We love because He first loves us.
1 John 4:19
Advent’s fourth flame is love. The love that originates in God Himself, not us. Before creation, before any covenants, before Bethlehem, love was God’s nature. Advent invites us to behold the love made visible, tangible, and incarnate in Christ.
Love is not merely an emotion or a virtue. It is the very heartbeat of God’s redemptive story. From the prophets who longed for the Messiah to the angels who announced His birth, love is the thread that binds the narrative of salvation.
When Christ came, He did not bring a new kind of love. He revealed the eternal love of God the Father. This is a love that pursues, restores, sacrifices, and transforms.
This is why the fourth candle of Advent shines with such radiance. It is the flame that reminds us that God’s love is not distant or abstract. It is divine, incarnate and present.
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Charles Wesley’s hymn Love Divine, All Loves Excelling captures the depth of this Adent truth.
Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of Heav’n to earth come down;
Fix in us thy humble dwelling;
All thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation,
Enter every trembling heart.
Finish, then, Thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be;
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee;
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in Heav’n we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.
During Advent, this is exactly what we celebrate. Jesus, love Himself coming down to earth. Not as an idea, but as a child. Not as a force, but as a Savior.
This hymn ends as a prayer for transformation: “Finish then Thy new creation ….” This is the cry of our hearts at Advent. We long not only to remember Christ’s first coming but to be transformed and renewed by His presence now. Wesley’s words echo the hope that divine love does not leave us unchanged. It purifies, sanctifies, and completes the work God has begun in us.
When we sing this hymn, we are asking God to make His love the force that shapes our lives—love that excels all others, love that perfects us in Christ.
Flame Imagery
The fourth flame of Advent burns with a warmth unlike any other. Love is the brightest flame because it reveals the very character of God.
At first glance, love may seem gentle, even fragile. But divine love is fierce in its faithfulness and unyielding in its purpose. It is the flame that cannot be extinguished by darkness, sin, or death.
The flame of love is a declaration: God’s love has come, God’s love remains, and God’s love will triumph.
Each flicker of the flame reminds us that Christ’s love is not earned, it is given. Each glow testifies that His love is stronger than fear, deeper than sorrow, and more enduring than any earthly affection.
As we are close to the ending of the traditional Advent celebration, reflect on the love that Christ has poured into your life.
Where do you need to experience His love more fully?
- In a place of woundedness, where healing is needed.
- In a relationship strained by distance or misunderstanding.
- In the quiet corners of your heart where you feel unforgotten.
Allow the flame of God’s love illuminate these places. Let it soften what has hardened, restore what has broken, and awaken what has grown weary.
Love is not passive. It is the active presence of God transforming us into the likeness of Christ. Advent love calls us to receive, reflect, and extend the love that God gave us first.
The Flame’s Testimony
Advent love is not sentimental. It is sacrificial. It is not shallow. It is steadfast. It is not fleeting. It is eternal.
The fourth flame declares that Christ, Love Divine, has come to dwell with us and in us. His love is the light that leads us all the way to glory.
Prayer
Father, thank You for the gift of divine love. Fill our hearts with the love that excels all others. Let Christ dwell in us richly, transforming us into His likeness. Teach us to love as You have loved us: freely, faithfully, and sacrificially. May this flame burn brightly in our lives, guiding us toward the joy of Christ’s coming and the fulness of His kingdom. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Read the Introduction: From Bethlehem to Glory: An Advent Series
Read: The First Flame: Hope in Darkness
Read: The Second Flame: Peace in the Turmoil
Read: The Third Flame: Joy to the World
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