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This coming Sunday we will be celebrating the Third Sunday of the Advent season. Our hearts will be drawn to light the “Candle of Love” reminding us that love is not just an emotion, but the very nature of God revealed through Jesus Christ. Scripture tells us in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God’s love does not wait until we are perfect. It meets us in our brokenness, lifts us from our sin, and draws us close through the sacrifice of Christ. He did this so we can spend eternity with Him.
This echoed the most beloved verse in the Bible, John 3:16: “ForGod so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God didn’t just say He loved the world, He gave His Son. Love moved from heaven to earth. Love left glory and entered a manger. Love became flesh. To believe is more than to give an intellectual agreement that Jesus is God. It means to put our trust and confidence in Him alone, that He can save us. It is to put Jesus in charge of our present plans and eternal destiny.
Because God’s love is active, eternal and faithful, we are called to embody that same love in our relationships. Proverbs 3:3-4 encourages us this way. “Let love an faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” As we journey through this Advent season, these verses should remind us that love is something we intentionally cultivate, carry, and display. It is written on the heart and lived out in the world. Therefore, Advent Love is:
^ Initiating—because God first loved us (1 John 4:19)
^ Sacrificial–because Jesus gave His life for ours (Romans 5:8)
^ Unconditional–because it is reaching “The World” (John 3:16)
^ Faithful–because it’s bound to our hearts (Proverbs 3:3-4)
^ Active–because it is calling us to love one another (1 John 4:11)
On next Sunday when the Candle of Love is lit, we proclaim that the love that came in Christ is the love we are called to carry into our homes, our communities, and even into difficult places. Advent invities us to receive God’s Love more deeply, so that we may share God’s love more boldly. Lord let your love shine through our words, actions, and attitudes. Make us vessels of your love in this world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Andrea (Rev. Andie)
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