JESUS CHRIST’S BIRTH WAS PURPOSEFUL

The birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son, into this world was very purposeful. God who is all knowing and timeless had planned for the redemption of sinful mankind even before the world began. Accordingly, at the right time, God sent His Son as the Savior. 

JESUS CAME IN ORDER TO DEAL WITH SIN:

Hebrews 9:28 says, “…..will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” This implies that when Jesus came the first time, it was with reference to sin or to deal with sin.  

JESUS CAME TO DO GOD’S WILL:

God the Father had planned for man’s salvation through the death of His Son, as the sinner’s substitute. In obedience, Jesus became a man to accomplish this salvation. He fulfilled a Messianic prophecy about the incarnate Christ doing His Father’s will. “Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, but a body You have prepared for Me: in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure. “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me) to do Your will, O God.’” (Hebrews 10:5-7)

JESUS CAME TO REVEAL GOD’S GLORY:

God is spirit and no one has seen Him. But Christ in coming as a man has revealed God and manifested His glory. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” (John 1:14, 18)

JESUS CAME AS THE TRUTH:

Jesus is the Truth. Pilate was confused about what is truth. Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” (John 18:37) 

JESUS CAME AS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD:

Jesus being God is light and He came as the light to the world darkened by sin.

“I have come as light into the world……..” (John 12:46)

“Then Jesus again spoke to them saying, “I am the light of the world…” (John 8:12)

JESUS CAME TO CALL SINNERS TO REPENTANCE:

When he was criticized for accepting and reaching out to the sinners, Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:32)

JESUS CAME TO SEEK AND TO SAVE SINNERS:

Jesus came to seek after and to save sinners, by giving His life as payment for their sin. 

“The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)

He did not come to destroy. (Luke 9:56).

“….but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28).

“…..Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners….” (I Timothy 1:15).

“We have seen and testify that God the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world.” (I John 4:14)

JESUS CAME AS THE PROPITIATION:

God sent Jesus by His own loving initiative. Jesus’ death was God’s provision for the removal of His wrath from man. “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (I John 4:10) 

JESUS MADE THE DEVIL POWERLESS AND DESTROYED HIS WORKS:

By becoming a man Jesus partook of death. He made the devil powerless and destroyed his works. So, believers are freed from the fear of death and from the power of sin.

“…..that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.” (Hebrew 2:14, 15)

“The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.” (I John 3:8)

JESUS CAME TO GIVE ABUNDANT LIFE:

Jesus came to provide repentant believing sinners, a life that is abundant or qualitative.   

“…..God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.” (I John 4:9)

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)

APPLICATION:

Enjoy forgiveness of sin and the gift of abundant life offered by Christ who has come. 

Experience freedom from sin as Jesus has made the devil powerless by His death.  

  

CHRISTMAS AN OCCASION FOR PRAISE

The Bible records that the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ was surrounded by praise. God fulfilled His many prophetic promises of the Old Testament. Jesus was born as the long awaited Messiah/Christ at the appointed time. This made the heavenly host and God’s people on earth rejoice. Their response was not one of outward celebrations. But, there was joyous worship of God the giver and Jesus Christ, the unspeakable gift.  

MARY PRAISES:

Angel Gabriel appeared to virgin Mary in a town called Nazareth and informed her that she was God’s favored one. The angel explained that though she was a virgin, God’s Son Jesus was to be conceived in her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit. She yielded herself to God’s will. Then, Mary got up and went to see her older cousin Elizabeth, who was pregnant. She was filled by the Holy Spirit and addressed Mary as one blessed among women. Mary responded rejoicing in the Lord and praising Him for all the great things He had done. (Luke 1:46-55) 

ANGELS PRAISE:

The night when Jesus was born, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to some shepherds in the fields to announce His birth. The angel said, “I bring you good news of great joy which shall be to all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Then appeared a multitude of heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased.” (Luke 2:14)

SHEPHERDS PRAISE:

