Love Series

LOVE OF GOD #10

Love of God In the Gospels

Fred R. Coulter – January 3, 1996

The title of this video is "The Love of God In the Gospels," minus John 13 through 17. The reason being is because those five chapters are very, very important in relationship to the Passover and the covenant that we have with God, and those will require special, detailed study into it to understand the love of God and to understand what we need to know as far as the Passover is concerned.

Let’s begin by coming to Matthew 24, because here is a warning that is given to us concerning what the world is like. And many times what the world is like is also reflected in the church. And we’ve seen that this has really been a problem in a lot of the relationships with the congregations, with each other, with the ministers and teachers to the brethren, and the brethren back to the ministers and the teachers. And with all the confusion that’s going on today we can see that this certainly has happened and is happening.

Now let’s come to Matthew 24:12: "And because iniquity shall abound…" Now "iniquity," this comes from the Greek word anomia, which means, "against law," or lawlessness with the purpose in mind of knowing that there is law, but directly defying the laws and commandments of God. "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax [grow] cold." Sin kills love. And the "many" here means the majority. It grows cold. Why? Because when people commit themselves to another person – in an attitude of love, and an attitude of friendship and an attitude of closeness – when that is ruined by sin, then the person who has been expressing love withdraws that love and is afraid to really commit in the kind of relationship that is truly loving. So then we have kind of a arms-length, distant, non-loving relationship which develops. And this is exactly what we see in the entire world today. This is exactly what we have seen has been happening in the churches of God.

Let’s go to Luke 11:37, because this becomes a very important thing for us to understand concerning the love of God in the Gospels. Now here is what is happening with the religious leaders. This has also happened with the religious leaders within the church of God. Let’s read it: "And as He spake, a certain Pharisee besought Him to dine with him: and He went in, and sat down to [eat] meat. And when the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed [His hands] before dinner." This was the religious ceremony. Now the Jews were normally in the habit of asking a blessing before they started, the hand washing when they washed their hands, then a blessing when they started the meal, and then when they came to certain courses of the meal they would also ask blessings. So they were very religious and fastidious in what they did.

"And the Lord said unto him…" Now notice, Jesus was not interested in winning friends and influencing people for the sake of compromising love. As we’re going to see, the love of God requires all your effort. And we’ll have to conclude that Jesus loved the Father, and we will see, yes, He did, and that’s one of the reasons why He did what He did. But notice what He said to the Pharisee: "…Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup…" Yes, everyone is interested in the outward appearance, the outward part of the cup and platter as He said here: "…but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness." Because love must come from the heart. And if the heart has not been made right there is no love. You cannot put on a façade out here by having things look good on the outside, even by having sort of a friendliness toward other people. That may not necessarily be true love at all. It may be just friendliness toward another person.

So Jesus wanted to make sure that they understood what He was talking about. So He says: "Ye fools, did not He that made that which is without make that which is within also?" Yes, He did. He created the outside and the inside. So to clean the outside and not the inside is the big problem that a lot of people have. Now remember the psalm of David when he repented of the affair with Bathsheba, what did he say? He said, "You desire truth in the inward parts." And he said, "O God, create in me a clean heart." And so that’s what Jesus is telling them here, that they do not have a clean heart.

So He says now: "But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you." In other words, don’t be self-centered; don’t be so picky; don’t come in with a smile on your face and a battle-axe in your hand. Verse 42: "But woe unto you, Pharisees! For ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God…" Now we’re going to see that the love of God, as we have seen all through this series, is the foundation of our relationship with God. You cannot have a relationship with God without loving Him. It’s an impossibility. You cannot have a formal, hands-arms-length relationship with God. He wants a close relationship with you with your heart. Now what happens when you get a lot of teachers, like the Pharisees, who didn’t know the love of God, didn’t teach the love of God? Well then, look what happens. You end up with just all of the self-righteousness that they had and become hypocritical in it.

