Love Revealed

-

Scripture
 
1John 4:9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him.  10 In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.  11 Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.  12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

Observation

The arrival of the Messiah was the revelation of God’s love to the world. God had continually been reaching out to humanity but in this act, there was completion. With the birth of the baby Jesus, new life was born here on earth and the hope of life for all. The ultimate act of self-sacrificial love was on display for all to see when God became man so that man might unite with God.

Through this the love of God is poured in and through those who partner with God and reach out to those around. Love revealed in the birth of a baby, and in our love for one another.

Application

It’s Christmas morning and many young children are rushing to the tree to see what may be awaiting them. The world will tell them that Santa Claus came during the night and delivered gifts to them. With wide-eyed excitement they will tear into the packages and bask in the joy of the moment. As parents we love to shower our children and grandchildren with gifts. The gifts are an expression of our love for them.

Today also happens to be Sunday. In much of the world people always go to church on Christmas morning — it’s a part of their tradition. At the same time there are those who are reluctant to go to church today because it inhibits the scheduled family traditions. But isn’t church the place where we would want to be on Christmas morning, as we celebrate the arrival of the Messiah? This is the ultimate revelation of God’s love to the world — that he would send his only son. Our love for God is revealed when we reflect that love back to God and to others. Making worship of God a priority on Christmas day is a way of showing our love to God. I can’t imagine anything better to do on Christmas day than to go to church and worship our heavenly Father who sent his Son to set us free.

The birth of the Messiah revealed God’s unabated love for creation. Let us soak in that love and become agents of revelation as we love God and others.

Merry Christmas.

Prayers

Lord, may I be united with you through your love. Amen.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take Off Your Ornaments

-
Scripture: Ex. 33:4 ¶ When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. Ex. 33:5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.’” Ex. 33:6 Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Observation: The people had sinned before God by making and worshiping the golden calf!  They had taken their golden jewelry — the earrings and other items they had gotten from the Egyptians and used them to create an idol.  Now, in an act of humility and repentance they were to take off all of their jewelry and ornaments.  It was a time of mourning over their sin and it included intentional action on the part of the Israelites.  Application: We don’t do all that well with humility and repentance!  It seems that we live in a time when we try to carry
Read more

Does God Value Boys More than Girls?

-
Scripture: Lev. 12:1 ¶ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Lev. 12:2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: ¶ If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be ceremonially unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. Lev. 12:3 On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Lev. 12:4 Her time of blood purification shall be thirty-three days; she shall not touch any holy thing, or come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are completed. Lev. 12:5 If she bears a female child, she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; her time of blood purification shall be sixty-six days. Lev. 12:6 ¶ When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. Lev. 12:7 He shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement on her
Read more

The Advantage of Sanctification

-
Scripture: Rom. 6:22 But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Observation: Two sides of life are presented here in great contrast.  One is a life of sin and enslavement to evil.  The other side of life is freedom which provides the advantage of sanctification (or holiness as some translate the word) that leads to eternal life.  The options here are a life of sin, slavery and death; or freedom, holiness and eternal life.  The advantage of holiness or sanctification is the benefit of the life of freedom.  Jesus died so that we might be made holy like him and this is something that is offered as a “fruit” or “advantage” right now.  The end is eternal life — but the living of life is that it can be lived out in holiness.  The next verse is really just an affirmation of the verse 22.  Sin will lead
Read more