Sermon Tone Analysis

The late Francis Schaeffer once observed that “the meaning of the word Christian has been reduced to practically nothing.…

Because the word Christian as a symbol has been made to mean so little, it has come to mean everything and nothing” (The Mark of the Christian [Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity, 1970], 11).

The term Christian in contemporary usage can mean anyone who is not Jewish, anyone who lives in a “Christian” nation (as opposed, for example, to a Buddhist or an Islamic one), or anyone who claims any kind of allegiance to Jesus Christ.

The term evangelical is following the same trend toward imprecision.

But though the world may be confused about what a Christian is, the Bible is clear.

Christians are those who are savingly united to God through Jesus Christ, those whom “God has chosen … from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth” (2 Thess.

2:13; cf.

Luke 18:7; Rom.

8:33; Eph.

1:4; Col. 3:12; 1 Thess.

1:4; 2 Tim.

2:10; Titus 1:1; 1 Pet.

1:1–2; 2:10).

As a result, they have exercised saving faith in the only Savior (Acts 4:12), the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:15–18, 36; 5:24; 6:47; Rom.

1:16; 4:5; 10:10; 1 John 5:1), and repented of their sins (Rom.

2:4; 2 Pet.

3:9).

God has forgiven their sins (Acts 10:43; Eph.

1:7; 1 John 1:7, 9; Rev. 1:5), made them His children (Rom.

8:16–17; Gal.

4:7; Eph.

1:5; 5:1, 8; Phil.

2:15; 1 John 3:2), and transformed them into new creatures (2 Cor.

5:17) indwelt by the Holy Spirit (John 14:17; Rom.

8:4, 9, 11, 14; 1 Cor.

3:16; 6:19; Gal.

4:6; 2 Tim.

1:14; 1 John 3:24).

Many things characterize Christians, including reverential fear of God (2 Cor.

7:1; Phil.

2:12; 1 Pet.

1:17), a desire to imitate Him (Eph.

5:1; 1 John 2:6), holiness (Matt.

5:48; 2 Cor.

7:1; Titus 2:11–12; Heb.

12:14; 1 Pet.

1:15–16; 2:24; 2 Pet.

3:11), and obedience (John 10:27; 14:21; 15:14; Rom.

1:5; 16:26; Heb.

5:9; 1 Pet.

1:2; 1 John 3:24).

But the supreme characteristic of a Christian is love for his Lord and God.

When challenged to name the single greatest commandment of the law, Jesus replied, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

This is the great and foremost commandment” (Matt.

22:37–38).

He challenged His disciples to make love for Him the highest priority of their lives: “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me” (Matt.

10:37–38).

In John 14:21, 23 He added, “He who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.…

If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.”

True children of God, Jesus declared, will love Him (John 8:42; cf. 1 Pet.

1:8) and be known by Him (1 Cor.

8:3).

To discern Peter’s spiritual condition, Jesus asked him three times, “Do you love Me?” (John 21:15–17).

Paul defined Christians as those controlled by “the love of Christ” (2 Cor.

5:14).

Those who love Jesus Christ are blessed (Eph.

6:24); those who do not are cursed (1 Cor.

16:22).

While love for the Lord Jesus Christ will always be present in true Christians, it can fluctuate in its intensity.

Christians will not always love Jesus Christ with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to fail to do so is sin.

There is no better illustration in Scripture of the seriousness of allowing love for Christ to wane than this letter to the church at Ephesus.

The late Francis Schaeffer once observed that “the meaning of the word Christian has been reduced to practically nothing.…

Because the word Christian as a symbol has been made to mean so little, it has come to mean everything and nothing” (The Mark of the Christian [Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity, 1970], 11).

The world may be confused about what a Christian is, the Bible is clear.

Christians are those who are savingly united to God through Jesus Christ, those whom “God has saved by the Spirit and faith in the truth” (; cf. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ).

As a result, they have exercised saving faith in the only Savior (), the Lord Jesus Christ (, ; ; ; ; ; ; ), and repented of their sins (; ).

God has forgiven their sins (; ; , ; ), made them His children (; ; ; , ; ; ), and transformed them into new creatures () indwelt by the Holy Spirit (; , , , ; ; ; ; ; ).

Many attributes characterize Christians, including reverential fear of God (; ; ), a desire to imitate Him (; ), holiness (; ; ; ; ; ; ), and obedience (; ; ; ; ; ; ; ).

However the supreme characteristic of a Christian is love for his Lord and God.

When challenged to name the single greatest commandment of the law, Jesus replied,

-28

).

He challenged His disciples to make love for Him the highest priority of their lives:

He challenged His disciples to make love for Him the highest priority of their lives:

In

In , He added, “He who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.…

If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.”

True children of God, Jesus declared, will love Him (; cf. ) and be known by Him ().

To discern Peter’s spiritual condition, Jesus asked him three times, “Do you love Me?” ().

Paul defined Christians as those controlled by “the love of Christ” ().

Those who love Jesus Christ are blessed (); those who do not are cursed ().

While love for the Lord Jesus Christ will always be present in true Christians, it can fluctuate in its intensity.

Christians will not always love Jesus Christ with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to fail to do so is sin.

There is no better illustration in Scripture of the seriousness of allowing love for Christ to wane than this letter to the church at Ephesus.

John 14:23 He added, “He who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.…

If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.”

True children of God, Jesus declared, will love Him (; cf. ) and be known by Him ().

To discern Peter’s spiritual condition, Jesus asked him three times, “Do you love Me?” ().

Paul defined Christians as those controlled by “the love of Christ” ().

Those who love Jesus Christ are blessed (); those who do not are cursed ().

While love for the Lord Jesus Christ will always be present in true Christians, it can fluctuate in its intensity.

Christians will not always love Jesus Christ with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to fail to do so is sin.

There is no better illustration in Scripture of the seriousness of allowing love for Christ to wane than this letter to the church at Ephesus.

True children of God, Jesus declared, will love Him (; cf. ) and be known by Him ().

To discern Peter’s spiritual condition, Jesus asked him three times, “Do you love Me?” ().

Paul defined Christians as those controlled by “the love of Christ” ().

Those who love Jesus Christ are blessed (); those who do not are cursed ().

While love for the Lord Jesus Christ will always be present in true Christians, it can fluctuate in its intensity.

Christians will not always love Jesus Christ with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to fail to do so is sin.

There is no better illustration in Scripture of the seriousness of allowing love for Christ to wane than this letter to the church at Ephesus.

MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1999).

(pp.

53–55).

Chicago: Moody Press.

CHRIST

Christ walked in their midst.

Christ is present among his people and is both watching over them and watching them.

Christ sends a word to his messenger.

CHURCH