Notice, "…[you] pass over judgment [that is, true judgment; that is, true, righteous judgment] and the love of God…" Because it’s important for us to understand that true, righteous judgment comes from the love of God. "…These [things] ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." So He’s saying primarily that you need to have done the judgment and the love of God, and not leave the other things undone either. Continuing now in verse 43: "Woe unto you, Pharisees! For ye love…" Now here’s the kind of love that they had: "…For ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets." And so they had their hierarchy and they lifted themselves up, didn’t they? "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites…" Now another word or another explanation of the word hypocrite is this: sanctimonious pretenders. They can pretend on the outside, but what is it really like on the inside? And that’s what Jesus is teaching here. It doesn’t matter what’s on the outside; God looks at the heart, doesn’t He? Yes. So what is on the inside is the most important thing.

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves [you’re just like walking through a graveyard] which appear not…" In other words, covered over; you can’t see them; you’re walking on them, "…and the men that walk over them are not aware of them. Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto Him, Master, thus saying Thou reproachest us also. And He said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers…" So you see, if you’re going to love God, one of the things that is going to happen, you’re going to be like Jesus Christ. You’re going to see things in their true perspective. Now here, since they didn’t have the love of God, since they were deliberately going against God, Jesus Christ was straightforward to them; and as we say in today’s parlance, called a spade a spade. So the lawyer said, "Now look, You’re offending us."

So, "…He said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! For ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne [they make decisions and say you have to carry this out], and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers." You wouldn’t think of doing that to yourselves, but you think of doing it to other people in your judgments. "Woe unto you! For ye build the sepulchers of the prophets, and your fathers [are the ones who] killed them. Truly ye bear witness that ye allow [or do] the deeds of your fathers…" Now we’re going to see in just a little bit here who their father really is; in this case, "the deeds of your fathers," the ones who killed the prophets. "…For they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchers," and say, "My, let’s have a tomb to this wonderful prophet." And then what you do, you change the whole thing. So now it becomes a monument that you use, that you control, that you make part of your own manipulation of the people in a status quo for your own hierarchy.

Verse 48: "Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchers. Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute…" Now if you’re truly going to love God, you’re walking into the enemy’s camp, and this is what they’re going to do to you. Now He says the reason that He was bringing this judgment upon them and being so straightforward and specific about it is because: "…That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation." Why? Because they said, "We know." Because they said, "We are doing the will of God," and they weren’t doing it.

"Woe unto you, lawyers! For ye have taken away the key of knowledge…" When you make so many rules and regulations and minutia of things to do and not do, then you lose the key of knowledge. Why did God give the knowledge in the first place? And also as it says in Matthew 23, which is a similar, parallel account here, they also take away the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Not only the key of knowledge, but the key of the knowledge of salvation. "…Ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered."

Oh, you won’t let them get away with doing the things that God really wants. You want them to do your thing. You want them to be corralled in your own little fence-work here, and make sure that you have do’s and don’ts and this and that so that they are controlled. Well, understand something very important: God does not want anyone to control anyone else’s free moral agency. Now in rearing children, that’s a little bit different case. But when they get older, guess what happens when they see they have their free moral agency? Then what happens? One of the first things they do to their parents is say, "Don’t tell me what to do anymore." Because the whole thing that God wants, He wants your free choice, your free moral agency to love Him. Not build up this kind of thing that we see here, where they stop off the free moral agency, where they stop off the love of God. And this has been too big of a problem within the churches of God.

"And as He said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge Him vehemently, and to provoke Him to speak of many things…" They wanted to keep talking so they could try and catch Him in His words and then have Him arrested and exterminated. Why? Because He wasn’t fitting in to their little box. "…Laying wait for Him, and seeking to catch something out of His mouth, that they might accuse Him" (Luke 11:37-54, KJV).

Now let’s come to Luke 12:1, because this flows right into it. "In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people…" So while all this discussion was going on, many people were coming in and gathering around. They were seeing what was this debate that was going on. "…Insomuch that they trode one upon another, He began to say unto His disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy." That is the opposite of love. Because hypocrisy is this: not only is it sanctimonious pretending, it is that you have your own agenda on the inside that you keep secret to yourself, your own sin. And you put a façade out here on the front to make yourself look righteous. Now we have seen that, but this is in particularly a great sin among the leaders – the Pharisees, the scribes, and also the ministers in the churches of God today.

