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And we are in a series together on honoring Christ and what Christmas is all about. And, um, knowing that the the idea of Christmas is fun, but we we don’t want to use Christmas, contrary to why it was created. And that’s just to glorify God in in our lives. And so we want to use Christmas for that, that reason. So we’re going through a series called Christmas Collision and God colliding with us in our lives and what it means for us as people. If someone were to ask you today, what is Christmas all all about? There are several ways that we could define that. As a matter of fact, I think if if someone were to jump on a plane from ten buck two, that’s a real place and they were to land in America. I don’t know if Timbuk2 celebrates Christmas, but let’s pretend like they don’t. Um, it would take it would take a while. And looking around to determine in our culture today that the center of Christmas is about Jesus. And so they may gather this thought that, you know, they’re they really like this red guy and his candy canes and whatever else he has to offer. And then they stick this little kid out in this cold, and I don’t know what’s up with that. Just stick him in some hay and and some people kind of walk by that, and they’re really happy when they see Santa, right? Um, when, when someone asks you what Christmas is all about, hopefully being a believer in Christ not far from your lips is something about Jesus, right? Christmas is created all about Christ.
It’s in the name Christmas. What if someone were to ask you? Why did Jesus come to earth? What would you say? And Christmas is about Christ. Why did Jesus come? How would you answer that? And as parents, maybe Christmas gives you a wonderful opportunity to talk to your kids about it. And what would you say to the mind of a child? And. Being able to explain that first John chapter three is John’s answer to that question why do we celebrate Christmas? What’s Christmas all about? Why? Why did Jesus come to earth? And I love John’s writings in Scripture, the book of John, revelation first, second, and third John. When John writes, he tends to write with a a simplistic Greek description. I think some of that is because later John, when he writes his book, is writing later on in life. I have maybe this preconceived idea in my mind. It’s accurate or not, you can take it for whatever it’s worth, but I think sometimes the older we get, the more we appreciate life. So much so that maybe, maybe as you grow older, you wish some of the things that you appreciate about life. Now you you took time to appreciate when you were younger. And John, when he’s writing first John, he’s writing these first John series, those books in his upper 80s into his early 90s.
And he knows he knows his time in life is limited. He’s working on borrowed time. And so when he describes for us the Christian life and he writes first John, he really just describes it for us in simplistic terms. In fact, when he opens up his book, he very clearly says for us as believers that this book is all about us walking with Jesus. He uses the terms light and darkness in our relationship with God. And he says in chapter one and verse eight, if we say that we have not sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. And so he says, guess what, everybody? We’ve all got skeletons in the closet. We’ve all got. Junk to deal with. I think in being honest about that. That for me is one of the reasons I love being around God’s people. They really understand what the gospel is. Um, because when you understand what the gospel is, you don’t have to put on a mask. You’ll have to pretend to be someone that you’re not. It’s not to say that Jesus isn’t transforming your life, but you can be honest with where you are. If we say that we have not sinned, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. And then the better part comes in verse nine. If we confess our sins. He’s faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Meaning? Um. You know, we all we all have skeletons and and God loves you anyway. And God’s still not okay with it, too. Because what God’s got planned for you is, apart from sin, and what he’s got planned for you is better than what you’re planning for yourself. In John’s book is how we deal with our relationship with God, because the thought is this what sin does? Is, it just divides. It destroys and divides. Sin creates tension in every relationship in this world. Starting with our relationship with God. God created us for him. Bible tells us sin came. And so when sin came, death was born. And in that death there’s division. As a matter of fact, the word death means separation. Whenever there’s problems in any area of our lives sends to blame. Sin takes away peace. Sin takes away unity. And God’s desire for us is to walk in peace and truth and unity with each other. John writes first John and the simplicity of that. And when he comes to first John chapter one and verse nine, he says, if we confess our sins, he’s faithful and just to forgive us our sins. He’s he’s saying to us that when you wrong someone. There’s nothing you can do to undo it. The past is there. No matter how good you are from that point forward, the sin remains. And what reconciles that relationship is grace. And it comes to God. It’s his love and goodness and his grace.
