Text: Luke 2:8-14
Memory verse:
“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”
‭‭I John‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

God didn’t plan that man should die.
You see, death and its various consequences came because man abused the love of God. God is love and no one can ever know love without Him (1 John 4:8).
Out of love, God deliberately made man as His last creation. This was to allow man to enjoy all that He had created (Gen 1:26).
God also demonstrated His love by giving them access to every good thing in the Garden of Eden. Love is His nature, which is to give and give. You can’t love without giving. So, He gave Adam and Eve every good thing they could desire (Gen 2:16).
He also showed His love when He gave man free choice. He placed them in the Garden, where He planted the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life. They were to use their free choice to choose between the two, having been warned of the consequence of eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They were not compelled to obey God’s commandment but to willingly comply will mean choosing to love and honor God, choosing to acknowledge Him as their Creator and choosing to have a relationship with Him. Unfortunately, they ate from the tree, and the result was death. This death means that they were separated from God. That is, they died spiritually (Eph 2:1-2).
As a just God, He could not overlook their disobedience, or else He will be judged unjust. Consequently, their spiritual death brought in physical death, sickness, disease, and pain into the world. They also bowed their knees to satan and willingly surrendered their dominion of the earth to him (Luke 4:6), What a loss!
Even with all these, God could not give up on man because of His love. If God had only been just, His righteousness would have made Him wipe away the entire human race. However, He is not only just but a justifier (Rom 3:26). Thus, He sent His Son to the earth to justify man by paying for their sin. “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” ‭‭(Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭11). Out of love, the infinite became finite, God became man, the Lord became the Lamb!
Friends, Christmas is truly a love story. Embrace His love and tell someone today of this wonderful story of saving love.

Prayer points
1. Father, thank You for loving me and stooping down to save me.
2. Father, please use me to share Your saving love with others today and always in Jesus’ name.
Today’s declarations
1. I don’t abuse God’s love, but I appreciate it by living it and sharing it with others.
2. Christmas reminds me that I have been saved from sin and its consequences.