So here is a guarantee that Jesus said: you’re not going to mock the love of God; you’re not going to get away with these things because, verse 2: "For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known." God is going to make it known. And there are ministers who are great hypocrites, who are trying to hide their own sins and their own sexual immoralities today, and deny it in the face of great evidence, contrary to their denial. It’s going to be known. That’s part of the exposing of the love of God. Because you cannot truly, truly enter into a relationship with someone unless you know what’s in their heart. That’s why the love of God is so important. That’s why He is bringing this out in relationship to their lack of love and how the love of many grows cold.

"Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops" (Luke 12:1-3, KJV). And now we’re living in an age, we’re living in a time when that is so and it’s going to be. Just no way around it.

Now let’s come to John 5 and let’s see also what Jesus said concerning them. Now Jesus is talking again to the religious leaders. Jesus is telling them exactly what they need to know. Now when you’re confronted with someone who has hatred toward God as they did, who rejects God as they did yet at the same time claiming, "Oh yes, we are God’s representatives," notice what He says here in verse 36: "But I have greater witness than that of John…" Because they didn’t go to John that they might be baptized and they might be saved. Remember what John said when the scribes and Pharisees came? He said, "You hypocrites and vipers and snakes in the grass! Who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore, repent, and bring forth fruits of repentance" (Matthew 3:7-8, paraphrased). So He says, "I have a greater witness than that of John."

"…For the works which the Father hath given Me to finish, the same works that I do, [they] bear witness of Me, that the Father hath sent Me." Now they couldn’t miss this message. "And the Father Himself, which hath sent Me, hath borne witness of Me…" that is, by the works and by the healings and by the miracles which were done. Now notice the next part of this verse: "…Ye have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His shape." Now this is talking to the Pharisees. This is very important for us to understand. Mystic Judaism had that if you go through the various layers of the scribes and Pharisees and Essenes and Theraputae, that in this mystic religion you would rise to a certain point and you would see the light of God. You would see God and you would hear His voice. So Jesus is going right to the heart of the mystic religion of Judaism by saying, "…Ye have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His shape."

Now continuing: "And ye have not His word [the word of God] abiding in you…" Now "abiding" means dwelling and living in you. Now if you have the word of God living in you, then you’re going to have the love of God because the two go hand-in-hand. Because God is love, and if you have the word of God abiding in you, being written in your heart and mind and soul and being, then you’re going to have the love of God. So because of that, He says: "…For Whom He hath sent [that is, the Father sent Christ], Him ye believe not. Search the scriptures [now He’s telling them, ‘Go look in the Scriptures’]; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me." Because all of the Prophets and all of the Law and the Palms testified of Him, did it not? So when He says, "Search the Scriptures," He means the Law and the Prophets and the Psalms.

"And ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life. I receive not honour from men. But I know you…" Now look at this verse, verse 42: "…I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you." It’s not within. "I am come in My Father’s name, and ye receive Me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive." Yes, because they come around with all the flattery and backslapping and all of the pseudo-sanctimonious, pretending, exterior love that people have. No, but you don’t have the love of God in you.

Now continuing in verse 44: "How can ye believe, [you] which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?" That’s what needs to be, brethren. That’s why the apostle Paul did many of the things that he did, and said many of the things that he said, and wrote the things that he wrote. Because he was not concerned with honor from men. He even said that, "If I please men, I should not be the servant of God" (Galatians 1:10, paraphrased). Now when this is carried in relationship to the church, in relationship to the world, and people go back into the world for their approval and the honor of those in the world, they are not seeking the honor that comes from God.

Verse 45: "Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye [say you] trust." Now they really didn’t trust in Moses. It’s like everything else – they take a name and use it, and keep repeating it and magnifying it; however, what they were doing were teaching their own doctrines. We’ve seen that happen, haven’t we? Haven’t we heard the names of various men touted? I remember one time I was listening to a sermon, and this man was preaching. And he mentioned this "great" evangelist over and over and over and over and over again. He mentioned his name – I forget how many times, but it was well over 60 times that he mentioned the name of the man, and he mentioned Christ eight times. Now whose honor was he seeking? Well that’s very self-evident. The same way here with the scribes and Pharisees. "For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed Me: for he wrote of Me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe My words?" (John 5:36-47, KJV). It’s an impossibility.