We confess our sins. Not if you make up for your sins, but if you confess them. His faithful and just to forgive him. Meaning your King of kings just wants you to be honest before. And more than anything, what he wants is is your heart. And John, as he writes the book of John, describes it in its simplicity of what a relationship with the Lord is all about. And in chapter three he describes for us this idea of really why we celebrate Christmas. As if to say, if you want to understand the heart of what walking with the Lord is all about. It’s centered in the middle of the book of John in chapter three, beginning in verse one. If we were to ask why, why do you celebrate Christmas? Or why did Jesus come to earth? John describes it in verses five and verse eight of of this portion of Scripture. Let me, let me just read it for us. It says in verse nine, you know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. The one who practices sin is of the devil. That’s that’s not good. In case you’re wondering, like this, a note, you might want to write that in red, or underline that the one who practices sin is of the devil, or for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose to destroy the works of the devil.
So why did Jesus appear? You know, maybe your whole life you’ve been taught this. And I’m going to tell you it’s not wrong, but maybe you’ve been taught this. For God so loved the world. He gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus came to give life. John said that in John three of the gospel of John. And now here he is in his epistle of John, saying in verse five, it’s not that he came to give life, but rather he came to take away sins. And then in verse eight it says, he came. He appeared for this purpose to destroy the works of the devil. Now let me just clarify this. What are the works of the devil? It tells you in the beginning of verse eight, the one who practices sin is of the devil. The works of the devil are sin. And so what John is saying, what Jesus came to do is to take away sin. Now, which is it? Did Jesus come to give life, or did Jesus come to take away sin? Answer is both. It’s the same coin being described from different sides. In fact, the Bible tells us in Romans chapter six and verse 23 says, for the wages of sin is death. But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. What the Bible says in Romans six is sin is to blame.
Sin creates destruction and division. This unity and everything that God’s opposed to. Division and relationships and no peace that God had desired. Send for the wages of sin does that. And what sin creates when it’s birthed is death, and it literally means separation. There’s there’s death spiritually. There is death relationally, there is death physically. All of it is the product of sin. That’s one side of the coin. But the other side in describing the purpose of Jesus is coming. But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Jesus came to defeat sin. The purpose of him coming in, defeating sin is to give life when sin is destroyed and the thing that creates death, and it would go to serve to say that in the destruction of sin that prevents or excuse me, causes death. When that is destroyed, there is life. And the only one capable. Of destroying all sin. As Christ. Question that people often pose when they think about something like this is Jesus has come to defeat. Sin is maybe the unbelievability of it. Some some people have heard say is, well, if there is a God and he’s loving and that’s his nature, then why does he allow bad things to happen? Why? Why is there suffering and why is there starvation? And why? Why is is is the bad things happen to good people? Why are those things there? I’m. That’s a good question. So Jesus is about defeating sin.
I’ve seen some people take that question so far that they just come to the conclusion that then there must not be a God who is good, and there must not be a God, and therefore don’t believe in anything. And I can I tell you when. When our nature looks at the destruction of sin and we cry foul. That which in us that is reflecting foul at the destruction of sin, is identifying the nature that God has put within us. I mean, you could even pose in a backdrop to that question. Well, who gave you the authority to determine what’s right and wrong? Where do they even come from? May. How is it the whole world looks determines a set guideline for life and things that are right and things that are wrong. Why? Why is that? I go to the movies and I root for the guy who wins, or that I want to win the good guy in the end, you know, why did we watch Westerns? I watch Westerns, but why? If you did, that’s kind of like old stuff. But if you watch Westerns, why do you always root for the guy to win? You know, the good guy comes out ahead. What within you desires for that to happen? I think it’s a reflection of the nature of God. In fact, when you see the destruction of sin and you’re dissatisfied with it. The truth is, you’re agreeing with God over it.
