The Love of God with R. C. Sproul, “The Loyal Love of God”, 3

It was about 25 years ago that I had booked a flight from Pittsburgh to San Francisco, and when I got to the airport, I discovered that the flight had been oversold, and as a result I was bumped. Now the airline, in order to make up for the inconvenience that they caused me, did a couple of very nice things.

First of all, they refunded the entire cost of my round-trip ticket. Then secondly, they put me on the next flight to San Francisco that left three hours later, and since I was in no great hurry, that was no great inconvenience.

But that flight to San Francisco was free, and then the next thing they did was that they upgraded me to first class to make that trip. That was the first time I'd ever had the opportunity to fly first class in a major airline.

When I took my seat, I recognized the man who was seated next to me, because he was a famous captain of American industry, whose name I'm sure you would recognize if I were to tell it to you, but I'm not going to do that.

But I struck up a conversation with him, and on that long flight to San Francisco we were talking about hiring people for executive staff positions in our companies and so on, and I said to him at one point, I said, what is the number one thing that you look for in an executive for your company?

And he didn't hesitate, and he surprised me with his answer. The first thing he said was this, loyalty, and I thought, boy, that's strange, because you know the textbooks say that you don't want to surround yourself with people that are just yes men that'll jump through hoops for you, and you can't be so insecure that you just need to have people that are loyalists next to you.

The first thing you should look for is competency, and so on. But this man was unabashed, he said, I can't function as the head of my company if I can't trust my immediate lieutenants, who I depend upon for our operation.

And that stuck with me afterwards, because I thought about, in many respects, what a rare commodity real loyalty is. And then a few years ago, I saw the movie Braveheart, and it was the chronicle, Hollywood's version of William Wallace and his struggle with the Scots for independence.

And I remember that poignant moment in the movie when William Wallace's trusted ally, Robert DeBruce, betrayed him. And you didn't know immediately who the betrayer was, but when it was revealed that it was his trusted ally, Robert DeBruce, I froze in my seat, and I looked at the screen, and I saw the portrait of the man who was playing Robert DeBruce, and his face was transformed to a friend of mine that I had relied on deeply in my life, who had betrayed me.

And I had this terrible feeling in my stomach, that feeling that goes with the realization that you have been betrayed. And I'm sure that every person who has ever lived has experienced that profound pain of having been betrayed, and how hopeless it can make you feel, at least for the short term.

I also remember many years ago reading a biography of the life of Saint Augustine, and Augustine mentioned towards the end of his life that he had been betrayed so many times from his closest friends that he had come to the place, without cynicism and I think without bitterness, that he resolved to trust his life to Christ and to Christ alone.

Because when it comes right down to it, there are very, very few people who will hang with you in times of great trouble. The reason why I'm talking about this is that one of the things that the Scripture reveals about the character of God, we've seen already that the love that He displays is a love that is eternal, it is an everlasting love, it is a holy love, but we also have to understand that the love of God is a loyal love.

In fact, it is the most loyal love that anyone can ever experience, and it is a loyalty that passes all human comprehension. And I want to spend some time today looking at the opposite side of the coin of the loyal love of God before we look at the positive dimension of it by, again, focusing on acts of disloyalty and their consequences as we find them in Scripture.

Paul’s Final Imprisonment and the Abandoned Apostle

Again, if I can recollect from my travels, a couple of years ago I had an opportunity to have a trip to Italy where I spent considerable time in Rome and had the occasion to visit the famous sites of the ancient city there, the Colosseum and the Vatican and the Lateran Church and all these different places, the temple ruins of the Caesars, and yet in that whole visit the most meaningful experience I had was visiting a site where I didn't have to stand in line because it was being ignored by everybody, and it was the traditional site where the Apostle Paul had his final imprisonment prior to his execution under Nero, and it was called the Maritime Prison, which is right across the street from the ruins of the Roman Forum where the Senate used to meet in Imperial Rome.

And this prison was nothing more than an ancient cistern that had been cut out of solid rock, and it was a room about eight or nine or ten feet high and about fifteen feet across, and it was underground because it had been used originally to store water, and you had to go down steps, and I walked into this cave-like edifice, solid stone, dark, dank, lonely, and I had the vision of the Apostle Paul spending his last days and his last hours in this terrible place awaiting the sword of execution.