Now since we’re here in the gospel of John, let’s go to Chapter 3, and let’s see how the Father loved Christ, and Christ loved the Father. Now if we have Christ in us, what are we going to do? We are going to love Christ and we are going to love God the Father, are we not? Yes we are. And then we’re going to see that we’re going to love each other. Let’s come to John 3:31. Jesus said – and He was talking again to the scribes and Pharisees; or actually, this is John [the Baptist] who’s talking to them. They wanted to know, "How come Jesus is doing more baptizing than you?" And John said, "I must decrease, but He must increase."

"He that cometh from above is above all…" That’s who Christ was, above all. "…He that is of the earth is earthly…" Now you think of that in relationship to trying to give yourself eternal life. None has done it yet, have they? No. You are of the earth, "…and speaketh of the earth…" Carnal-minded, thinks of things of the flesh only. "…He that cometh from heaven is above all. And what He hath seen and heard, that He testifieth; and no man receiveth His [receives no man’s] testimony," because He doesn’t need it. "He that hath received His testimony [that is, the testimony of Jesus Christ] hath set to his seal that God is true." That is, you affirm and know and have sealed in your own heart and mind that God is true. "For He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God…" That’s referring to Jesus Christ. And we’re going to see that’s what He spoke. He didn’t speak anything else. He didn’t speak His own ideas, He didn’t do His own thing; He never did anything that was not pleasing to the Father. Why? Because, we’re going to see, that He loved the Father and the Father loved Him.

"For He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him [that is, to Christ]…He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:31-34, 36, KJV). So we have this clear-cut: you either love God or you don’t. You can’t have it half-way in between. Because that’s part of the earth. That’s "earthy." "Earthiness" means this: you go to God and tell Him that you love Him, but all the while all you want are the blessings, and you’re not willing to suffer the hard times and the difficult times, and you don’t want to have any persecution. And as a matter of fact, if those things come, then those who don’t have the love of God get mad at God, get angry at God: "God, how could you allow this to happen?" Well that’s not the attitude that Christ wants us to have.

Let’s continue here in John 10. No, let’s finish here in John 3:35: "The Father loveth the Son…" Now notice the –eth there in the King James, which means that is an ongoing love. And it has to be the same way with us. If we’re going to receive the ongoing love of the Father, the Father is loving us, just like He is loving the Son: "…and hath given all things into His hand." Now that’s why you have to believe on Him, because He gave Jesus Christ. Everything They did was done in love. There was not one thing that They did not do in love.

Now let’s go to John 10:17 at this point here. Sorry I missed that verse. Now let’s go back to verse 14, because this flows right along in the story flow here. "I am the good shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine. As the Father knoweth Me…" And again, in the King James the –eth, continuous knowing; continuous relationship, continuous ongoing receiving of God’s Spirit. That’s why if you’re going to love God you’re going to be motivated from the inside. Those religious leaders who do not love God have to motivate people from the outside, and have to put fences around them, and controls around them; and has to try and restrict the free moral agency of the people because the people are carnal, and the leaders are carnal, and they are not internalizing the love of God.

"As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I [am known of] the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep." And He did it because He loved them. "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. Therefore doth My Father love Me…" Why? Because Christ was willingly laying down His life. And we’re going to see when we come to the Passover time how profound that was. "…Because I lay down My life, that I might take it again" (John 10:14-17, KJV). That’s why the Father loves Him. Tremendous. Absolutely tremendous.

Now let’s go to John 8. Notice how much we’re in John here to start with, because this gives us a good foundation. Let’s begin in John 8:23. Again, we find something very important. Again, we see the great contrast between Christ and the way He is, the way He was when He was in the flesh, and the way those religious leaders were then at that point, and the way religious leaders are today. And as I’m reading this let’s remember a great and profound spiritual lesson: you cannot accomplish spiritual things by physical means. You never can. That’s why all this fence-building, that’s why all this restricting, that’s why all these thing to corral and hold down do not work. It’s all artificial.

