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But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law; To redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, that you may cry out ‘Abba Father’. Therefore you are a slave no longer, but a son; and if a son, then a heir of God through Christ. [Galatians 4:4-7] This is the glory of Christmas; as the light of redemption broke through the world that was shrouded in sin’s darkness. For, unto us a Child was born, unto us a Son was given, in whose Name, believing in the Name of Jesus, you need no longer be a slave, held captive by the chains of sin and death, for you are then a son or daughter of God.
The majestic story, had it’s beginnings, in a lowly manger, where the Son of God, the Eternal Word, became flesh, a revelation of the grace and truth of God, the Father, that you and I, by trusting in Him, may be redeemed from the yoke of slavery, to become His child. The fact that before we were saved, you and I were slaves, is the plain, unvarnished truth. And on studying the nature of all that can keep a person enslaved in this world, you will be able to know and understand why God had to deal with it by sending His Own Son. Nothing else was ever going to be enough!
Slaves of sin:
Technology today may have increased in leaps and bounds, to such an extent, that the activities of the world, and your personal life, the details and nuances of it , can all be packaged to fit in the palm of your hand. And it could so easily lead the one who trusts in his own strength, to be deluded in his thinking, to falsely assume that given time, man could find a way in his own intellect and power to tackle the problem of sin. ’If only God had not been in such a hurry’, could be his foolish and ignorant presumption!
For, one only has to look around to realize very quickly that though technology has grown, it has only seen the world getting worse in the level of evil that man manages to inflict on his fellow human beings. And it is all because there is a deep lurking problem in the deepest part of every man, something that you and I, and every person born into this world, suffers from. Enslaved by sin, and unable to drag himself out of it’s miry depths, man has needed a Savior. For man trying to help himself or trying to help another who is also in the same dilemma, was only going to make things worse, and take him deeper into it, with no end in sight, no light at the end of the tunnel. On the other hand, it also needed to be dealt with, for man to live and be led forward in the purposes of God for his life.
There is a SAVIOR :
It was why God sent His Son, to be born into this world. And His Name would be JESUS, for He came to save people, from their sins. And slaves of sin, we were, even as the apostle Paul has written to the Romans, But God be thanked, that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart, that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. [Romans 6:17] Sin can be addressed in a very inconsequential manner, and it is becoming increasingly prevalent in the world to do so. But it is literally a grave mistake! For, the wages of sin is death.
Sin, is the law, the principle that is at work in a person, the power of action, that is not in alignment with God’s word. It leads you astray, to fall short of the glory of God, and end up in the hand of the evil one, who seemingly promises you freedom, only to ultimately take you captive. It is similar to any addiction that can take hold of a person, when the one who is addicted, thinks he can quit and come out of it, at any time, but yet finds himself time and again, unable to do so. It controls you, making you it’s slave. And, sin does so too.
It is also not a respecter of persons, for without Christ, there is none who is righteous, in his own strength, or merit. Paul is able to establish the truth of it, citing the battle that rages in his own mind very honestly, saying how he ends up practicing what is not good, even though he wishes to do what is good and right. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature, for I have the desire to do what is good, but do not have the power to perform it. [Romans 7:18] Missing the mark, is thus, how sin is often described, as a consequence of the inner battle, in which the evil influence is able to take the upper hand. But I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind, making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.[Romans 7:23]
The story is told of a man who withdrew to a remote and isolated place to meditate and concentrate upon what is eternal, when the figure of a woman seemed to appear before him, to make him lose his focus and concentration. And when he closed his eyes to be set free from it, it was the sound of anklets that he heard, making him shut his ears. It was then the smell of jasmines that wafted around him, it has been said, portraying in a lighter vein, the war that goes on within a person’s mind, the sin at work within him that is invariably at cross purposes with the good that he wishes to practice. And, the frustration that can build up within a person, as a result, is what Paul expresses, to then describe himself in harsh and uncomplimentary terms, stating his plight very truthfully, What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? [Romans 7:23,24] ‘Who’ will rescue me? It is only a ‘who’, or a person, who can rescue the one who is a slave of sin, and never a ‘what’, or an object or teaching, for to a drowning man, philosophy, or a seven step manual is not going to be of any help. He needs the helping hand of a person, of one who can lift him up, to be on dry ground; one who is on higher ground, untainted by the muddy waters.
And it was why God sent His Son Himself on the rescue mission; sinless, but having been born into this sinful world, He has gone through the battles that you and I go through, He knows and also understands it all. It is what the apostle Paul declares in a grateful confession, to say that his wretchedness is not the wholeness of his being; and it need not be yours and mine too – I thank God – through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with my flesh the law of sin. [Romans 7:25]
Christ ’must’ in your Christmas! :
Thus, the Son of God, Lord Jesus was born in human flesh, so that the problem of sin may be dealt with. And Christmas therefore, every celebration of it needs to be based on Christ, irrespective of what may be the prevalent circumstance. It is the truth that rings very true this particular year, when grief, loss and an uncertain future have been it’s defining moments in the lives of people all over the world.
