When embracing someone with the Gospel, we are doing the work of revealing to our non-Christian friends God in human flesh, Jesus Christ. We are pointing them to the image of God. In other words, if you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. Jesus, the scriptures say, is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4, Colossians 1:15). That is, Jesus is the perfect reflection of God. In Hebrews 1:3 it says, "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being sustaining all things by His powerful word." This is a beautiful way of saying that Jesus, who is God, is the exact replica of God for us to see. All we need to know about God, we know in Jesus Christ who reveals God to us! In John 1:14, Jesus is likened to the tabernacle in the Old Testament where God would come to His people while they were in the desert to reveal His will to them. "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

So, if you want to know what God is like, look to God in human flesh, Jesus of Nazareth. And when our friends enquire, "What is God like?" we can respond with some very good news! Jesus reveals to us that God is so in love with us that He will go to the most extreme ends to save us from our sins. Though we have sinned against Him, He has forgiven us by sacrificing His own Son on the cross. Jesus, the Son of God, has taken our sins away and given us His righteousness because He loves us so much. What is God like? Jesus makes it clear: God is gracious and merciful and loving to you and to me. He is a loving Father who graciously takes away our sin and gives us His forgiveness and mercy through Jesus Christ on the cross. As the scriptures say, "No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Fathers side, has made him known."

Pastor Bob