. God's love continuously poured out upon them. But they chose not to believe in God, believing instead the devil's lies, which ultimately led to God having no choice but to drive them out of the Garden of Eden.
From that moment on, Adam and Eve began to have problems, such as facing death, various disputes, and pain, and they needed the Heavenly Father's love to help them, Amen. Everyone must remember that the Heavenly Father's love is the answer to all problems. How can you forgive this person? They hurt you so badly in the past, and when you see them, you hate them so much. How can you love and forgive them? With the Heavenly Father's love, you can easily forgive them; otherwise, it is truly impossible. This is something that the law can never accomplish, Amen.
How can you lay down your life for this person? If you are under the law, you would have to calculate whether it is worth it for you to die for him or if it benefits you or him. But if you love him, you will willingly lay down your life for him, Amen. What we just mentioned is actually Jesus' love for us, the Heavenly Father's love for us. We have no life, and the Heavenly Father wants to give us His life. How does He give it to us? Through Jesus.
We have always said that God's justice and grace must go hand in hand. Grace without justice is indulgence. When the Heavenly Father loves us, the first thing He must accomplish is the justice of the law because we all carry sin; we are born with sin. Everything we think is completely opposed to God. Sometimes we complain to God, thinking that it is not our fault, but His. God wants to save us and give us His life, but He must first resolve our sin problem. He sent Jesus into this world to accomplish God's justice, because only when this justice is fulfilled can His grace be poured out upon us, and He can never leave us. Only then can we fully receive this love.
Otherwise, why would people love you? Because you are a sinner, and God cannot be with you. Even if He is very willing, He cannot be with sin. Therefore, we can conclude that the moment we believe in Jesus, Jesus' precious blood washes away all our sins, Amen. The Holy Spirit can dwell in your heart; otherwise, the Holy Spirit cannot coexist with sin. Do you understand this? You are a person with the Holy Spirit. The moment you accepted Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwelled in you, which indicates that sin is no longer in you; sin is no longer your master. This is the mark of God's love for you!
If the Holy Spirit dwells in you, it proves that God's love is always with you. If you do not understand this, you may doubt whether God loves you, especially when your prayers are not answered. You might think God is punishing you or that He dislikes you because you are not good enough. Brothers and sisters, never have such thoughts about God; He only has love for you, Amen.
Not everything in life is beautiful. When you experience the lows of life, God is with you. Even when you are in the valley, God has not abandoned you. When one door closes, God will open another, bigger door for you, Amen. Believe in God, know that He loves us, and our lives will be different; our thoughts and actions will be different.
Let me give you an example. In the Bible, there is a man named Joseph. When he was a teenager, he believed that God would do great things through him in the future, and that his parents and brothers, as well as all of creation, would bow down to him. This vision in the heart of a young boy proved that he knew he was not an ordinary person but someone significant, right? This young boy was destined to be a remarkable figure, and he could not help but express this inner joy. Who could he tell? Only his brothers and family. What happened after he told them? The people around him did not believe him and even mocked him. His brothers became jealous and sold him into Egypt.
Brothers and sisters, from a human perspective, Joseph was treated unfairly. I want to share from God's perspective that God was continually opening doors for Joseph, ultimately leading him to the position of prime minister in Egypt. If he had followed his own thoughts, could he have reached that position? It would have been impossible. He would have preferred to stay in his father's tent, enjoying good food and play, living that way for his whole life. Because he had that thought, when God gave him the vision, he believed it and was very certain that God would accomplish it. When you believe this way, God begins to work in you.
What is the first step of guidance? First, He had to sell you into Egypt! Since He wanted you to become the prime minister of Egypt, wouldn’t you have to go to Egypt first? Going to Egypt was not like people say, riding in a carriage or on a horse or camel; it was being sent there for free. Isn’t that how it is from God's perspective? Yes, it is. Many times we say, "Lord, give me this great blessing." He says, "Okay, you have this thought, and I can't wait. Here you go," and God throws you from this place to that place. You say, "I don’t want this; I want to go back. I can’t take it; this is not what I imagined!"
When Moses went to save the Israelites, didn’t the Israelites cry out to leave Egypt? When Moses came to save them, he said, "God told me to bring you out of Egypt." Soon, Pharaoh learned about this, and he began to increase their burdens. What was the people's reaction at that time? "Moses, who told you to come and increase our burdens? You have not saved us at all; instead, you have made our burdens heavier! Stay away from us; we don’t want to see you again!" If Moses left, could they still go out?
