I am here to
speak to you today about the second greatest promise in the Bible.
The greatest promise in the Bible is found in John 3:16 “God
so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in
him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
The greatest promise in the Bible
purchased and guaranteed the second greatest promise.
The greatest second greatest promise,
and much less known, and not believed in promise, in the Bible is found in Romans 8. “…we know that in all things God works for the good of those who
love him, who have been called according to his purpose... He who did not spare
his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”
The greatest promise in the Bible is that by believing in
Jesus Christ’s accomplishments on the cross on your behalf, you can have
eternal life.
The second greatest is that by being brought into the
household of God through faith in Christ, ensures
that your heavenly father is working mightily on your behalf to cause all
things, easy, hard, painful, light, difficult…for your ultimate good. And
the fact that he did not spare his infinitely valuable son on your behalf to
purchase the first promise, ensures that he will not spare any other lesser
thing to ensure all things for your continued good.
Let’s
examine this further by reading John 11
My life had two major directional
shifts. The first
was when I heard and understood the greatest promise for the first time when I
was in High School and placed my faith in it. That is, I believed it to be
true.
The second
was when I heard the second promised preached for the first time while I was in
College.
John Piper
had been invited to a Men’s Breakfast while I was in my freshman year at Moody
Bible Institute. I heard one
of the best messages I ever heard on the text we read. John 11. That message totally flipped how I viewed God’s
love, God’s intentions, suffering, disappointments, rewards… And it has been
burned into my mind, I remember it more than any other message I have ever
heard.
I truly
believe that this second promise is greatly over looked and under believed in,
in most Christians lives today.
Consider six observations from this God-inspired story—the first two of them painfully obvious and some of them shocking.
First, Lazarus was ill. Indeed, he was mortally ill. Verse 1: “Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.” We are not told what Lazarus’ illness was.
Second, Lazarus’ family sent for help to Jesus. Verse 3: “So the sisters [Mary and Martha] sent to him, saying, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’”
Third, Jesus intentionally did not come as they asked, but let Lazarus die. Verse 6: “So, when [Jesus] heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.” He did not go as asked. He stayed. And Lazarus died. Jesus did not come the way they asked him to come. He withheld his mighty healing hand.
Fourth, shockingly, Jesus calls this behavior of his love. Notice the connection between verses 5 and 6: “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So [= therefore], when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.” John says that Jesus delayed because he loved them. He loved them all: Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So [= therefore], when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed.”
It was his love that let Lazarus die. Jesus has not ceased to love this
family. Christ did not come the way they asked, because he loves them to a
greater end than simply protecting them from pain and suffering. How can that
be? What is this greater end? What can be better than saving them from this
pain and misery? (Human love would say, do whatever you can to save him...that
is real love) The last two observations give us a clue.
Fifth, Jesus said that this sickness was for the glory of God. Verse 4: “When Jesus heard it he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’” This must mean, then, the manifestation of the glory of God, as the all-satisfying treasure of our faith, is a greater act of love than preventing Lazarus’ death would have been. Jesus did not come, because he loved them. And he said his aim in not coming was the glory of God and the glory of himself, the Son of God.
Sixth, in spite of Jesus’ choice to let Lazarus’ die, he wept. Verses 33-35, “When Jesus saw [Mary] weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept. So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’” Jesus is not a simple person. He chooses to bring about a painful situation. Then he walks into that situation and weeps with those who weep. Jesus, potentially, overcome by the death that awaited him, or overcome with sorrow over the sin cursed world which brought death and sorrow into the world (which God, Jesus himself, never ever intended), wept.
For the sake of love—not just love to Lazarus, but to Mary and Martha and the watching Pharisees, and all of you listening to my voice today—for the sake of the greatest love to the greatest number, Jesus manifested the glory of God and raised Lazarus from the dead. That is, he brought Lazarus from infinite joy back to a life fraught with sin and sickness, stress and frustration, and, in the end, to face the horrible enemy of death a second time...so that Larazus' life might bring the ultimate glory to God possible. And when our lives bring most glory to God, we are most satisfied.
Conclusion: To summarize this, God loves us. But his love is not in human terms of understanding or showing love. God loves us to the greatest end, to the end that is absolutely best for us.
Fifth, Jesus said that this sickness was for the glory of God. Verse 4: “When Jesus heard it he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’” This must mean, then, the manifestation of the glory of God, as the all-satisfying treasure of our faith, is a greater act of love than preventing Lazarus’ death would have been. Jesus did not come, because he loved them. And he said his aim in not coming was the glory of God and the glory of himself, the Son of God.
