Love in Action

A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, “I want my share of your estate now, instead of waiting until

you die.” So his father agreed to divide his wealth between

his sons.

A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings

and took a trip to a distant land, and there he wasted all

his money on wild living.

About the time his money ran out, a great famine

swept over the land, and he began to starve. He

persuaded a local farmer to hire him to feed his pigs.

The boy became so hungry that even the pods

he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But

no one gave him anything.

When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself,

“At home even the hired men have food enough to

spare, and here I am, dying of hunger! I will go home to

my father and say,

‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called

your son. Please take me on as a hired man.’”

So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming.

Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.

The Father’s

Love

The Legal Model of the Gospel

God’s Laws

Human Condition

“All have sinned and

fall short of the glory of

God” (Romans 3:23).

Legal Consequences

“The wages of

sin is death” (Romans

6:23).

The Solution

“He bore our sins in

His body on the

cross” (1 Peter 2:24)

The Offer

“Whoever believes and

is baptized will be

saved, but whoever does not

believe will be

condemned.”

(Mark 16:16. NIV)

The Relational Model of the Gospel

Designed for Love

“Love the Lord your

God…. Love your

neighbour” (Romans 3:23).

Freewill Required

God is love, and all who live in love live in God,

and God lives in them.

(1 John 4:16. NLT)

Satan Exploited the Situation

"You will not die. For God

knows that when you

eat of it your eyes

will be opened, and you

will be like God..."

Genesis 3:4-5. RSV

Selfishness Replaced Love

For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind

of wisdom. Such things are

earthly, unspiritual, and

motivated by the Devil.

James 3:15 NLT

Serious Consequences

• Don’t know the love of God…

• Selfish

• Eternity

You lived in this world

without God and without

hope .Ephesians 2:12 NLT

The Solution

“He bore our sins in

His body on the

cross” (1 Peter 2:24)

For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to

himself, no longer counting people's sins

against them. 2 Corinthians 5:19. NLT

Reconciliation

What about people who have right beliefs but

don't have love?

If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a

liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love

God, whom he has not seen.

1 John 4:20. NIV

What about people who love but don't

know God?

Dear friends, let us continue to love

one another, for love comes

from God. Anyone who loves is born of

God and knows God.

But anyone who does not love

does not know God — for God

is love. 1 John 4:7-8. NLT

I was hungry, and you fed me.

I was thirsty, and you gave

me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited

me into your home.

I was naked, and you gave me clothing.

I was sick, and you cared for me.

I was in prison, and you visited me.

Matthew 25:35-36. NLT

I assure you, when you did it

to one of the least of these

my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!

Matthew 25:40 NLT

For I was hungry, and you didn't

feed me. I was thirsty,

and you didn't give me anything to drink. I was a

stranger, and you didn't invite me into your home.

I was naked, and you gave me

no clothing. I was sick

and in prison, and you didn't visit me.'

Matthew 25:42-43 NLT

I assure you, when you refused

to help the least of these

my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help

me. Matthew 25:45 NLT

If we were measured

by our love, what size would

each of us be?