God's Unsurpassable Love

(adapted form Gregory Boyd's Repenting of Religion)


1.  God has 'unsurpassable love'--there is NO greater love known in the universe

2.  God ascribes 'unsurpassable love' to people  People are the objects of God's love--not things, ideas, organizations, positions--God loves PEOPLE!

3.  God ascribes 'unsurpassable love' to people because God ascribes 'unsurpassable worth' and value to people.  People matter to God.  People are valuable to God
Definitions:

Unsurpassable:  not able to be exceeded in quality or degree (Oxford Dictionary)

Love:  Agape love--based on choice and decision not emotion or feeling.  Agape is a self-sacrificing kind of love.

People:  Good ones, bad ones, mean ones, nice ones, murderers, adulterers, Sunday school teachers... EVERYONE


God's 'unsurpassable love' is demonstrated in the person and ministry of Jesus.  "Here is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10)."  God has applied 'unsurpassable value' to people--not willing that anyone would live outside of His presence and His love.  He calls for all people to repent from trying to find love 'in all the wrong places.'  This is sin!  Sin is living life independently from God--God (who is the Supreme lover of our lives).

When we live in repentance, we live as recipients of God's 'unsurpassable love'.  We stop trying to be lovely--we rather revel in the unconditional love He has for us.  "To the praise of the glory of His grace, where he has made us accepted in the beloved (Ephesians 1:6)."  In Christ, we are accepted--loved, cherished, and are made recipients of God's 'unsurpassable love'.

Once we begin to really receive this love, and walk in it ( And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath give himself for us as offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.)---then this supernatural love which saved us--and fills us--begins to flow through us:

"Beloved let us love one another, for love is of God--and everyone that liveth is both or God, and knoweth God (1 John 4:7)."
"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another (1 John 4:11)."

Process

  1. Repent:  Lesser lovers have tried to seduce us!  Only God has 'unsurpassable love' for us.
  2. Walk:  In His love and grace.  Stop trying to be lovely--He loves you unconditionally.
  3. Receive:  that love and grace.
  4. Overflow: with that love and grace to everyone else.

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