Maybe the real wrestling match is taking place is that you don’t completely understand what his plan is. But John said very plainly his desire is to destroy sin. He feels the same way over the things that break your heart. That that you feel. When there’s division, God is grieved. Bible tells us the Holy Spirit grieves over believers that walk in sin. We agree with God in that. But the Bible also gives us a little bit of backdrop as to understanding why. Why is it if Jesus defeated sin? What are we waiting on for that, that complete destruction to be made known? The Bible really tells us that Jesus is going to return one day, and rather than just defeat some sin, he’s going to defeat all sin. He’s going to take authority over it and judge it. He has defeated it, but he will judge it. And so it says in second Peter three nine, the Lord is not slow about his promises. And we’re looking for this. This God who who overcame sin to come and defeat it. And he’s not being slow about it. He’s got a plan as some count slowness. Some people, some people look at it and wonder, where is God in all this? But it says this. But, but God is patient toward you. Not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. What it’s saying for us as a body of believers is, yes, God. God sees that sin just like you do, and God deals with that sin just like you do.
In fact, the wrath of God is against all sin and God will bring his judgment on sin. But here’s the reality. All of us need reconciliation with our creator. All of us do. All of us have sin. Romans 323. The reason that God is delaying his complete judgment against sin. As for your sake and mine. Because what God desires is your heart. And what God created you for is for that relationship in him. And so he says at the end of this text, he’s not willing for any to perish, but for all come to repentance. God, God’s plan in delaying this judgment is, is to to check ourselves before we wreck ourselves, right? To give us an opportunity to make sure that while we look at the rest of the sin in the world and our eyes are on the rest of the sin of the world, that we’re not so much focused on the rest of the sin of the world, that we we fail to recognize where we are with our creator. Mean to miss. That’s to miss the very reason that Jesus came. And so he tells us in Second Peter that that God it says within this passage that God will bring his judgment on the world, but on this particular verse, that the reason that’s delayed for us is that we have an opportunity to reconcile ourselves to the one who created us, because God created us for relationship within him.
That’s what Jesus came. And the second thought to that is in agreement with your creator, that while you find yourself in his grace and in his love, God’s justice then for you becomes a place of protection. Because every time your heart has broken, every time you’ve shed a tear, every time you’ve had pain brought against you, your creator in justice is coming with his wrath to go against that which brought destruction. And now as justice. Begins to be a place of love and solace for you. Protected by a God who’s coming against the things which arms us people. Don starts in first John chapter three and verse one to verses ten, recognizing for us the significance of Christmas, because he he’s saying to us, the, the central thought of the gospel is so important for us as people to reflect upon the gospel isn’t something in your life that that you look at and you think, God for saving you, and then you just go on with the rest of your life. The gospel is something that you live in every day because God’s grace has been extended to you every day. Let me give you an example. We oftentimes suffer the most as people with with what we experience through relationships. And I think there’s nothing more important in, in context of relationships and what God describes in the marriage relationship. It’s the most intimate that the Bible gives for us.
But there’s a way to view the marriage relationship that’s gospel centric, and there’s a way to view the marriage relationship that’s worldly centric. Let me let me give you an idea. In a in a worldly centric world, when we get married, sometimes we think about what that person can do for me, I marry you because you make me happy. And if and if you don’t make me happy, then we need to end this thing. But this marriage is about what you you do. For me, the idea of the gospel centric marriage is that is that it’s all about what you do for them. Because the gospel is all about laying down your life for them. In fact, in Ephesians five when it says, husbands, to love your wives, it says, love your wives. As Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Many, when you think about and concentrate on the idea of marriage, it’s not stepping in as a husband and thinking what you’re going to get out of it, ripping each other apart just to grab the pieces that you need. But you find your satisfaction in what Christ has provided, and through that, you offer yourself to your spouse. Bible tells us in doing that as a husband, loving your wives, as Christ loved the church, which is sacrificially, which none of us do in this room, guys, right? We strive for it, but the Bible tells us that she becomes more lovely.
