{"id":45811,"date":"2023-11-15T09:46:31","date_gmt":"2023-11-15T14:46:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/floridabaptist.wpengine.com\/?p=45811"},"modified":"2025-11-04T16:18:40","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T21:18:40","slug":"mouton-gods-sacrificial-love-opens-door-to-salvation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flbaptist.org\/mouton-gods-sacrificial-love-opens-door-to-salvation\/","title":{"rendered":"Mouton: God\u2019s sacrificial love opens door to salvation"},"content":{"rendered":"

LUTZ, FL \u2014 At the Florida Baptist State Convention<\/a> meeting, Larry Mouton, pastor of No Greater Love Baptist Church<\/a> in Tampa, delivered a compelling final sermon.<\/p>\n

Mouton’s sermon intricately deconstructed John 3:16 to reveal the depth of God’s sacrificial love. He eloquently argued, \u201cThe proof of God\u2019s sacrificial love is that God gave us Jesus the Christ. \u2026 He who knew no sin became sin for the sake of righteousness.\u201d This act demonstrates God’s immense love, bestowed not due to merits, but purely from His grace.<\/p>\n

He further taught that the essence of this love is in Jesus\u2019 sacrifice on the cross, an act that opens the door to God\u2019s glorious salvation for humanity.<\/p>\n

Delving into the purpose of this divine love, Mouton stated, \u201cThe purpose of God\u2019s sacrificial love is that anyone who believes in Him should not perish.\u201d He emphasized that God’s love is inclusive, extending to all who believe, and it calls on believers to love others with the same intensity and selflessness.<\/p>\n

He contrasted God\u2019s agape<\/em> love with worldly love, highlighting unique qualities of God\u2019s love as being \u201cunconditional, unbiased, genuine, sincere, authentic,” and residing “in the heart of the lover. \u2026 God loves us in spite of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mouton, addressing pastors directly, emphasized the enduring nature of God’s love, regardless of the challenges faced in the Christian journey. \u201cNo matter where we find ourselves on this Christian journey, whatever the juncture may be, never lose sight of this: love endures all things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n

“No matter where we find ourselves on this Christian journey, whatever the juncture may be, never lose sight of this: love endures all things.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n Larry Mouton<\/strong>
\n Pastor, No Greater Love Baptist Church, Tampa\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

He warned, \u201cIf we don\u2019t walk in this love, we perish,\u201d underscoring the critical need to embody this divine love.<\/p>\n

God\u2019s sacrificial love expressed through Jesus also carries a promise, the gift of eternal life. In a world riddled with confusion and chaos, this promise stands as a beacon of hope and clarity.<\/p>\n

Referencing D.L. Moody, Mouton said that man has a false idea about God: he would not believe He is a God of love. But the promise of eternal life is for all who believe. Echoing A.B. Simpson, Mouton affirmed that even the most rebellious can find reconciliation in God’s love.<\/p>\n

Concluding his message, Mouton offered words of encouragement to Florida Baptists: \u201cNo matter where you are on this journey, it gets tough; it gets overwhelming; it gets wearisome sometimes, and the truth of the matter is if we can be transparent, it is exhausting. \u2026 But come hell or high water, little water, drip, drop, sprinkle, splash, or absolutely no water, God\u2019s love will preserve us, sustain us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Photos by Michael Duncan<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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