Wowed By God's Grace
In this article, we will explore the concept of God's grace and how it relates to the Christmas season. This blog comes from the message which you can find here.
Have you heard the phrase, "You're not the parent," when someone tries to over-parent or impose their beliefs on others. Similarly, some Christians may try to over-parent and force their beliefs on skeptics, which can lead to skepticism towards Christianity. However, Jesus offers a different approach. He has a standard of truth and grace, and anyone can come to Him, regardless of their past or background. Jesus is the opposite of parents who say, "Do as I say, not as I do." He not only talked about grace but also lived it out through his actions. Jesus humbled himself and gave up his divine privileges to serve humanity. He became human, experiencing pain, rejection, and abandonment, so that we could experience his love and be reconciled to God. Jesus' love is available to anyone who is willing to receive it. It is not just a one-time decision, but an everyday decision to follow Him and experience His love.
One of the remarkable things about Jesus is that He served all people, regardless of their background or status. He didn't care about heritage, ethnicity, wealth, health, or religious activity. This is why Christianity is the most racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse faith in history. Jesus loves all people, including you.
Jesus, who is the creator of all things, became the very thing He created. He took on human form, experiencing the limitations and restrictions of being human. He did this out of love for us, so that we could trust in His love every day.
Jesus not only experienced physical pain but also spiritual pain. He was separated from God the Father on the cross, taking on the reality of sin and the consequences of death. But Jesus didn't stay dead. He was resurrected, defeating sin and death.
The most important question we must ask ourselves is whether we will receive or reject God's grace. It is by God's grace, through faith, that we are saved. We have the opportunity to believe in Jesus and receive eternal salvation.
Following Jesus is not a one-time decision, but an everyday decision. It's about drawing closer to Him, worshiping Him, and experiencing Him in a deeper way. We were created to follow God, be loved by Him, and give Him glory.
God elevated Jesus to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names. Every knee will bow and every tongue will declare that Jesus Christ is Lord. The question is whether we will do it willingly or if He will have to force us.
This Christmas, let us reorient and reorder our lives around Jesus. Let us not just celebrate with gifts, but with a heart that is fully surrendered to Him. Jesus is the light of the world, and we have the opportunity to receive His light and respond with worship.