1. Grace Fellowship Church Pastor/Teacher Jim Rickard Thursday, May 27, 2010 www.GraceDoctrine.org

2. Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.— Amen.

3. Memory Verse John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”

4. John 15:9 The Abiding Life of Love! Part 2

5. John 15:9, “Even as the Father has, does and will forever love Me, I also love you all; You all abide in the sphere of My love.”

6. God’s Personal Love:

7. 1. God's personal love emphasizes the object of divine love.

8. 2. There are three categories of Divine Love:

9. 2. There are three categories of Divine Love: Divine personal love which emphasizes the object of love.

10. 2. There are three categories of Divine Love: Divine impersonal love which emphasizes the subject who is loving.

11. 2. There are three categories of Divine Love: Divine self-esteem which is Love for yourself.

12. a. Love in the spiritual life is patterned after Divine Love, not after human love, and therefore the believer who abides in Christ’s love must:

13. 1) Love himself first, (because of and based on God’s Word resident within his soul), before being capable of loving others.

14. 2) Always start with Impersonal love as the basis for any relationship, which comes from the application of God’s Word within his soul.

15. 3) Have Personal love for God and others based on Divine Integrity resident within his soul.

16. 3. God’s love always depends on who and what God is, never on who and what mankind is.

17. a. God’s love exists with or without an object, since God’s love eternally exists and is unchangeable with optimum capacity.

18. b. God’s love is never sustained by attractiveness or worthiness of an object, nor does it depend on the merit, works, sacrifices, flattery, or legalistic modus operandi of human beings.

19. c. Divine holiness is the integrity envelope for man’s impersonal love for all mankind.

20. d. Divine personal love always functions in compatibility with divine integrity, which means it never contradicts the justice and righteousness of God.

21. e. Divine love is always a source of God’s grace policy. This means that human works, worthiness, merit, or good, is not the basis of God’s love for us.

22. 4. God’s love is based on His Integrity. To understand His Love we must understand His integrity.

23. a. Righteousness is the principle of Divine Integrity;

24. a. Righteousness is the principle of Divine Integrity; b. Justice is the function of Divine Integrity;

25. a. Righteousness is the principle of Divine Integrity; b. Justice is the function of Divine Integrity; c. Love is the motivation of Divine Integrity,

26. d. All of which is expressed through the grace of God.

27. 5. Integrity is adherence to spiritual, moral, and ethical principles related to truth and honesty (i.e., Bible Doctrine).

28. 6. The believer who functions in the Integrity of God will truly be able to abide in the love of Christ.

29. a. Occupied with Christ, b. In fellowship with the HS, c. Consistent PMA of BD, d. Applies the Royal Family Honor Code, e. Executes God’s Plan for their lives.

30. Grace Fellowship Church Thursday, May 27, 2010 Tape # 10-059 The Abiding Life of Love, Part 2 Upper Room Discourse, Part 374 John 15:9 Grace Fellowship Church Thursday, May 27, 2010 Tape # 10-059 The Abiding Life of Love, Part 2 Upper Room Discourse, Part 374 John 15:9 James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2010