General News
19 December, 2024
Pastor’s Viewpoint
By Gilgandra New Life Centre Why are Christians trying to take over Christmas?
“Why are Christians trying to take over Christmas?” I heard asked recently.
I was saddened to realise that the knowledge of the entry of the Christ into this world as a human, a cause for great celebration, is being forgotten.
Christ-mas – Christ Celebration. The Christ – the Messiah, the Rescuer – whom we know to be Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born a human.
Why is this worthy of celebration? Well, we all have this God quality of desire for justice.
We know that murderers, thieves, and other perpetrators deserve punishment, for what they have done.
We just don’t like to think that we need to be punished for our wrongs – lies, gossip, adultery, theft (from the government, our employer or supermarket…), and the list could go on.
“Why would a loving God punish us?” many ask. To us some wrongs are more heinous than others but to God, who is pure and holy, all sin is heinous.
And the Bible tells us that we earn something by our sin. “The wages of sin is death” we read in Romans 6:23.
But there is good news. Although we have all earnt this wage, God is also a loving God and so has offered to pay the price for us.
Think of it like this. If you have a bunch of speeding fines that you have not paid, the next step is disqualification or even gaol time.
However, if someone else steps in and pays all the fines for you, you are free to go. You did not pay it, but the debt has been met.
And so in order for the price (wage, debt) for our sin to be paid, God offered to pay it Himself.
He came to earth as the Son of God, Jesus Christ, to teach us first so we would understand what He was going to do, then He then surrendered His life to be sacrificed in the most brutal of ways.
The Bible tells us that He bore our sins in His own body on the cross” (1 Peter 2:24) He paid the price. Covered the debt.
The whole verse in Romans 6:23 says “For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
How do we become receivers of this gift? Again, the Bible (which is God’s word to us) tells us, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”. (Romans 10:9)
It is because of this amazingly good news that Christians are trying to restore the message of Christmas for the world.
May the Saviour of the world enter your Christmas. Blessings to you and your family.
