Our minds must be constantly renewed to see God as he has revealed himself through Jesus.  As we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, we see God making himself known as a three-person communal being. This personal God encounters us personally through Jesus and his Spirit.  In these encounters, God opens his heart to us as the One who loves us more than we can say.  That means we are to know God in person as personal. God came to us in person as Jesus; now he comes to us personally by his Spirit. 

God’s coming to us affirms the eternal decision of God to be with us and for us before we do anything. This is unconditional love. His relating to humanity in love is a pure gift. The gift is not separate from God’s self.  God gave himself, and he goes on giving himself again and again. And this giving of himself is the greatest gift God has for us. 

The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus demonstrate God’s love.  His love isn’t an abstract idea we might imagine in our best moments.  No!  His love can be seen in an actual self-giving person in human history.  And it is now poured into our hearts by the gift of the Spirit.  It is all God’s free action through Jesus in the Spirit. And it is this free action of God’s love that sets us free to respond in wonder, love and praise