More beautiful for the grace that you extend over her. In the same is true for the spouse. Wives. Respect your husbands. A reflection of your respect to Christ. A spouse’s give themselves for each other. That reflects the beauty of who Jesus is because Jesus has given himself for us. The truth of the matter is, if you approach your relationship for what you’re going to get out of it, eventually your spouse is going to fail you. And they can’t live up to that expectation. In that failure. Then he. Grace. And that’s what the gospel is about. It’s grace. God loved us. We love him because he first loved us. It tells us in First John. The result of the gospel living out is that the gospel demonstrates forgiveness and love and grace and truth, and as it does so. The reciprocation of that relationship becomes beautiful as you’re giving yourself to one another. It’s not about what you get, it’s about what you give. And if each other in that relationship is looking to give towards the other, then you find both of your needs met anyway, and you don’t have to take from each other on what and trying to get what you need, but rather you give what they need. And as they give what they need towards you, you find your needs met. The gospel is not something you just take in Jesus and leave. It’s something you live every day of your lives.
Relationships in this world. Will will never, will never be what God calls them to be without living out the gospel. The central thought of it is forgiving. And reconciliation and uniting and and walking together rather rather than going into a tense relationship. An opportunity where I’ve been wrong and I and I think about another individual and I say to myself, you know what? What can I say to them to make them feel my hurt? So that way, in that they can see how I feel, I rather approach the relationship. And I say this, what is it Jesus wants here to mend it, that the beauty of his peace and relationship could be made known. Rather than think about myself. Think about the reconciliation of the gospel. What Christ does between you and me. When there’s tension that arises. I let myself go. And I think about us. What is it about us that God wants to do? And John as he approaches the idea of this Christmas gift, this thought of Christmas and celebration and giving us life not only gives us life in Christ, but we experience that life in all of our relationships. We celebrate Christmas to celebrate the gift of life. And and John elaborates a little bit more, he he talks in detail of some of the things in his life that cause him to rejoice in the Christmas season, and the first thing that he starts with is in First John chapter one and verse, uh, chapter three and verse one he says, see how great a love the father has bestowed on us? That we will be called the children of God.
John in his life is just blown away by this love. He says. If you really want to live for what Christmas is about, let let your mind be captivated by the love of God that’s been extended to you. Because God’s love is the bridge that has just extended life and brought not only just given life, but but the joy of what life is all about. And in reconciling us to to to be with him, he wasn’t okay with with the division that was there but sought the reconciliation. And John says, what kind of love is this? I mean, he’s maybe in his mind comparing of all all the relationships of love that he’s ever experienced in this world. And he’s he’s thinking in his mind. I’ve never even heard of this. I’ve never even seen this. People are my friends, and people may love me, but it’s out of out of obligation. It’s because maybe I’ve done something for them or or I’ve made them happy and they like that in my relationship to them. So they they keep me around and they call that love. But it’s not love. It’s really just a payment towards one another because I’ve done something for them. But but what kind of love is this? That there is a God whom I have offended.
To be honest, I rest in a kingdom that is apart from his that lives contrary to him and sin. And yet his grace has been made known. And he’s overlooked my past. These overlooked my future. Of anything that stands contrary to him. What kind of love is this? You think in the context of Christmas? You think? The birth of Jesus. Coming. The most humiliating of forms. A baby trusted to human care. From King of kings to a child in need. In a manger. Bible tells us he was wrapped in swaddling clothes. You ever do research on the thought of a swaddling clothe? What that was, was it was a strip of, of material that when they would when people would go on journeys, they would wrap it around their waist. And they would use it as they had need maybe as a band aid to cover a womb, or if someone died, if they were on a long journey and someone died. The people in the group would take off the swaddling clothes that was around their waist, and they would wrap it around the body to embalm it. Until they got to where they were going. When Jesus is in burial clothes. You think about being merry in those moments? I know I just announced a little bit ago we had a couple of babies born in our church today. Could you think of as a mother holding such an innocent? Child that’s incapable of caring for itself, to recognize that one day your very soul will be ripped out as you see this child tortured on our behalf.