Let’s pick it up here in John 8:23: "And He said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above…" Now He’s saying exactly what John was saying. "…Ye are of this world; I am not of this world." And we cannot be of the world either, brethren, in the same way that the world is with the world. It’s an impossibility. You can’t be double-minded. "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am…" And they knew what "I AM" means. They knew that that went back to Exodus 3 where Moses said, "Who shall I say has sent me?" And He said, "Tell them I AM THAT I AM has sent you." So when He said that, they knew. If you don’t believe that, "…ye shall die in your sins."

"Then said they unto Him, Who art Thou?" Because they knew what I AM meant. "…And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge of you: but He that sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of Him." Now why did Christ only speak the things that He heard of the Father? Because He loved the Father, and the Father loved Him. And the only way that God’s plan is really going to come to its fullness is for all of us to grow in this love and to love God, and to fulfill it with the same kind of love that God the Father and Jesus Christ had for each other. Of course, that can only come from God. You can’t work that up within yourself; you don’t have it. It has to be the gift of God. That’s why the fruit of the Spirit, as Paul says, is first love, and then joy and peace and all the rest of them.

"…He that sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of Him. They understood not that He spake to them of the Father. Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man…" And they knew that was crucifixion. He was telling them ahead of time, "When you have crucified Me," "…then shall ye know that I am…" Because all the events that took place at the Passover proved that He was God in the flesh, the Son of God the Father. "…And that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father hath taught Me, I speak these things."

Now I think that all teachers better read that and understand that – you speak the things of God. To teach the brethren of God is a great responsibility which God the Father has given. So we had better be about preaching and teaching the words of God the Father and Jesus Christ. Because those are the only words of love that are going to up-build the brethren. And when we do that the brethren will be built up, and God will build us up, and we will build up the brethren, and all of us together will be built up in Christ. That’s how God wants it, speaking the words of the Father. Now continuing on in verse 29, let’s finish it here: "And He that sent Me is with Me: the Father hath not left Me alone; for I do always those things that please Him" (John 8:23-29, KJV). Now this becomes a very important thing for us to understand concerning the love of God.

Now let’s look at it this way: if you truly love someone – say, with all of your fiber and being and passion – are you not going to do everything that you can to please that person? Yes you will. Now what did God the Father say when they were on the mount of transfiguration and the cloud came, and they saw Jesus transfigured and glorified, with Moses on one hand and Elijah on the other hand? What was it that the voice said? He said, "This is My Son, the Beloved, in Whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him." So likewise, brethren, if we have the love of God we’re going to do the things which are well-pleasing to Him, without a doubt. There can be no doubt. Now that doesn’t matter what your circumstances are around you, because love is not bounded by circumstances. Love is not restricted by circumstances. Love is spiritual and comes from the Father to you and back to the Father, from Christ to you, and back to Christ, on an ongoing relationship.

Now lets continue on. Let’s go to John 5 again, and let’s pick it up here in verse 16. Again, we’re going to see this love that the Father had for Jesus Christ, and the love that Christ had for the Father. That’s another reason why Christ did not sin, even though He had the capacity to sin, because He did it through love. Now that’s a great key for us to understand, brethren, in overcoming. Your overcoming is going to be a whole lot lighter of a load if you’re loving God. Because then you’re going to understand, and He will lift these things from you.

Now let’s pick it up here in John 5:16, please. And He said after they came after Him to accuse Him of doing the things on the Sabbath of healing this man and telling the man, "Take up your bed roll and walk," and they said, "He broke the Sabbath." No such thing. Anyone who turns here and says, "This shows that Jesus broke the Sabbath; therefore the Sabbath is no longer binding," is completely screwy in the head and does not understand the truth of the Scriptures, and that is a satanic, carnal-minded argument against the Sabbath. Let’s read it: "And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay [kill] Him…" Now if you seek to kill someone, you don’t have the love of God, do you? Just like Jesus said, "I know you. You don’t have the love of God in your heart."

