“For God so loved the world…” (John 3: 16).
“For God so loved the world…” begins the most well-known verse in all of the Bible. And, for good reason. This verse describes God’s desire for his created world better than any other passage. When it comes to the love of God, there is no other faith or religion that comes even close to what our God offers.
There are no stipulations, no requirements, no barriers, no prerequisites. God loves the world. You can’t get more inclusive than that.
That’s what makes Christianity so different than any other religion or faith system. All others require things before a person is received into faith. They must believe the right things and behave the right way in order to belong.
Not so with Christ. Jesus accepts all sinners. Brown sinners. White sinners. Yellow sinners. Red sinners. ALL sinners. Even repeat sinners.
You can’t get more inclusive than that.
As you start this week, know you start with God’s love. You start with God’s invitation to receive eternal life and to start living that kingdom living immediately. You don’t have to wait until you die before you start living kingdom life. In the prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray, we say, “May your kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven…” That’s exactly what that means. We start living kingdom life the moment Jesus becomes our Savior and Lord.
Happy Monday!
Praxis: Faith in Action 