1Christ was alive when the world began, yet I myself have seen him with my own eyes and listened to him speak. I have touched him with my own hands. He is God’s message of life. 2 This one who is life from God has been shown to us, and we guarantee that we have seen him; I am speaking of Christ, who is eternal Life. He was with the Father and then was shown to us. 3 Again I say, we are telling you about what we ourselves have actually seen and heard, so that you may share the fellowship and the joys we have with the Father and with Jesus Christ his son. 4 And if you do as I say in this letter, then you, too, will be full of joy, and so will we.

5 This is the message God has given us to pass on to you: that God is Light and in him is no darkness at all. 6 So if we say we are his friends but go on living in spiritual darkness and sin, we are lying. 7 But if we are living in the light of God’s presence, just as Christ does, then we have wonderful fellowship and joy with each other, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from every sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him,[a] he can be depended on to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. And it is perfectly proper for God to do this for us because Christ died to wash away our sins. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are lying and calling God a liar, for he says we have sinned.

1 John 1:1-10

Sweet friends, the two truths this world needs to know more than anything else are:

1) God’s never-ending, fully encompassing love is for ALL people.
2) The saving grace and transformative power of the blood of Jesus Christ is available to ALL people.

For ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The wages of sin is death, BUT the gift of God through Jesus Christ is eternal life (Romans 6:23). In Christ there was no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) and yet He bled and died as a sacrifice for the sins of all mankind and rose again to conquer the grave for us (1 Peter 3:18). In Jesus Christ is all truth and the only way to the Father (John 14:6, Acts 4:12). Whosoever believes on Him shall not die but have everlasting life (John 3:16) and have life more abundantly (John 10:10).

The love of God and the gift of eternal life and life more abundantly Christ cannot be earned or bought (2 Timothy 1:9). They are filled with grace and mercy (Ephesians 2:8, Romans 5:20, Lamentations 2:3). They are freely given and need only be accepted (Jeremiah 31:3, Malachai 1:2, 1 John 4:19, Romans 10:3). Accepting Christ as the way, the truth, and the life, the only Son of God, the Savior of our souls and Lord of our lives breaks chains, transforms hearts, renews minds (Luke 4:16-21, Romans 12:2, Ezekial 36:26).

God’s only desire from us?

Love Him above all else and love others as He loves us (Exodus 20:2-6, Matthew 22:36-39, Exodus 20:12-17, Matthew 5:43-45).

Dear heart, what an amazing love the Father has for us! What a priceless gift is found in Christ Jesus! No strings. No price tags. What boundless grace! What depths of mercy!

What a simple request He makes of us: Love God. Love Others.

Beloved, as God has done all things in love for us, as Christ died out of love for us, let us do all things out of love for God and for one another. Let us pour forth grace and mercy as God has shown us mercy and given us so much grace. When others hurt or upset us, let us remember that we have done nothing to deserve God’s love – quite the opposite as our wayward nature has broken His heart time and time again – and pour out love, mercy, and grace upon them despite our injuries real or only perceived.

Father help us follow Your great example! Shape us in Your image! Continue to cover us in Your grace that we may extend grace to others! Shower us in love that we may overflow it all those around us! It is living in Your will that we find peace! Seeking to walk closer to You that we find all we need!

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