In this episode of Hope for Today, Bible teacher David Hawking discusses the unfathomable depth of God’s love, emphasizing that it is steadfast and real, even when we fall short. He delves into the concept of propitiation and redemption, explaining the difference between the two and how they apply to both believers and unbelievers. Throughout the episode, the emphasis is on understanding and accepting God’s love in a way that reshapes our interactions with others and the world around us.
God loves you. He’s never going to stop. Even when you’re rebellious, God loves you because God is love. That’s what he is. You say, you don’t know how I’ve blown it. God loves you. What do you send a thousand times or 50? God loves you. Why are you trying to run away from the one who loves you more than anybody else that could ever love you in your life? Where do you think you’re going? He loves you.
SPEAKER 01 :
This is Hope for Today, the Bible teaching ministry of David Hawking. Some of you know exactly what it is to run, to drift, to hide, to make a mess of things and wonder if God could still love you. Hmm. And yet the love of God, the love of God does not die the moment you fail. And it doesn’t evaporate when you wander. God’s love is not fragile like ours. It is holy, steadfast, and stunningly real. And it’s not just something we receive and keep for ourselves. If God has loved us and continues to love us, and he does, then we must love others the way he loves us. Today, as David Hawking continues his series on the attributes of God, he returns with day two of a message called The Love of God. And as he opens in Romans chapter 13, verse 8 today, he’s going to show us that the love of God must shape the way we live and the way we love one another. Stay with us. We’re going back to the Word of God. First, we want to tell you about a free resource available right now at the Hope for Today homepage at davidhawking.org. This is called Does God Truly Love Me? And it’s there to help you or someone you know find real assurance that the God we’re studying in our current series truly does love you and them. Does God Truly Love Me? is available in multiple languages. Just head on over to davidhawking.org. Scroll down a bit. You’ll see Does God Truly Love Me? You can download it in multiple languages, and it is absolutely free. Nothing to sign up for. Does God Truly Love Me? at davidhawking.org. And here’s David with day two on the love of God.
SPEAKER 03 :
Romans 13.8 says, Oh, no man anything except to love one another. We’re under a divine responsibility and obligation, accountability to God to love each other. I was watching the unfolding of this with a couple of kids on a school playground several years ago. And the teacher had just discussed the whole subject of loving one another. And as it went out to recess, the two kids were really arguing and fighting over the use of a tetherball. This Christian school was on the property of the church where I was pastor. I happened to be standing there watching it. And I love what this little kid said. I love you, but I just don’t like you. And it seemed to me that that kind of summarized what a lot of us want to feel. Something’s wrong. And I think we need to learn by our relationships with each other that this love that comes from God can only be in our hearts through the Lord. That’s why a lot of these conflicts happen, because it proves to us our need of the Lord. It helps us to see it. What is the love of God? It’s a divine resource that human beings need but are not born with. It’s a needed relationship which believers must have with each other. But it’s also a divine response to human depravity and need. And I like this. This probably helps me to understand it more than anything else. Look at 1 John 4 again in the light of this. Verse 9 and 10. In this, the love of God was manifested. You say, show me the love of God. Okay. In this, the love of God was manifested toward us that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him. In this is love. Here’s the explanation. Not that we loved God, but that he loved, past tense, us, moment of time, and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. What is the love of God? It is a divine response to human depravity and need. He came to be a propitiation for our sins. Turn back to chapter 2. Look at verse 1 and 2. There perhaps is no point about the love of God that explains it any more to us than that one truth that it’s a divine response to human depravity and need. In 1 John 2, 1, it says, My little children, these things I write to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins. And not for ours only, but also for the whole world. Propitiation means to satisfy the wrath of God. The Passover season represents propitiation. According to the Bible, propitiation is not only for our sins, we who are believers, but also for the whole world. If you ask me, did Jesus Christ die for the whole world? Yes, if you mean propitiation. Was his death sufficient to satisfy all the righteous wrath of God against sin? Yes. The Bible teaches that all the wrath of God was put on Jesus Christ when he