As we prepare to celebrate God's gift to mankind I sometimes become melancholy when I consider such a gift. Christians need to know the magnitude and significance of the gift. Most of us can quote:
"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. (Jn.3:16)
God does not love the world with it's sin and rebellion, but God so loved the world once, in the past, by sending His Son as a sin offering to take away the sin of the world. God's justice prevents him from loving the world and prevented him from loving his Son when he took upon himself the sins of the world. Jesus said:
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Mk.15:34)
Throughout Jesus' life he referred to God as "Father" but on the cross he refers to him as "My God". Our sin broke the relationship, causing him to be forsaken by his Father. Once we receive Jesus by faith, we are loved by God as one of his adopted sons or daughters. This is good news, and yet we celebrate this day by giving each other presents. I am not about to debunk the practice of gift giving, but Christians need to know what Christ has on his Christmas list. Often I hear Christians brag about the things they gave to God, you know, those pet sins which plagued us day after day. I gave my smoking to Christ. I gave my drinking to Christ. I gave up …… Sure they gave them, like an unwanted pet guinea pig which they were tired of . Boy, isn't God pleased by the gift of our unwanted items. If you think this is a bit radical husbands, get a shoe box and fill it with those things you do not want or need: old oil filter, apple core, empty pop bottle, used serviette, etc. Now wrap it up with a big bow and leave it under the tree for you wife. How would she react to such a wonderful gift? Yet isn't that how we treat God. Christians need to know that Christ does not want their sins, he wants their life: all of it:
If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mt.16:24-26)
As Christians, we must deny our selves the right to our selves. To retain our rights is to forfeit the life that is truly life. Christ wants us as sold out Christians, holding nothing back:
In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. (Lk.14:33)
God does not want us to give up bits and pieces of ourselves, he wants us to lay ourselves on the altar just as Abraham laid Isaac on the altar. Isaac was a living sacrifice; we too must become living sacrifices:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. (Ro.12:1)
Therefore Christ came down from heaven and gave up his life for us, let us give our lives up to him:
For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. (2Co.5:14-15)