After the angels left, the shepherds went to Bethlehem and found the baby in a manger as made known to them by God. When they saw Mary, Joseph and the Child, they made a statement of what had been told about the Child. Then they went back praising. “The shepherds went back; glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.” (Luke 2:20)

SIMEON PRAISES:

On the eighth day, Mary and Joseph took the baby to the temple in Jerusalem for naming, purification and circumcision. There was a devout and righteous man named Simeon. He had been told by God that he would not die before seeing the Lord’s Christ. Simeon was filled by the Hoy Spirit. “Then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace; for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all people, a light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2:29-31) 

ANNA PRAISES:

There was also in the temple an elderly faithful prophetess by name Anna. “At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:38)

WISE MEN WORSHIP:

Matthew’s gospel records the visit of the Magi from the East. They are understood to be powerful, influential men from Chaldea. They came desiring to worship the King of the Jews and were led by a star to Jerusalem. There they sought the help of King Herod to locate the child. He with the counsel of the chief priests and scribes guided them to Bethlehem. Again the star led them to the house where the Child was. The Bible records, “After coming into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshipped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11).    

The angels and people various strata praised and worshipped God the Father for sending His Son and the Son Himself for coming as the Savior. Here is a lesson for all of God’s people to take note of and follow. 

TO DO OR NOT TO DO:

Some people of God prefer not to observe the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ and even discourage it. Other believers choose to observe meaningfully the birth of the Savior. Then there are those who see it as an excuse for fun and frolic. Paul says that the people of God, who observe a day and those who do not, are to do so as unto the Lord. They are not to judge one another. (Romans 14:5, 6) Worship needs to be central always, because, anything which encourages true praise and gratitude is pleasing to God.  

APPLICATION:

Worship God through celebration, if any.

Use every opportunity to share that Christ the Savior has come.  

Remember, the joy Christ has brought is not meant to be seasonal and superficial.  

THANKSGIVING TO GOD

Is Mother Nature the giver of all good things? Some just say, ‘We are thankful”, choosing to leave out God and not give Him due credit. The Bible says, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.” (James 1:17, 18)  God gives all good things, even salvation, by His initiative.

WHAT IS THANKSGIVING?

Thanksgiving is acknowledging God’s goodness and expressing gratitude to Him.

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” - Cicero.

“Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction.” – Harry Ironside. 

“Thanksgiving Day comes once a year by statute, to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.” – E. S. Martin.

Thanksgiving to God is a virtuous attitude of gratitude. People of God like David in the Bible, practiced and spoke about it repeatedly. God deserves credit as the giver of all good things. In this, He even holds the ungodly accountable for their failure. Not being thankful is an affront to God. Ingratitude causes discontentment and a complaining spirit, which dishonor God. The Bible records how God firmly dealt with His own people, the ungrateful Israelites in the wilderness.

GOD’S VIEW OF INGRATITUDE:

Paul notes that man’s ingratitude resulted in his spiritual downward spiral. They knew God, but chose not to be thankful or glorify Him, thereby becoming worse. (Romans 1:21) “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

Jesus classifies ingratitude with evil. “…..and your reward will be great and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.” (Luke 6: 35)

Jesus once healed ten lepers and only one of them returned to thank Him. Seeing the ingratitude of the nine healed lepers Jesus was disappointed and made this comment.  “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine – where are they? Was no one found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:17, 18)

Paul, writing about the evils of the last days gives this warning. “For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy” (II Timothy 3:2)

Here are the Biblical examples of two kings who would not give due credit to God.

Belshazzar, a Babylonian king was judged by God because he did not honor God the Creator. He had instead misused the vessels of God’s temple and exalted man made gods. (Daniel 5:23) “But you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, the God in whose hand are your life-breadth and your ways, you have not glorified.”

