Live By The Truth

 

  Jn 3:16-21

 God's Great Love

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

St. John has given us one of the most popular and beloved statements of Jesus that is quoted everywhere, even on banners waved at ball games: John 3; 16, "For God so loved the world that he gave us  his only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but might have eternal life."  It's all there: believe and receive eternal life. Of course, the belief includes action, putting that faith to  work.  Both take effort, but both are gifts as well. If we relish God's love and put it into action in our lives by loving our neighbor, then we are "living the gift."

Bro Rene

Dear God, you so loved us that you gave us your Son; help us to so love our neighbors that we give our lives for them. Amen.