December 24, 2014

It may not be a popular thought on Christmas Eve, but the very fact that Jesus came assumes something about us as individuals. It assumes we ares sinners in need of him coming. It assumes we are sinners in need of a Savior.

And that need never ends. We don't pray a prayer one day in church and then have that need met once and for all. Yes, we are forgiven from our sins, but God's love doesn't leave as just forgiven. His love then goes to work on our hearts, saving us from the power that sin has over us, shaping and transforming us into the image of Christ.

So Christmas is a celebration of Christ's Rescue Mission, and it is also a sobering indictment of our continual and constant and desperate need for his grace. We need Jesus every day to save us from our self-centered, self-exalting, self-glorifying flesh.

And so my encouragement is to take some time today to confess the areas of your life that are still in need of his saving work, ways that your pride and selfishness still manifest (maybe they manifested this week while shopping for gifts...or maybe they will manifest tomorrow while hanging out with your not-so-favorite family members).

Now I know you may be thinking, "But won't thinking about my struggle with sin make me depressed? I don't wanna be depressed on Christmas Eve!"

Not if you know Jesus.

Confessing our current struggles with sin, and then confessing Jesus' grace over those struggles, humbles us to the point where we can take Jesus' coming personally.

And when we can take his coming personally, then we are filled with a renewed gratefulness for what he has done, with a renewed grace for others' struggles with sin, and with a renewed confidence that Jesus will finish the work he came here to do in our hearts.

And that is definitely NOT depressing.

So take some time today to take it personally.

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (Philippians 1:6).

Amen.