What kind of love is this? When John talks about Christmas to us and the reason we celebrate the life we give, he he motivates us to this thought of love. And and the Apostle Paul did the same thing in the book of Ephesians in chapter two. He says, But God, being rich in mercy because of his great love with you, which which he loved us even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ. Alien to God more important than your sin was your relationship to him. And so he gives everything for you because reconciliation is that important to him. Leave me to think this. According to this verse. God doesn’t owe me anything. Sometimes we live life like it’s an entitlement. Like I deserve today and I deserve tomorrow. But the truth is, according to the Bible. God not only doesn’t own me tomorrow, he doesn’t own me today. His mercy gives it. God’s being patient towards us, not willing that any should perish but all come to repentance. It’s a day of his grace. Life is not an entitlement, but rather life is a gift. Not only does John reflect on the love of God, he. He then goes on and describes the goodness of God and being called a child of God, he says, see how great a love the father has bestowed on us, that we would be called the children of God.
Not such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. Let me just stop there. John is saying, not not only do we have love, but now we’ve got a new identity. Not only have you have has God forgiven your past, he’s giving you a glorious future. Not, not no longer do you belong to the things that you were, but the things you’re becoming in Christ. You are his child. You have have been adopted. The Bible tells us that not everyone is a child of God. But it says in John 112, as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become a child of God. The Bible refers to this as your adoption, meaning you didn’t belong to this family. But God’s love saw your need and he extended his grace to you to invite you into his kingdom. Which is why it says in Mark 1045, for even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom. The ransom, saying there was a price for you. This picture of adoption and beautifully describes what God has done for you. By bringing you into his kingdom. And so John says this in verse two, on to verse five.
Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when he appears we will be like him. Because we will see him just as he is, and everyone who has this hope fixed on him purifies himself just as he is pure. Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sense. John says, the reason that we can celebrate as a body of believers is that in this passage, we will be like him. What does it mean for us as believers to rejoice in the fact that we’re going to be like him? Let me just say this like him does not mean identical to him. Nowhere in the Bible does it say you’re going to be omnipotent and omniscient. Those are character qualities of of God. So what does like him mean? Let me tell you the reverse of it. Like him. Does not mean you’re going to be like him in every way. What I mean is. You’re not going to be God. Isaiah 4310 says, before me there was no God formed, neither will there be after me. 44, six and eight. 44 and verse eight of Isaiah, Deuteronomy six four. There, there is only one God. We are not him. But we get to be like him. The the religions that have based their belief system off of the Old Testament particularly have all been monotheistic, meaning they only believe in one God.
The Jews, Islam, Christianity all point to Old Testament roots. All of them are monotheistic. You know, it’s interesting when you study the early church for the first three centuries, they are persecuted for their faith. Many of them lost their lives because their faith in Christ. When Rome came against Christians, one of the things they accused them of being was atheist. And why would Rome accuse Christians of being atheist? Well, it’s because Roman society worshiped tons of gods, and in a home people would in a very homes. People would worship multiple gods within that home. And then here comes Christianity and proclaiming this one God. And so when Rome, worshiping all of these gods, would look at these Christians, really worshiping one God, to them it looked like atheism and and it was counter to their gods. And so they would they would persecute the Christians because of what they called atheism. This idea of being like him has a gross misunderstanding sometimes of of this thought of Elohim within Scripture. In Psalm 82 it describes God before the council of gods. And so some people look at that and they’ll say, okay, there’s there’s obviously multiple gods, because even in the Bible, in Psalm 82, it’s described as multiple gods. But what it’s saying is this word Elohim and this word Elohim, uh, just means ruler or judge.
