Walking into Christmas

Genesis 1:26-27

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Romans 6:1-2
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Romans 7:13

Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

Romans 3:10, 23

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 

Galatians 4:4

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Christmas 2017 is here and there is so much for which we should be grateful, though we tend to reserve that for Thanksgiving. Though somewhat simplistic, we this season should especially be grateful for our faith and our families.

• The focus of Christmas should be on our savior, Jesus Christ. The day is intended to celebrate his coming to earth where he would love and die for us. When we stop to think on it, the fact that a holy God would love a sinner is utterly astounding, even more so when we realize how incredibly horrendous our sin is. Any sin, all sin is more than bad, it is exceeding sinful (Rom. 7:13). Yet, in spite of our exceeding sinful sin, at exactly the perfect time God sent his son to redeem us from our sin. The "Jesus is the reason" saying is quite trite as most folks fail to look beyond the baby in the manger. if they did, they would find the crucified savior. He is indeed the reason, but in a sense, mankind is the reason -- man's sin separated him from God. If not for that, the baby in the manger would not have been necessary. However, man did sin and God's love was demonstrated by giving of himself to give man a solution. Now, if only man would see the dire situation that his sin has left him in and then see the wonderful gift of God's love. Christmas is a fantastic time to reflect on our faith and all that it means. 

• During the holidays, we often have time to spend with family. Whether immediate or extended, family is a wonderful gift from God that is too often overlooked. In all of the hustle and bustle of the season, we need to be sure to let those closest to us know how important to us. Even those family members separated by distance should know that they are missed and loved. Just as God demonstrated his love to us, so we should show love to those we love. If God could love us in our exceeding sinful condition, then we can and should love our family members regardless of their idiosyncrasies and quirks. One of the greatest blessings that we have is the family that God has placed us in. Take advantage of family; love and cherish them.

Have a wonderful Christmas and rejoice in the Christian faith and rejoice with your family. Our incredible, wonderful God has graciously blessed us and now we get to reflect on/ponder/meditate on His rich blessings to us.