Wow! Barely two days before Christmas! It’s a challenge to find a parking space in Westfield, or Kmart or possibly in any shops these days! Not many holidays can throw the world in such a frenzy, but Christmas surely do. Christmas is always special.
In last Sunday’s message, we were reminded how blessed we are in this country and that we should be thankful. If there are things to be thankful this Christmas, more than the Philippines winning the Miss Universe, it must be the love of God! The Scriptures (John 1:17-18) says “that the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ!
So, if you know someone who is heartbroken and downcast, sure, give them a present as you wish, but give them Jesus. After all, the first six letters in the word Christmas is the most important! Have you been to a 3-course dinner lately? When you dine in a restaurant, most people go for the main course, not the garnish or the dessert. You enjoy the appetizer or the dessert, but really, you are after the main course. You may leave the restaurant without tasting the appetizer or the dessert, but surely not without touching or tasting the main course, at least. In Christmas, Christ is not the appetizer. Christ is not the desert. Christ is the main course. So, let us not remove him in Christmas, let us not cross him out because, without Him, there is no Christmas, only pagan festivities. Do our best to put Christ in the Christmas. Tell them that the God Incarnate in the flesh is on their side! This is the main plot of the Christmas story! In Matthew 1:20-21, the angel said to Joseph, “Joseph do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.” God is on our side!
Paul tried to encourage our Christian brothers and sisters in Rome what it means to have God on our side. Before we pray, LET’S READ Romans 8:31-32.
These Scriptures are a powerful and faith-filled declaration by our Brother Paul to them and us now!
When our contractor called to tell us that they will not start construction of our granny flat until we remove the shed, the fence, and the clothesline, Allan and I both knew that we’re stuck! Allan and I did not have the knowledge nor the skill to tear down a big shed, to uproot a clothesline buried deep in concrete, or to demolish a long sturdy and welded fence. The easiest was to get someone to do it for us, but it was not that easy because we didn’t allocate a demolition fund. Our minds were spinning thinking of who, what, and how much it would cost. Sitting in our kitchen table, the Holy Spirit urged me not to worry. So I started to declare what I already knew! God is on our side. He got it covered! I fed myself with hope in the Lord. I tried to see the good that God would make us get out of it. We jumped in youtube for DIY tutorials, and we decided we would demolish it ourselves. It was long and many days of hard work under the heat of the sun. Each day, I said to myself, God you are on our side, help us finish this today. Each time we climb that six steps ladder, I silently pray, God you are on our side! Send your angels to help us. When we hit a section that we couldn’t remove, I silently say, God you are with us in this, help us to get it out.
The fence was gone, the shed was gone, and the clothesline was gone because God was on our side. He gave us wisdom, knowledge, skill, patience, strength, and faith that God was right there with us pulling a hard screw out, grinding hard steel out, or lifting a heavy bar of steel. He didn’t leave us at all. God was with us each day! The bonus part is we now know how to use a grinder and a driller properly. No clue how these tools work at the beginning but you wouldn’t know how powerful these tools are until you learn how to use it by heart.
Another bonus is we only spend less than $100 to do the work. God knows we need more than $100 if we choose the easy way. You and I have a choice to either get mad or to use our situations to get the best of God’s seed in us. In our relationship with God and with others: it is not how much Scriptures you know, but how much you live out the Christ in the Scriptures.
BECAUSE OF CHRIST, AND THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST, These things cement our position in God. He predestined us to become image-bearer of Jesus. He called us for His purpose. He justified us. He glorified us.
Romans 8:29-30 “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters (30) and those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”
The word “firstborn” here relates more to the position than to the order of birth.
The word predestined in the original language (proorizo – pro-or-id-zo) means “to mark out beforehand.” Believers in Christ have been marked out beforehand to bear the image/likeness of Christ.
The word glorified means, “to do honor, to make glorious.” Therefore, our calling therefore as people who were declared innocent, not guilty by God, is to partake in Christ nature, that we become more like Him, so we bring glory to His name!
In short, our lives are far more than simply chasing our dreams, building a career, raising a family, being a good citizen, and so on. Yes, you do all of that and we all must, except that you do it more than an obligation to life but as a GREATER CALLING OF YOUR EXISTENCE to God, to yourself, to your family, and all of humanity. As you live a true Christian, you’ll find that the path isn’t always straight. Paul was asking what should be our response; FEAR? GUILT? VICTIMS OR VICTORS, CONQUERED OR CONQUEROR, LOSERS OR WINNER. NO SPIRIT OR WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD? How much convincing do you need to realize that you are not just able to conquer and overcome, but YOU ARE CAPABLE OF MUCH MORE?
