Naughty or Nice? Which list Are You On This Very Christmas Day?

I must confess that oftentimes I am overcritical and judgmental. We went to church this morning and I saw a woman with one of those cheesy red Christmas shirts that have some dumb saying on it. Now I’m not so legalistic that I think you must wear a suit and tie to church. I didn’t even get dressed up this morning, I attended church in blue jeans and a shirt Jane gave me for Christmas that probably fits more in a cowboy church than a traditional service. But I do believe in reverence of God. I have been critical of the kind of things like wearing your hat and drinking coffee during the service. I wrestle with these things because I know that what we wear on the outside doesn’t matter, it’s having a true heart of worship that matters. But still I think there should be SOME limit to how we appear when worshipping, shouldn’t there?

This woman had on, as I said, a really cheesy Christmas shirt that said in bold letters, “The Naughty List Is Underrated”. Now I get it; it’s just a joke. But wear it to church? On Christmas day?

But you know the Holy Spirit has an amazing way of waking a person up and revealing the truth. You see, in light of the birth of Christ, being on the naughty list is exactly why Jesus was born. In truth; all of us are on that list. Obviously, the naughty list refers to Santa and the object of a little kid is to be good all year so that they can make the good list and get presents on Christmas morning. Failure to be good and the subsequent result of finding your name on the naughty list will cause a kid to get only a lump of coal in lieu of good stuff like toys and sweets. But as much as I love the Santa fantasy of Christmas, it is just that; childhood fantasy.

As I pondered all this the Holy Spirit reminded me of why Christmas is so special. You see Jesus did not come down from glory to be born in a manger because someone was good and deserved to be loved by Him. No, He came to save sinners. He came into this world to reach out His hand of grace and mercy to those on the naughty list. He said it Himself in Luke 5:32 saying “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

The Gospel is good news for those of us humble enough to admit which list we are on. Why? Because Romans 5:6 tells us that “while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” He died for me and He died for you. Romans 5:8 reminds us that “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus didn’t wait for us to be promoted from the naughty list to the good one to come.

No, our goal should not be to make the naughty list each year. While Jesus did say that He didn’t come to call the righteous but to call sinners, do not let the end of that verse escape you. He called us to repentance. He calls us to be holy and through the Holy Spirit He empowers us to start a new journey on the path to that holy life. But it is a journey. That journey began in a manger and then went through a cross where Jesus would die to be sure we would receive the gift of salvation. And now because He is the Great Emmanuel, He dwells within those who call Him Lord and Savior. The greatest gift of all time is the gift of Jesus.

So if you’re like me, you probably missed out on the Santa good list this year. But Santa isn’t God. Thanks to Jesus I did not receive a lump of coal. Instead I received the joy of knowing Jesus and knowing His Father who now dwells within my heart through the Holy Spirit. It was not a gift I deserved nor a gift I earned. It was a gift; a gift given in the fullness of a love so deep and so wide that it transcends any gift ever given. What more could a man want or need? And Jesus wants you to have this gift this very day. Take hold of it. Cherish it. Share it.

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Merry Christmas.

Keep Moving Pilgrims

"This life, therefore, is not righteousness but growth in righteousness; not health but healing; not being but becoming; not rest but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it. The process is not yet finished, but it is going on. This is not the end, but it is the road. All does not yet gleam in glory, but all is being purified." - Martin Luther

Christians we must not stop but we must continue the journey. We are not permanent residents on this earth but are pilgrims. Our journeys are hard treks and sometimes, maybe a lot of times, we get off the path God has called us to follow. But giving up must not be an option. Standing still is not what pilgrims do. Sometimes we seem to have gone forward one step only to fall back two. The devil will tell you to give up. He will tell you all about your failings and remind you that you are weak. He will entice you to put down roots in THIS earth. Don't listen to him. Keep moving Pilgrims. We have a greater destination. Keep moving. Listen to what God's Word says about those patriarchs who went before us.

Hebrews 11:13-16
These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

God has prepared a city for us. Until we arrive there we must keep moving.

Love – Part 1

For some reason the Holy Spirit has me considering the topic of love lately. As I think about love and what the Bible has to say about it, it has become clear that I fall way short of loving God, loving people, and even my own family as the Bible calls me to. How about you? As God’s people, we are called to be the light of Christ to the dark world we live in and it is through love in which we can best shine. So, what does that look like?

The first thing we must remember is that God loves us. How do we know?

John 3:16 tells us, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” 1 John 4:9-10 explains that “By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” There are many proofs of God’s love for us, but there is none greater than the sacrifice of His own son, given so that we can be in a personal relationship with the Almighty God.

So how must we respond to the love of God? Again, let us see what God says?

We find the answer in Matthew, chapter 22:36-38 where Jesus answers the lawyer’s question, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus answers him saying, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.”

This is where I must stop and examine myself. Jesus doesn’t just say we are to love God. No, He puts a heavy weight to that love saying we are to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Can I honestly say I do that? Can you? I sure cannot. Jesus described what our love for God should look like in John 14:15 by saying,” If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” I have not kept all of God’s commandments. Have you? Again, we go back to the Bible. 1 John 1:8 is clear in its message, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Verse 10 is even more biting saying that “If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” But because God loves us we find this sandwiched in between these two verses in verse 9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Yes, God loves us. God is faithful, even when we are not, but we must confess our sins, admit we have not loved Him as we should.

Personally, I often find the facts of my sinful nature depressing and sometimes am tempted to doubt my salvation. If loving God is based on my ability to obey, I seem to be in deep trouble. But guess what? God’s love is bigger than my sinfulness and according to scripture, that kind of love is a deal maker. Romans 5:6-8 reminds us “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die, but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This is good news. This is the Gospel. This is the love of God.