Advent Address

Love

"not that we loved God, but that he loved us"

Can a newborn love? When a baby enters the world they are at the mercy of the, hopefully, loving mom and dad God gave to them. But, whatever circumstances surround them - they didn't choose any of it. As the child is loved then out of that love they develop an affection and love of their own toward Mom and Dad.

So, to love God is only possible out of the love he shows you and me, just like a child will develop love for Mom and Dad as they are shown love.

Not all people love God, but He does show grace to all.

And just like Yahweh is good to all, I will show grace to anyone else's kid - but God redeems his own just like at the end of the day I take my own kids home: my kids, who I loved before they could love me. Only my children can love me as their Dad, and anyone who is not a child of God cannot love God - John says as much in what we just read together.

But love is more than affection, and even security. It is those things of course, but it's also more. Something else that love brings to the human life, is freedom.

My kids don't get to do just whatever they want - but they're never more free than when they are enjoying life within the boundaries I have set for them. My love for my kids enables them to be as free as reasonably possible... The epitome of freedom for the human is not "doing whatever I want", that is slavery to myself. If I treat myself as my own Master, then I will be my own slave.

True freedom is the gift of loving the Lord because loving him is the reason we were created - it's what we were made to do. His love for me frees me to want what he wants, love what he loves, hate what he hates, and ultimately to enjoy him forever.

I hope my kids love what I love, and hate what I hate because I hope that what I love and what I hate are in line with God's heart. And as God sent his own son into the world out of his love for you and me, may we go forward freed from the bondage of sin and death, into the glorious, true, and loving freedom that Jesus brings.

Prayer

Good morning, Father. Thank you for Love, thank you for Christmas. For those here who have been freed to love you I pray this week and through Christmas we are drawn to consider the freedom we have in your love, the freedom to love you, the freedom to choose what is pleasing to you and not what our sinful-selves demand. For those here still dead in their sins, unable to love you, I pray you speak their name and call them to life and to freedom. We long for your return as we celebrate your incarnation. Thank you for loving us before we could love you, now may we love you and others this week, in Jesus' name. Amen.