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Sweet Assurances Drawn from God’s Love

John 17:23

Because the Savior says, “Thou hast loved them, as thou hast loved me,” we are assured that God loves his elect freely. In John 10:17 the Lord Jesus Christ tells us plainly that he earned his Father’s love as a man by his mediatorial obedience. Yet, when our Savior came into the world, the Lord God loved the Child freely, delighting in him even before he had fulfilled his will (Isaiah 42:1). He is that One of whom the Father says, “In him my soul delighteth!” Even so, he loves us freely (Deuteronomy 7:7-8; Hosea 14:4).

Tender Love

God loves us tenderly and affectionately. As the Father’s love for his Son is a tender, indescribably affectionate love, so is his love for us (Isaiah 62:5; Zechariah 2:8).

Immutable Love

And God’s love for his elect is immutable. There is no possibility of change in our God (Malachi 3:6, James 1:17). God’s love does not change. It cannot be taken from us; and it cannot be destroyed, neither by us nor by hell itself (Romans 8:35-39). We did nothing to earn it; and we can do nothing to destroy it, or even cause it to diminish!

Same Results

As there is a similarity of cause and a similarity of love, our Lord Jesus intends for us to understand that there is a similarity of results; that the effects and fruits, the consequences of God’s love to him and his elect are alike.

Love that has no effect and bears no fruit is lip-love; and lip-love is useless love. Love that is never known by the one loved is a frustrated passion that destroys one’s own peace and happiness. Love that never sees benefit and blessing upon its object, but only misery and woe, is a tormenting love. But that does not describe the love of God. — Oh, no, a thousand times no! God’s love toward us, like his love toward his Son as our Mediator, is an effectual, fruitful, beneficial love. Here are five things mutually enjoyed by Christ and his people as the fruit and effect of God’s love.

1. The Revelation of Secrets — All things are open, common knowledge between people who love one another. As all things are manifest and made known to the Son as our Mediator by the Father (John 1:18; 5:20), so all things are manifest and made known to God’s elect by the Son (John 14:21; 15:15).

2. The Bestowment of Spiritual Gifts — God’s love is a bounteous love. He has given all things to the Son (John 3:34-35; 17:2; Ephesians 4:8); and he has given all his people all spiritual blessings, all heavenly gifts in his Son (Ephesians 1:3).

3. Strength and Protection in Life — As the Lord Jesus was upheld, strengthened, and protected throughout the days of his obedience to do his Father’s will (Isaiah 42:1), so the Lord God upholds, strengthens, and protects us, the objects of his love, throughout our days of obedience in this world (2 Corinthians 12:9).

4. Acceptance of All We Do for Him — Everything that Christ did for God was accepted and well-pleasing to him because he loved him (Ephesians 5:2). And everything we do for God is accepted and well-pleasing to God through the merits of Christ because he loves us as he loved him (1 Peter 2:5; Ecclesiastes 9:7-9).

5. Honor and Exaltation — The Lord Jesus was honored and highly exalted by God the Father as the object of his love. He was given preeminence in, possession of, and power over all things (Psalm 2:7-8; Hebrews 1:8). The Lord God, our heavenly Father, will do the same for us (John 12:26; Revelation 3:21). Why? Because God our Father loves us as he loves the Lord Jesus our Savior!

Don Fortner

Pastor Fortner’s