Peace With God
Sin causes separation from God and we can't overcome sin. We can do our best to be obedient to God, to live in a righteous & honorable manner, but we will still never overcome sin. Apart from our faith in the life, the death & the resurrection of Jesus, nothing that we do on our own can bring us into unity with God. Jesus is the sole conqueror of sin & death. It is by the grace of God the Father, that Jesus came to this world to bring peace between us & God. It is by the love & obedience of Jesus, that he went to the cross on our behalf.
Romans 5:1-11
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."
CHRISTmas
CHRISTmas
Christmas Hope
From Merriam-Webster Online dictionary:
hope \ˈhōp\ verb
to cherish a desire with anticipation-to desire with expectation of obtainment-to expect with confidence: trust synonyms see expect
wish \ˈwish\ verb
to have a desire for (as something unattainable)-to give expression to as a wish bid -to give form to (a wish)-to express a wish for-to request in the form of a wish-to desire (a person or thing)-to be as specified-to confer (something unwanted) on someone-to have a desire want
We often use the word, 'wish' during the Christmas season-probably more than any other time of the year. Whether we are making our Christmas 'Wish List', or wishing friends & family a Merry Christmas--wishes abound this time of year. Is it wrong to wish? Or to wish someone a Merry Christmas? No--of course not! But the thing about 'wishes' is, they are not grounded in faith. Looking strictly at the definitions of the words themselves, it's clear that we don't have to believe that our wishes will come true. They sometimes represent the unattainable.
On the other hand, hope is founded on faith. Hope is the expectation of some outcome--confident in the result--expected & trusted. Our Savior came to rescue us so that we may spend eternity with our God. There's hope in that! It's not a wish or something unattainable-it's not just a desire for something. It's an outcome we can be confident in, that we can trust, if we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and we confess-repent-be baptized & live in obedience to Him.
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant." -Col 1:15-23
CHRISTmas
The Shepherds and the Angels
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told."