God's Gift of Love and Forgiveness








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God's Gift of Love and Forgiveness

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. In love God came down. God created human beings to be God’s companions. God gave humans everything they needed and asked only obedience in return. But, humans wanted to be like God. They wanted power. They disobeyed God. God did not forget them. God loved them.

God established a covenant with Abram – a contract in which God promised him many descendents and to be a blessing to all nations. God renamed him Abraham. When God told Abraham to go to the new land of Canaan, Abraham obeyed. Abraham and his wife, Sarah, had one son, Isaac. Isaac and his wife, Rebecca had twin sons, Esau and Jacob. Jacob sired twelve sons. God renamed Jacob “Israel” and his descendents were called the children of Israel. Each son became the father of a tribe.

During a famine the Israelites moved to Egypt. As their population grew, they were made slaves of the Egyptians. After 400 years God used a man named Moses to lead God’s people out of Egypt. In love God came down. God gave Moses laws by which the Israelites were to live, but they did not obey the laws. Because of their disobedience, they wandered in the desert for 40 years. They offered sacrifices to God so God would forgive their sins.

The Israelites entered and conquered the land of Canaan which God had promised would be theirs. They formed a kingdom, and God appointed kings to rule them. Some of the kings obeyed God; others did not.

One king, David, wrote many songs which are in the Bible in the book of Psalms. His son Solomon, made the kingdom rich. After Solomon’s reign, the kingdom split into Israel (north) and Judah (south). Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians. Judah was carried into exile to Babylon.

After 70 years they returned and rebuilt the city of Jerusalem. Through this time, in love God came down through the voices of the prophets as God called the people back to obedience. But the people continued in their disobedience.

Again, in love God came down. In the form of God’s son Jesus, who was fully human and fully God, was born of a virgin named Mary. Jesus taught his followers how they should live in love. He healed the sick. Blind men saw. Lame men leaped. Women who had been ill were made whole.

Jesus showed humans what God is like. But the religious leaders of Jesus’ time were afraid. They killed Jesus – nailed him to a cross. Jesus died as a sacrifice – as the ultimate sacrifice—for the sins of humans.

On the third day Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus appeared to men and women. He told them to tell others what he had done for them as a free gift because they are loved by God. While they watched, Jesus ascended into heaven.

The followers of Jesus spent their time in prayer. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to give them power to speak and baptize in Jesus’ name. Many people became followers of Jesus.

The Christian church today tells the story of God’s free gift of love and forgiveness in Jesus Christ. The people worship in grateful response. The people help others in grateful response. The people seek justice for the world in grateful response.

The free gift of God’s love and forgiveness is yours.

Written by Myra Fozard

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