But God, who is rich
in mercy,
because of His great
love with which
He loved us, even
when we were
dead in our
trespasses, made us alive
together with Christ
(by grace you have
been saved),
and raised us up
together, and made us
sit together in the
heavenly places
in Christ Jesus, that
in the age to come
He might show the
exceeding
riches of His grace
in His kindness
toward us in Christ
Jesus.
Ephesians 2: 4 -- 7
Christmas
is on the minds of most people as this is the season for this festival whereby
we spend extra money, time, and effort to show love to another person. It is a great time of joy for most people,
and yet, there are those who are alone, even when family will not come around
to save Merry Christmas to them, or they sit in a convalescent care home and
the only celebration is what the nurses or aids can provide. Depression runs
rampant during the great wonderful festival for the focus is on the festival
and not the reason for the festival. It
is when we take our eyes off the reason that the festival becomes almost
mundane, necessary or others would be feeling rejected. God reminds us of the apostle Paul that he
gave the greatest gift that could be given and this is the reason for this
festival. Some get caught up in dates,
or other reasons why maybe they should not be celebrated on this particular day
as though they know exactly when Jesus Christ was born. They don't!
God in his mercy gave a gift of ever lasting life by forgiving our
trespasses, our sins, and put us into his family together with Christ Jesus we
are raised up together and made alive.
God showed His great exceeding riches which is his grace and His
kindness at all this due to the fact that it came as the Only Begotten Son
Jesus Christ by Whom we are able to be seen as forgiven and redeemed. We have reason to celebrate beyond the
Christmas tree in presence for as Christians we have the greatest gift ever to
be given that gift to you. I always
find it good to study the Greek for their words often have a greater meaning
than what we can supply in our English language. The Greek word that we translate as made us alive is an
interesting Greek word for it is an aorist word that means that this event
occurred sometime in the past and it is in the third person so it's speaking of
more than one person that has the word that we don't use too often except maybe
in churches and that word is quickened, it almost has become a theological or,
it has greater meaning than just to be made alive for the Greek word used here
means to be made alive together and to be clicked in means that it is to make a
person able to respond immediately and in a Christian since to respond
immediately to spiritual stimuli. There
is no need for growth, nor is timely and necessary before one is able to walk
in the Spirit for it is as Paul wrote here in the Ephesians that it is of the
spiritual life with Christ that imparted to believers at their conversion. This occurred in the past it has been given
to you as a gift. This is also true of
the word that we translate from the Greek whereby we say that Jesus Christ
through God raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly
places as those words are also aorist so that this occurred in the past, that
isn't already done it again it's in the third person, it is indicative an
active. This gift is your gift not due
to anything you have done or will do, it is a free gift from God. Why would God do this? It is because God is rich in mercy and has
such great love, a love that is that He loved us even though we were
sinners. God had no need to do is and
you can't cause him to have a need to do this, for all of this is simply a
God. Is Paul here speaking about all
peoples for all times, no, for he began this epistle by saying to the saints
and a person becomes a saint by the free gift of mercy and love from God. Proof of this is found in the net versus: "For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God and not of any
works, lest anyone should boast. For we
are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
the forehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2: 8 -- 10). God prepared all of this beforehand and we
are His workmanship and that workmanship is manifested in our works that is a
demonstration of our faith and even that faith is a free gift from God. Do we have much to celebrate? Yes!
God chose you! God loves you
enough to give you the faith which is a free gift not because you've earned it
but because He loved you enough to give it to you. Don't let the season go by and let it be just another festival, a
celebration of gifts, food, great conversation, beautiful lights and music,
which is all good in its place: do this: speak about the reason why we are
celebrating Christmas and do this especially to your children so that when they
grow up and be mature adults they will understand why we celebrate
Christmas. Praise God for His free gift,
a gift prepared for you before you were even born. Celebrate, enjoy, read the story of His birth from the Gospels
and even go back as far as to the prophecy of His coming and make this more
than just a simple Christmas day and remember the reason for Christians.
And in that day you will say:
"O
LORD, I will praise You;
though You were angry with me,
Your anger
is turned away,
and You comfort me.
Behold, God
is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
For Yah, the
LORD, is my
strength and song; He also has
become my
salvation.”
Isaiah 12: 1 -- 2
Have a very Merry Christmas
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