Christmas, 2023

It's Christmas Day, the day we celebrate God, the Son, taking on human form and living here on earth where He would live a sinless life, die on the cross for our sins, and rise again so that we can have peace with God and eternal life with Him. Maybe you object to December 25th as the day. Don't let that stop you from celebrating, preferably daily, God's unspeakable gift (2 Cor 9:15).

There are lots of ways we celebrate His birth, His life, His death and resurrection ... all of it. I'm going to offer you a gift today.

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? ³³ Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died — more than that, who was raised — who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written, "For Your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." ³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 8:31-39)

It is, perhaps, too wonderful to imagine, but it's all true. Who can be against us? No one! Good to know in a culture that is increasingly hostile to Christ and His people. What good will God withhold from us? Nothing! Good to know in a world that is immersed in sin and decay. Who will separate us from His love? Absolutely nothing! Even the "worst" — death, tribulation, suffering, danger, persecution — is classified as victory. In all of that we are "more than conquerors."

So, have a merry Christmas and a joyous New Year as you remind yourself (often, preferably) of the unspeakable gift we received all those centuries ago that has left us in this unbelievably blessed position of being forgiven and loved and supplied and taken care of by God.