For God So Loved The World

     The Gospel of John is in many ways a miniature Bible.  The Bible begins with the words:  'In the beginning...' - and so does John's gospel.  The Bible ends with a blessing that is to last for eternity for every child of God.  John's gospel ends telling of all of the good things that the Lord Jesus does.  These wonderful blessings of grace will last for eternity.  If they were all to be recorded the books that would be written would be more than the earth could contain.  How can a person approach the Creator and enjoy the grace of Christ forever?  The Lord himself gave us the answer.  Jesus put God's love for us in a few simple words:  'For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son,  that whoever believes in him will not perish,  but have everlasting life.'  -John 3:16 
     God accepts each person that comes to him and simply believes in his Son.  He promises to pour out the riches of his goodness and grace for all eternity on all who believe.
      As John began to write the Book of Revelation,  the great,  loving,  mighty heart of God caused his own heart to overflow by the working of the Holy Spirit.  In Revelation 1:5b John's heart bursts into worship as he writes:  '...now to him that loved us and freed us from our sins with his own blood,  and has made us a royal priesthood to God his Father,  to him be glory both now and forever.  Amen.'  John is writing to seven of the churches in Asia,  and so this wonderful worship shows us that God's gift of everlasting life gives us the power to live and serve him as his royal children on earth.  When Jesus died on the cross for our sins he freed us from guilt and from the slavery of sin.  Christians will never be perfect on earth,  but when they live in the presence of God they find that they enjoy being with other believers and they find that God's presence and forgiveness are always with them.  John explains again:  'If we walk in the light as he is in the light,  then we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all unrighteousness.  -I John 1:7'




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