"…Because he had done these things on the sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto [up to this time], and I work." So what do we do on the Sabbath? We do spiritual work. We do those things which then uplift and teach and help and release from bondage, release from sin. That’s why Christ came in the first place. And they didn’t understand it. "Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the sabbath…" No, He didn’t break the Sabbath. This word in the Greek comes from the word luo, which means "to loose." He loosed the Sabbath from their silly, restrictive requirements. He didn’t destroy the Sabbath. He didn’t break the Sabbath because He didn’t sin; and Jesus would command no man to sin. Not only did they think He had broken the Sabbath, "…but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily [or that is, truly, truly], I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of Himself…" And that means He didn’t originate out anything from within His own human nature, which He had: "…but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise."

Now why did He have this kind of behavior? Why could He say that that’s what He did? "For the Father loveth the Son…" Now we’ve seen that the Son is loving the Father, and the Father is loving the Son. That’s why They had this relationship that They did. "…And sheweth Him all things that Himself doeth: and He will shew Him greater works than these, that ye may marvel" (John 5:16-20, KJV). So this was a tremendous thing, this love that God the Father and Jesus Christ had for each other. Therefore, even though Christ came to the world and He was utterly, utterly, utterly alone – which He truly was when you understand it, because even the disciples didn’t believe on Him, and some didn’t even believe after the resurrection. So that’s how He was able to function alone, because He loved the Father, and He knew the Father loved Him. And with the fullness of the Spirit of God in Him it was continuously an ongoing thing between them.

Now let’s go to Luke 4, and let’s see how love in action with Christ worked, even under the temptation of Satan the devil. Because this is so important. How do you react when things come upon you? If you’re loving God you’re going to be able to, but I’m going to tell you something that’s very true: if you are not praying to God and if you are not studying His word, and if you are not drinking in of His Holy Spirit, and if you’re not going to the Father and Jesus Christ and asking them to give you their love that you may love back to them and that you may also love the brethren with, you’re going to be very penurious indeed in your love. You may even end up just like the Pharisees, as Jesus said, "I know you, that you don’t have the love of God in you." And I have met those in the church of God that way. I have met those ministers and those brethren who are that way. So if you truly have the love of God in you, here’s how you’re going to act in circumstances when tribulation and trial come upon you.

Luke 4:1: "And Jesus being full of the Holy [Spirit] Ghost…" Now if He’s full of the Holy Spirit, He’s full of the power of God, He’s full of the love of God, He’s full the faith of God, He has the determination of God, does He not? Yes. "…And was led by the Spirit into the wilderness." Now, in the wilderness, that’s where, if you recall, on the day of Atonement, azazel is sent, correct? And he represents Satan the devil. So that’s why it’s no strange thing that He went out in the desert to meet Satan the devil. And: "…Being forty days tempted of the devil." Every day, tempted. "And in those days He did eat nothing…" And apparently He didn’t drink anything either. Because if He was going to be greater than Moses, Moses stood before God and received the Law and the statutes and the judgments, and he didn’t eat or he didn’t drink. So I don’t believe that Jesus did. There was a time when I thought maybe Jesus even drank some water. But I would have to say, knowing the Scriptures a little more than I did back then, that I would have to conclude that Jesus didn’t drink any water. "…And when they were ended, He afterward hungered."

Now here’s part of the trial that He went through during the forty days. "And the devil said unto Him, If Thou [so this is a challenge to God] be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written…" Now we’re going to see all the way through, and as you know we’ve covered in the past before, but it’s very profound – even Jesus lived by the words which He inspired in the Old Testament, as well as living by the words and the teachings that God the Father was giving Him for the New Covenant. So we have both of them together, don’t we?

So He says, "It is written," going right to the Scriptures of God. If you love God you’re going to go to the Scriptures to know and find out what you need to do, correct? Yes. Here’s the whole answer: "…That man [because Christ was in the flesh, so He’s talking of those who are in the flesh] shall not live by bread alone [not by food alone], but by every word of God." And as Matthew adds, "…that proceeds out of the mouth of God." Because what you have here in the Scriptures is the very words that came out of the mouth of God, which are written down for us, which Jesus said, "These are spirit, and these are life."