Sunday, December 8, 2013

The End of a Year


It’s the end of a year walking with God. There are times when the days seem harder than others and then there are days when God seems to be our very next breath. We know, though, that no matter how things appear, God is always with each of His children. His children are every person who has accepted the forgiveness and salvation that came through Jesus’ death on the cross as the perfect sacrifice, which needs nothing else added to it. We humans who had His law for thousands of years and who cannot keep the law, can do nothing to add to our salvation. Our salvation and redemption from judgment and hell comes only through the death of Jesus on the cross. Our salvation is provided for once and fully through His death. No other thing must be added to make our sins and guilty consciences be washed completely clean. The perfect gift God gave of His one Son, Jesus Christ, born as a small male child to live as a man upon the earth and remain pure despite temptation, is the only sacrifice that is complete and can save humankind from their sinfulness and disobedience to God. It is this gift from God, the birth of Jesus as a baby over 2000 years ago that we celebrate at Christmas. We who are His children 2000 years after this event know that this baby became a man like we are so that He could be the perfect and only sacrifice necessary for our cleansing. We know now that the celebration of His birth is the beginning of the celebration of the wholeness and purity He gives us through His death on the cross. Christmas leads us to think forward to the greatest gift we ever received, salvation and eternal life with our heavenly Father in heaven through Jesus death and resurrection. As we celebrate this holy season, let us not dwell too long on the birth, though that is a great thing to rejoice and praise God for, instead, let us look forward to the reason He came to earth in human form, to provide totally and completely for our sins, our disobedience, so that we can be reunited with God and live with Him forever in His kingdom. To God be the glory, GREAT things He has done!
Read Hebrews 7-10 and pay attention especially to Hebrews 10:10-18.