Merry Christmas! But why do we celebrate Christmas? To reflect on Jesus coming to earth, being born of a virgin, to live as a man and give light and hope to the nations. Why is this important to us now? It’s everything! How does this relate to the way we choose to live our lives? It relates in every way!
John Piper explains how we can avoid wasting our lives. He explains that there is a massive obstacle between God’s purpose and our ability to join Him in it. His purpose is that we would so treasure Him that the way we live and die would reflect how supremely valuable He is. The obstacle is, in our carnal nature, we don’t want to live for someone else, we want to be god. Self-denial does not come naturally to us. We don’t want anybody telling us what we can like or not like, do and not do, love and not love. This is sin dwelling in us. So how could God’s will ever be achieved if all human beings are children of wrath and sin?
Jesus Christ, the Son of God incarnate, not only becomes the means of my seeing and savoring the glory of God, but in the very act of overcoming these obstacles, becomes Himself the apex of the glory we couldn’t see while in our sins.
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11
Jesus Christ entered the world as the God-Man and He does something that covers and conquers my depravity, absorbs the wrath of God, so that I can now see and savor what I was designed to and in the very doing of that redeeming, He made the way for us to know God and be clothed in His righteousness.
This is why we celebrate Christmas – to reflect on Jesus coming to earth to be the Truth, the Light, the Way. This is why we honor God at Easter, for He offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice and gave His life on a cross for our sins to take the penalty of God’s wrath so that we can know God and called by His name. When we believe on Jesus as Lord, we can ourselves be living sacrifices throughout our lives on earth in our everyday living. It doesn’t matter WHEN we accept Him, it only matters that we DO. Beloved, no one has done so much wrong or or is beyond redemption. Turn to Him in this moment and accept the One who created us and loves us.
After this life, we will be with Him, un-separated, throughout eternity. This is why we live and breath everyday, to know Him, thought we may face various struggles, loneliness, tribulations, as well as joys, celebrations, and achievements – in all things we do walk through for the Glory of God – being encompassed about by His Holy Spirit dwelling in us as He guides into His paths and we choose to follow. Nothing we offer to God is ever wasted. It’s never to late to start.
Do’nt celebrate the memories of the past, don’t worry about the cares of the future, only worship Him who was born, Emmanuel with us, who we celebrate this day! Jesus is Lord!
Video: John Piper’s Sermon on “Don’t Waste Your Life”