REVelation - "To Those Who Love God..."

My sermon text for this past weekend was one verse – Romans 8:28.  I won’t take the time to overview the whole sermon (I enjoyed preaching it, but 3 times is enough!), but I want to focus on what for me, was the challenging surprise of the verse.   Not that I didn’t know this.  It was simply refreshing to be reminded.  Paul says that God is working “all things” for the “good” of those who…”LOVE GOD!”  That last phrase – “love God” – captured my heart last week.

I found a great paragraph in a sermon John Piper preached on this text, titled “All Things For Good,” Part 1.  My lovely wife suggested that I post it today as a reminder of what it means to “love God.”

“Loving God is desiring God himself beyond his gifts.  Loving God is treasuring God himself beyond his gifts.  Love for God is delighting in God himself beyond his gifts.  Love for God is being satisfied in God himself beyond his gifts.  Love for God is cherishing God himself beyond his gifts.  Love for God is savoring God himself beyond his gifts.  Love for God is valuing God and prizing God and revering God and admiring God beyond his gifts.”

Comments

[Sandy]

I think the tendency is to focus on the first part of Romans 8:28. MHR, your sermon this past weekend thoroughly covered the entire verse, but it was so challenging and inspiring to hear the latter part given as much consideration as the first. It stirred my spirit in a deep way to reflect on what it means to love God. I love John Piper's quote and intend to keep it close to my heart.

[Suzette]

I like John Piper but I'd rather read what he wrote leaving "beyond His gifts" off of each sentence. To me it implies the starting point of loving God is His gifts but . . . that we should take it beyond that point. I prefer to desire, treasure, delight, be satisfied, cherish, savor, value, prize, revere & admire God simply because He is God. Yes He lavishes gifts on us, the greatest being the gift of eternal life through the blood of His son Jesus but if I never receive another gift this side of heaven - I will love HIM (imperfectly but purposefully).

[Anna Thorne]

Hmm, I thought that the "beyond His gifts" phrase acknowledged that so many of us are tempted to love God *because of* and *for* His gifts, so it's a reminder that we should love Him *beyond* His gifts, thus the phrase "God Himself". So often His gifts can get in the way of us seeing Him instead of pointing us to Him, so we need to be sure to look beyond the gift to the Giver and love Him for who He is regardless of what He has or hasn't given us. Of course then you get into the issue of if He hadn't given us life, or Jesus, *could* we love Him...but without getting that complicated, that's what I understood the quote as saying. :)

[betsyb]

"Just as in marriage, when we love our Beloved God, our heart’s desire is to please Him. Our own thoughts and desires become so closely entwined with His, that our purpose is one with His purpose. And His purpose is always good. So it is no wonder to us that all things work for good…because He is our all in all."

[Nancy]

I really liked your sermon on Romans 8:29-30. The snow kept me home that day and I was so dissoppointed, but was able to listen to it on internet.

I am a 5-point Calvinist and suspect that you are too. Those verses tied in 3 of those points.

Keep up the good work and telling the truth.

[Sarah F.]

This sermon has really stuck with me. I love Romans 8:28 and the security of knowing the truth. You mentioned a man at a morgue (I think it was during this sermon) that discussed his observations about the difference in those that grieve with hope vs. those with no hope or faith. Will you give me that resource? Thank you!