And it produces faith

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"Good evening, friends. I wish to speak to you tonight on the subject "When Love Projects, Grace Takes Over." Taking my text from St. John, the 3rd chapter, the 16th verse: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." This scripture deals with love, and we know there is no power, or teaching, or rule, that will come up to the Christian love of God. No one can explain the love of God, though many have tried. The poets and the songwriters have failed, and we, as ministers, preach the love of God but we can not fully explain His wondrous love. One poet wrote of the love of God like this:

If the oceans all were ink, and the skies of parchment made,
And every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above would drain the oceans dry,
Nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.

I have often thought of the great poet who wrote this:

Ever since by faith I saw that stream Thy flowing wounds supplied,
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.

I think if one thing is needed in the great universal church of God tonight, it is love. We do not need our gifts and our emotions as much as we think we do, though they are wonderful and to God we give praise that we have them--but if these gifts are not governed by love they are not effective.
Love should govern the home--a home that is not disciplined by love is not much of a home. If the husband and wife do not solemnly love one another, they cannot trust one another. Remember, love is the strongest force in the world--and instead of resting our faith upon some emotion, which is alright--or on some gift, which is alright--like shouting or speaking in tongues, etc., we should rest our faith upon the love of God. We must come back to this principle--love first, then those other things. If we did this our churches would progress much faster, for God is love.

Now love has two different meanings, with two different words to describe it. In the Greek one love is called "phileo" --that is the natural love that you would have for your wife; but "agapao" love means divine love--and these two loves are very contrary to each other. For example, with the love that you have for your wife, if a man would insult her you would kill him on the spot--that would be phileo love; but with agapao love, or divine love, you would pray for the man's lost soul. That is the difference. I'm almost sure many of us have been deceived with having phileo love, and thinking it was agapao love. Phileo love is intellectual, whereas agapao love comes from the heart. Human love, or affectionate love, is from the mind--the love of God is from the heart. Now phileo love will always doubt and question, but agapao love will always rest and be at peace. Human love is always reasoning--Godly love never does. Godly love is perhaps in its trust, and it produces faith when you really love with God's love.

Many who are here tonight might say, "You mean that you are going to read only that little verse of scripture, and that's all?" Oh but my friends, there's enough in this little verse of scripture to send you to heaven or condemn you to hell for ever. Your attitude toward this little scripture will seal your eternal destination, so now let us think on that scripture for awhile.
Like the scripture being little--there are many little things that we may do in this life--but Jesus said if you but give a cup of cold water in my Name, you will be rewarded. I'm so glad He sees the little things we do. Love is a powerful force, and when love is projected, and when it comes to the end of its strength, then sovereign grace will take it up from there and will grant the object that love has asked for. That is the reason we have a Saviour tonight, God so loved the world, and His love being projected toward the world produced a Saviour. God wanted so much to see you well that His love went out and it produced an atonement for your sickness as well as your sins. It was the love of God that constrained Him to do it. Nothing is greater than love--it brings trust, it brings faith, it brings pardon. Love has no fear, love casts out fear. I have found a great deal of fear among Christians--this is not right and should not be so. Fear is the lack of confidence, but if you love and have confidence you will cast away fear. God wants you to have love and confidence in Him--this will cast away your fears and bring you to serve Him with a greater love.

Love is not based on legalistic laws that we have to keep, love is based on faith in one another, faith in God, trust in God, confidence in God. And I will tell you this my friends, when the love of God comes into your heart, you won't go around hurting, or being hurt. When you believe God, really believe Him, and get married to Him, you die out to the things of the world, then God projects His love, and His love makes you what you are."

The Eleventh Commandment – William Branham