This is the difference between the Israelites and Joseph. Joseph believed in his heart that the doors God opened for him were correct. He knew this God and believed in this God, Amen. Thus, when he was sold into Egypt, he was seen by others in the market, and he did not complain to God. He always believed in this God, knowing that the path God opened for him was the best. Although he particularly wanted to see the outcome, since you want it, God’s best path for you is to place you in the position of prime minister in Egypt. Wouldn’t you first need to get to know the relevant people? He was directly arranged into the house of Potiphar, a trusted official of the Pharaoh, to train there first, starting from the grassroots level. Isn’t that the idea?
How do many Christians think? "Lord, I want to stand in a high position and have many people admire me." God says, "Okay, having this thought is good, but you must start from the grassroots level and be trained." "No, I can’t take that." That is because you only know God but do not believe in Him enough. Joseph believed in this Lord, and in any environment, he had hope in God. Of course, from a human perspective, one always hopes for better circumstances, not to encounter troubles, always hoping for good. Joseph was the same; although he was a slave, he worked diligently and made his slavery look very presentable, almost not like a slave.
His master made him the steward. Wasn’t that a breakthrough? This door seemed good. Then God slammed the door shut again! He left him with one door; where was that? The prison. Just when he thought he had a little hope in life, bam, he was sent to prison. Could he endure that? Could he still believe in this God?
We keep talking about the Heavenly Father loving us, knowing that Jesus loves us, and knowing that all things work together for good to those who love God. Many people shout this slogan, but when real circumstances come, can they believe? "God, I know you still love me," without complaining. "I can’t see through this matter now, but one day, I will understand."
At least Joseph was like this. When he got to prison, he diligently acted as a prisoner, even serving others for free, answering their doubts. When others complained, he said, "It’s okay; I will pray for you; I will interpret your dreams." Is there such a happy prisoner? If he did not have the comfort from God and did not believe in God, he would have complained like everyone else, wouldn’t he? He spent a long time in prison, and it seemed like there was no end to it. Of course, Joseph also particularly hoped to get out. One day, he finally interpreted a dream for someone, saying, "In three days, you will be released." But I have one request: "When you get out, don’t forget me!" The person said, "Okay, okay, don’t worry. I won’t forget you." And then he left.
What I want to say is, if someone says something similar to you, don’t believe it. God’s timing is not yet; even if he wants to remember, he cannot. Some people forget you; don’t hate them. Can everyone understand this? It is not that he wants to forget; it is that at that moment, God cut the line in his mind, and he can no longer remember you. One day, at the right time and place, God will reconnect that line, and he will say, "I suddenly remembered a young man; I forgot him. He helped me a lot before. I actually did such a thing," and he will feel very guilty and hurry to get him out.
When he came out, he happened to solve Pharaoh's biggest problem at that time. Wasn’t the timing and place just right? God made this happen. If you cannot see this clearly, think about how many times you could have chosen to give up amidst so many pits and difficulties. Let’s not even talk about how great Joseph was or how great his achievements were; can you walk through this period? If you say, "Lord, I also want great blessings," God says, "Okay, I have heard you; I want to accomplish this in you. Come on, start walking." After believing in God, can you move forward? If you say yes, then learn one thing: no matter what happens in the future, do not complain, because the ending is not yet here! Amen. Jesus is the beginning and the end. Hallelujah! It is not the end yet; do not complain about your life. This is not the end; even death is not the end. Amen.
There are some things we may not understand at the time, such as the death of a loved one or a close friend turning against you. At that moment, you may not see clearly, but later, you will definitely see God's good intention in such matters because He loves you! Hallelujah! You know Him and believe in Him; He will never let you be ashamed. Some people leave your life because God wants to prevent some bad things from happening, Amen. One day, when we completely come out of these situations, we will believe. You must believe that the Heavenly Father loves you; He is willing to protect you. Only His love will not disappoint you. God has already seen your future and prepared the best ending for you!
When we look at things, we only see a very small part of it, but God stands above life and sees your entire life, so He arranges the best path for you. Hallelujah! You can expect that what God gives you is definitely the best. Because our God will not give us second-rate blessings but the best blessings! From this point, we must believe that only He can love us this way and is willing to help us this way.
