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The Love of Christ
Introduction:
1. The Lord's followers are to be "people of faith" (Hebrews 10:38), "people of hope" (1 Peter 1:3), and "people of love" (Ephesians 5:1-2). 2. According to Ephesians 5:2, God's children are to "walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us." 3. In order to fulfill our responsibilities that relate to love, we must be familiar with the Lord's love and follow His example. 4. In this lesson we are concentrating on passages that teach us about "the love of Christ." 5. Let us begin by pointing out that . . . Discussion: I. WE HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT RELATE TO THE LOVE OF CHRIST A. We are "to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge" (Ephesians 3:19). B. We are to: 1. "continue" in the Lord's love (John 15:9) 2. "abide" in the Lord's love (John 15:10). II. THE LOVE OF CHRIST IS DEPENDABLE A. Jesus loved His disciples "unto the end" (John 13:1). B. Nothing can separate the Lord's people from His love (Romans 8:35-39). III. EXAMPLES OF THE LORD'S LOVE A. He knew that the Father loved Him (John 17:24-26). B. He loved the Father (John 14:31). C. He loved the church (Ephesians 5:25; Revelation 3:19). D. He loved people, including: 1. His disciples (John 13:23; 15:9) 2. His friends (John 11:1-5, 35-36; 15:13) 3. the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-22). E. He loves those who obey Him (John 14:15, 21). | ||