I start off today's blog with an extract from an email from a Christian friend in the Netherlands. Johan and his wife Linda Schep serve the Lord in various places. He has a ministry among Messianic Jews. Today's blog is adapted and expanded from his email to me. It was Johan who shared the treatise on Christmas which was the basis for the earlier blog entitled, 'Should Christians celebrate Christmas?" In this email, he expands on the blessings which are ours because of Christmas - because Jesus was born in Bethlehem. These blessings are not automatically granted. They are appropriated by faith in Jesus Christ.
Dear Robert, Shalom.
A warm greeting to you again.
The earlier message was born because there are Messianic Churches who do not celebrate Christmas because that date is not in the Bible.
As for me as an evangelist I am strongly against that because it is a great opportunity to share the Gospel to so many during that period.
If the Lord Jesus was not born then He could also not die and He also gave us precious Gifts that will never, no never, lose their value.
1). The overwhelming and amazing Grace
For if, because of one man’s trespass, (referring to Adam's sin and disobedience in the Garden of Eden) death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. [Romans 5:17 ESV]
This is the Grace that saves us
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV]
This same Grace also perfects those who believe
For by a single offering (this was the death of Jesus on the cross of Calvary) he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. (this is referring to believers who have trusted in Him for salvation).
2) The condemnation is past forever, because we are in Christ
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. [1] 2For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
[Romans 8:1-4 ESV] (These verses tell us that the coming of the Lord Jesus sets us free from the demands of keeping a law which we could not keep and only condemned us eternally. We can be righteous in God's sight because we are in Christ Jesus. We can live a life that is pleasing to God through the power of the Holy Spirit)
We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. [Romans 6:6 ESV] (We have freedom in Christ - we are not enslaved by our sinful nature.) The power of sin is broken
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. [1 Peter 2:24 ESV] (Peter is talking hear about spiritual healing by the death of Jesus on the cross - it was vicarious - meaning that is was on behalf of others.)
3)We are allowed to call Yahweh our father (Abba)
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. [Romans 8:15-17 ESV]
Paul was a devout Jew but these verses indicate a revolution in his thinking because the Jews do not mention the name of God but call him Adoni (Sir) of ha Shem (the name). The Jews are forbidden to pronounce the name of Yahweh because God is too Holy to be named they say!
(We have become children of God by the new birth but we have also been adopted as Sons of God. This was a public declaration that the child had become recognised as a son with all the rights which went with this privilege. Christians are now declared as sons of God and there is glory ahead. )
4) The Glory gives us a hopeful present and wonderful future because we have the mind of Christ
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. [Romans 8:18 ESV]
But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. [1 Corinthians 2:9-12 ESV]
(What God has prepared is beyond our wildest imagination but because we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, we are given a revelation of future glory. )
“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. [1 Corinthians 2:16 ESV] (We have the mind of Christ - we begin to see things differently as a Christian and to become more like our Lord and Saviour.)
5). The assurance that the Lord Jesus wants to give us gifts that we even cannot think about or even imagine
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. [Ephesians 3:20 ESV]
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, [8] for those who are called according to his purpose. [Romans 8:28 ESV]
Comments