It can be an earthly person, it can be an angel, or it could be God himself in reference to Elohim, or it could even be a false god. But in Psalm 182 or excuse me, Psalm 82, when you read it as God is sitting with a council of the gods. At the end of the Psalm he said, you council of gods will die like men. I don’t know about you, but last time I checked, gods don’t die, right? And so what he’s saying in this reference to Elohim is that these creatures that he’s referring to is not not God, not eternal beings, but rather these ones of authority. In John 1034, Jesus referred to men as Elohim, or we would translate as gods. And what he means is these men are acting as rulers or judges. There is only one God, the Bible tells us. So what does it mean if we’re being like him? Well, this passage that John’s written in the description of being like him explains for us what it means that we will be like Christ. And this Bible tells us that we’re going to be a part of his kingdom, as children will be like Christ and belonging to the kingdom in which he rules over. And so in that kingdom we are like him, just as Jesus is described, resurrected, ruling, and reigning in this kingdom. So we will be resurrected in body, and in that sense we will be like him.
At the end of this passage, it says in verse, verse four that we who practice sin or lawlessness, but you know that he appears in order to take away sins. In verse three it says that we will be pure meaning. We think about being like him. There is a purity, there is a sinlessness those things which separate and cause pain and harm and destruction and sorrow and sadness in our lives will be done away with, and we will be like him in that sense, rejoicing with him. And I love the thought of this. So when I pictured John in this passage of Scripture. History records for us. Well, the life was like for the Apostle John. John was likely the the youngest of the disciples. History assumes that John would have been in his early 20s when he started to follow Jesus. Which means by the time John’s writing first, John and the rest of his books, he’s somewhere in his mid 80s to mid 90s. At the time. John’s living. People didn’t live that long. In fact, people lived about half that long. And John is living on borrowed time. History tells us that when John would go to the church, he lived at the church of Ephesus, and when he would go to church, he got so old that he could no longer walk there. He couldn’t get out, get up, to even make it to church. So the church would show up early to his house and carry him to the services so he could be a part.
And he’s the apostle John. And so they always wanted to listen to him. So history tells us they would they would put him before the church and they’d prop him up and say, tell us, John, and and the history tells us that John got so old that the only thing he got to the point and be able to sing was just love one another. You want to know what the gospel is about? The gospel isn’t about me. The gospel more, more clearly created is about us. It’s not about what Jesus wants to do and just me. It’s about what Jesus wants to do in all of us. And when I take my eyes off the gospel, I make life about anything but what God wants to do in us. But what I’m thinking about the beauty of the gospel and what Jesus has done and everything that he’s accomplished, uh, it becomes about more than just me. It’s about what God wants to do in us and through us. And when just John describes these moments. Couldn’t help but think maybe the thoughts in the church. They look at John at service, barely holding it together, and they think, how much more are we going to have to be able to listen to him? I love listening to him, but I don’t. I don’t know that next Sunday he’s even going to be here. Or whenever we gather for worship.
Who knows, maybe maybe God will call him home. How much longer am I going to listen to John? And John comes before the church in first John chapter three and he just says, this, guys, it’s going to be okay because I’m going to be like him. This joy of what Christmas is all about. It’s okay if I go because I’m going to be like him. These things of earth that we think about leaving behind. They’re nothing in comparison to what it’s about to be. I’m going to be like him. What does that mean for us in Christmas? Christmas? Every year we celebrate this odd holiday. It’s good in the sense that it relates to Jesus, but in the sense that the commercialization of it, when you watch it, sometimes it just looks odd. And every year his parents, you know, maybe you go through the same thing. You’re thinking, okay, I got to get kids gifts for Christmas. And it’s good to reflect the goodness of Jesus and gift giving. And and it’s good to love your own children, right? But but as a parent, sometimes as an American parent, maybe you can relate to this with me. You’re thinking to yourself, okay, what am I going to get my kid who doesn’t already have, you know? A kid. Has what he needs, and it may be in your mind you’re thinking, okay, if I get him something, I. The closet that this child has, I got to get rid of stuff just to give him something.
