God’s Indwelling Love

1 John 3:17

God not only has all the good, he is the very definition of good because there is none good but God! (Mark 10:18)

What if God who is good and possesses all things good would have withheld the embodiment of goodness, Jesus Christ, from us? What if he were to shut up his bowels of compassion towards us? The answer to these two questions is simple. We would be lost and die lost, coming under the terrible wrath and judgement of God.

But nevertheless God saw that the world had a great need, and that need was redemption. The fullness of God’s love dwelt in his incarnate son, and as Mary’s womb opened and Christ came forth, the most treasured gift of God was made known to the world.

John says if that the love of God dwells in us then how can we close up our bowels of compassion. God’s gift of love Is not a mere emotion, but it is Christ himself abiding within us, wanting to express his love through our lives. This means we should see with the same eyes he sees with and hear with the same ears he hears with.

In Matthew Jesus looked out among scattered and lost sheep of Israel and had compassion on them. (Matthew 9:36-38) Later on he looked upon 5000 hungry men and told the disciples to feed them. With the bread and fish they offered, along with his miracle working hands, all of these men and their families were fed with much leftover.(Matthew 14:15-21) I believe John had this in mind when he wrote this passage of scripture.

Mother Teresa said that “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” The lesson for you and I this advent season is we need to look to give more than receive. I pray that when we pass by one who is in need that our bowels of mercy and compassion will burst open and that we will do a kind deed that may bring light and life to those who dwell in darkness.

Pastor Robby