It’s Beginning to Look (At Least a Little) Like Christmas

This morning I’m getting ready for Christmas. “What’s up with that?” you may be thinking. I wouldn’t blame you – it’s a bit early. But what I mean is that I’m thinking ahead about what might bless our church family this year in terms of pondering and celebrating the Incarnation of Christ. I want it to be special in every way.

I’m drawn to a passage in Galatians that straddles Chapters 3 and 4. It’s the part where Paul talks about Christians as “sons of God” and “Abraham’s offspring” and “heirs according to promise” and “adopted” into God’s family. Amazing truths! Maybe our holiday focus will center on those things this year. We’ll have to wait and see what the Lord has in mind about all of that, but I think it’s right to start getting excited about Christmas now.

After all, we live in a world where sin has robbed people of so many good things. Christmas is like a breaking news bulletin: “It won’t be that way forever! Good will prevail! God will triumph!”

Kind of makes you want to start decking those halls, doesn’t it?

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son …”

Sin has met its match, because what God promised Abraham will be fully realized. The Law could only show us our need for a Savior. The Christmas news bulletin is: He’s here!

If you and I are in Christ, then we’re those adopted sons and daughters. I think it’s high time that we did a little growing up into who we really are. Sound like a plan?

Here might be a few places we could start:

1. Let’s learn to truly learn to love God as a Father.

Your relationship with your dad wasn’t perfect? That’s O.K., friend. Honor your dad for who he is, or was. You now have a Heavenly Father who is perfect in every way. Who also, by the way, loves you with a perfect love.

2. Let’s learn to truly love others as we have been loved.

“Neither Jew nor Greek.” Hmmm. I suppose that rules out my not liking those weirdoes who prefer that other kind of church music.

3. Let’s learn to truly walk in freedom from religion.

Now you know that I’m a huge proponent of freedom of religion, but that’s another topic. Right now I’m talking about your need and mine to be free from manmade rules and regulations that choke that life out of our joy in Jesus. “No longer a slave, but a son.” Cool.

4. Let’s learn to truly walk in healthy and life-giving Christ-esteem.

If you have children or grandchildren in school, it’s very likely that their educators are sold out on the power of self-esteem. There’s nothing wrong with a proper view of self, but it’s way overrated. You know that the Bible offers much, much more: a sound and true understanding of who we are in the Lord Jesus Christ! (Stay tuned. I feel sermons bubbling up right and left.)

That’s all for now. I’m off to find some mistletoe.