Today is the first day of 2015 A.D. or more fully as 2015 Anno Domini Nostri Jesu Christi (“In the Year of Our Lord Jesus Christ”), bearing witness that Christ Jesus once walked on earth 2k years ago.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
God is the author of Christmas.
The Bible says that all have sinned. We are all born with a sin nature. Through the sins of Adam and Eve, we have all inherited that sin nature. We need to have that removed – the Antidote to Sin.
God is Love AND God is Holy. The Holy God cannot tolerate sin and the only way for man who has sinned and be reconciled to God is through Jesus. Jesus came so He could die on the cross for ALL of our sins. If we believe that Jesus died for our sins, we can ask Him to come into our hearts, be our Lord and Saviour and forgive us; then, we are reconciled with God. And have eternal life in heaven – when this life on earth is over, heaven will be our eternal home one day.
In the death of Christ, God cancelled the record of debts that we can never repay, and nailing it to the cross. The choices is ours now – whether to receive God’s offer of redemption or reject it.
“He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36
God, by His very nature, cannot die. But the God-Man, Jesus Christ, could die. Jesus is fully God and fully man – in His nature as God, He is immortal but as human, He’s mortal.
Although Jesus became fully human (“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,” 1 Timothy 2:5), He retained His status as God (“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” John 1:1-3 ).
Christ Jesus is God “Incarnate” – means that God the Son, took on a fleshly, bodily form. (And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14)
How Jesus is able to be both God and man (has two distinct natures, Divine and human) simultaneously is one of the great mysteries, and that’s how God revealed Himself to us. Jesus, while remaining fully God, became fully man.
Jesus as man:
“By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.” 1 John 4:2-3a
The Bible teaches the Incarnation—Jesus became fully human by taking on human flesh. Jesus was conceived in the womb and was born (through the virgin Mary. Luke1:26-38), had natural physical needs, human emotions, died a physical death and He was resurrected with a physical body (‘Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” ‘ Luke 24:39). Jesus was human in every way except for sin; He lived a completely sinless life (“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15).
Jesus as God (God can never stop being God because He is immutable and infinite.):
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. “ Hebrews 13:8
Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” John 8:58 Jesus is saying that He pre-existed before Abraham and that He is the great I AM – God.
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Matthew 1:23
Jesus Appears to His Disciples after the Resurrection.
Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” Luke 24:36–39
“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.” I John 1:9
“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:10-13
Look at Christmas afresh, this is the season to invite Jesus into your heart & life. You will REALLY then have a “Merry Christmas… And Eternal Life”
Jesus Is The Reason For Christmas! Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice!
May God help us to choose to turn our attitude switch to positive.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” Galatians 6:7-8
‘ “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient,…’ Isaiah 1:18-19a
We have choices every day – choices in friction or momentum — may we endeavour to choose not to waste the life that God has given to us, electing for the right choices, and acting on good intentions and to achieve what God has intended us to be – remember we are made in God’s image.
‘So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.“ Genesis 1:27
[A few decades ago we had Johnny Cash, Bob Hope and Steve Jobs. Now we have no Cash, no Hope and no Jobs. Please don’t let Kevin Bacon die. ~ Source unconfirmed]
Comment: Even if Kevin Bacon were to pass on (though we wish Kevin Bacon a long life), when there is life and when we choose life – there is hope, jobs, cash and meat. 🙂
“But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.” Ecclesiastes 9:4
When a person is still alive, the door to salvation is still open.
‘We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says:
“In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.’ 2 Corinthians 6: 1-2
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
” I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;” Deuteronomy 30:19
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” Galatians 6:7-8
“Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do:forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14
“He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself,
And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.
Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;
Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
For by me your days will be multiplied,
And years of life will be added to you.
If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,
And if you scoff, you will bear it alone.” Proverbs 9:7-12
‘ “Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord, ‘ Isaiah 1:18
“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Jesus said in John 10;9-10