Look and Live
As we Journey through life, we make many decisions, but none are as important as the decision we make concerning Christ. That decision will remain with us throughout eternity.
John 3:16 is a wellknown passage of Scripture highlighting God’s commitment to the world and His Love for humanity. Though the world is fallen, God still loves it. As we celebrated the birth of God’s son on Christmas Day, God has a message for us. And that message is “look and live.”
1 John 4:9-10: “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 thru Him. In this is Love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son to be the propitiation for our sin.”
Propitiation is a means of forgiveness, a way of reconciling, and an atonement for sin. Jesus Christ became an atoning sacrifice for our sins. God sent His only begotten son into the world to provide eternal life for us.
If someone asks, how do we know that God is Love? How can we be sure God loves us?
After all, the world is full of so much evil, hate, and injustice. Note the Scripture: this is the way God has revealed that He loves us. “God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”
Yes, the world is full of evil; men are bad; men ignore God; reject God; disbelieve God; deny God; rebel against God; disobey God; and curse God. But this is the Love of God. God still loves man and wants to help and care for him.
This holiday season, please be reminded that God is Love, and He has proven His Love. He has sent His only Son into the world so we might live through him.
He knew we would trample Him and His Love under our feet, but He loves anyway. We will never understand it, but God’s Love for us is very straightforward. He loves us because He is love. He loves us because that is His nature. I am glad to know His Love is based on His nature and not on what we deserve.
He loves us because that is His choice! It was His choice to be born in a manger.
It was His choice to die an agonizingly sorrowful death. It was His choice to be betrayed. It was His choice to be arrested and condemned. It was His choice to die on a shameful cross, bearing the guilt and shame of humanity.
There is good news for someone reading this today! God loves you. Maybe this year has been especially challenging for you.
Your back may be against the wall. You may feel like you are at the bottom of a barrel, and your situation may look like a no exit. When circumstances are beyond your control and seem to be working against you, you must hold on to the truth that God loves us, and nothing can separate us from His love. In Christ, there is hope for the hurting, help for the struggling, and a hand for the falling.
The Apostle Paul says, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38–39). Look and Live!
Be encouraged!
Chestine Sims Jr. of White Hall is the pastor of St. John AME Church at Pine Bluff. The community is invited to join the church for worship in person and on Facebook live at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
Editor’s note: Pastors, ministers or other writers interested in writing for this section may submit articles for consideration to shope@ adgnewsroom.com. Writers should have connections to Southeast Arkansas. Please include your name, phone number and the name and location of your church or ministry.