Main Point: God’s love is revealed in Jesus…God’s love is revealed in us.
God is with Us
1 John 1:1-4 ESV
1“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.”
- In ancient Jewish history, God’s manifest or real presence was contained in VEHICLES
- In the reflection on the birth of Jesus, God is saying “come close and look upon me, hold me, see me!”
God is Love
1 John 4:7-12 ESV
7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have 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. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
- Knowledge about God isn’t the goal of Christianity, knowing God is
- God’s love is shown, not just said
John 3:16-17 ESV
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
John 3:18 ESV
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
- The solution to ‘condemnation’ is found in the sacrifice of Jesus
- The love necessary to fight the hate, the emptiness, and the loneliness has already been released
John 15:9-10, 12 NIV
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love.
12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
- This love shown to us flows through us
God is in us
Colossians 1:27
27“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”
1 John 4:12 ESV
12“No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us”
Conclusion: God is with us, God is love, God is in us.
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