Merry Christmas, friends! đ
This is a day to celebrate Jesus â His first coming to this earth, as a baby who would grow up for this very reason: not only to speak the words of God, not only to do the works of God, but to die as the sinless sacrifice on our behalf, to pay the fine that we owed God.
We owed a massive debt to God because of all of our sins â everything we do wrong against God and against other people: lying, stealing, committing adultery, harboring anger in our hearts toward others (which is the precursor to murder), looking at pornography (which is not only lust [sexual immorality of the mind] but also covetousness: wrongfully desiring what is not ours), holding grudges/bitterness (unforgiveness), practicing homosexuality, gossipingâŚ
All these things that we do amass a debt to God that we cannot pay. â We cannot, by our âgoodâ works undo what has been done by our âbad worksâ â our sin. No, our sin separates us from God, and our âfineâ is to spend eternity (forever and ever) in torment, at first in hell, and then in the lake of fire.
But God sent His Son Jesus (who is Himself fully God) into the world, not to bring more condemnation, but to make the way for us to have right relationship with God again and have true and eternal /life/. He did this by Jesus dying on the cross â paying the fine that we owed against God. And He didnât stay dead â the mighty power of God brought Jesus up from the grave in resurrected life!
Now God is calling out to hearts through His children like me, saying, âBe reconciled to God!â God is asking you to repent of your sins (turn away from all the wrong things you have done and decide that you donât want to live that way in rebellion to God any longer) and trust in Jesus. â Jesus already paid the fine: the debt is paid and the victory won! Now you need to make Jesus /your/ salvation: receive Jesus for yourself. Let Jesus be the Lord of your life, and not you yourself any longer. Turn away from the devil and his shackling hold on your life.
May you know and experience the powerful love of Jesus this Christmas! Godâs love is the only lasting love â everything else will fade and disappoint. Let Jesus be your sure and strong foundation coming into the New Year!