And I suspect, though we don't know for sure, that it was from this site that the Apostle Paul wrote his last letter that he wrote that is included in the New Testament, his farewell to his beloved friend and disciple Timothy.

And we read in 2 Timothy at the end of the book these words. In chapter 4, Paul says in verse 6 to Timothy, for I'm already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.

I've fought the good fight, I've finished the race, I've kept the faith, and finally there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day.

And not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. And now listen to what he says. And I have to say, you know that the editors of various versions of the Bible will often put subheadings in the text to, it says you're going through the text and you're looking for a particular passage and you don't know exactly where it is, the subheadings will give you a clue as to what is the content of the next paragraph or so on.

The subheading in the New King James for verses 9 and following is this, the abandoned Apostle. That's how it captures the essence of what Paul is about to say. In verse 9 he says to Timothy, be diligent to come to me quickly.

Timothy, come fast. You know, his time is running out. Timothy is now still back in Ephesus and he has to receive this letter and hasten as fast as he can to be by Paul's side. But listen to the anguish of this plea.

Be diligent to come to me quickly, for Demas has forsaken me. Having loved this present world, he has forsaken me. He has departed for Thessalonica, Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me.

Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry. And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come, and the books, especially the parchments.

And Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. You must also beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words. At my first offense, no one stood with me.

No one stood with me. But all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. Now before we go on from there, let's look back at what he says. Please come fast. Demas has forsaken me. If you read the epistles of the Apostle Paul carefully, you will see that Demas was not merely a passing acquaintance of Paul.

He's mentioned in two of Paul's epistles as a co-laborer and co-worker. He was one of Paul's associates who went with him on his missionary journeys, stood next to him when Paul was preaching, witnessed the fidelity of the Apostle Paul, witnessed how Paul had suffered brutally at the hands of his enemies, and how Paul had remained steadfast.

When Paul says, I fought the good fight, I finished the race, I've kept the faith, Demas knew that. Demas saw all of that. But when push came to shove, Paul says this, Demas loved this present world, and he has forsaken me.

Can you imagine how Paul felt when Demas walked out, left him in this cistern awaiting his execution? Then he goes on to say, others have left. Crescens went to Galatia, Titus to Demacia. Only Luke is with me.

Luke's the only one. Luke who went with him on his missionary journeys. Luke who chronicled Paul's ministry in his book of Acts. Luke was loyal to Paul to the final analysis. But then he goes on to say, get Mark, bring him with you, for he is useful to me.

Isn't this amazing? Paul fired Mark from the missionary journeys. And yet in spite of his firing him, because Mark was not suitable for that particular work, he still had much that was useful to contribute to the apostolic ministry.

And now in his final hour Paul says, get Mark, bring Mark here. Tychicus I've sent to Ephesus. Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus. I mean, Paul's in this dank dungeon, and he's cold. Bring my coat.

And the books, bring my books, especially the parchments. There's a story of an ancient Caesar who had a prized collection of books, and he was fleeing from enemies and had to jump into the river and swim across.

And he was garbed in these precious garments of royalty. He took no thought for them, but he grabbed his books and dove in the water. He held his books over his head while he kicked his way across the channel.

And his clothes were destroyed, but he saved his books. And he became famous as an emperor who loved learning more than he loved the splendor of his clothing. This is the apostle Paul. He's ready to die.

He said, bring me my parchments. I want the word. Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. You also, B .B., must be aware of him. And then he said, at my first offense, no one stood with me, but all forsook me.

May it not be charged against them. But now listen to what Paul says. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, that all the Gentiles might hear.

And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen. Everybody left. Everybody bailed out at my first trial except Jesus.

He was there. He was with me, just like He said He would be. He was loyal, and He strengthened me. And Paul now bursts forth out of his depression, if you will, into a state of exultation and of doxology, where he sings praises to the glory of his Lord, who strengthened him, who promises not to forsake him, and who will be with him and bring him through to his everlasting kingdom.

Jesus in Gethsemane and the Disloyalty of the Disciples

And what sustained the Apostle Paul throughout his life was his complete confidence in the loyal love of Christ, the love that wouldn't let him go. Now, this Christ could identify with the very experience that Paul writes of so poignantly at the end of his life.