died for our sins. That’s propitiation. Does that mean that the unbeliever who winds up in hell has already had his sins propitiated? The answer is yes. That’s why it’s such a tragedy to reject the love of God. And this is love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for sins. Now when it says for our sins, it uses a Greek preposition not only in 1 John 4, but chapter 2, called huper, which means in the behalf of. And we would say in English a word of sufficiency. I want you to take your Bible and put your finger in two passages to compare them. Matthew 20, verse 28, and 1 Timothy 2, 5 and 6. And I want to show you something about God’s love that maybe you have not seen as it applies to both unbeliever and believer. The Bible tells us that in this is love, not that we love God and then reap the benefits. That’s not the point. But that God loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. And as 1 John 2 says, not just for the sins of the believer, but for the whole world, even the unbeliever. He is the Savior of the world, you know, even if they don’t respond to Him. There’s a difference between propitiation and redemption. Before you look at these two words, when a Jew thinks of the day of atonement, he thinks of the nation. The whole nation is being dealt with, and God’s wrath needs to be satisfied. Now, if the high priest does that for the nation, does that mean that every single Jewish person would go to heaven? No. Does that mean that every Jewish person would be, quote, saved or redeemed? No. Only propitiated. If an individual Jew during the course of the year sins and does not bring an individual sacrifice for his sin, the Bible says he’s cut off forever. That’s called sinning willfully, which is mentioned in Hebrews chapter 10. If we sin willfully, after we have a knowledge of the truth, that the only way God will save us is through the sacrifice of His Son. If we sin willfully, the Bible says there remains no more sacrifice for sin, but a certain anticipation of the fiery judgment of God. Every Jew understands that. He’s got to bring an individual sacrifice for his sin all during the year. Thousands of animals are killed. But once a year, the high priest takes the blood of an animal and makes an atonement, a covering for the sins of the whole nation. But that doesn’t mean they’re saved. Listen, folks, because Jesus died on the cross for the whole world does not mean everybody’s going to be saved. Propitiation deals with satisfying God’s wrath against sin. And Jesus’ death was sufficient for that. But redemption, which means you are bought out from the slave market of sin, death, and hell and set free, redemption applies only to those who believe. Did Christ die for only the believers? Yes, in the sense of redemption. But he also died for believers and unbelievers in the sense of propitiation. Is everybody with me? People often ask me questions. Do you believe in limited atonement? Yes. But I also believe in unlimited atonement. He died as a propitiation for the sins of the entire world. But redemption only refers to those who believe. Now I want to show you, you got Matthew 20, 28? It says, Jesus is talking, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. Now turn to 1 Timothy chapter 2 and look at verse 5 and 6. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all. Now, wait a minute. Matthew 20, 28 says a ransom for many. 1 Timothy 2, 6 says a ransom for all. Which is it, for all or for many? The little preposition for is different in the Greek in those two verses. In Matthew 20, 28, it’s the word anti, which means in the stead of. We would say substitution. In 1 Timothy 2.6, it’s a preposition huper, meaning in the behalf of, we would say, sufficiency. Watch this carefully. His ransom, his payment for our sin, is substitutionary for the many who believe in him, and only them. But it is sufficient as a ransom for all, whether they believe or they don’t. When we read in 1 John 4 that this is the love of God, here’s a way to understand it. It’s when God sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. It’s not in the stead of them. It’s in the behalf of them. The issue is sufficiency. Was His coming into the world a sufficient demonstration of God’s love for even those who would never believe in Him? The answer is absolutely. Absolutely. Now I understand something about God’s love. So you may be listening to me and not buying a thing here. You’ve never really come to know him as Savior. You’ve never been born again. You’re just listening and you say, I don’t believe that. I just want you to know he still loves you anyway. And that helps me to understand love. Love is a divine response to human depravity and need. God loves you even when you don’t care about him. Romans 5.8 says, but God commends his love toward us and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. You care nothing about him. He still loves you. You say, I don’t want anything to do with this. You just keep roaming around doing your thing. I just want you to know God loves you. He’s never going to stop. Even when you’re rebellious. Even when you want to do your