Are You Living Christmas?
Dale Mast writes in his book, Two Sons and A Father; “If we are a child of God we are granted the right to go from earth to heaven. If we are a son of God, we are granted the right to bring heaven to earth with our life.” In this Christmas season we are reminded about Jesus’ journey from heaven to earth for the very purpose of bringing heaven to earth to the children of God who would receive this eternal King born a baby in a manger. During this season we are reminded through Christmas cards, TV specials, cherished carols, Christmas pageants, nativity scenes and Advent and Christmas sermons of the story of God’s unfolding plan when an angel appears to Mary and then to Joseph letting them in on the beginning of the long awaited plan of God to bring salvation to all of the sons and daughters of Abraham. The plan to bring salvation to all those who were promised in the covenant thousands of years before. God was doing His part to bring heaven to earth. He was making a way for our sin to be dealt with and at the same time preserving the life of all of those who would be His. God was doing His part by sending his only begotten son, to be the final sacrifice that would take away sin once and for all. Because of God’s plans and actions, we can have life. John writes in John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”Christmas is all about life, not just a birth but about living. The first Christmas was about the eternal King emptying Himself from all kingly rights and joining us so that He could live without sin, making Him the only one who would ever be able to get us out of this mess. But since that first Christmas it is about those who would believe in Him and living in such a way that we are empowered to bring heaven to earth — so that those who don’t know Jesus might encounter Him and be saved. In 2 Corinthians 5:20 Paul writes; “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” Christmas is about our living. Our living as ambassadors on assignment. The assignment — to bring heaven to earth. It’s an assignment of life for all who will hear and receive the message we proclaim, that is – through Christ, we can be completely forgiven of all sin and the guilt it causes and be totally reconciled to God. So during this Advent and Christmas season lets ask ourselves how are we living? Are we living as ambassadors who understand their assignment? Are we bringing heaven to earth so that others might know the power of Jesus Christ and live?Merry CHRISTmas.