Jesus: The Love Offering

Here’s what real love really is –
no, not our love for God.

Real love is God
in love with us.

God the Father sent
His Son to die in our place –

to take away our sins,
our mistakes, our
wrongdoings,

to become
the one truly needed
sacrifice –

for God to forgive us –
fully,
wholly –
making amends.


Mary Sayler, © 2017, prayer-a-phrased today’s reading in 1 John 4:10 using various translations found on Bible Gateway.

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God Is Love

1 John 4:11-18

Beloved, God loves us so much,
we must love one another too.

No, we haven’t seen God,
and yet, by loving one another,
God lives in us!
And God’s love perfects ours.

How do we know we’re in God,
and God is in us?
We have His Spirit.

Furthermore, we have seen
(through God’s Word) how
the Father sent His Son
to save us and the world.

If we acknowledge Jesus
as the Son of God,
we can be sure God lives in us
and we in Him. And we can know
and believe in the power of love
God gives.

For God Is Love!

So as we remain in love,
God remains in us
and brings our love
to perfection.

Then we can know for sure
not to worry about judgment day
because we’re living as God wants.

Oh, Beloved, in love
there is nothing to fear!

God’s perfect love
frees us
from any fears we have
of being punished,
tormented, or even
harshly rebuked.

So if you’re still afraid,
pray to experience
ever more fully
the pure, pure love
of God.

© 2016, Mary Sayler prayer-a-phrased today’s reading in 1 John 4 with the help of several of the many translations found on Bible Gateway.

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Born again in love

1 John 4:7-10

Beloved, let’s love one another!

Love comes from God,
so everyone who knows love
knows God,
and is born again.

People who show no love
do not know God
for God is love.

And the love of God
became clear
as God sent
His only begotten Son
into the world
to imprint His life upon us.

So, our love comes,
not because we love God,
but because God loves us
and gave His Son
as the expiation –

the compensation,
the penance,
the punishment,
the amends –

for our sins.


©2015, Mary Harwell Sayler, poet, writer, and lifelong lover of Christ, the Bible, and the church, prayer-a-phrased today’s reading in I John by comparing many of the translations found on Bible Gateway.

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Be Loved, Children of God

Oh, look and see
what manner of love
our Father has given to us
and called us
into being who we
are meant to be –
the loving Children of God.

The world might not see us this way
if it does not yet know
our God as Love.

But, Beloved, be loved!

For now
we are God’s children.

Not yet have we been shown
what we shall become,
but we can be sure –
when our God of love
is fully known –
we shall see Pure Love
as our God truly is.

1 John 3:1-2


©2014, Mary Sayler prayer-a-phrased the above poem from verses found in the translations on Bible Gateway.

 

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