The One About Love.

   February is known far and wide as the month of love.

   And Dental Health.

   And President's Day.

   But seriously, since when did we humans decide that we were the authorities on love? Since when did we decide that Jesus Christ dying on the cross to rectify our sins was less of a display of love than a glittery piece of pink paper?

  Since when did we start believing that the message of John 3:16 is somehow less impactful? A children's verse. The one everyone knows.

 It's overused.

 And yet not used enough. Understood, yet confusing.

"God so LOVED the world, that he GAVE his only begotten son, so that whoever believeth in him, shall NOT perish, but have everlasting life." (emphasis mine.)

  God's love is about

 GIVING,

 SACRIFICE.

 LOVE.

 LIFE.

 SALVATION.

 EVERLASTING LIFE.

  God sent his one and only son, Jesus Christ, to die a horrible death on the cross.

  Painful.

  Agonizing.

  Messy.

   LIFEGIVING.

  The gift we freely receive of God, given over two thousand years ago, wasn't a valentine card featuring puppies or roses. It wasn't chocolate-covered cherries or soft red sweaters. His gift to us was salvation. Beautiful, soul-saving, redeeming salvation. Because of Jesus' sacrifice, we now longer have to present our selves to a priest to be cleansed and to present a sacrifice so that we can stand before God. The sacrifice on the cross tore the curtain to The Holy of Holies, meaning that people could now freely approach God.

 No priest.

No animal.

Just Jesus.

 Beautiful.

 Personal.

 Redemption.

 Cleansing.

 Now, we live our lives as called followers of God.

 REDEEMED.

 PASSIONATE.

 FREE.

 CHERISHED.

 LOVED.

 "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ, who gave himself as a ransom for all men- the testimony given in its proper time." 1 Timothy 2:5-6

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