In the fourth century, Saint Augustine wrote; “What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men.”
Advent, the four weeks before Christmas is a time of anticipation of the coming of Christ. Christians anticipate this coming from three different perspectives; in the flesh in Bethlehem, in our hearts everyday, and in glory when Jesus returns. One of the themes of Advent is love.
John 3:16 (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Romans 5:8 (NKJV) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Because of this love Advent gives us time to step back and love. When we take the focus off ourselves we are able to see the needs of others.
John 13:34-35 (NKJV)34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
This commandment was new in that the love was to be exercised toward others not because they were all Jews, white, black, in the same family, lived in the same country, or spoke the same language, but because they belonged to Christ. This was the expression of the love of Christ which the disciples had seen in His life and would see also in His death.
God’s love for us is so great, so powerful; so perfect and unconditional that He sent Jesus to bridge the gap that was caused by sin. He knew that we were powerless, without hope apart from Him. The Lord knew that there was no way we could ever enter into His presence on our own merit, so He who knew no sin became sin for us.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
God pursues us with His relentless love. He desires a relationship with us so much that it compelled Him to pay the ultimate price on the cross in order to bring us back to Him.
1 John 3:16 (NKJV) By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
Romans 8:38-39 (NKJV)38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jesus Christ laid down His life once, and we ought to lay down our lives repeatedly in self-sacrificing love, as the tenses of the Greek verbs suggest. We may not have the opportunity to save a brother's life by dying in his place. Nevertheless we can and should do the next best thing, namely, sustaining his life when he has needs. When I give to a brother in need what might keep me alive, I have followed the Lord Jesus' example of self-sacrificing love. The evidence of genuine love is not verbal professions but vital performances, deeds rather than words (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:1; James 2:15-16). - Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable
For most of us, Christmas is a time of excitement and anticipation. We eagerly wait for the moment we can open all those beautifully wrapped gifts. But the greatest, most precious gift we can ever receive is the reason we celebrate Christmas: God’s gift of eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ.
We don’t have to wait until Christmas morning to open this gift, because it is available to us freely and brings us new blessings and wonders every single day. This gift has the power to wipe away all sin, comfort every hurt, and give us joy, peace, and purpose. It is a gift that we get to unwrap every day as if it were brand new, and all we have to do to receive this gift is follow Jesus.
“In Christ’s human life, there were always a few who made up for the neglect of the crowd. The shepherds did it; their hurrying to the crib atoned for the people who would flee from Christ. The wise men did it; their journey across the world made up for those who refused to stir one hand’s breadth from the routine of their lives to go to Christ. Even the gifts the wise men brought have in themselves an obscure recompense and atonement for what would follow later in this Child’s life. For they brought gold, the king’s emblem, to make up for the crown of thorns that he would wear; they offered incense, the symbol of praise, to make up for the mockery and the spitting; they gave him myrrh, to heal and soothe, and he was wounded from head to foot and no one bathed his wounds. The women at the foot of the Cross did it too, making up for the crowd who stood by and sneered. “We can do it too, exactly as they did. We are not born too late. We do it by seeing Christ and serving Christ in friends and strangers, in everyone we come in contact with.” —Dorothy Day
This is the love that is described in 1 Corinthians 13
That love is patient and kind, and people with it
When we have a complete understanding of love, the perfect love God showed us in giving His Son we are then able to pour love out on others. We are able because of the fruit of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
We love because He first loved us.
1 John 4:16-19 (NKJV)16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.19 We love Him because He first loved us.
Advent, the four weeks before Christmas is a time of anticipation of the coming of Christ. Christians anticipate this coming from three different perspectives; in the flesh in Bethlehem, in our hearts everyday, and in glory when Jesus returns. One of the themes of Advent is love.
- The love of God in sending His Son Jesus through whom we are able to have eternal life.
John 3:16 (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
- The love that Jesus has for us by offering Himself as the sacrifice for our sins.
Romans 5:8 (NKJV) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Because of this love Advent gives us time to step back and love. When we take the focus off ourselves we are able to see the needs of others.
John 13:34-35 (NKJV)34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
This commandment was new in that the love was to be exercised toward others not because they were all Jews, white, black, in the same family, lived in the same country, or spoke the same language, but because they belonged to Christ. This was the expression of the love of Christ which the disciples had seen in His life and would see also in His death.
God’s love for us is so great, so powerful; so perfect and unconditional that He sent Jesus to bridge the gap that was caused by sin. He knew that we were powerless, without hope apart from Him. The Lord knew that there was no way we could ever enter into His presence on our own merit, so He who knew no sin became sin for us.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
God pursues us with His relentless love. He desires a relationship with us so much that it compelled Him to pay the ultimate price on the cross in order to bring us back to Him.
