The Perfect Love of God — Peter Brandon

The Perfect Love Revealed in Romans 5

The perfect love of God. We're going to turn to the scriptures and we are reading from Romans 5 tonight. Romans 5 and we are commence reading at verse 1. Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God and not only so but we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope.

And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly for scarcely for a righteous man will one die.

Yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Much more than being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him.

For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life. And not only so but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement or the reconciliation.

Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned. For unto the law sin was in the world but sin is not imputed where there is no law.

Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression who is a figure of him that was to come. And the Lord will bless to us the reading of his word.

Perfect Love in an Imperfect World

The greatest fact in the universe is the fact of God. The greatest subjective fact is the fact that that God is a God of love. There is a verse in the Bible that causes the mind to boggle. It says fear has torment but perfect love cast out all fear.

You will agree with the preacher tonight we live in a world of imperfection for instance everything in this hall that you see is marked by imperfection. The platform upon which I stand, the pews that you sit on, the clothes that you wear, the fans that keep the air cool are all marked by perfection.

Something more, the preacher that you see, the verbal communication that you hear is all marked by perfection. And yet in this world of imperfection isn't it marvelous that we can speak tonight of not only something that's perfect but speak of the greatest fact of all as far as we are concerned perfect, perfect love.

Now the scripture in Romans 5 gives us a wonderful demonstration of this perfect love. And first of all I want to show you from the scriptures that I have read that perfect love is knowledgeable never blind.

Perfect love is practical it's right down to earth it works. And then lastly perfect love is supernatural. God is able to do something that no other person can do or will ever be able to do. He is actually able to take the love of God and put it right in your heart so that it's shed abroad in your heart and that is the transforming experience of the gospel.

God's Knowledge of Human Sin and Weakness

Love that's knowledgeable. A philosopher who had a tinge of humor actually wrote these words, love is blind but marriage is an eye opener. Now in one way dear friends that is right. When two people fall in love they don't really know one another.

When two people marry they don't know each other. It sometimes takes us years to understand our partners. And so you can see in that statement there is truth and humor but God's love is not like that.

When God looks upon the human race he knows the human race intellectually, he knows the human race emotionally, he knows the human race morally. In other words he knows man far better than man knows himself.

And yet this is the miracle God knows us thoroughly and yet has the capacity to love. And that is why in this chapter he describes the human race under three headings. First of all he tells us that we are ungodly.

Then he tells us that we are sinners. Then he tells us that we are enemies. And then he comes in with this great fact. I know the worst about you but still have the capacity to love. Now that should be uplifting for everyone.

What then does the word ungodly mean? Well it means exactly what it says, totally unlike God. When God made man he made him in his own image and in his own likeness. Now my dear friends that statement is marked by profundity.

So man even today has a propensity to create, he has a propensity to love, he has a propensity to make, he has a propensity in his own personality and that gives him, shall I say, a lift above all the animals and all the birds in nature.

And no one can deny that fact. But obviously as you look at man today there is something missing. Now why? The greatest fact that God gave to man or perhaps I should say the greatest faculty was his spirit.

And when God made man he made man so that he might live in two worlds. The world of the material that we call earth or terra firma that is limited. And then he made him with a spirit so that he could live in the world of God that we call the kingdom of God.

Now the big thing about man that made him in the image and in the likeness of God was not the fact that he lived in the world. It was in the fact that he had intimate communion with God. And had the propensity, if you like another word, the ability to move into that immeasurable world.

Now when man deliberately sinned and rebelled against God he became terribly damaged in every single way. But the greatest damage was in the realm of his spirit. The spirit was still there but it went dead.

If you can imagine the fuse going out or the breaker not working in your house and everything goes dark and dead. It doesn't mean to say that the insulation has disintegrated. It simply means there is not a diffusion of electricity going through it.

Now man still had a spirit but it was dead toward God. So that when the almighty God came to him instead of being God conscious he became self-conscious. I was afraid. I hid myself. I was naked. You see he lost his vital intimate contact with God.