If we go back to the fourteenth chapter of the gospel, according to Saint Mark, we see Jesus entering into His passion in the garden of Gethsemane, when He wrestles with the Father about the cup that has been set before Him, the cup of divine judgment.

And He pleads with the Father to let that cup pass from Him, and He gathers His intimate friends, His disciples, to Himself, and He says, watch with me. He invites them to come and be with Him as He goes through the agony of His struggle in Gethsemane.

And we read this, verse 32 of chapter 14 of Mark's gospel, they came to a place which was named Gethsemane. And He said to His disciples, sit here while I pray. And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.

And He said to them, my soul, this is the Lord Jesus saying to His closest friends, my soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch. He went a little farther and fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.

And He said, Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will. And then He came and found them sleeping. He asked them to watch, and instead they went to sleep on their watch.

He said to Peter, Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn't you watch for one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. So again He went away and prayed and spoke the same words.

Now, can you imagine the profound embarrassment and humiliation when Jesus comes and finds Simon Peter sound asleep? He wakes him up. Peter, are you sleeping? Can't you watch with Me for one hour? Can you imagine how guilt-ridden Peter would be at that moment?

He wakes up in a hurry. Well, this will never happen again, Lord. You can count on Me. I'll watch. And when Jesus returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy, and they didn't know what to answer Him.

And then He came the third time and said to them, are you still sleeping and resting? That's enough. Behold, the hour has come. The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, get up, let's get going.

See, My betrayer is at hand, as He points to the approach of Judas, who will, in the ultimate act of betrayal, give to Jesus the kiss of death. And you know the rest of the story, how that when Jesus was placed under arrest and taken to the Praetorium to be judged by Pilate, the disciples who had fled and forsaken Him followed at a safe distance.

The evening was cold, and they found some servant maidens who had gathered outside and round a fire, and they came up to warm themselves in front of the fire. And this maid heard Peter talking with his friends and detected his accent, that it was from Galilee.

And this chambermaid says to Peter, it wasn't one of the officers and officials, says, ha, are you with the Galilean? Not me. Three times he denies Christ publicly. The third time with cursing. I never knew the blankety blank guy.

Don't associate me with him. And at that very moment, the third time that he denies Jesus, suddenly Jesus appears, moving across the courtyard, and the Scripture tells us, his eyes fell upon Peter. I don't think in the history of the world there was a more painful meeting of eyes than there was that night between Jesus and Peter.

Jesus doesn't say anything, He just looks at him, and Peter is devastated. Fortunately, of course, Peter repented. And was restored, and lived out his title as being the Rock. But that night, the Rock was nothing but sifting sand, as he loved this present world more than his Savior.

The Cross, Forsakenness, and the Loyal Love of God

But then if you want to talk about betrayal, the worst experience of betrayal and a sensation of disloyalty was on the cross, when God gives that cup to drink to His beloved Son, turns His back upon Him, sends Christ to hell on the cross, puts the fullness of the curse upon Him, and in that horrible moment, Christ screams in agony, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

It's one thing to be forsaken by Peter, it's another thing to be forsaken by Demas, to be forsaken by God. But of course, Jesus knew what was in that cup. He knew that if He was going to fulfill the plan of redemption, that it was necessary for the Father to put Him through this punishment for sin, because the ultimate punishment for sin is God's departing from the sinner.

We read in Isaiah 53, it pleased the Lord to bruise Him. He has put Him to grief. Sounds almost diabolical that the Lord would take pleasure in bruising the servant. But the pleasure that it speaks of here is that not that the Father enjoyed the pain of the Son for the sake of the pain of the Son, but He pleased the Father to smite the Son for your sake and for my sake.

Out of the great love were within, the Father loved us, and the great love by which the Son loved us, the Son had to be smitten by the Father and bruised at His hand. He had to receive the curse. He had to be forsaken.

But notice that that's not the end of the story. Jesus goes through the process of forsakenness, and it has a terminal point where He finally says, it's finished. Now into thy hands I commend my spirit, because He knew the loyal love.

That's what it means to be loved by God. He will never forsake you. He will never ultimately forsake His people.