But sometimes God knows that some things are not good for us and does not accomplish them for us. If your prayers are not answered, do not complain to God, okay? Because this matter may not be the best for you right now and may even harm you. When will it be? When you can bear this blessing, God will place you in that position, and you can receive the best blessing. You will become a help to many people and will also receive this great grace. What God gives us is definitely the most suitable for us.
But one thing is that you prayed, and God heard. Do not doubt anymore. "Lord, did you hear my prayer?" I can tell you with certainty that God has heard all your prayers. And when God hears our prayers, He does not listen like a person listening to another person. For example, we may have some things in our hearts that are troubling us, and the child next to us keeps nagging, saying, "Mom, can you buy me this?" You say, "Okay." After a while, he says, "Mom, didn’t you say you would buy me this?" You say, "When did I say that?" "You just said it!" "I didn’t say that!" Did we forget? Because when we listened, we were not paying attention; we were busy with our own things and casually agreed to him, and as a result, when the child said it, we said we never said it.
But our God would never do such a thing. Whenever you call out to Him, He listens seriously. After hearing, God arranges your life very seriously and will accomplish this blessing in the best way for you. This is our Heavenly Father's love. Since our Heavenly Father gave you the best Jesus from heaven to love you and to save your life, everything else is really not difficult for Him, Amen.
How did God create the material things that people pursue in this world? He created them with His words. We want to eat some tropical fruits or very precious snow lotus, thinking they are too precious. But is this difficult for God? The heavens and the earth are just created by God’s words; this is not difficult at all! God’s greatest love is Jesus. He has given you Jesus; everything else is really not the most important to God. He is willing to give it to you. This is something we must believe, Amen. We must understand God's love. Let’s look at a passage from the Bible, in Luke 15, the parable of the prodigal son. You all know about the younger son, right?
Let’s look at this passage, Luke 15:12-13:
12 The younger son said to his father, "Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me." So he divided his wealth between them. 13 And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.
I think everyone is familiar with this passage. This is the younger son living with his father, feeling that his father does not love him, so he wants to leave. Brothers and sisters, do you know that many times, parents' hearts are easily hurt because they have given so much for their children, but the children do not appreciate it at all and instead trample on their dignity and hurt them with their words? This is the saddest time for parents.
The younger son did exactly this. The father provided him with everything—food, drink, and everything. One day, the younger son said, "Father, give me my share of the estate." This statement is not a big deal in our country, but in Israel, it is very serious because dividing the estate must happen when the elder is about to die. Before dying, he would call all his children to his bedside, divide the estate among them, and then die. Isn’t that what Abraham did? Before he died, he arranged this matter, put his legs on the bed, and left, how carefree!
What is the situation now? The younger son could not wait for his father to die; he could not wait. In fact, this statement means that he could not wait for his father to die. It means that his father is too healthy, and he cannot see his father sick or dead. He is fed up and says, "Why don’t you die? I can’t wait any longer; hurry up and give me my share of the estate." He does not want to see you. This is the meaning.
If your child is like this, can you bear it? As a father, there is a right that if a child dares to say such words, he can be taken to the city gate and handed over to the elders. As long as it is confirmed that this matter is true, he can be stoned to death. This was the law at that time. But the father, because he loves this son, said nothing and divided the estate among them. Not many days later, the younger son said, "Finally, I have received my inheritance." This inheritance belongs to whom? It belongs to his father! But he feels entitled to it, takes this inheritance, and goes to a distant country. There, he squanders everything and wastes his wealth.
He thinks this life is wonderful. Some say the younger son is really ungrateful. Yes, we can judge them, and we can even judge how the Israelites do not cherish God's grace, but we should pay more attention to ourselves. Many times, when we make choices, we walk the same path as the younger son. God’s words say so, but we do not love to walk that way; we insist on finding another way. What happened to the younger son later? When his money ran out, so-called friends also left him. He had nothing and lived very poorly, having to feed pigs to survive, and even the pigs were better off than he was! He wanted to eat what the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything for free.
In the depths of his misery, he suddenly remembered that the hired hands in his father’s house eat better than he does! Brothers and sisters, have you noticed that this line is connected? Why was this line not connected before? He was filled with self. No matter how good his father was to him, he could not see it until he was at his wits' end. God connected that line for him, saying, "Think about how the hired hands in your father’s house live; how much your father loves them."
In fact, there is another meaning here: this father is truly full of love; he cares for even the hired hands. How much more for his son! But did this younger son think of this? No, he only thought that the hired hands in his father’s house live well, and he wanted to go back and be a hired hand.
