Freedom in Christ

Freedom is important for many people as it was for two United States Presidents whose birthdays take place in the month of February – George Washington (February 22) and Abraham Lincoln (February 12).  As you know, Washington was the first president of the United States (1789-1797), but he was also an important military and political leader in America.  He is known as the one who gained independence for the American colonies and later unified them under the new U.S. federal government.  Lincoln was a lawyer and became the sixteenth president of the U.S. (1861-1865).  He led the nation through the Civil War and was successful in preserving the Union, abolishing slavery, strengthening the federal government, and updating the U.S. economy.  He was also a dynamic spokesman for antislavery, eventually issuing the Proclamation of Emancipation which was later accepted in the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution.  It is interesting that the Bible speaks about freedom.  However, the freedom which the scripture points to is a different kind of freedom – spiritual freedom.  Notice these truths about spiritual freedom identified in the Bible.

1)      Christ gives us spiritual freedom. “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). If there ever was a guarantee, this is it.  There is no question that God wants us to enjoy spiritual freedom and we can be confident that freedom is ours through God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  This verse notes that the spiritual freedom we obtain through Christ is a freedom that is assured.

2)      Spiritual freedom separates us from sin and death. “Because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). We have been freed from sin.  That means that we do not have to sin because Jesus provides strength for us to live godly lives.  We also have been freed from spiritual death.  We can conquer death because God gives us eternal life through His son.  “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (I John 5:12)

The Bible reminds us that “The wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23a).  This death is spiritual separation from God.  Spiritual freedom is a gift that is ours when we receive the Lord Jesus Christ “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b). Spiritual freedom is fantastic!  It is sad that many people do not enjoy this kind of freedom.  What about you?  Do you enjoy the spiritual freedom about which the Bible speaks?  According to the Bible you can enjoy that freedom today.  John 1:12 says, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”  We become a part of God’s family (becoming children of God) when we believe in him and personally receive Him into our lives as Savior and Lord.

God and Us

As the Christmas season approaches, let your mind think about the biblical Christmas story and the song that angels in the Bethlehem skies sang over the shepherds so long ago.  Here’s how the Bible records it, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14). Why such jubilation?  Why such proclamation?  Here are three truths related to the action of God who sent Jesus, His one and only Son, to the earth.

 1)      Jesus is God WITH us.  Matthew expresses this truth as: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23). Did you know that Jesus came to this world, not just so you could celebrate Christmas each year?  He came because God wants to develop a personal relationship with you through His son.  Is God with you?

2)      Jesus is God FOR us.  The Apostle Paul reminds us of this fact when he said, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Christ, but we also know that He lived among us and died on the cross.  Did you know that Jesus died on the cross for you, to pay the penalty of your sin?  Have you personally experienced God’s forgiveness of your sins?

3)      Jesus is God IN us.  The Apostle John uses this idea when he says, “Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them.  And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us” (I John 3:24). The great miracle of Christmas is that God would choose to live in us.  He does so when we receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord by faith and invite Him into our lives.  Have you put your trust in Christ today?  Is God in you?

May you enjoy a wonderful Christ-filled Christmas by inviting Christ to come into your life.  Remember: by receiving God’s perfect Gift, Jesus, He is God with you, God for you, and God in you.  Have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

The Star

There is an object in the Christmas story that we often refer to as the star of the east.  The biblical text says, “After they (the magi) had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed” (Matthew 2:9-10).  It might be helpful for us to reflect on what a star does.

First, a star brings cheer.  The darker the night, the brighter the star shines.  The darker our night of sin, the brighter God’s redeeming love is to us.  When talking to those whom He forgave, Jesus often encouraged them to be of good cheer or to take heart.
Second, stars are used to provide guidance.  Navigators used the stars to find their way - as did the Magi.
Third, stars have a lasting presence.  They endure from one generation to another.  Who hasn’t seen the big dipper, the little dipper, or the North Star in the sky?

In addition, the words of Scripture tell us that Jesus is: “The Bright and Morning Star” (Revelation 22:16).  He always shines to brighten the way for everyone to not only see their spiritually lost condition but to help them understand their need of surrendering to God for forgiveness, peace, hope and eternal life.  Christmas is a special time for us to realize that we can personally receive the precious gift of Jesus Christ.  He alone can remove our guilt and the curse of that guilt, which is eternal death.  He alone can give us an unending blissful life.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Let’s accept this unspeakable gift as our very own and know what it means to have the Bright and Morning Star as our constant guide to cheer our way through the darkness of this world into the light of eternity.