Luke records God striking dead King Herod for similar reasons. “And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.” (Acts 12:23)

GOD DELIGHTS IN THANKSGIVING:

Praise and thanksgiving are part of worship. In praising, God’s glorious greatness is honored. In giving thanks, God’s blessings are acknowledged. He delights in them as spiritual sacrifices.  

Paul says, “In everything gives thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I (Thessalonians 5:18)

All things are to be gratefully received. “…For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude.” (I Timothy 4:4)  

Thanksgiving is a necessary part of praying. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests by made known to God.” (Philippians 4: 6)

God savors thanksgiving as spiritual sacrifice. “Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.” (Hebrew 13: 15)

In Psalm 50:14, David says, “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving.” In verse 23, God say, “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me.”

 Spirit filled persons will, “Always give thanks in all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father.” (Ephesians 5:20)     

APPLICATION:

Appreciate God who has bestowed all spiritual blessings in Christ.

Be thankful for all His daily mercies. 

Cultivate  a grateful heart.  

GOD’S GRACE IN THE BIBLE

                             

Grace of God as taught in the Bible is very unique. God being absolutely holy, sinful man is out of favor with Him. Man can not earn His favor by any means. What allows man to receive benefits from God, such as rain and sunshine, is His common grace. But, His special grace, made available through Jesus Christ is the basis for all spiritual blessings.  

God’s grace, as manifested in the Bible is of great value to man. In the New Testament, we see it in all its beauty and fullness. Speaking about the birth of Jesus, John (1:14, 16) says, “The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  “For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace upon grace.” Grace is expressed through Christ.

MEANING OF GRACE:

Grace is understood as unmerited favor. A helpful acronym of ‘GRACE’ is, ‘God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense’. But, the meaning of grace becomes clearer, when it is considered along side of justice and mercy.

Justice – God handing out to a sinner what he deserves – divine wrath.

Mercy - God withholding from a sinner what he deserves – withholding punishment.

Grace   - God bestowing on a sinner the opposite of what he deserves – divine favor.

Grace is spiritual favor, shown by a loving God to sinners, who are under His wrath. It is only at God’s initiative, freely through Jesus Christ. Grace is manifested in all areas, such as, salvation from sin, sanctification (spiritual growth), service to God and glorification.

GRACE IN SALVATION:

Hebrew 2:9 says that Christ experienced death by the grace of God, to save sinners.  Romans 4:25 says that it is because of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus; God graciously justifies those who believe in Him. Romans 3:24 says that sinners are justified as a gift, by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus. (Justification means – an act of God whereby, He declares the believing sinners to be as perfect as Jesus Christ. It is a judicial or legal act.) Justification is a grace gift and it can only be received by faith. Ephesians 2:8, 9 says, “By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.”

GRACE IN SANCTIFICATION:

Sanctification is a progressive work of grace, in those who have been justified by grace through faith. This is positive growth in practical righteousness and Christ-likeness. It is a work of the Holy Spirit, using God’s Word and in co-operation with the believers.

John 17:17, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.”

Acts 20:32, “I commend you to God and to the Word of His grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among those who are sanctified.”

The transformation of believers from glory to glory is by the Spirit. II Corinthians 3:18. And, Christ-like virtues are produced in believers by the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22, 23. 

GRACE IN SERVICE:

Paul states that he was called by God’s grace to serve Him. Ephesians 3:7, 8

God gives the gifts of the Spirit to all believers to serve and glorify Him. I Peter 4:11

Paul testifies that by God’s grace, he labored more than the others. I Corinthians 15:10

GRACE IN GLORIFICATION:

The Second Coming of Christ is the greatest hope of all believers, when they shall be transformed into His glorious likeness. Peter calls it, grace brought to the believers.

I Peter 1:13 says, “…..fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

I John 3:2, “…..We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”

GRACE ABUSED OR UNAVAILED:

I Corinthians 15:10 says, that in Paul’s life God’s grace was not in vain as in some others.

 Jude 4 shows, how the ungodly persons turned the grace of God into licentiousness.