The Christ – centered life:
And therefore, it is when Christ is the center of your life that you can rejoice, even as Paul has written, residing in a prison cell, not knowing what the next day held for him. But, ‘I have learned both to be full, and to be hungry, to abound and to be in need’, are his words. [Philippians 4:12] And it comes to counsel and encourage you and I, that we may rejoice even in uncertain days, for, ‘it is the day that the Lord has made; that we may rejoice and be glad in it’. And it is knowing the truth that sets you free, to no longer being it’s slave, for sin is powerful and deceptive.
The deception and power of sin:
The dark ugliness of sin, and it’s ramifications within a person, is aptly set forth, in Paul’s epistle to Titus, as he counsels him about the grace and mercy that needs to be in a heir of grace , For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. [Titus 3:3] It is also a fact that sin may not always appear ugly and evil, for it is extremely deceptive, luring you into becoming enslaved by it, with an external packaging that may seem attractive to the senses, and the sadness of it all is that the one who is being deceived, is not aware that he is being deceived! Therefore, even as the prodigal son does, the one who is entangled by sin, needs to come to his senses, become aware of who he is, that he may return to his father’s house, and his privilege of sonship, that definitely was not about being a slave! But making you it’s slave, is what sin can do to you.
The control and bondage of sin:
While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption, for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. [2 Peter 2:19] The Holy Spirit leads you, and never controls you. The Lord is your Good Shepherd. It is falling prey to sin, that corrupts you and corrodes you slowly on the inside of you, to ultimately control you. And you are a slave, to whatever it is that controls you. It is how a person is enslaved by any addiction, one that need not necessarily be something as obvious as substance abuse. For, it could even be something as subtle as an approval addiction, that controls and enslaves you. And from always focusing on others, to gain meaning and value in life, it could also be the other extreme when self becomes the focus of attention. in a person’s life.
The selfish, self -centered life:
It happens when pride rears it’s ugly head, with self-pity being the other side of the same coin, for in both cases the focus is on one’s own self. And it is how following the customs and traditions of the world, the world system that is self centered and satan dominated, leads to captivity, or the bondage of sin. Even so, when we were children, the apostle Paul writes, we were in bondage under the elements of the world. [Galatians 4:3] But Christ has come to set the captives free, is the good news of great joy, that we remember and celebrate at this time of the year, to also remind ourselves of our responsibility, in being free.
Let GOD be GOD!:
When the very eye of the storm finds it’s center in your home, in the heart of a person, in the form of the ‘I’ that demands to be first , desiring to have it’s own way, it is sin, that results in brokenness and bondage. For, it is when God is first in you, and in every sphere of your life, that the problem of sin, that has enslaved humanity, much against the design and plan of God in man’s creation, can be dealt with.
Therefore, let God, the Master of all creation, be God in your life. And it is as you move away, to give Him the pre -eminence, praying the prayer of Mary, as the angel gave her the astounding good news, ‘May it be unto me Lord, according to Your word’, that you will see His redeeming Hand at work in you. Your heart will then overflow with joyous freedom, to say, ‘This is the Lord’s doing; and it is marvelous in my eyes’. And may the prayer of David, be your heart’s cry unto God too, for a cleansing that leads to life everlasting, Search me, O God, and know my heart; Test me and know my anxious thoughts; See, if there is any hurtful way in me; And lead me in the everlasting way. [Psalm 139:23,24]
For, to be set free from the control of sin, that leads to death, leads to restoration, that is abundant and everlasting life. The Savior was born, and reigns in victory today, that He may, Release those who through fear of death, were all their lives subject to bondage. [Hebrews 2:15]
A slave no longer – to fear of death:
This is the powerful truth, the unspeakable joy and comfort of the Lord’s birth. For, death is separation. It is a loss, and bereavement over which you and I, or anyone in this world, has no control. It can happen gradually, or suddenly, but the wages of sin is a sure and certain death. And it is what keeps the fallen world in a state of continual turmoil and fear. But it was why, Lord Jesus, the Savior of the world was born into this world in human flesh.
Therefore in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be made a merciful and faithful High Priest, in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. [Hebrews 2:17] Christ died, as a propitiation for the sins of the whole world. But, He arose again! And today, He stands in victory, to stretch forth His Hand to you, even as you are sinking deep in sin, to draw you out of the miry clay, to make you stand on the Solid Rock, with a new song, the song of salvation in your mouth.
Not a sinner but, a child of God:
And you receive it all, as you reach out, to take hold of His outstretched Hand in faith, believing in Christ, and knowing that He has come for you, that the very fact that you are alive this day is all by His grace. It is also the truth that you are no longer a slave , for as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His Name. [John 1:12] You are a child of God!. And knowing and experiencing this truth is Christmas; it is then Christmas, every single day of your life!! For, you can now declare the wonderful and marvelous love of JESUS, your Savior. You have been rescued from the bondage of sin, restored, to be seated as a heir of God, with the shame of sin removed, to be arrayed in a glorious robe of righteousness in Christ.
You are accepted, You are forgiven, and You are a child of God the Father. Giving thanks unto Him, for sending His Son, in whom you are His son and heir, may you be blessed with the strength to let Him be God in your circumstance, that you may see the fruit of it, to be able to joyfully confess, ‘This is the Lord’s doing; and it is marvelous in my eyes’.
In the Name of Christ Jesus Amen.
