God’s Christmas Tree
God’s ultimate will is for every believer to be
conformed to the likeness of His Son. The most powerful message of Christmas is
the transforming grace of God in Jesus Christ.
God’s Christmas tree is covered with the undefiled and
sinless blood of His Son Jesus Christ. It is not the meek and mild “baby Jesus”
that saves a lost humanity. It is His sacrificial, substitutionary, atoning
death that deals with our human depravity and sin. Without that death we are
eternally lost and judged to spend eternity in hell.
There is only one way to be made acceptable with a holy and
righteous God. The grace of God in Jesus Christ alone saves the confessing and
believing sinner.
Good works and religious activity at Christmas time will
not save you. All of your human titles and achievements are absolutely of no
spiritual value. We will enter into God’s holy presence by depending on the
death of Jesus Christ alone to save us. There is no other way (Acts 4:12). Our
eternal salvation is by grace alone (Eph. 2:8-9). God transforms us by His
grace. That is why even at Christmas time the only thing worth boasting about
is the cross of Jesus Christ (Gal. 6:14). Because of His great love for us,
Jesus offered Himself as our substitutionary sacrifice. It was not because He
saw anything in us, or anything we would do, but His majestic love. Everything
we count as spiritually valuable is worthless in God’s eyes. Only the
substitutionary death of His Son on our behalf on His tree can satisfy God and
save us.
The grace that decorates God’s tree illumines our minds and
changes our hearts. “Oh Love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in
Thee.”
God decorates His Christmas tree with the fruit of the
Spirit in our lives. We give back to Him what He has given to us. He conforms us
to Christ’s image. That makes His tree light up the world.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill
cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14). “Let your light shine before men in such a way
that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (v.
16).
The “works” that God’s transforming grace produces in the
believer is winsome and beautiful, attractive, and therefore good. “It is all of
grace—His grace freely received by faith in Jesus Christ alone.
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me
shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).
How will you light up God’s Christmas tree this Christmas?
Are you glorying in the cross of Jesus alone? Jesus is the way, the truth and
the life. When we have Him we have life and light that transforms us from the
inside out.
Anything that lights up God’s Christmas tree is entirely
due to Him. Do you have the grace of God within you? Apart from Him we can do
nothing. Christ in you accomplishes His eternal purposes.
Go ahead and decorate God’s tree. Put on holiness,
righteousness, forgiveness, trust, etc.
Turn on the lights of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, etc.
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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