And therefore if I may put it in mechanical words man was God's Rolls Royce but when he sinned he was like a Rolls Royce squashed between two steam rollers. He was badly damaged and this made him ungodly.

And therefore we see today in the modern man he has brilliance, he has physical strength but when it comes to morality he is still a pygmy. Now I know this is a shocking comparison but it's true. The modern young student that goes to university may have cultured brains, may have physical strength but morally he is a pygmy.

Three thousand years ago when the old Britons were living in caves and they had the curvature of the spine because they were living in caves. They lost their temper, they told lies, they got angry one with another and the modern student still does it today.

Can you see the point? We have changed our environment but we haven't changed ourselves. And therefore man is being weakened by sin and that's what the word ungodly means here. When we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

The Moral Weakness of Sinners

Now can I prove that in a very clear way? God has given to every one of us a wonderful piece of mechanism we call it conscience. Now here's a fact. There has never lived one single person since the fall of man apart from the Lord Jesus that's always kept the dictation of his own conscience.

That's a fact. God has given to us ten commandments. Simple commandments. Five positives, five negatives. And ever since those commandments were given there has never lived a person apart from Jesus Christ that's gay.

Now why? Because we haven't got the moral muscle to keep them. And I hear many people saying this to me now especially in my own country when they're coming very near to Christianity but I haven't got the power to keep it.

Neither have you, neither have I. You see sin has weakened us and as we shall see tonight when a person becomes a Christian God not only forgives his sin but gives him a supernatural power to live. But this is the thing that struck me this morning.

God knows all about our organic and constitutional weakness. He knows all about our failures but still loves us. Still loves us. Isn't that marvelous? You know when I read that I felt my heart being softened.

Why should God ever love me? And why should a holy God ever love you? The word sinner is a contrast to the word ungodly and it basically means a strong man. The word sinner basically means someone who is self-willed.

Someone who is determined to have his own way. Someone who has a constitutional strength given from his forebears that turns him in the wrong direction and therefore it's a contrast between the word ungodly.

The word ungodly means some man that's weak or some woman that's weak. The word sinner means someone that's strong. Now here's the problem. How can the human family be weak and strong at the same time?

Well the question is easily answered. We are weak to do that which is good and strong to do that which is evil. Now how did we become like this a sinner? Did we come by habit? No. Immediately a child is born there is something beautiful about that child and there is something malignant about that child.

When you hold in your arms a little baby you are seeing a masterpiece of God's creation. No doubt about that. But no matter how cultured the mother might be, no matter how disciplined, that mother will never stop that child from sinning.

Where did the sin come from? It came right from the seed that caused the conception and it was actually in the formation of the child whilst it was in the womb. And therefore when that child is born it's born with the potential to sin.

And that's the world's number one problem. And my dear friends if only our modern philosophers would believe that fact it would save them many headaches. And the Lord Jesus put his finger right on the spot when he said that which is born of the flesh is flesh.

And therefore if you look at the modern man you will see that there is moral weakness to do that which is good and yet there is strength and power to do that which is evil. Now can I prove that by demonstrations?

Here is a husband and wife and they are having an argument. This happens in every home. And suddenly he becomes over cross and he shouts. Then he loses his temper completely and he throws something and damage is done that's very intense.

Why did that man not control his temper? Because he was overcome with a power that he couldn't control. Here are two young people who are very much in love but suddenly because of foolishness they become too involved and they fall into a lust for land and they lose their virginity.

Why did he do it? Why did she acquiesce? Because there was a power that they couldn't control. Here is another woman and she's got jealousy and it's so rampant in her mind she cannot sleep and before long she is mentally exhausted.

Why doesn't she control the temper? There's a power within her that's defeating her. Now dear friends this is the language of one of the greatest moralist that ever lived and this is what he said. The good that I would not that I do.

The evil that I hate that I do. I find in a law that when I would do good evil is present with me. Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me? What was happening? He was overcome by the gravity of sin.

