Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born from God. Whoever loves someone who is a parent loves the child born to the parent. This is how we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep God’s commandments. This is the love of God: we keep God’s commandments. God’s commandments are not difficult, because everyone who is born from God defeats the world. And this is the victory that has defeated the world: our faith. Who defeats the world? Isn’t it the one who believes that Jesus is God’s Son? This is the one who came by water and blood: Jesus Christ. Not by water only but by water and blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. The three are testifying— the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and the three are united in agreement. If we receive human testimony, God’s testimony is greater, because this is what God testified: he has testified about his Son. The one who believes in God’s Son has the testimony within; the one who doesn’t believe God has made God a liar, because that one has not believed the testimony that God gave about his Son. And this is the testimony: God gave eternal life to us, and this life is in his Son. The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn’t have God’s Son does not have life. (1 John 5:1-12, CEB)
The one who doesn’t believe God has made God a liar. When we do not believe the testimony given through the Spirit, water, and blood we do not believe in the Son and we make God a liar. And if we do not believe in God’s Son then we do not have life.
As we continue in the Christmas season we see that without Jesus we would not truly have life. Jesus came to show us how to live and love and how to have life and have it abundantly.
So love out loud and show the world why Christmas is a time to celebrate.
Loving People. Loving God.