1 John 3:16 (NKJV) By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
Romans 8:38-39 (NKJV)38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jesus Christ laid down His life once, and we ought to lay down our lives repeatedly in self-sacrificing love, as the tenses of the Greek verbs suggest. We may not have the opportunity to save a brother's life by dying in his place. Nevertheless we can and should do the next best thing, namely, sustaining his life when he has needs. When I give to a brother in need what might keep me alive, I have followed the Lord Jesus' example of self-sacrificing love. The evidence of genuine love is not verbal professions but vital performances, deeds rather than words (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:1; James 2:15-16). - Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable
For most of us, Christmas is a time of excitement and anticipation. We eagerly wait for the moment we can open all those beautifully wrapped gifts. But the greatest, most precious gift we can ever receive is the reason we celebrate Christmas: God’s gift of eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ.
We don’t have to wait until Christmas morning to open this gift, because it is available to us freely and brings us new blessings and wonders every single day. This gift has the power to wipe away all sin, comfort every hurt, and give us joy, peace, and purpose. It is a gift that we get to unwrap every day as if it were brand new, and all we have to do to receive this gift is follow Jesus.
“In Christ’s human life, there were always a few who made up for the neglect of the crowd. The shepherds did it; their hurrying to the crib atoned for the people who would flee from Christ. The wise men did it; their journey across the world made up for those who refused to stir one hand’s breadth from the routine of their lives to go to Christ. Even the gifts the wise men brought have in themselves an obscure recompense and atonement for what would follow later in this Child’s life. For they brought gold, the king’s emblem, to make up for the crown of thorns that he would wear; they offered incense, the symbol of praise, to make up for the mockery and the spitting; they gave him myrrh, to heal and soothe, and he was wounded from head to foot and no one bathed his wounds. The women at the foot of the Cross did it too, making up for the crowd who stood by and sneered. “We can do it too, exactly as they did. We are not born too late. We do it by seeing Christ and serving Christ in friends and strangers, in everyone we come in contact with.” —Dorothy Day
This is the love that is described in 1 Corinthians 13
That love is patient and kind, and people with it
- Are not jealous of others.
- Don’t brag about themselves.
- Are not proud thinking of how important the are
- Are not selfish.
- Don’t become angry easily.
- Don’t keep a record of how people have hurt them.
- Don’t take pleasure in evil things or try to find fault in others
- There love never changes no matter what happens
When we have a complete understanding of love, the perfect love God showed us in giving His Son we are then able to pour love out on others. We are able because of the fruit of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
We love because He first loved us.
1 John 4:16-19 (NKJV)16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.19 We love Him because He first loved us.
No Greater Love
The picture of this love is beautifully painted in the words of the song by David L. Allen “No Greater Love”, which is based on John 3:16 and 15:12-13 .
John 3:16 (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 15:12-13 (NKJV)12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
No Greater Love
(written by David Allen)
Verse
For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son.
The Son gave His life for me,
when He died on Calvary.
There is no greater love,
no love nowhere, no greater love;
than a man would lay down His life for a friend,
no love nowhere, I've searched all over.
Chorus 1
There is no greater love,
there is no greater love,
there is no greater love,
no greater love.
Bridge
No greater love,
than a man would lay down His life for a friend.
Chorus 2
No greater love,
no greater love,
no greater love,
no greater love.
No greater love,
no greater love,
no greater love,
no greater love.
Vamp 1
Jesus went to Calvary
to save a wrench,
like you and me;
that's love, that's love.
Vamp 2
They hung Him wide,
they strecthed Him wide.
He hung His head, and then He died;
that's love, that's love.
Vamp 3
That's not how the story ends,
three days later He rose again;
that's love, that's love.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!
The picture of this love is beautifully painted in the words of the song by David L. Allen “No Greater Love”, which is based on John 3:16 and 15:12-13 .
John 3:16 (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 15:12-13 (NKJV)12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
No Greater Love
(written by David Allen)
Verse
For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son.
The Son gave His life for me,
when He died on Calvary.
There is no greater love,
no love nowhere, no greater love;
than a man would lay down His life for a friend,
no love nowhere, I've searched all over.
Chorus 1
There is no greater love,
there is no greater love,
there is no greater love,
no greater love.
Bridge
No greater love,
than a man would lay down His life for a friend.
Chorus 2
No greater love,
no greater love,
no greater love,
no greater love.
No greater love,
no greater love,
no greater love,
no greater love.
Vamp 1
Jesus went to Calvary
to save a wrench,
like you and me;
that's love, that's love.
Vamp 2
They hung Him wide,
they strecthed Him wide.
He hung His head, and then He died;
that's love, that's love.
Vamp 3
That's not how the story ends,
three days later He rose again;
that's love, that's love.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!
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