For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
What begins with waiting, advances through preparation, and results in the experience of great joy, is rooted in the love of God in Christ Jesus. God is love (1 John 4:16). God created love. And God loves us!
How much does God love us? He sent His Son — His beloved Son, His one and only Son — to die for us on a cross to pay the penalty for our sins so that we could live with Him forever. “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).
Notice: “While we were still sinners.” God did not wait for us to get right with Him. He did not wait for us to get cleaned up. He did not wait for us to get our act together. He demonstrated His love for us while we were still sinners. Now, if that doesn’t light the fire of your faith on Christmas day . . . your wood is wet!
So what are we to do with the knowledge of a love so deep on Christmas day? We are to rest in it and respond to it. First, to rest in this love is to rest assured that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39). When Jesus said “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20), He meant what He said! Nothing – not storms, not Satan, not even our sin — can come between us and the love that Jesus has for us.
Second, to respond to this kind of love is to share it with others. We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). God loved us when we were incapable of loving Him . . . while we were still sinners and separated from Him. But because God has poured out His love upon us, we can now share that love with others. This is what is called the Greatest Commandment: To love God and love others.
This Christmas season, take some time to share the love of God with those around you. Invite a neighbor to your church. Bake someone some cookies. Write a note of encouragement to someone. Visit someone you haven’t seen in a long while. Remember, love is the primary way we are to be recognized by others: Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).
The question that needs to be answered by all of us this Christmas season is this: Does everyone know that we are disciples of Jesus by our love? May this be the confession of our lives.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 