God's Love

I John 4:7-11, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. ⁸ He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. ⁹ " ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (NKJV)

There are many revelations of God that is contained in the message of Christmas. We learn about the Immaculate Conception (the virgin birth of Christ). We identify the obedience of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the Magi. We are able to see the hand of God at work as He directs the plan that has Jesus in Bethlehem when it was time for Him to be born. These are just a few of the examples of the Hand of God at work during this prophetic time in the history of humanity.

But there is another "truth" that I want to bring to your attention. The birth of Christ is the revelation of God's love to fallen humanity. Let me remind you of the words found in verse 9 of 1 John 4. "In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him." What we refer to as the plan of salvation was initiated through the power of the promise that is declared in this verse. The love of God was one of the foundational stones that paved the way for each of us to enter into a relationship with our Heavenly Father. 

The plan of salvation would require the entrance of the Son of God into this world through the human process of birth. We know that this plan would ultimately lead Jesus to the cross to die for the sins of the world. John 3: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." Do you see the pattern of God's love resonating through the birth of Christ? 

This post is not a theological dissertation as much as it is a simple reminder that we need to remember the LOVE OF GOD as we celebrate the birth of Christ in a few days. The love of God was made manifest and lived out through the life of Jesus Christ. I have witnessed the love of God demonstrated this past year as people have accepted Jesus as their Savior. I have witnessed the love of God demonstrated as people have been healed from various ailments. I have witnessed the love of God as "precious saints" have made their transition from earth to the presence of God through the vehicle of death. I have witnessed the love of God manifested through the smile of a baby's face. I have witnessed the love of God manifested though family and friends who have shared His love and their love with me. The list of the occurrences of the love of God is endless in each of our lives. We just need to take time to remember them!!

DON'T FORGET THE LOVE OF GOD AS YOU CELEBRATE ON SUNDAY!!!