The Gracious Truth of Christmas
When asked what’s to love at Christmas this year I still think of the birth of Christ and the music that helps us sing praises to His Name. I also love the fact that my family will be together. I love the festive feeling of the decorations and the usual opportunities for fellowship.
Though things are different this year because of Covid, there are still plenty of times for me to get excited about.
The concerning part is the way these things get prioritized. I fear that if a person was observing all that would be obvious – except the birth of Christ and what that has meant for me in my life.
When the Lord brought me to full faith in Him, it was because He had so clearly shown me my sin. After trying like crazy to relieve myself of the guilt for a couple of years (by doing exhausting good works), He reminded me of the account of the birth of our Savior in Matthew 1.
After Mary conceived and Joseph had learned about it, he was of a mind to divorce her quietly (Matthew 1:19). Then, Matthew 1:20-23 says, “But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins’ (emphasis mine). So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ‘BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD, AND BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,’ which is translated, ‘God with us’” (emphasis mine).
Jesus is called our Savior “For He will save His people from their sins.” This is the message we must talk about at Christmas. Every single person ever born must deal with his/her sin. Romans 3:10 says, “None is righteous, no, not one.” And Romans 3:23 says that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Before the Lord got a hold of me I was one who thought I was plenty good and that I didn’t have to worry about judgment or where I would go when I died. No one – and I was in church every Sunday for most of my life – told me that I had a sin problem.
The truth is that everyone has a sin problem.
To hear and to trust that “God is with us” is a wonderful faith. However, too many today seem to think that this means that there is nothing for us to worry about, He is here waiting to take us all to heaven. That is only true if a person has placed her faith in Jesus Christ as the One who has come to save her from her sin.
Christians, we have a responsibility to teach these things, especially to our children but also to any “neighbor” we can engage in a conversation. This year is different. Most will not be having large gatherings that will offer the opportunity for spontaneous conversations. We will need to be a little bolder, more resourceful with how to share the real reason for our celebrations of the birth of Christ.
Do those in your sphere of influence — your children, grandchildren, neighbors, and co-workers — know that Jesus grew up and gave His life for our sin or that the reason He came was to save us from our sin?
Never forget, “There is no Grace without Truth.” (https://www.bethbingaman.com/there-is-no-grace-without-truth/).
Will we be gracious truth-tellers this Christmas?