At this point, his legalistic heart had not changed. Although he wanted to return to his father’s house, he did not say he wanted to continue being a son; he wanted to be a hired hand. He wanted to rely on his good behavior to earn the blessings in his life. In other words, he still did not believe that his father loved him, right, brothers and sisters? Why did he not believe? Because he felt that this time he had caused too much trouble! Dividing the estate means that his father is already dead; he has severed his relationship with his father. Now that he has spent all the money, how can he return with any face?
This was the younger son’s thought, but he did not understand what a father’s love is. A parent's love for a child has long surpassed material things. We must understand the Heavenly Father’s love by thinking about how you love your children at home. This gives us a glimpse. When a child makes a mistake, do you love him? If he makes a mess of the house and breaks your most cherished belongings, do you love him? At that moment, you might want to hammer him to death, but when you actually do it, you only lightly tap him a few times. This is the expression of love.
Brothers and sisters, how we love our children shows how the Heavenly Father loves us. But now many doctrines have become very twisted, saying that if you do not confess your sins to God, He will not accept you or forgive you! Such doctrines have caused many people to become like the younger son. They are already in a terrible state and feel they have no face to return, thinking that the father cannot forgive them and will surely punish them. They must perform well to touch their father's heart, so it is better to go back as a hired hand.
Too many people return to church, but they are just hired hands. But when they return, they should not be hired hands, Amen. When the younger son returned, his father completely accepted him. He did not make him a hired hand or require him to earn forgiveness through good behavior; instead, he fully accepted him. You may have heard many people talk about the Heavenly Father’s love, heard different pastors speak about the Heavenly Father’s love. The key is not who speaks but whether you can believe that the Heavenly Father loves you through what they say.
We can ask a few questions: Did the father love the younger son when he was living recklessly and wasting his wealth? Yes. Did the father love him when he was feeding pigs? When he had nothing and was covered in filth, did the father love him? Yes! How do you know the father loved him? Because the Bible does not have any unnecessary details. When the younger son thought of returning and being a hired hand, it was better than staying there, he returned. Unexpectedly, not far from home, he saw an old man running towards him.
What a coincidence! What happened? In fact, his father was waiting for him every day, meaning that when the child was living recklessly, his father’s love did not change. When he was feeding pigs, his father’s love did not change. Even later, when the younger son felt filthy, his father did not despise him but embraced him and kissed him repeatedly. Isn’t this love great?
The father loved this son, but why did the younger son not feel it? Do you know why he did not feel it? Because he did not believe. Did he know his father? Yes, but he did not believe that his father loved him. He may have thought that his father’s restrictions were too much. Even now, when his father came to embrace him, he still felt unworthy. "I am like this; how can you embrace me?" He still did not believe that his father loved him.
Brothers and sisters, it was only when his father put a ring on his hand, gave him shoes, changed his clothes, and let him sit at the table that I believe this son’s heart finally awakened! Remember at all times that the Heavenly Father loves us, Hallelujah! Many environments, terrible environments, are not given by the Heavenly Father. They may be because we took the wrong path. But even if we take the wrong path, I want to tell everyone that the Heavenly Father still loves you! You can listen to many people’s sermons, but you must see the Heavenly Father’s love through their sermons, Amen.
Some people tell me, "I have been listening to your sermons and also to others." I say this is not important; what matters is whether you can believe that the Heavenly Father loves you through my sermons. Do you believe that in the Heavenly Father’s house, there is abundant food and fattened calves waiting for you? If you say you believe, then you have received it today! Do you believe that even when you sin, waste your wealth, and live recklessly, the Heavenly Father still loves you? Has the Heavenly Father forgiven you? Yes. When this son had nothing and failed, did his father hate him? No, he did not hate him. Brothers and sisters, our Heavenly Father does not hate you; He has always forgiven you. In other words, His love has never changed!
Let’s look at Psalm 103:2-5:
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits! 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
This is the heart of our Heavenly Father. In the month of gratitude, how can we be thankful to God? It is not because God has given you an abundant harvest that you are thankful, but knowing that this God’s love for you does not change under any circumstances. He has not abandoned you and is willing to heal you and save you from all your iniquities, Amen! And crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies. Hallelujah, this is the love of this God.
