We begin this journey with a profound and simple declaration: the Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – is fundamentally Love (1 John 4:7-21). This divine love underpins our very being and can be observed in three significant ways:
- the gift of our existence,
- the unfolding of His salvific plan,
- and the inherent nature of love with its power to heal.
Consider our existence. God, the Alpha and Omega, existed before and beyond our need. Yet, in an act of pure love, He created humanity to share in the fullness of life, much like sharing joy with loved ones (Genesis 1:26-31; Genesis 2:8-14). Fashioned in His image, we also possess the capacity for love, reasoning, and creativity. This inherent freedom, however, also opened the door to the knowledge of evil and sin, which tragically brought death into the world through the disobedience of Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:16-17).
The Divine Plan
With the entrance of death and sin into the world, God, in His boundless mercy, love, and grace, initiated His plan of salvation—a path for humanity to be reconciled to Him. This plan unfolded through His covenants with Abraham (Genesis 15:18), Isaac, and Israel (Jacob) (Exodus 2:24), promising a Messiah from their lineage who would bring salvation. Around 740 BC, the prophet Isaiah, inspired by the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem, again foretold this divine event – the arrival of “Immanuel,” the Savior (Isaiah 7:14).
Immanuel was Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Born of the virgin Mary, who was engaged to Joseph, Jesus entered the world as a human through the works of the Holy Spirit in 5 BC. He lived a perfect, sinless life, exemplifying the relationship humanity was meant to have with God the Father. Approximately 26 AD, following His baptism by John the Baptist, Jesus began His Gospel ministry, teaching the way to eternal salvation, as documented in the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).
Recognizing that the consequence of sin is death, Jehovah the Father sent his Son Jesus as a willing Sacrifice on the cross, bearing the penalty for the sins of all who believe in Him (John 3:16). Through His death and resurrection, He triumphed over sin and death, offering forgiveness and eternal life to those who repent, are baptized, and accept His gift of salvation. This redemptive act restores our fractured relationship with God, enabling us to experience His love and grace and to live eternally according to His perfect will.
Healing Through Love among Men
The inability of humankind to justly guide itself, without God, is tragically evident in the daily atrocities we witness, even in our own communities. Yet, by embracing the divine purpose and profound love of God, we find the strength to overcome a multitude of wrongs. This capacity for healing stems from the understanding that:
- God’s Love expressed through Families – God established the family unit through the union of a man and woman in marriage, resulting in children. As Scripture states, a man will leave his parents and cleave to his wife until death (Mark 10:6-9). This deep, mutual love mirrors God’s unwavering devotion to us when we align our lives with His will (Romans 7:1-6). Similarly, parents can embody God’s love by instructing their children in His ways. Children raised under the teachings of Jesus Christ cultivate a strong sense of self-worth rooted in God’s love and the love of their parents (Mark 10:13-16). Grounded in such godly love from their earliest years, these children are more likely to grow into stable, loving, and just individuals within our society.
- God’s love expressed through relationships in Societies – Scripture calls us to love one another as Jesus Christ loved the Church. Both Leviticus 19:18 and Galatians 5:14 emphasize loving our fellowman as ourselves. It becomes difficult, then, to reconcile this divine instruction with societies engaged in warfare and the selfish destruction of human life that we often see in our global news. However, by actively practicing patience, kindness, understanding, selfless service, compassion, and forgiveness—even towards those we find challenging—we embody God’s love in our daily lives. This allows us to bridge divides and cultivate a community founded on empathy and grace.
Therefore, may you find blessing through baptism in the saving grace of Jesus Christ, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Remember the powerful truth: whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them, and they live in God. For God is Love (1 John 4:15-16). May this love forever guide you on your life’s journey.
