Reflection
The love so perfectly displayed on the cross shows us what the Father is like. Jesus shows us how deep is the Father’s love for us. ‘How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we might be called children of God, and that is who we are.’ It is this amazing, outrageous, reckless love that establishes our identity as children of God. So when we are birthed into this new life, the first words we utter by the Spirit within us are “Abba, Father”. And so we see a church where we know we are deeply loved children of God and where we live in the Father’s love. Evangelism is best understood as learning to live in the Father’s embrace and then saying to people, ‘come and see where we live’.
Prayer
Father, thank you for your amazing, outrageous, unconditional, reckless love. Thank you that we are the deeply and dearly loved children of God. Help us to so live daily in this love, in your embrace, that we are filled with your peace and joy; and help us to encourage others to come and know this love. Amen!