When Jesus shed His blood on the cross for our sins, the Heavenly Father forgave us and pardoned all our sins. Brothers and sisters, God forgives our sins not based on our understanding of sin, nor how many sins you confess, but based on His understanding of sin, which allows Him to forgive all your sins, Amen. If it were based on our understanding of sin, it would be too little; our understanding of sin is too limited.
The Heavenly Father’s understanding of sin allows Him to forgive all your sins, thus satisfying God’s justice, enabling Him to pour out all His blessings, grace, and life upon you. Once this issue is resolved, justice is fulfilled, and grace can be poured out upon you without hindrance. You can come before God in prayer. As long as you pray, believe that the Heavenly Father has heard and is accomplishing the best for you, Amen. Because when you pray to God every day, it is not just for your joy; the Heavenly Father is also joyful, isn’t it? Isn’t it wonderful when both sides are joyful?
1 John 4:18-19:
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 19 We love because He first loved us.
In love, there is no fear; this love must be the Heavenly Father’s love. Why is there still fear in human love? Why? Why is there still fear between husbands and wives? Because it is not perfect. Today, a small advertisement popped up; you may have seen it. A woman discovered that her clothes had been moved, so she went home and checked the surveillance. In the end, she found that her husband was a pervert who wore her clothes while she was at work. Isn’t that fear? She has doubts; with doubts comes fear. She wants to see what he has done. Is there another woman? When she finally sees it, the problem is even more serious!
Brothers and sisters, in imperfect human love, there is fear. When we receive, we fear losing. If this person is too perfect and treats you too well, you still worry and fear because you are afraid that he loves you this much; does he also love others? When you find out that he does not love you, you become angrier and more fearful. Why? Why is it so unfortunate? Isn’t human love ridiculous?
But I tell you, brothers and sisters, only the Heavenly Father’s love is perfect love; in His love, there is no fear! You can confidently and boldly receive His love and live. Perfect love casts out fear. The Greek meaning is that in His perfect love, fear is cast out. The Heavenly Father’s love is perfect; you do not need to worry that God will love someone else and not love you. This will never happen. Why? Because God can love you and love everyone else; His love does not diminish even a little. Unlike our love, which diminishes when given away, the Heavenly Father’s love is the source of love, continuously giving. No matter how many people draw from Him, it will never run dry. Therefore, in this love, there is no fear, no punishment. You can enjoy rest and joy in Him.
When a person is in God’s perfect love, fear is cast out. The reason people fear may also be due to uncertainty about the future and not knowing how things will turn out. But in Christ, you have already seen the outcome; in Jesus, there is no failure. Therefore, no matter what happens, we are people of hope, Amen, because we are in God’s perfect love. Knowing that God loves us allows us to be fearless in all things and to receive this love to love others. Only by receiving God’s love can we know how to love.
In the Bible, Peter, James, and John all first received Christ’s love, believed in this love, and experienced this love before giving it out, Amen! Peter’s change, James’ change, and John’s change were not changed by knowledge or doctrine but by Jesus’ love. They saw how Jesus loved them and laid down His life for them, so they could also lay down their lives for others! The teacher is what the disciple becomes. Let’s take a look at Joseph and how his life changed by looking at what he said.
Genesis 50:18-21:
18 His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, "Behold, we are your servants." 19 But Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. 21 So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
Although the entire passage does not say how much Joseph loved them, do you see it? Forgiveness, acceptance, provision—this is the real expression of love, Amen. Why were his brothers afraid? As we just said, because people who are not in that perfect love will definitely have fear. His enemies became prosperous one day, and now they are very afraid because Joseph is now the prime minister. With a flick of his finger, they could lose their lives at any moment, so the brothers were very afraid and knelt before Joseph, saying, "We are your servants!" Why didn’t they say this earlier? At first, they did not say this! People do not talk like this: "Now that I have the opportunity, I have become prosperous, and now you say you are my servants; it’s too late!" This shows that they were not in God’s perfect love, so there was still grievance and sadness inside.
But Joseph believed in God and knew that everything God did was good. He said, "Do not be afraid; am I in God's place?" This means Joseph knew that his past path was arranged by God, Amen. You see, Joseph’s path seemed very tortuous, but in the end, it led to the position of prime minister in Egypt. Your life is the same; sometimes we feel it is quite tortuous and that we should not go there! But when God wants to prepare the best path for you and let you receive the most beautiful blessing, He will definitely let you go through these things to expand your capacity so that you can bear this blessing. One day, when you look back, you will find that all of this was God’s grace!
