December 17, 2023: God Loves So Much He Gave!

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, ESV)
 
The coming of Christ at Christmas is referred to by many as the Advent. Advent means coming. Christ came to earth because God loved us so much. It is the nature of God to love. When we make such a statement, we are saying that the nature of a thing is revealed by what it does. It is the nature of fire to burn, a lion to kill, and a tornado to destroy. But it is the nature of God to love!

Because it is God's nature to love, He could not help but love us! It is who He is! God is love, so he gave that others might be helped, encouraged, saved, and strengthened. God was loving us by sending us His Son. Jesus was the gift given by God to us. If we receive that gift, we live and do not die spiritually.

God, in loving us, says He knows us and that we are important! God has prepared a gift—His Son. A gift for all people! One way that God loves is by giving. He took pleasure in giving us His Son so that we might live because He would give His life for us.

You may think you do not deserve such a gift. But it is not about deserving but about receiving what God freely gives. Jesus is God's gift to you. Just believe and say, "Yes!"