 James 4:6 and I Peter 5:5,  that the proud can not avail of God’s grace.

GOD PURPOSES GLORY OF HIS GRACE:

God by His own grace initiative has planned and provided for all spiritual blessings, for His chosen ones, in Christ Jesus. His purpose in all this is, “To the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed upon us in the Beloved.”  Ephesians 1:6, 8, 12

APPLICATION:

Have an attitude of humility before God – remembering He opposes the proud.

Live a life of dependence on the grace of God, in all areas of life.

Be a trophy of God’s grace for His glory.

SINFULNESS OF MAN

            

The good news of the Bible is redemption, offered by God through Jesus Christ. This is   necessitated by man’s sinfulness and is available for those who admit their helplessness. Christ Himself says in Luke 5:31, 32, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”    

SINNERS BY NATURE:

Man (including woman in generic sense) was created sinless. Through disobedience man became a sinner – guilty before God. The first man being the federal head, all his descendants inherit his sin nature and are sinners before God. Romans 5:12 says, “….just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all, because all sinned.” The consequence of sin is spiritual death - separation from God, though God had created man in His likeness for intimate fellowship with Him.    

SINNERS BY CHOICE:

Man is not a sinner because he sins, but he sins because he is a sinner. Man sins by choice. God says in Jeremiah 17:9, 10, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it? I the LORD search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.” In Roman 3:9-18, Paul highlights how man sins in every aspect and concludes, “....all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. Vs 23

SINFULNESS OF ‘GOOD PEOPLE’:

Some wonder about the goodness in people and those considered good by human standards. But God sees differently. Isaiah 64:6 says, “For all of us have become like who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind, take us away.”    

SINFULNESS OF RELIGIOUS PEOPLE:

Religions have rituals, rules and regulations to be observed. They offer no help to free sinners from guilt and bondage to sin. Religions advocate a life of legalism, lived by human strength, to please God. Even the Jews who had God given Law could not obey them. Religious efforts result in frustration or self-righteousness, leaving people in their sinful state before God.    

 

SINNERS WITHOUT EXCEPTION:

Unbelief in the God of revelation is sin. Rejecting Jesus, the God sent Savior is sin. Disregard for God’s righteous standards in social, moral and spiritual life is sin. Sins are manifested in ways such as actions, reactions, attitudes, motives, emotions, thoughts, words, ingratitude and negligence of responsibilities. God says, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” James 2:10

SINNERS’ DEPRAVITY:

God sees man’s spiritual condition as one of helplessness. “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience, among them we too formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind.” Ephesians 2:1-3. God sees sinners as dead people, unable to do anything to merit or earn His favor. This is called ‘human depravity’. It does not mean that each person is as bad as he could be. But, it does mean that man, because of his sinful state, is incapable of pleasing God.  

SINS CONSEQUENCES:   

The Bible says, “The soul that sins it shall die.” Ezekiel 18:4. Again it says, “The wages of sin is death….”  Romans 6:23. These verses talk about the second death or eternal separation from God. Sinners are separated from God now and shall be separated through eternity. Sin thwarts God’s purpose of intimate relationship with people.       

SINNERS CAN BE SAVED:

The Lord Jesus illustrates in Luke 18:9-14, how, only those who admit their sinfulness will be saved. A Pharisee was praying to himself, “God I thank you that I am not like other people; swindlers, unjust, adulterers. Or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.” He was relying on his own righteousness and so was not justified by God. But a tax collector, stood some distance away, unwilling to lift his eyes to heaven was beating his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner.” He was justified, because he acknowledged his sinfulness and relied on God’s mercy alone. The sinner needs a Redeemer and Jesus Christ is the sufficient Savior. 

APPLICATION:

Honestly acknowledge sinfulness and helplessness to God.

Believe and receive as Savior, Jesus Christ the incarnate One, who died and rose again from the dead to save sinners.