You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good. Joseph had already understood his life. You wanted to harm me before, but this was God’s will! If you had not done this, my outcome might not have been so smooth. After more than ten years, he rose from a mere commoner to the position of prime minister. Isn’t that incredible? Would we be willing? How many people waste more than ten years and end up achieving nothing! When you pray to God, think about what you want to do and ask Him to open a path for you.
Well, no matter what happens in the future, let’s not lose heart, and let’s not say, "Lord, don’t do this; hurry up and remove this matter." You can pray: "Lord, arrange the path ahead for me, let me move forward step by step, believing that you will accomplish the best blessings in my life!" Joseph understood this. He believed in God’s love and said, "To preserve many people alive, to bring about this present result." Joseph had already understood that God allowed these things to happen not by chance but to achieve the best blessing in the end! You are the same! Amen.
Finally, let’s look at a passage from Romans 5:6-8:
6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Since Jesus loves us when we are weak, when we sin, and when we fail, now that you believe in Him, His love is always upon you. Do not doubt anymore. His arrangement for your life is definitely the best. Every day you can enjoy this love from the Heavenly Father, receive His love, and your life will become different. First, know that God loves us; secondly, believe that God loves us. Your life and living will undergo tremendous changes because of this faith! Not only will you change, but you will also become a blessing to many people. God wants to use you to spread this love.
Let us pray together
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you. Thank you for allowing us to receive your love through this time. You are a God who loves us, an unchanging God. When you sent Jesus into this world to be the propitiation for our sins, at that time, I was still in sin, and you loved me. I believe the Holy Spirit dwells in me; you love me even more, just as Jesus loves me. I am willing to receive this love and live by your strength in my life. Please lead me into a new life this week, where I can experience your wonders. I believe that all your arrangements for me are the best. Although I may not understand now, I know you will not let me be ashamed. I am willing to look up to you and live. In the name of the Lord Jesus, I pray, Amen.
Brothers and sisters, please stand. Let us receive the Holy Communion together.
In the name of the Lord Jesus, I set apart this bread. From this moment on, it is no longer ordinary bread but the body of Jesus given for me. Jesus, when you laid down your body for me, when you were broken for me, it allowed me to receive your healing. I receive your healing. No matter what kind of illness I have, you can completely heal me. This is the beautiful blessing that the Heavenly Father has given me. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, everyone can come before the Lord and receive this heavenly healing. At this moment, you must believe that this is the body of Jesus, which can bring great changes to your body! What do you hope Jesus will do for you? The Heavenly Father’s love is to be manifested in you at this moment, fulfilling your heart's desires! Let us pray to Him together; He is willing to use this Holy Communion to restore your health and healing. Let us pray together!
You must believe that your prayers have been heard. Our Heavenly Father has listened. He can heal your body. When you know Him and believe in Him, this healing power has already been accomplished in you. At this moment, in the name of the Lord Jesus, your body is healthy. You have received this healing power. Hallelujah! Thank you and praise the Lord! In the name of the Lord Jesus, I set apart this cup. From this moment on, it is no longer ordinary wine but the precious blood of Jesus shed for me. Jesus' blood cleanses me from all my sins. The Heavenly Father has completely accepted me, and my relationship with the Heavenly Father has been reconciled! Thank you for using the precious blood of Jesus to completely restore my relationship with you! I believe that because of the punishment Jesus received, I have obtained peace. No matter what grievances or sadness I have encountered, in your love, I can completely release them! I receive this love and live in your love, enjoying your peace and joy!
At this moment, if there are things in your heart that are troubling you, sad, or grievances, in the love of Christ and in the Heavenly Father’s perfect love, you will be released! Hallelujah! Let us pray together, using this Holy Communion to receive His peace, joy, and release. You can raise your hands and pray aloud, following this song, calling out to God together. In the new week, let your life become different, let you receive the Heavenly Father’s love and live, filled with the Heavenly Father’s love, receiving His love and living out this love. Hallelujah!
In the name of the Lord Jesus, I bless all the brothers and sisters who have listened to the sermon. As the new week begins, you will live with the mark of Christ, with the power of the Holy Spirit, and with the love of the Heavenly Father. This week will be different! In the love of Christ, there is no fear. Believe that all of God’s arrangements for you are the best. Your life is not in vain, nor is it wasted. You will see His wonderful grace, and we will never be ashamed! I also bless you and your family in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, keeping you away from all diseases, blessing the work of your hands, and experiencing His love and living out this love. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.