God Loves Us!

In this study, we will examine God’s love
for us.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us,
 in that while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.

What does the word “demonstrate” mean?  If someone demonstrated a new device or tool to you, what would they be doing?

In this verse, it says God demonstrates His love towards us.

How did He do this?

What was our condition when God did this for us?

Let’s consider another set of verses. 
The apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2:4-7 (NKJV)

(4) But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, (5)  even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) (6) and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (7) that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

How does God’s mercy affect His love for us? See verse 4?

In Verse 5, what do you think “dead in trespasses” refers to?

Comment on verses 4 – 6

God because of His love for us and because He is rich in mercy, He makes us  “alive together with Christ.”  In the same way Christ rose from the dead, we begin to participate in a new life with Christ.

In verse 7, describe what God wants us to experience.

The apostle Paul wrote the following to Titus, a young leader of a new church:

(3) For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.  (4)  But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, (5)  not by works of righteousness which we have done,
but according to His mercy, He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, (6)  whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, (7)  that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
(Titus 3:3-7 NKJV)

What does verse 3 say about our condition before Jesus?

Can you relate to any of these?

What does verse 4 say that God our Savior showed toward man?

In verse 5-7, do you conclude it is our righteousness or God’s mercy and grace which allow us to be justified before God?

righteousness meaning “found to be all right before God”

The New English Translation translates vs 7 this way:

And so, since we have been justified by his grace, we become heirs with the confident expectation of eternal life.

When you read this passage, does it appear to you that we become heirs of eternal life because of what Jesus did for us?

Are you coming to the conclusion that God’s word demonstrates His love toward us?

Let’s examine what Jesus said:

Greater love has no one than this ,
than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

(Jesus speaking in John
15:13 NKJV)

Final Question:

Why would Jesus lay down His life for us?