And therefore dear friends we can see by those simple citations that sin is something that's gone right into our deep nature but this is the miracle. God knows all about our weakness. He knows all about our potential strength to do evil but he still loves us.

Still loves us. What love? Then the apostle uses a word here that seems very jagged and rough. He says when we were enemies. Now this needs a very careful explanation. We must remember that there isn't a tinge of bitterness in the heart of God.

Humanity as God's Enemy and the Love That Pursues Us

God is love. Therefore when he uses the word enemy it's always manward. It refers to us. Now you might say well how is a man an enemy? Now I wonder if I can use an illustration in order to get to this point that is completely fantastic.

But I believe you will see the point when the illustration is made. Supposing now it was possible for us to make someone that was almost human. And then we brought this person into our home. We'll call him a person.

And then we heaped upon him all the blessings of our family. So that we were actually going to share our inheritance with him. Now supposing after about six months we found him violating our properties.

Breaking all our laws. Hurting the other children. And supposing the man came home one night and noticed that his wife had been hurt by this being. What would he say? I must do something seriously here.

It's damaging everything that we possess. And then supposing he came home one night and found one of his children completely unconscious. Have you got it? What would he do? Now as human beings we would not like to answer that question.

But what do we do with a dog that bites? What do we do? We have it destroyed. Now listen. God has been putting up with the inconsistency of the human family for six thousand years. So that today his moral laws are being broken.

Millions of families are separated. Hundreds of children are on the run all over the western world. And yet this is the miracle. He still loves us. He still loves us. After six thousand years of sinning.

Don't misunderstand me. He doesn't love our weakness. He hates that. He doesn't love our rebellion. He loathes that. He doesn't love the enmity. He detests that. But he loves us. And loves us infinitely.

God's Intervention Through Christ's Sacrifice

Now you will say well prove that love. Well I can only prove it through the scripture. First of all he gives us a glorious intervention of his love. If you go through the old testament I think my memory is correct here.

There are 24 divine interventions. And most of those interventions are in judgement. But these two words that God commended his love toward us relate to the fact that the Lord God intervened in love. Now every time you write the date you put on your letter I trust the date and then 1998.

Now what does that mean? It means if I may use round figures nearly two thousand years ago God intervened. He came right into our world not in judgement but in love. And therefore dear friends we live in a period when God is dealing with the human family in grace and in love.

It's one of the most wonderful periods that we have known. And so you can see by those two words that God it was that moment when God intervened and Jesus Christ came into this world in order to reveal the love of God.

But then he gives us a very brilliant illustration of love. It's seen in verse 7. Let me quote the scripture and let me explain it. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet perventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

Now what does that mean? In the time of the Apostle Paul they had a sentence called a vicarious sentence. We haven't got that sentence in England and I don't think you've got that sentence in Australia.

In some parts of America they have a vicarious sentence. But it simply means this. If the judge would allow it, it's possible in Roman law in the time of the Apostle for another person to die instead of the friend that is guilty.

The other point that we must always follow is this. In the time of the Apostle there were those judges that were not worth their salt. Take for instance Pontius Pilate. He condemned the Lord Jesus when he knew he was absolutely the man of truth.

And some of these judges because of a bribe would actually condemn an innocent man. Now the Apostle is describing a law court. And he brings into the law court someone that's righteous. And the judge knowing that the man is righteous and probably because of a bribe actually condemns a righteous man.

Now says the Apostle, who would die for him? Just a few. Then he brings into the courtroom a man who is a good man, a benefactor. Someone that we would salute if we saw in the street. And the judge cruelly condemns him because of a bribe.

Now says the Apostle, who would die for a good man? Just a few. Then he brings into the courtroom someone that's hard, sadistic, vicious, vandalistic. And as we see him coming into the courtroom, he's being held by two soldiers.

We look and we say that man's weak to do any good. We look again and we can see fire in his eyes. And we can see that he's an enemy of society. He's a rascal. And then the judge says with a cynical chuckle, would anyone die for him?

