Countdown to Christmas Catalog 2024 0368 New Covenant | 页面 17

THE GREATEST CHRISTMAS GIFT

“ For unto us a Child is born , unto us a Son is given .” Isaiah 9:6a
In the midst of the hustle and bustle , it ’ s easy to lose sight of what Christmas is really about .
Above all , Christmas is about Christ — a time to celebrate when God left the comforts of His home to become one of us . But perhaps you already knew that . The next thing to consider then is this : Why did Jesus come to earth ?
Songs like “ Hark , the Herald Angels Sing ” remind us of why He came : “ Mild He lays His glory by / Born that man no more may die .” Jesus came to save us from our sin and its consequence . Although it may not be something we like to think about , if we ’ re honest with ourselves , it ’ s not too hard to see that we are all sinners . Romans 3:23 tells us that “ All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God .” And it is because of our sin that we are separated from a relationship with a holy God .
You might reason that just because you sin , it doesn ’ t mean your sin is as bad as other peoples ’ sin . But sin is sin , no matter how big or small it may seem . We have all missed the mark of God ’ s holy standard ( James 2:10 ). And with any sin , there is a consequence — a price to be paid for it . According to God , “ the wages of sin is death ” ( Romans 6:23 ).
God could have left us like this . He could have left us destined for eternal separation from Him in hell . Instead , He gave us a gift . Jesus said in John 3:16 , “ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son , that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life .” God gave everyone the gift of abundant , eternal life through Jesus . As the sinless Son of God , only Jesus could take our place and pay the price for all of mankind ’ s sin through His sacrificial death on the cross and resurrection from the dead .
But like any gift , you have the choice to accept it or reject it . If you would like to have God ’ s gift , you may use the following prayer as a guide to express your desire to God :
Dear God , I know that I am a sinner . Thank You for sending Your perfect Son Jesus to die in my place . I trust that it is only through His sacrificial death on the cross and resurrection from the dead that I am able to have a right relationship with you now and for eternity . Please save me from my sin so that I can live with you forever . In Jesus ’ name , Amen
If you have accepted God ’ s gift of eternal life , please let us know so we can encourage you and pray for you . To learn more about the Christian life , we suggest reading the Gospel of John in the New Testament .
The Perfect Guide to Grow Your Understanding of Scripture
The Oswald Chambers Bible , CSB This uniquely crafted Bible features the full My Utmost for His Highest devotional and reading plan , conveniently paired with the Christian Standard Bible ® ( CSB ) text .
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