1 John 4:9-16 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
We have no other avenue to God other than acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God, not that He is just a good man, but the Son of God. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12) This acknowledgement is a stumbling stone to many. People will give Christians credit for believing Jesus is a good man, maybe a good teacher, even one who espouses the beneficial message of love, but for Christians to make the jump to believing Jesus is literally the Son of God is just too much for many people. The problem for Christians with the unbelieving world is that our recognition of Jesus as the Son of God separates us from all others in the world, often causing us to come under persecution. Our belief in Jesus as the Son portends future judgment for those who do not believe in Jesus as the Christ. This belief of judgment creates a huge gulf between believers and unbelievers, often causing rejection of the believer, leading to torment. Another separating element between Christians and the world is the idea that we become imbued with the Spirit when we accept Jesus as our Savior. The concept of possessing the Spirit of God troubles those in the world, but is certainly integral to our lives. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. Claiming that God lives in us brings us Christians close scrutiny by the world. Any variation in our daily walk from what the world perceives as godlike will bring us the label of hypocrite, giving people an excuse to disclaim the message of Christ. Of course, Christianity rests on the word atonement: being “one” with God in harmony with HIM. Atonement in the New Testament is the saving work that God did through Christ to reconcile the world to himself, and also the state of a person having been reconciled to God. The world does not believe they need to be reconciled with God, for if there is a God, as their Creator He already recognizes them as his children; therefore, He is not an inimical Creator but a loving Creator who adores his creation. Consequently, all that a person must do to be counted worthy in one’s life is to perform good works. This kind of belief does not fully appreciate the self-serving, self-oriented nature of man that often leads people to hostility, even causing death to others. Humans have killed their fellow humans by the millions, causing great pain and suffering throughout history.
Most religions consider God’s recognition a positive outcome of people’s lives, resting on a tabulation of their good works. Almost all individuals who believe in a God, believe if their personal ledger lands on the positive side of living, their reward will be heaven or nirvana. Their assumption is that for a small minority such as Hitler, their ledger might fall on the negative side. These few will receive some sort of future judgment, either long or short in duration. Christianity runs counter to this assessment of God’s acceptance of human beings. Christianity defines a God of absolute perfection and holiness, accepting no other standard for mankind than God’s righteousness. Eternity demands perfection, as God is perfect and eternal. Mankind in his fallen state is not capable of entering into an eternal dwelling with God as sons and daughters of the Most High. Consequently, to know God as Father God, an atonement must be made for man’s imperfection. This atonement was made through the blood of the Lamb of God, who paid the complete price for sin. He came as the Son of Man, the perfect man, to redeem mankind from his bondage to sin. Jesus was without sin, guiltless, not deserving any judgment from God. He was in right standing before his Father God, his Abba Father. He did not require an atonement for himself or need to be reconciled to God, for He always did what the Father directed him to do. Jesus laid down his perfect life for all of sinful humanity. He took the place of Abraham in God’s covenant with man. The man of faith, Abraham, was not a perfect man. He betrayed his covenant with God by twice giving away his wife, Sarah, but he still believed God would bless all nations through his seed. God counted that faith unto him as righteousness but not perfection. Jesus took the place of Abraham in the new covenant where God now stood on both sides of the offering, swearing in the covenant. God the Father on one side, Jesus on the other, with no double-mindedness on either side, no corruption. True fidelity stood on both sides, for the Father loves the Son, and the Son loves the Father. Salvation came to all of mankind through this covenant. Men and women would no longer come under judgment if they believed in Jesus Christ who gave his life to fulfill his promise to God on his side of the covenant: man’s side. He proved that IN HIM people would keep their fidelity to God, fulfilling Jesus’ command: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Mark 12:30) Hidden IN CHRIST, who alone fulfills that love, they would please their holy, jealous God. This is the salvation message that self-serving humans despise. Man does not want to release control over his life to Jesus Christ; he wants to work his way to God, telling God that he is capable of fulfilling the covenant with his good works. His fidelity to God will be proven by his actions. The problem with this attitude is mankind’s innate fickleness, his waywardness, his lack of allegiance to anyone for very long if it does not benefit him in some way. As long as he feels the blessings of life, he will advocate God’s goodness, but as soon as he experiences long-term adversity or hardship, his love for God wanes. He then fails to serve God, to love him with his whole being, his whole strength. Mankind needs the perfect substitute for the sinful nature acquired when Adam and Eve fell. Of course, that substitute, that propitiation, is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, known to us as the Son of Man, the Perfect Man, the only one who could fulfill God’s perfect will for all people.
God’s perfect will for mankind is to reveal God’s goodness to the world, and his goodness is wrapped up in the word love as expressed through his Son, Jesus. Love flows without any need of reciprocation or reason. Love is from the fountain of God’s goodness, flowing on the good and the bad, on friends and enemies. As Christians we ought to reveal God through our expressions and desires to love. For Jesus was sent to us as a message of God’s love for us in the midst of our waywardness, our unredeemable state. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. God sent Jesus to us as a baby in the manger, a personification of his love for humanity. Jesus came to us to bring salvation to lost souls, to save anyone from eternal destruction who would believe in him and his works. We who believe in Jesus are transformed into new creatures, acceptable to a holy God, for God lives in them (us) and they (we) in God. Now, how should we live? What should be the story of our lives? What should people know about us? Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. We who are born again because we are IN CHRIST through faith in him and his death and resurrection should be true ambassadors of God and his kingdom of love. We are not to live unto ourselves but to live for God and his purposes. Our lives are to be hidden. Hidden where? IN CHRIST underneath the covering of his blood, totally free from the works of the devil, walking as Jesus would want us to walk: free indeed. We are not just anyone walking this world: we are known as the chosen, God’s own, his family members. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10) Since we are free because Jesus has paid for our deliverance from slavery, let us sing his praises constantly, let us continually portray the goodness of God. May our lives be disciplined, so others might see the God we serve, seeing how different we are from them. Jesus said, In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16) If we are as He says, people should know when light has entered a room; people should know that something is different about us. Breakfast companions, let your light shine today. Let the world know that God exists, for He shines in you. Amen!
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