ADVENT WEEK 4: LOVE

Today, the last Sunday of Advent, a candle symbolizing love is lit. In life, we often look to the wrong things for love and satisfaction. We might think God does not love us because of our circumstances. However, we need to remember what love is. Love is not just a feeling; it is also an action. As believers, we do not measure God's love by what happens to us in life, but by what Christ accomplished for us at the cross. True love is sacrificial and unconditional. This is the love Christ has for us. Romans 5:8 says, "But God proves His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Think about the beauty of this verse! God shows us His indescribable love by sending His precious Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross, taking the punishment we deserve and giving us His righteousness so that we can be reconciled to God. Even if everything else in our lives fails, this fact alone should give us incredible hope and assurance of God’s love for us. I love the Bible story of when Jesus heals the cripple. Jesus could easily heal the man and go on. But no, Jesus looked past this man’s physical condition and into his heart. He sees the hurt and brokenness, the sin, and shows this man the greatest act of love. I can just imagine the love shining through Jesus’s eyes as He said, “Your sins are forgiven.” Jesus knew the weight of those words. He knew the pain He would endure and the price He would pay to make that a reality. He was willing to do it because of His great love. As Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Dearly Beloved, if you have ever doubted God’s love for you, look to the cross and no further. John 3:16 says, "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." God's love is the reason we celebrate Advent and Christmas. He sent Christ to be born as a babe to redeem His own. If have placed your trust in Jesus, remember, you are God's beloved child.