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“But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” (Galatians 4:4) That passage and the verses that follow, verses 5, 6, and 7, are some of my favorite verses to read around the Christmas tree. I have preached many sermons from these verses for the Christmas Season, but will spare you that and only offer one or two opinions this Thursday before Christmas.
“Christmas” is a historical tradition deemed by God according to God’s timetable. Many people think Christmas is something man created, but I suggest you look at the first six letters in the word: “C-H-R-I-S-T.” Christmas is designed by God to first bring His Son into the world as our Savior and then to honor Him forever afterwards.
The miraculous part is that Christ was fully man and fully God, and that He came into the world when God deemed the time was perfect...”When the time had fully come.”(Galatians 4:4)
Gift giving at Christmas time is also a tradition established by God as we read in the Gospel... “For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son...”(John 3:16). God gave first,
The gift has to be received to be such. It has to be received by every person individually to be a gift at all, “Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name” (John 1: 12). God gave because He first loved us, “This is love: not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”(I John 4:10)
So, how goes Christmas with you? As another comes and goes It is my hope that we are all growing in the spirit of unconditional love towards one another as God demonstrated toward us in sending His Son.
When it comes to our gift giving let us seek to avoid the temptation to consider the size of the gift and instead concentrate our efforts on the spirit in which we give it. Let’s each ask: What was God’s spirit when He gave us His Son on that first Christmas? Was it given out of unconditional love, not expecting anything in return? Was it given in our interest? Was it more about relationship?
Christmas is a time that brings families together, a time when all is quiet for a moment, when it seems to be easier to forgive and forget than at any other time of the year It is a time when the majority, just for a moment, take a deep breath. Christmas is a time, not just for children, but for adults too. In fact, maybe adults need Christmas more than children do!
“But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” (Galatians 4:4) That passage and the verses that follow, verses 5, 6, and 7, are some of my favorite verses to read around the Christmas tree. I have preached many sermons from these verses for the Christmas Season, but will spare you that and only offer one or two opinions this Thursday before Christmas.
“Christmas” is a historical tradition deemed by God according to God’s timetable. Many people think Christmas is something man created, but I suggest you look at the first six letters in the word: “C-H-R-I-S-T.” Christmas is designed by God to first bring His Son into the world as our Savior and then to honor Him forever afterwards.
The miraculous part is that Christ was fully man and fully God, and that He came into the world when God deemed the time was perfect...”When the time had fully come.”(Galatians 4:4)
Gift giving at Christmas time is also a tradition established by God as we read in the Gospel... “For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son...”(John 3:16). God gave first,
The gift has to be received to be such. It has to be received by every person individually to be a gift at all, “Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name” (John 1: 12). God gave because He first loved us, “This is love: not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”(I John 4:10)
So, how goes Christmas with you? As another comes and goes It is my hope that we are all growing in the spirit of unconditional love towards one another as God demonstrated toward us in sending His Son.
When it comes to our gift giving let us seek to avoid the temptation to consider the size of the gift and instead concentrate our efforts on the spirit in which we give it. Let’s each ask: What was God’s spirit when He gave us His Son on that first Christmas? Was it given out of unconditional love, not expecting anything in return? Was it given in our interest? Was it more about relationship?
Christmas is a time that brings families together, a time when all is quiet for a moment, when it seems to be easier to forgive and forget than at any other time of the year It is a time when the majority, just for a moment, take a deep breath. Christmas is a time, not just for children, but for adults too. In fact, maybe adults need Christmas more than children do!