Sixth, in spite of Jesus’ choice to let Lazarus’ die, he wept. Verses 33-35, “When Jesus saw [Mary] weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept. So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’” Jesus is not a simple person. He chooses to bring about a painful situation. Then he walks into that situation and weeps with those who weep. Jesus, potentially, overcome by the death that awaited him, or overcome with sorrow over the sin cursed world which brought death and sorrow into the world (which God, Jesus himself, never ever intended), wept.
For the sake of love—not just love to Lazarus, but to Mary and Martha and the watching Pharisees, and all of you listening to my voice today—for the sake of the greatest love to the greatest number, Jesus manifested the glory of God and raised Lazarus from the dead. That is, he brought Lazarus from infinite joy back to a life fraught with sin and sickness, stress and frustration, and, in the end, to face the horrible enemy of death a second time...so that Larazus' life might bring the ultimate glory to God possible. And when our lives bring most glory to God, we are most satisfied.
Conclusion: To summarize this, God loves us. But his love is not in human terms of understanding or showing love. God loves us to the greatest end, to the end that is absolutely best for us.
What is
absolutely best for all mankind? That our lives bring glory to God. Plain and
simple.
God knows
that he is our best. God knows that he is the most wonderful, mighty, holy,
incredible thing in the universe that anyone can know and come into contact
with or commune with.
If his love
for us was to any other end, other than us knowing, befriending and glorifying
God...he would not be truly loving us, because he would be loving us to some
lesser, weaker end (comfort, painlessness, earthly pleasures and personal
desires). But God loves us truly and perfectly and loves us to the
point/purpose that we get what is best for us, and what is best for us is that
we know him and glorify him with our lives. So, he may very well bring us
through pain and sorrow, or things that seem "unloving" to us, to
bring us to what is ultimately best for us.... his glory in our lives.
This is the aim of Romans 8:28-32
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
This is the aim of Romans 8:28-32
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
This says
that God is working all things together for the good, or for what is BEST for
the believer. He goes on to say that what is best for the believer, or the good
thing that he is causing all things to come into conformity to are
1) the
believer being conformed into the image of Christ and
2) the
believer having a right standing with God and
3) the
believer experiencing and obtaining God's own glory.
This verse
shows that God's love is the greatest love, and it is rooted in bringing us to
him, conforming us to his image and allow us to glorify him and experience his
glory.... because those things are what is absolutely, completely what God
knows is BEST for us. So, God will cause/allow suffering, sorrow, circumstances
that seem "unloving" to us earthy people (like Lazarus and his
family), who only experience love in a selfish, earthly manner in order that
what is actually truly loving and best for us may happen: God's glory in our
life.
And
Genesis 50:20
"As for you, you meant it for evil against me;
but God meant it for good."
The same theme is present in 2 Corinthians 4:17
“For
momentary, light affliction is producing
for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison…”
And
Hebrews 12:2
“…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat
down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
And Hebrews 10:34
“You
sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your
property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting
possessions.”
We need to
We need to
1) Redefine
true love. We need to realize that love is doing what is absolutely best for
others.
2) Realize
what is absolutely best. What is absolutely best, for all mankind (our wife,
our husband, our kids, our boss, our friends) is that they know God, come to
God, be friends of God, be conformed into God's image and glorify God.
3) Reach out
in absolute love. We need to love to this best end. We need to love others in
the same way God loved/loves us....that is, that their lives would bring glory
to God (not possessions and comfort and affection) but the knowledge of and
glorification of God!
This idea is the aim of John 15:8-13 as well
"When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. 9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Jesus says, "What I am about to say will allow you to bring great glory to God, my father". Then he jumps directly into speaking about his love for us and God's own great love for us. He says that this glorification of God, which his love for us is rooted in, occurs when we follow his commands.
This idea is the aim of John 15:8-13 as well
"When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. 9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Jesus says, "What I am about to say will allow you to bring great glory to God, my father". Then he jumps directly into speaking about his love for us and God's own great love for us. He says that this glorification of God, which his love for us is rooted in, occurs when we follow his commands.
He says that
if we do this, we will be filled with God's own joy and our joy will overflow,
more than any other other lesser earthly thing (which is not our best) can do
for us. He then closes by saying, this is the model that we should follow in
loving others, loving them to best end...God's glory and showing them how to
know and obey God, so they too may have his joy.
God loves us to the best possible end, that is, that we are glorifying him with our lives and enjoying his best for us.
God loves us to the best possible end, that is, that we are glorifying him with our lives and enjoying his best for us.
When our lives are most inline with God's best instruction/intention for us, and are bringing the most glory to God, we can and will be most satisfied and joyful.
God wants us loving other to this exact same purpose. Even to the extent that we give our lives for them to obtain it.
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