Articles
The Heart of Christmas
The following article was published in the Arthur Graphic-Clarion in December 2015.
Christmas is not about us. Christmas is not about the economy. Christmas is not about who has the best decor. Christmas is not about ________ (you add your own here). Christmas is about God coming to earth to save the world through his son Jesus Christ and showing us how to live for God’s glory instead of our own. In 1 Corinthians 10:31 Paul reminds us that we are to do all that we do in this life for the glory of God.
In her book “In My Father’s House” Corrie Ten Boom tells the story of a monk who sang a Christmas song every Christmas Eve for his brothers in the monastery, and for visitors who would come from the village for special services. His voice was very ugly, but he loved the Lord and sang from his heart. One year the director of the cloister said, “I’m sorry Brother Don, we will not need you this Christmas. We have a new monk who has a beautiful voice.”
The man did have a wonderful voice, and everyone was impressed. But that night an angel came to the superior and said, “Why didn’t you have a Christmas Eve song?” The superior was very surprised and said, “We had a beautiful song, didn’t you hear it?” The angel shook his head sadly and said, “It may have been inspiring to you, but we didn’t hear it in heaven.”
Corrie goes on to write, “The old monk with the raspy voice had a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, but the young monk was singing for his own benefit and glory, not for that of the Lord.” This story made me think about how we celebrate Christmas. Is it for our own benefit, pleasure, and excitement? Or is it a celebration of our relationship with Jesus our Savior?
This I Know!
The other day my wife and I were discussing Bluetooth technology. I proclaimed that I knew how it works because I could turn it on with one device and immediately it would connect with the other. She wanted a more detailed explanation. She said, “No, I really want you to explain in detail how that works. How is that possible?”
I will be the first to admit that there are many things I do not know. If I started to list all of them in this short article it would end up being longer than anyone would ever want to read. I don’t know everything about creation, about this world, about how everything works, about who will win the Super Bowl this year, or who will be the next U.S President.
In fact, I don’t claim to know everything there is to know about God or the Christian faith. In a recent small group conversation we discussed the importance of being able to say “I don’t know” sometimes when we really don’t know. Honesty is more respectable than trying to act like we know the answers to everything. We need to remember that as we share our faith with others. There are some things that only God knows and God intends for it to be that way for our own good. However, there are things revealed to us that help us to understand the incredible love and grace that God has shown to us through his Son Jesus Christ.
Doubting Thomas in John 20 had his doubt of Christ’s resurrection changed to “My Lord and my God!” when he saw the crucifixion wounds of Jesus for himself. Right after that Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” The day after my wife and I had the conversation about Bluetooth technology I heard a song by Christian music artist David Crowder that proclaimed over and over “This I Know!” I thought to myself. “There are a lot of things in life I don’t know (including how Bluetooth really works) but some of the fundamental and most important things I definitely do know.”
True Freedom
There has been a lot of talk recently about freedoms, or lack of them. From religious freedom, to freedom of expression, to thousands of people fleeing their homeland in search of it. Freedom is something most everyone values as a great treasure to have. But in Romans 6 the apostle Paul reminds us of a freedom that is greater and more valuable than any other: freedom from sin’s grasp.
Throughout the history of the world freedoms have come and gone as countries and leaders have come and gone. Some have upheld the banner of freedom while others have destroyed it. But despite our situation, country, or leadership there is one freedom that no human person or leader can take away from us. That freedom is the freedom we (you) have through Jesus Christ.
Sin and disobedience toward God has the power to defeat us and enslave us. But God sent his only son Jesus to free us from those end results. True freedom from our sin comes when we repent of our wrongs to Christ and ask him to forgive us. His grace then covers us and washes away the sins and mistakes of our past and brings us new life. This brings us true freedom, even when earthly powers try to take it away from us. In verse 14 Paul says, “Sin shall not be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”
Freedom and justice in this world are definitely important. Christians should work to encourage citizens and leaders to help promote them. But as we do that, let’s not forget the one true freedom that rings louder than any. Freedom in Christ is the message we need to proclaim the loudest. This is the freedom that saves us, delivers us, and prepares us for our eternal home in heaven. And “Us” includes anyone you cross paths with this week.