own thing. You want to go your own way. God loves you. He can’t do anything else. Because God is love. That’s what he is. God loves you right where you are. You say, you don’t know how I’ve blown it. God loves you. Whether you’ve sinned a thousand times or fifty, God loves you. Why are you trying to run away from the one who loves you more than anybody else that could ever love you in your life? Where do you think you’re going? He loves you. What is the love of God? A divine reassurance that eliminates fear. Love has been perfected. It’s come to a mature point among us in this, that we may have boldness, confidence, in the day of judgment. Because as He is… So are we in this world. We are in Christ. Amen? His love for us takes away all fear. There’s no fear in love. Perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment. He who fears has not been made perfect in love. Let me tell you, a performance-oriented Christianity always fears. The other day, up in Canada, I was talking with a pastor who I think leans towards performance orientation. At least he was constantly harping on how we need to be careful. You know, he said, there are no guarantees. And I said, let me clear this up for a moment. Are we talking about heaven or what? He said, that’s a simplistic answer. I said, I know, but I need it right now. What are we talking about? Well, he says, we have no guarantee of heaven. Man, I don’t see it that way. We need to be careful. We need to be careful. I say, I believe in walking with the Lord and having a lifestyle that pleases him, but I’m not sure you and I are on the same wavelength. I said, I just want to ask you, do you believe there’s no condemnation of those who are in Christ? He didn’t answer me. He just looked stern. I said, well, let me give you another one. The Bible says that nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. He said, you’re a Calvinist, aren’t you? Calvinist, Arminian. I think maybe Calminian would be better. I don’t know. I just want to believe the Bible. Are you insecure? Then you’re not looking to the love of God. You’re looking to yourself. You’re not looking to the cross of Jesus Christ. You’re trusting your own performance. I thank God he died and paid for all my sins. Amen. I couldn’t pay for one of them. There’s nothing I can do to handle them. Only He can handle them. You talk about security. There’s no fear in that love. It’s completely cast out. And let me tell you, that fear involves torment. You can live on the edge and scared to death that you’re going to make one false move, and God will hit you with a proverbial bat from heaven, and you’ll never see heaven. I watched a television show. I was so angry, I didn’t know whether to destroy the TV or call a station or what. It was Christian television. And I watched a guy discuss how if you’re not walking with the Lord, when Jesus comes again, you aren’t going, he said. He described it. He even used a blackboard. My dear friends, security is resting in the Lord’s love for you. And Paul said, I’m persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. I can go to sleep at night with real peace in my heart. Perfect love casts out fear. Fear has torment. What is the love of God? It is also a personal resolve to keep the commandments of Jesus Christ. Talk about balance. We just really blasted into human performance and now we’re back on it again. Turn to 1 John chapter 5. I read in verse 2 of chapter 5, By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep His commandments. Now here’s a definition. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. We’ve already learned that it’s tough to say that you love God if you can’t love the God that you see. Trying to love this invisible one who loves us and promises to take us to heaven. Well, how do we know when we do love Him? If He’s invisible and we can’t see Him, can’t relate to Him like we do people, person to person, then how in the world? God’s answer, keep His commandments. Turn to John chapter 14. A lot of you are going to be frustrated with this because some of us approach this with a legalistic mind. It’s interesting, isn’t it, how we grow up thinking about how there are conditions for love. Every true child of God who really is in love with the Lord has no hassle on this. The Bible says His commandments are not burdensome. And every child of God that tells me this is a hassle is revealing that you’re a little short on loving God. You say you love God? Great, do what He says. Simple. Or is it? John 14, are you with me? Verse 15. If you love me, do what? What did Jesus say? Keep my command. You love him? Then do what he says. Chapter 15, verse 9. As the Father loved me, I also have loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments. You will abide in my love, just as I’ve kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. These things I’ve spoken to you, that you’ll be unhappy the rest of your life, and have a sour face like you ate pickles, obviously. Wait, that isn’t what it says. It says my joy will be in you. Why are people not filled with joy? Why are they so unhappy? Because they’re not loving God