And we're all shaken. The door of heaven opens and the Son of God says, I will, I will. So this is how he puts it. But God commends his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Penal Substitution and the Cross

Now that's love. But then he comes to a point where that love is going to be manifested. Now how is God going to manifest that love? We hear every day of parents that give their life for their children.

For instance, just before I came here, there was a sister that gave her kidney to her other sister who needed it. And her sister lived and she died. But you see, it's someone giving their life for a relative.

During my time in the Navy, I heard of a sailor that went through a line of fire in order to get his friend to a sickbay and was shot dead. But someone picked up his friend and took him to the sickbay.

But he gave his life for his friend. Now note this. When Jesus Christ, the Son of God, went to that Roman gibbet, he didn't die for his friend. Note this. He died for the ungodly. He died for downright sinners.

He died for enemies. That's love. But it goes deeper than that. Dear friends, if I can put it to you like this. If I could take out one sin from my life and one sin from your life and I could actually put it visibly in that cup so we could see it.

And then if you could see that particular sin, shall we say a lie or an act of lust or some bad thought that goes through the mind. If we could see that as God sees it, we would say something like this.

Oh no. One sin to God is far worse than all the sins of the world to us. When Jesus Christ went to the cross, he not only died on that cross to show to us his love for those who were opposed to him. But on that cross he was willing to bear our sins in his own body on the tree.

And that meant this. He allowed almighty God and only almighty God could do this. To bring together the sins of the whole believing world. And what a mess that was. No mind could measure that. Then he allowed the holy God to bring together the sins of the whole of the believing world.

Not just the sins, the sins. Then very carefully he measured meticulously it's judgment. And he brought that sin under judgment upon his own son. And the Lord Jesus was made so realistically one with our sins.

Mind you he never became a sinner but a sin bearer. That he actually cried the language of a man that was separated from God. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken? Now if that was the last cry that ever came from the lips of the Lord Jesus, that would be love beyond revival, that would be love beyond compare.

But there would be a tragedy. Immediately that forsaken cry fell from his lips. There was this victorious cry, finished, complete, bitter still, polished off. You say what does that mean? You see when the sin came and was laid upon him and when the judgment fell upon him he wasn't consumed by it but hallelujah he consumed the judgment.

And my dear friends at that moment God revealed to us his intimate love. Now can I say this to you not as a preacher but as a friend. Did you know that God loved you so much that Jesus Christ hung on a Roman gibbet and bore your sin in his own body on the tree and the judgment.

And that love beyond any compare. But my dear friends if I was to stop there I haven't exhausted this scripture. But God commends his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

Sharing the Love of God Through the Gospel

What does that mean? In other words God takes up people who were ungodly and sinners and enemies. He reveals his love to them and he breaks them with his love. And they receive the forgiveness that comes through his love.

And then by the power of the Holy Spirit he anoints their lips and then he tells them to go into all the world and preach the gospel and to commend. The love of God. And dear friends for 51 years now I've been commending the love of God to people and I never get tired of it.

And I think I can say here before God it's as fresh to me tonight as when I first preached it. All the mighty love of God. And isn't it a wonderful thing to look at this congregation and to say in my own soul God loves every man every woman in that congregation so much so that he hung on the cross for their sins.

We commend the love of God but there's something more than that. In this word commend if you look at it carefully it also can mean communicate. I remember on one occasion being taken up that great mountain the fable mountain and seeing the largest reservoir in the world.

And when I saw it I could hardly believe that human beings could make almost a human save. And as I came down from that lovely mountain I was coming near some little rondables where the native people live and I saw something that was lovely.

I saw an old lady with a rusty old kettle and she went to a little tap that was near her little hut. And she was putting the old kettle under the tap and all that water at least some of it was being communicated into that kettle.

You see it was coming through the pipeline and there she was making a cup of tea. Did you know that Calvary's love is a mighty reservoir but the channel is coming right to you tonight. And I don't know who you are dear friends thank God that's a mystery to me but there's someone here and I'm almost afraid to look and God is channeling his love to you just as you sit there.

