Every year it seems the "reason for the season" continues to fade a little more from our cultural awareness. One of the telling signs is that increasingly fewer Christmas cards actually have the word "Christmas" on them. Our society seems bent on removing any mention of Christ from the public arena, even during the Christmas season. Unfortunately most of us are too preoccupied with our hectic schedules and increased obligations at this time of year to give much notice.
If you get a chance to catch your breath this season, it may be rewarding to spend a few minutes considering the real "reason for the season." Perhaps the best summary as to why Jesus came to earth in the first place is recorded in Matthew 1:21 "…she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." The name Jesus means deliverer or savior. The reason Jesus came to earth was to "save His people from their sins."
Even in a beautiful season like Christmas we are never far from the consequences of sin. War, sickness, disease, fear, anxiety, divorce, and death are all the result of sin. Sin is that ugly, corrupting influence that disturbs every relationship whether it is the one with our fellow man or with God. As the apostle Paul stated in Romans 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." The ultimate consequence of sin is death. As Romans 6:23a states "for the wages of sin is death…"
Thomas Watson, the great Puritan writer who lived in the 17th century said, "Sin has turned beauty into deformity and the wicked takes more care to have his sin covered than cured." These words still ring true today. People naturally try to look away from the ugliness of sin, yet in this world its presence is impossible to avoid. What is needed is a cure for sin, not a temporary covering.
Christmas is a time that is associated with giving. We give gifts to each other as an expression of our love for one another. In John 3:16 the Bible states that "…God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." The beauty of Christmas is that Jesus has come to provide the cure for sin. Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that God "…made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
How will Jesus cure your sin? In Romans 10:9 the Bible gives the answer, "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." This Christmas you can receive the greatest gift ever given, Jesus Christ. Call on Him now, confess your sin, and he will give you the gift of eternal life.
Do you hear the voice of God calling you? Jesus said in John 10:27-30 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one."
Jesus also said, "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 10:32) If you would like to make public your profession of faith please give us a call, send an email or better still stop by next Sunday morning and share with us your joy in Christ.
Have a Merry Christmas!
If you get a chance to catch your breath this season, it may be rewarding to spend a few minutes considering the real "reason for the season." Perhaps the best summary as to why Jesus came to earth in the first place is recorded in Matthew 1:21 "…she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." The name Jesus means deliverer or savior. The reason Jesus came to earth was to "save His people from their sins."
Even in a beautiful season like Christmas we are never far from the consequences of sin. War, sickness, disease, fear, anxiety, divorce, and death are all the result of sin. Sin is that ugly, corrupting influence that disturbs every relationship whether it is the one with our fellow man or with God. As the apostle Paul stated in Romans 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." The ultimate consequence of sin is death. As Romans 6:23a states "for the wages of sin is death…"
Thomas Watson, the great Puritan writer who lived in the 17th century said, "Sin has turned beauty into deformity and the wicked takes more care to have his sin covered than cured." These words still ring true today. People naturally try to look away from the ugliness of sin, yet in this world its presence is impossible to avoid. What is needed is a cure for sin, not a temporary covering.
Christmas is a time that is associated with giving. We give gifts to each other as an expression of our love for one another. In John 3:16 the Bible states that "…God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." The beauty of Christmas is that Jesus has come to provide the cure for sin. Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that God "…made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
How will Jesus cure your sin? In Romans 10:9 the Bible gives the answer, "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." This Christmas you can receive the greatest gift ever given, Jesus Christ. Call on Him now, confess your sin, and he will give you the gift of eternal life.
Do you hear the voice of God calling you? Jesus said in John 10:27-30 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one."
Jesus also said, "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 10:32) If you would like to make public your profession of faith please give us a call, send an email or better still stop by next Sunday morning and share with us your joy in Christ.
Have a Merry Christmas!
No comments:
Post a Comment