Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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 COMING OF THE SAVIOR

   Bible portion: I John 4: 7-16

Verse: 15   whoever confesses that Jesus is the son of God, God abides in Him and he in God.

  Today's passage is all about Love. The text today explores the scope of God's love and the implications of it, how that love was presented to us, how it was displaced in Jesus Christ, and how that love transforms  and changes us.
           How  is God's love presented to us?      It is not that we loved God, but he loved us and sent his son as an atonic sacrifice for  our sins. We love because he first loved us.  In whole bible , we see the God's intiative that was evident at all times, and He never was passive, not just sitting back and leave us alone to figure out our sin its consequences but  His redemptive intervention   was intiated.  Even when look back into the first few books of the bible, it was God who intiated, Noah and the ark,  Abraham and  his covenant,  Moses and the burning bush, and the parting of the red sea.  
           How was God's love displayed and made known to us?   It was through the death of Lord Jesus   on the cross , paying debt and satisfying the wrath of God towards human sin , and earned  forgiveness for the sins of the whole mankind.  What makes God's love so amazing?   God was not obligated to send  His son to be the sacrificial lamb, but He did that willingly, because he loved world “so much”  (John:3.16) .  God intiated this love even when the sinful people rejected Him or did not  care to love Him back.
            How that His love transforms and changes us?      We, the fallen people are not only sinful, but dead in our spirit.  God sent His son into the world not only to be,  a propritiation for our sins and forgiveness , but also to give us abundant life and love through Him.  Son of God saved us from death by His life. He is not only is the lamb of God, who takes away the sin, but also he gave us eternal life.
           To love one another, is a condition of our abiding in God and  that in turn is a condition of His abiding in us. Hence when we love another, God abides in us and His love is manifested perfectly in us.  The greek word  explaining “perfect” means  to complete,  , accomplish or finish. So we need to understand  that love of God is always  to be completed in us.  
            To abide in God is to dwell in Him, to remain in our fellowship with him, that we may experience and enjoy His abiding presence in us.  This is to practice our oneness with God according to divine anointing,  and by living a life that practices His righteousness and  love. 
         To conclude , we must understand key element of this devotion, the God the father sent His son Jesus as  the savior of the world, that  people may believe in Him  and by confessing that  Jesus is the son of God,  He may abide in  them and they  in God.  Amen.

Prayer
 Heavenly Father and 
 Lord our God, abide in us, strengthen us by your holy spirit to love one another  , fill our hearts with  your anointing love and help to lead a life that manifest the perfect love through us. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the son of God, and  God  will abide in Him and he in God.  He becomes one with God in the divine love  and nature.

Dr John K Thomas
Tabore Mar Thoma Church, Staten Island.

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