What are we going to give to reflect the beauty of Christ? One of the things I love doing as a church family every year is I just like helping the community and and whoever you know, for Christmas as it relates to gift giving and the joy of Jesus. And so we do Christmas trees. And this year we helped out. Um, we helped out Colorado City, and then we’ve helped out India as well. And just so you guys know, this is warning to you Facebook stalk everyone. And I pulled these off of, uh, Sarah Golden and Kara Roberts Facebook page. So I don’t I’m just kidding. Don’t be creeped out by that on Facebook. Stalk you. I just need some pictures for an illustration. But every year we we we do gifts and like to just help out where there’s a need. And this is my hope in that sometimes we get caught up in Christmas. Um, about what it is that we want. Or maybe your young people get caught up in Christmas about what is we want. And sometimes the kids can get unappreciative to the sense that if they they get a gift and it’s a good gift, if it’s not the exact gift they want, they don’t have an appreciation for it, right? But there’s a good reminder for us every year that we do as a church that sometimes there are people that really don’t have.
In the midst of a child thinking about all the things they want. It’s a good opportunity for you as a parent to take your kid and say, hey, let’s go shopping, and we’re not doing it for you. We’re doing it to reflect the love of Jesus for someone in need. And really, when you pull it from a church, this is what it should be. It should be an act of worship for your family. And you can make gift giving that way. Giving to someone else in need to reflect the beauty of Jesus. In fact, John describes it that way. First John three and verse 16, we know love by this, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. Thinking about the practical outworking of the gospel. Jesus is the gospel and giving his life for you. It’s rooted in a person, and so we ought to lay down our life for another. But then he says, but whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. Meaning. When you understand what Christmas is about and you understand what Jesus has done for you and the grace that’s been lavished in your life, there is such a change within you that you just desire for that to get out.
Let me just display it to the world. And John even says May, it doesn’t make any sense when you understand what Jesus has done and the outworkings of your life, don’t demonstrate his grace in giving to one another. And so in doing so. It is an act of worship. Let me give you the simple truth. When it comes to gift giving. Do it in worship to reflect Christ. And that’s good. But the reality is. There is never going to be a gift as good as you can give in comparison to Jesus. Every gift in this world, no matter how good you think it is. Well, one day fade away. And the purpose that you created it for might pass. Because maybe, maybe you do buy it for a child, but in two years from now, they they grow out of it, right? You know what the beauty is of Jesus. Jesus is a gift that never stops giving. His grace is new to me every morning. And therefore my worship of him rather than things becomes important. When the Bible describes your salvation. It says in first Corinthians 118, the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but to us who are saved, it is the power of God. This Greek participle is in the present tense. This word saved is a Greek participle in the present tense, and so what it means is it’s the act of being saved.
So when Jesus died for me, not only did he cover my past, not only does he give me a future, but every moment of every day, I’m standing in a saving grace. There hasn’t been a second where I’ve been up speaking this morning, where Jesus’s grace hasn’t been in the process of just saving me and redeeming me in his righteousness. His gift is new every moment of every day. So this is what we say. When there is little to appreciate. There is little to celebrate. But the more you can appreciate the beauty of a gift, the better you celebrate. The truth is, Jesus’s gift never fades. More than a toy that passes away. Christ’s gift is new to you every moment of every morning. Life is not an entitlement. That’s a gift of love. Making you a child. Purifying your soul. And the rejoicing of the fact that you will be like him. That’s why we celebrate Christmas. So hopefully this morning. With just a few days left on Christmas. My hope is as a family or as an individual. Wherever you are, you get to pause in your life and just appreciate. What great love. The King of Kings becomes a lowly man. To the form of a baby that would break or rip at the soul of Mary on my behalf, that a I may know him and rejoice in being reconciled to him all the days of my life. God, great is your faithfulness, and worthy are you to be praised.