in the sense of keeping His commandments. They’re not doing what He says. If you did what He said, you’d be happier. So why are you trying to be unhappy? By not doing what He says. Plus the fact you say you love God and you don’t do what he says, something’s wrong. Do what he says and you’ll be very happy. You’ll be filled with joy. Turn to 1 John again and look at chapter 2. Look at what it says in verse 3. Now by this we know that we know him if we keep his commandments. He who says, I know him and does not keep his commandments is a liar and And the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word, truly the love of God is perfected or made mature in him. By this we know that we’re in him. He who says he abides in him ought himself also to walk just as he walked. What is the love of God? It’s a personal resolve to keep the commandments of Jesus Christ. And it’s no heavy trip to anybody that loves him. Never. The second question I’ll deal with quickly. What is required in order to experience the love of God? If I’m reading 1 John 4, 7 correctly, a spiritual birth is required. It says, everyone who loves is born of God. Literally has been born. There’s a point at which it happened and it never changes. Are you born again? If I understand my Bible correctly, it’s not only a spiritual birth that’s caused by God, but it’s a personal knowledge of God. Look at verse 7 and 8 carefully. Everyone who loves is born of God and knows, literally continues to know God. He who does not love does not know God. Never did come to know Him. All true believers continue to know about God. It’s an experiential knowledge. A spiritual birth, a personal knowledge. What else is required? Well, according to this passage, the presence of the Holy Spirit is required. Look at verse 13. “…by this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.” Galatians 5.22 says, the fruit of the Spirit is love. Romans 5.5 says, the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. How in the world can I experience the love of God? You need the Holy Spirit. You never get the Holy Spirit until you’re born again. And you cannot love anybody with God’s love until the Holy Spirit of God is in your life and beginning to control your life. That’s why we have to be filled with the Holy Spirit. What else is required? If I’m reading this text carefully, I’m just looking at what the Bible says, then I need a personal confession that Jesus is the Son of God. Verse 15 of chapter 4. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God. Chapter 5, verse 5. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? The Bible says he that does not believe, John 3.18 says, is condemned already because he has not believed that Jesus is the Son of God. A man born blind one day was trying to figure out who healed him. Jesus eventually found him after he’d been interrogated by the Pharisees. And Jesus introduced him to himself. You know who it is who healed you? Tell me who he is, Lord, that I may worship him. Jesus introduced him to the fact he was the Son of God. And he said, I believe that you are the Son of God. Is it necessary to believe that? You bet. You’ll never experience the love of God until you confess that Jesus is the Son of God.
SPEAKER 01 :
That’s Bible teacher David Hawking sharing the truth in love right here on Hope for Today. He’ll be back to wrap up our lesson and to lead us in a beautiful moment of prayer. This is going to really bring what we’ve learned today home to our hearts. So stay tuned. First, Matt’s in studio with me, and together we’re going to share a great resource for your home Bible study library.
SPEAKER 02 :
Think about the last time you witnessed a rainbow. It’s a remarkable, beautiful reminder of God’s promise to never again destroy the world of the flood.
SPEAKER 01 :
Matt, God keeps his word, doesn’t he? Every time. And his word can always change. be trusted. Absolutely. But think about the disdain our culture has today for biblical teaching, the compromises made in churches today, redefining marriage, embracing evolutionary theory on the origin of life. In spite of all evidence to the contrary. Exactly.
SPEAKER 02 :
The denial of godly virtue that leads so many to call evil good and good evil. You know, these issues are not just contemporary. They’re outlined and addressed in the events of Genesis chapters 1 through 11 and a thorough study of through the passages provides clear answers.
SPEAKER 01 :
Matt, it’s very easy to get discouraged by the evil flourishing. Big time. Watching the news can be depressing. Oh, sending your kids to university is a gamble. Yes, yes it is. Pressures to acquiesce and stay silent on biblical truth, they are incredible. Big time. But with your dad’s book, The Beginning, From Creation to the Flood, you’ll take a confidence-building, exciting journey through the first 11 chapters of the Bible.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, the comparison between early civilization and contemporary culture are amazing. But the teaching on creation, the fall, the nature of mankind, and the justice and grace of God are outstanding. They are indeed.
