The Advent season culminates with the celebration of the Birth of Christ, Love. The love of God for His creation manifested in the birth of a savior. Hope, Joy, Peace, the building blocks of life that reveal the love God has for us. Hope is essential to have Joy. Joy is when our mind tells our heart to be at Peace even in the chaos of the world around us. Peace allows us to welcome Christ into our heart. Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
One of the most difficult things to grasp is the love that God has for us. First off, we have done nothing to deserve it. That is difficult for us to understand because we live in a world that doesn’t provide love, value, to each other unless we earn it.
Sometimes I equate love with respect because it is a little easier to grasp. Think about the respect we extend to others. On the track, in the garage or in life itself. We must ask ourselves; are we inclined to offer respect without proof? Simply this, is our first inclination to respect others. The converse to that is do we make others earn our respect.
Back in the day respect was a given. We were taught to start with respect even if we didn’t know someone, they received the benefit of the doubt. Love is the same, God loves each of us, without proof that we deserve it.
I wonder if you remember that old Commercial; “we make money the old fashion way, we earn it.” We tend to only respect those who we determine have earned it. We do not attach value to things we or others haven’t earned, but love is different.
Remember the story of the young boy who was grabbed by the alligator and how he became the rope in a struggle of war between his mother and the animal. All people wanted to see were the scars from the alligator, but the boy was more honored by the scars from his mother, these scars told the story of love, A mother’s love for her son.
I know another son who shows the scars of love, Jesus Christ; look at the stripes on his back, look at his hands, his feet, his side. He chose those scars out of love for us.
Romans 5:8; 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Do we have scars of love, love offered to someone unconditionally? Have we endured pain and suffering for the benefit of someone else?
Let me shift gears a little and try to help us understand the love that God has for us. Maybe that will enable us to love others the way God loves us, unconditionally.
1John 4:9-12; 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 was the plan from the beginning of creation.
John 1:1-4; In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
We are encouraged to show the love that God demonstrated for us.
1John 4:7-8; Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Love was initiated by God to atone for our shortcomings. What we were powerless to do God did for us. God’s desire is for his creation to live with him, that is what he created us for, fellowship with Him. He did not create us to condemn us and punish us, we chose that on our own.
John 3:16-17; “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Remember God established the bond of love and He will not break it.
Romans 8:37-39; No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Only one thing can separate us from the love of God, free will. God does not desire that we are separated from him, but he does not force us to have a relationship with him. He made the sacrifice that was necessary to remove any obstacle that we put in place that separated us. We, however can still choose to be estranged from God.
That does not mean that God does not love us, it means that we do not want God’s love. We refuse to receive the gift he offers. We discard the sacrifice of Jesus. We feel somehow that we do not need a relationship with Him. We are lost.
We must receive the gift that God offers out of love for us. We must put the corrupt desires of our hearts to death and live through the guidance of the love of God, manifested in Jesus. Our lives become not our own, but a life lived for life itself. A life lived for the benefit of others. A life lived abundantly guided by the faith and trust we have in God.
Romans 15:13; May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Merry Christmas from the entire Racing with Jesus Family!
Until next time, remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! God Bless. Remember, that your prayerful support and donations helps us continue this ministry. Thank You.
