God made Christmas available. Our sins made it necessary.

That’s the reality of Christmas that few celebrate. Even Christians don’t really get around to acknowledging the ‘why’ of the Virgin Birth until Good Friday. It’s the dark side of the holidays, if you will.

We prefer to wrap ourselves in the lights, the beauty of our nativity crèches and songs about peace on earth and goodwill both accessible and abounding. The warmth and potential of the Christmas season offer us so much! We are more comfortable celebrating the fact of the Incarnation rather than the reason for it.

And lest I steal your joy, let me hurry to add, God wants us to concentrate on the thrill of his rescue … our rescue from sin, from unbreakable habits, from despair … from ourselves at times! He went to great lengths to steer our festivities in this direction.

He could have told the Christmas story from an entirely different perspective. His conversation with us could have sounded something like this: “I hope you appreciate what I’m doing for you here. Don’t ever forget what your selfish, destructive sin cost me. I had no other choice but to come and get you out of the mess you got yourself into. I want you always to see me as the Rescuer you had to have.”

But He came to us reading from an entirely different script! From the pen of the Apostle Paul who knew both the fact of and the reason for God sending his Son … from a man whose theology is quite sound … comes this treatise on the subject: “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow–not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” Romans 8:28 New Living Translation

It’s God’s love, not his grudge that we bask in. In coming for us to establish a permanent  relationship, He carries no rancor, bitterness or resentment. Every indication proves repeatedly that his was a liberation of love … a love so formidable and all encompassing that He was willing to pay any price to make it happen.

This week remember: God is welcoming you to his extravagant Christmas party with only the purist of intentions. He wants your love, not your fear. He desires that you be filled with hope, not guilt. It’s true that our sinfulness necessitated him coming, but he came, not with finger pointing but with arms outstretched.

Enjoy this Season of your journey! It’s what He wants!

Paul Walterman

Fresh Heart Ministries