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The “Essence” of Christianity

The “Essence” of Christianity. The “essence” of God, and therefore of Christianity , is “love,” 1John 4:7-8 . This sounds good on abstract, platitudinous, and doctrinal levels, but how is it manifested in practical real-life ways?

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The “Essence” of Christianity

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  1. The “Essence” of Christianity The “essence” of God, and therefore of Christianity, is “love,” 1John 4:7-8. This sounds good on abstract, platitudinous, and doctrinallevels, but how is it manifested in practical real-life ways? 1John 4:9-11says God provides the example that we should follow. “But how do I/we follow God’s example?” becomes the critical question. Let’s see if we can answer it…

  2. The “Essence” of ChristianityThere are three essential keys to loving, and therefore becoming, like God in 1John 4:9-11: #1- Loving Sacrificially, v.9a • God’s great love was manifested through the sacrificeof His only Son, John 3:16a. • True, biblical, and thus divine loveestablishes value- it says, “You are valuable to me because I love you,” Rom.5:8. • Its opposite, lust, requires a value- it says, “I ‘love’ you because you are valuable to me,” cp. Jude 12-13, 16-21. • Thus, true, divine love is “selfless”- but lust is “selfish.” • We cannot love like God- selflessly and sacrificially, while being lustfully selfish. • Therefore, to truly love like God, we must put the interests of the object of our affection before our own = selflessly sacrificial, Phil.2:3.

  3. The “Essence” of ChristianityThere are three essential keys to loving, and therefore becoming, like God in 1John 4:9-11: #1- Loving Sacrificially, v.9a #2- Loving Sufficiently, v.9b • I don’t mean sufficientlyas “adequately”(though such is also involved), but as “supplying a need.” • God’s love enabled Him to be willing to sacrificeto supplyour most important need, John 3:16b; 1John 4:10b. • We usually “get” this aspect of love when we first become parents,Matt.7:7-12. • Thus, when we learn to loveselflessly, sacrificially, andsufficiently like God, love becomes much more than just a felt emotion, it becomes an avocation, Eph.5:25-27; Titus 2:4-5.

  4. The “Essence” of ChristianityThere are three essential keys to loving, and therefore becoming, like God in 1John 4:9-11: #1- Loving Sacrificially, v.9a #2- Loving Sufficiently, v.9b #3- Loving Supremely, v.10a • I don’t mean supremelyas “more than all others”(unless manifest for/to God), but as “before all others” (in time). • God loved us not only sacrificiallyand sufficiently, He didn’t wait for us to love Him first, Rom.5:8-10! • To become “perfect” (teleios- mature, complete, lacking nothing)like God, we must love as He loves,Matt.5:43-48. • If, on the other hand, we only love those who first love us, we are no better than the heathen, Luke 6:32.

  5. The “Essence” of Christianity Now, when we learn to love Sacrificially, Sufficiently, and Supremely, how will it affect our relationship with: God? • “Not my will, but Yours” will become not only our prayer, but the basis of our life. Our lovefor God will createa value rather than requiringone! • We will realize that the only ‘need’ (in the sense of desire)God has is for our salvation, 1Thess.4:3a; and we’ll live and love accordingly, 1Thess.4:3-8; 1John 5:3-5. • He will truly become first in our lives, Matt.6:33; 22:37.

  6. The “Essence” of Christianity Now, when we learn to love Sacrificially, Sufficiently, and Supremely, how will it affect our relationship with: Our Families (spouses, children, parents, siblings)? • Ourlove for them willcreate a value rather thanrequiringone! • Selflessnessand servicewill replace selfishnessand the desire/demand to be served, Eph.5:25-29; 6:4; 1Tim.5:8; Eph.5:22-23; 6:1-3. • They will become second only to God, Matt.10:37.

  7. The “Essence” of Christianity Now, when we learn to love Sacrificially, Sufficiently, and Supremely, how will it affect our relationship with: Our Brethren? • Ourlove for them willcreate a value rather thanrequiringone, 1John 4:11; Jas.2:1-13; 1Cor.12:20-26. • Selflessnessand servicewill replace selfishnessand the desire/demand to be served, 1Thess.5:9-15. • They will truly become brethren, Matt.12:46-49.

  8. The “Essence” of Christianity Now, when we learn to love Sacrificially, Sufficiently, and Supremely, how will it affect our relationship with: People of the World? • Ourlove for them willcreate a value rather thanrequiringone (we’ll see them as God does), Matt.23:37; Rom.5:8,10. • Selflessnessand servicewill replace selfishnessand the desire/demand to be served(we’ll understand their greatest need and strive to supply it),Rom.1:16; 2Tim.2:2. • Their souls will truly become importantto us, John 4:35.

  9. The “Essence” of Christianity Conclusion: When we learn to love like God- Sacrificially, Sufficiently, and Supremely, it changes everything about us as well as every relationship we sustain.That’s being converted! Are you ready to bechanged in these ways?

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