5:120 – My God, My Jesus

#faithbites #faithjourney God

Intro

This #faithbites has been ruminating in my mind for a while. I hear so much hate towards Christians, especially conservative Christians. So much disdain for Churches. So much hypocrisy from so-called Christians. Much of it is justified based on actions of some people. When I look at all of that, it doesn’t reflect my God or my Jesus. Those behaviors aren’t what the Bible calls for.

My God is a God of second chances, hope, life, and answered prayers. My Jesus is one of forgiveness, salvation, love, and eternal life.

Questions:

• What are the characteristics of your God?
• How do you show those to others to change the narrative?
• What can you do to show love in all aspects?

Scripture

1 John 4:7-21 – ⁷ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

¹³ By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. ¹⁶ So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. ¹⁷ By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. ¹⁹ We love because he first loved us. ²⁰ If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. ²¹ And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Reflection

Our God loves, forgives, cherishes, and wants us to love in harmony. He doesn’t want us to hate, slander, belittle, or divide. When you read the whole Bible and look at the overall message.

As we’ve said many times, there is a difference between faith, God, and churches. Help others to see that difference. God is perfect, churches are human institutions that have faults.

If people are using their “religion” for political gains, call them in. Talk to them. You can have strong beliefs but make sure they are grounded in truth not opinion.

As wwe close, remember that our God isn’t what people say he is. He doesn’t hate, doesn’t reject, and doesn’t chastise. He loves, forgives, and calls all his children.

Prayer

Father hwr God, thank you for being my God and your Son as my personal Savior. Thank you for helping us understand that your ways are not the ways of the world. When people condemn you, they are condemning the faults of your followers. Help us to reach out to those followers and show them the truth. Help us to show non-believers your true nature by our actions and deeds. Let us live in peace with them and never force or judge them. We love you and pray this in your name, Amen.