Life of Victory for Substance Abusers Lesson Two: The Love of God Part 1
This is the Recap of Lesson 2: The Love of God Part 1 for Recovering Addicts and Substance Abusers. Presented to you by Reach Recovery, a substance abuse recovery program in Greenville, NC.
Key verse: Ephesians 3:17-19
“I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Paul prayed that Christians would know and understand the magnitude of God’s love. Few people ever really comprehend how much God loves them. One of the central themes of the Bible is God’s love for humanity. By studying the Bible, we can understand the height, depth, width and breadth of God’s love for us.
1. God’s love is everlasting. – Jeremiah 31:3
“I have loved you with an everlasting love, I have drawn you with loving kindness.”
In contrast to human love, which is often only temporary, God’s love is eternal… It last forever. It does not fade with time.
2. God’s love is for sinners. – Romans 5:8
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
This is a very powerful act of love. We all like to be shown love and showered with good things. It can be hard for us to feel like we deserve love or kindness when we have been mad, or in a bad mood, etc.
We can reflect that same mentality upon God. Many times we think that God only loves us when we are properly performing our religious duties. We assume the more religious we act, the more God loves us. The Bible teaches the opposite. His greatest demonstration was in response to our rebellion.
3. God’s love is great. – 1 John 3:1
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”
His love is for everyone. It’s not just for some and barley there for others. His love is so great that he makes us His children.
4. God’s love is constant. – Romans 8:35-39
Says nothing can separate us from the love of God – no hardship, no persecution, famine, danger, angels, or demons shall separate us.
During tough times, many of us wrongly feel that we are separated from God’s love. We must settle once and for all that God loves us. The proof of His great love is not to be found in our present circumstances, but in what He did for us on the cross.
Are there times in your life when you tend to doubt God’s love for you? If so, recognize when that happens and why. You will be able to identify the doubt and overcome it with the truth of His love found in the Word.