He wants that love to come right in you. Now we come to this great scripture when we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly that's clear. But God commends his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us that's clear.

The Holy Spirit Pours God's Love Into the Heart

Now we come to this hope makes not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. Now what does that mean? Now can I explain it in a way that's very literal perhaps not very theological but literal in order to help.

God actually takes Calvary's love and he can actually pour it into your heart. But it's not like water going into a glass that's the illustration. It's a divine person who is co-equal with God who comes into your life so that the love of God is put inside you.

And that's the greatest miracle that God ever performed. Now I want you to see the glory and the majesty of this. When Jesus Christ hung on the cross it moves me when I say that. At that moment the greatest demonstration of love was seen and that demonstration will never be seen again.

God is able in the power of the Holy Spirit to take that love and sow it right into our weathered heart so that the love of God is shed abroad in all its effusion in our lives. That's why when a person becomes a New Testament Christian he will never have any excuse for bitterness.

Because the love of God has been shed abroad in our heart. Now if I may do this with the glass so as to make it very simple. If you're going to put water into a glass and you're going to give it to a friend what do you do?

First of all you make sure the glass is clean and if it's not clean you put it under the test and you wipe. And when it's sparkling clean then you put in the water. God will never give you the Holy Spirit until you have been cleansed from your sin.

And the reason why you can be cleansed from your sin is because the Lord Jesus bore the judgment of your sin and through his precious blood God can make you clean once and for all. You see when God cleanses a man through the blood of the Lord Jesus he doesn't do it by bits and pieces he does it once and for all and it never has to be repeated again.

And immediately you are cleansed from sin the Holy Spirit as a divine person comes in and the love of God is shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost. Now dear friends to me this is so wonderful it's indescribable.

The Holy Spirit is in this room right now. It's here. It's here. And God is waiting to cleanse you from sin and give you the Holy Spirit so that the love of God is shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost.

Receiving Christ and Living in Forgiving Love

But you have to receive him. You say how is this done? It's coming to the Lord Jesus as a sinner. Don't hide it. It's coming in all your weakness. Don't hide it. Coming with all your guilt. Don't cover it.

It's receiving forgiveness that comes through his blood. And it's receiving Christ into your life. And quite recently a man knelt down I shall never forget it in Bundaberg who had been seeking the Lord for weeks and years.

And he just knelt down and quietly said Lord Jesus I receive you as my Saviour and Lord. And there the love of God was poured into his heart. One of the most stirring things I think I've ever seen and with this I close.

Was a man there in Toowoomba. A farmer. Quite an affluent farmer too. And he had been seeking God for a long long while. And he came to the meetings and one night he stayed behind and I spoke to him about his sin and I spoke to him about the judgment of God upon sin.

And I said to him do you understand that? He said yes I do. But I wondered if he really gripped it. You see dear friends we can't lead a person to the Lord until God has worked in a man. Then another night he came and he stayed behind and I explained to him how that Christ died on the cross for all his sins.

I said do you see that? He said I do. But somehow I didn't feel that he was quite ready. And then he came back on a Thursday evening and he said Mr. Brandon I desperately want to be made right with God.

And I could see that the man was really in earnest. And I said well this is the scripture I'm going to give you. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And he read it and he got down on his knees.

He was 82. He didn't look 82. He looked about 65. Quite a young looking 82. But he got down on his knees and he just couldn't pray. He was choked up. And then he cried out Lord save me and be the Lord of my life.

And the Lord met him. And the love of God came in. And what a transformation. But now you listen to this. A week later he came to me and said I've been fighting a battle. I said what's that? He said the man in the next farm shot three of my lovely sheep dogs.

When did he do that? Six months ago. And I planned to kill him. But he said I can't do it now as a Christian. Would you pray for me? I want to go to him tomorrow and say that I forgive him. And I love him.

And I want to show him the love of Jesus in my heart. Friends that broke me right down. That's the evidence of the love of God in a man's heart. May God give that to every one of you.