The Love Gift

February is nearly complete, but the month is known for love.  Probably this is so because of Valentine’s Day which is a day set aside to honor lovers.  Many people use this occasion to send greeting cards or gifts to each other to express affection.  Valentine cards are often designated with hearts to symbolize love.  The more I thought about the love month, the more I was reminded that love is reflected in who God is and what He came to this earth to do.

First, love is a description of God.  The Bible emphatically states, “God is love” (I John 14:6).  This statement doesn’t tell us what God does, it express who God is.  Before we understand the loving actions of God we need to recognize that love is His very essence and characterizes Him in every way.

Second, God has shown His great love for us by providing salvation through Christ.   The great love-verse of the Bible points this out when it says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Third, God has sent His love to us as a greeting card.  The Apostle John tells us about this greeting card when he says, “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loves us and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins” (I John 4:9-10).

Aren’t you glad that God is in the business of loving?  Aren’t you glad that He is in the business of loving you?  The question is, what should we do with these expressions of  love?  Here is the answer:“He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (I John 5:12).  This suggests that we need to make sure we put our faith in the Son of God and trust Him as our Savior and Lord.  The Apostle Paul said, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved” (Romans 10:9-10).

Let God’s love-gift make a difference in your life.  That difference will be felt both now, and for all eternity.

What is Christmas?

Think about that question.  What might your answer be?  For some people, Christmas is giving and receiving gifts.  For others, it is the bright colored lights, beautifully decorated trees, and the joyful sounds of the season.  Still others would explain Christmas as family get-togethers, laughter, and lots of great food.  Some might even say that Christmas is church programs and Jesus in a manger.  All of these are part of Christmas; however, Christmas is much more than that.

Christmas is explained in God’s Word when it says, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11).  Do you see it?  Christmas is the gift of salvation that comes to us through the person of Jesus Christ, all because of God’s wonderful grace.  The angels announced the coming of Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem.  However, the announcement recorded in John 3:16 reminds us that Jesus was God’s love-gift to us.  It says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Aren’t you glad that God, by His mercy and grace, is a giving God?  Aren’t you glad that He gave His only Son as a love-gift so that you and I might receive salvation by personal faith in Christ? “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).  God’s love gift is significant, but we need to make it ours.  How?  Simple.  Look at the instruction to us, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

The gift of Jesus is ours by believing in Him.  Don’t let Christmas pass and enter the New Year without experiencing God’s wonderful grace—Jesus Christ.  To know Him is life eternal.

Christmas is explained in God’s Word when it says, “For the grace of god that brings salvation has appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11).  Do you see it?  Christmas is the gift of salvation that comes to us through the person of Jesus Christ, all because of God’s wonderful grace.  The angels announced the coming of Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem.  However, the announcement recorded in John 3:16 reminds us that Jesus was God’s love-gift to us.  It says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Aren’t you glad that God, by His mercy and grace, is a giving God?  Aren’t you glad that He gave His only Son as a love-gift so that you and I might receive salvation by personal faith in Christ? “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).  God’s love gift is significant, but we need to make it ours.  How?  Simple.  Look at the instruction to us, “Yet to all who receved him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

The gift of Jesus is ours by believing in Him.  Don’t let Christmas pass and enter the New Year without experiencing God’s wonderful grace—Jesus Christ.  To know Him is life eternal.

The Gift that Keeps Giving

After December 25th our focus on the Christmas season is over.  Christmas lights are turned off, decorations are put away, Christmas carols no longer fill the air waves, and Christmas cards become a memory of
the past.  However, the opposite is true of the Biblical story of Christmas because God’s gift is continually available to us.  The gift of eternal life that God offers us through His Son, Jesus Christ is just the beginning.  Listen to these verses that reveal that this gift is for us today.

• “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

• “Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14).
• “But when the kindness and love of God our savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.  He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, who he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7).

Have you personally received the gift that God so graciously offers?  It can be yours.  “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” (John 3:36).  Why not continue into the New Year with God’s wonderful gift of Christmas in your heart?