SPEAKER 01 :
Get a copy of The Beginning, From Creation to the Flood by David Hawking for insights and answers today. And it’s just $15. Your purchase is going to encourage your life, but it’s also going to help the ministry of hope for today. And please pray for hope for today. Amen. To get your copy of David’s book, The Beginning, From Creation to the Flood, it’s just $15. Reach out today. Our number in the U.S., 875-BIBLE. In Canada, it’s 888-75-BIBLE. And Bible is 24253. You can also make the purchase on our website, davidhawking.org. That’s davidhawking.org. And just before our teacher returns to close us out, please remember that we would be honored to pray for you. What’s burdening your heart right now? Is there a need in your life or maybe some insurmountable battle you’re facing? Whatever the case, reach out and let us know how we can pray for you. And of course, we’d ask you to pray for us as well. We need prayer for sure. And pray that God would continue to use hope for today to strengthen believers to reach the lost and keep his truth going out with power. And pray regarding God’s supply for our financial need as well. And if the Lord leads you to help answer that prayer request by standing with us ministry financially through a one-time gift or maybe monthly giving as God enables you to give, do you know that your partnership will help keep this broadcast on the air and online and help us continue declaring the truth of God’s word without compromise. To send a one-time or regular giving by mail in the U.S., write to Hope for Today, Box 3927, Tustin, California, 92781. In Canada, write to Hope for Today at Box 15011, RPO 7 Oaks, Abbotsford, BC, V2S 8P1. And of course, you can also reach us at 875-BIBLE-IN-THE-US, 888-75-BIBLE-IN-CANADA, and online at davidhawking.org. And here’s David.
SPEAKER 03 :
You’ll never experience the love of God until you confess that Jesus is the Son of God. And one other thing, look at chapter 5, verse 1. It says, whoever believes that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, is born of God. I’ve got to believe Jesus is the Messiah. Look back at chapter 2, please. Verse 22. It says, who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Messiah? He is Antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either. He who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. You must believe Jesus is the Messiah. Is it necessary to believe that Jesus is the Messiah in order to experience the love of God? God’s answer is yes. John chapter 4, verse 25. Jesus met a Samaritan woman who had an immoral lifestyle. And I read in verse 25, the woman said to him, I know that Messiah is coming, who is called Christ. When he comes, he’ll tell us all things. Jesus said to her, I who speak to you am he. And at this point his disciples came and they marveled that he talked with a woman, yet no one said, what do you seek or why are you talking with her? The woman then left her water pot and went her way into the city and said to the men, come see a man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Messiah? Many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, He told me all that I ever did. So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them. He stayed there two days, and many more believed because of His own word. Then they said to the woman, Now we believe not because of what you said, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this is indeed the Messiah, the Savior of the world. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Praise God for His love. Let’s close with prayer. Father, You know how easy it is for us to say the words but not to show it in our life. And there are a lot of us who struggle with the love of God for many reasons. You tell us you love us no matter what, whatever we do, whoever we are, whatever we say, you love us. And that your love was demonstrated when Jesus died on a cross for our sins. God, I pray for those not sure that if they died today, they’d be in heaven. They’re not really sure they’ve ever been born in the Spirit of God. And life has been frustrating in terms of experiencing love. God, help us to see your wonderful love for us. And I pray, Lord, that those of us who say we know you may once again understand that your love needs to be shown, demonstrated one to another. We need to trust your Holy Spirit to fill us and control us in order for us to really show the love of God, to experience it. Help us, Lord, to see that, we pray. In Jesus’ name, amen.
SPEAKER 01 :
Amen. Well, tomorrow, David begins a message called The Glory of God. Using selected passages of scripture, he’ll take us into one of the most majestic and mind-staggering truths in all of the Bible, that God alone is clothed in glory, glory that no man can match, no world can dim, and no creature can steal. Wow. Let’s look at it. The Glory of God, tomorrow on Hope for Today.
