God's Gift of Love

Jesus Is Lord
Victory in Jesus
Christ's Love for the Church

John 3:16-21

The Message

^16-18 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.
^19-21 “This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is.”

For Reflection

God loved His divinely created world,  a world which is in perfect harmony and justice.  He sent his Son into our imperfect world of humanly created culture, injustices and strife to show the escape route.  God in Christ promises a better life in the age to come and in the present age.  Beloving God and beloving Jesus is the path into a transformed life which seeks harmony and justice in this world.

Pray

prayers of thanksgiving for the God above all gods who invites us all into reconciliation and life transformed by God's love for us and our love for God.  Pray that in this Advent Season, you will re-commit your self to the present age and participate in the age to come.  Pray for courage and obedience to God.