A. Knowing your position in Christ, not because of your good works but as a result of appropriating the realities of Jesus and the work that He completed at the cross. V15, as children of God, we have been adopted into his family. In v17, we are co-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. In v23, we have received the Spirit as the guarantee of final redemption. In v26, our prayers are taken up by the Spirit and laid before God. In v30, though sinners by nature, through faith we have been acquitted of all wrong. BECAUSE OF ALL THESE THINGS, we can sleep peacefully in the night. We can rest in perfect peace that NO ONE AND NOTHING CAN BE TOO STRONG TO BEAT US DOWN because “If God is for us, who can be against us.” Pastor, if that is true, why Christians still suffer? Why Christians seems to have many problems? Aren’t their lives perfect? They get sick, and they make poor choices too. BECAUSE CHRISTIANS HAVE TO COME TO TERMS WITH THESE THINGS? Our victory is not unto ourselves but in Christ. That’s why we must put Christ back in our lives, not as a religion but as a Person, we live in victory with, and we start this Christmas!
Psalm 118:5- “In my distress, I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free.”
Psalm 118:6 –‘The Lord is for me so I will have no fear, what can mere people do to me?”
Psalm 9:10 – “And those who know your name out their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.”
Psalm 118:14 – “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.”
THINK ABOUT WHO GOD IS FOR A MOMENT!
Jeremiah 32:17, 26-27 “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you…. “Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”
Psalm 91:1-16 “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver me from the snare of the fowler and the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings, you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. IF YOU SAY, “THE LORD IS MY REFUGE,” AND YOU MAKE THE MOST HIGH YOUR DWELLING, NO HARM WILL OVERTAKE YOU, NO DISASTER WILL COME NEAR YOUR TENT. FOR HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU TO GUARD YOU IN ALL YOUR WAYS; THEY WILL LIFT YOU IN THEIR HANDS, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE A FOOT AGAINST A STONE. YOU WILL TREAD ON THE LION AND THE COBRA; YOU WILL TRAMPLE THE GREAT LION AND THE SERPENT. “BECAUSE HE LOVES ME,” SAYS THE LORD, “I WILL RESCUE HIM, I WILL PROTECT HIM, FOR HE ACKNOWLEDGES MY NAME. HE WILL CALL ON ME, AND I WILL ANSWER HIM; I WILL BE WITH HIM IN TROUBLE, AND I WILL DELIVER HIM AND HONOR HIM. WITH LONG LIFE I WILL SATISFY HIM AND SHOW HIM MY SALVATION.”
B. If God is for us, who can condemn us or bring a charge on us? Verse 33-34, says that no one can bring a charge against a Christian No one! Because in God’s sight, Christians are already declared innocent by God if God himself pronounced his people righteous. There is no higher tribunal, no higher court of law who can say otherwise because there is no higher court than the court of God in heaven.
A long time ago, someone said to me ago, “Pastor, I don’t understand why the people that we tried to help in the past turned their back against us as if we were enemies. The hardest thing is the fact that they were family members and they spread lies about my family and me. We tried to trace who was spreading those false allegations against us, but everyone seemed conniving against us. We could not trace them. It hurts so much. It keeps us awake in the night. We are affected mentally, emotionally, and psychologically. What have we done to deserve this? I am not what I used to be. I still pray but my prayers sounded different. I am struggling. I feel like God is not on our side. The timing wasn’t right either. I don’t want to feel miserable at this time of the year. It’s Christmas!” I said, “Sister, you are in a lot of pain and hurt.
But think of this, “If God is for you, don’t you think you can consider what they do to you as trivial? If God is for you, “does it matter what and who may be against you.” No, not at all! Sleep well! I suggest that you don’t waste your time on this nonsense. Instead, pray and praise God more! It’s worth your time than chasing who and what people said against you. You will lose your peace, and your dignity if you choose that path. DON’T YOU THINK THAT GOD IS JUST BRINGING YOU A STEP CLOSER TO YOUR PREDESTINATION?
C. In vs. 38-39, If God is for us, who and what can separate us from the love of God? Nothing! Even the twist and turns of life aren’t strong enough to put us down! Understand that in all of these things, Christians can conquer them all through Christ who loved us. (v37) IN YOU IS THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST. THINK ABOUT THIS. “Since God did not spare his own Son but delivered him over to death for us all, will he not along with this gracious gift also lavish upon us everything else he has to give?
Conclusion: When Jesus was on earth, he met many hurting people. He met a desperate woman who had suffered bleeding for 12 years. A leprous man who was denied by his community. A lonely woman who had been through 5 unsuccessful marriages. A father whose child was dying from a terminal disease. A guilty woman caught in the act of adultery — a widow grieving at the funeral of her one and only son. What struck me most was the fact that Jesus didn’t leave them the same way he met them. Our Lord Jesus didn’t just meet each of their unique needs; He offered them hope, peace, healing, acceptance, restoration, and forgiveness for their wounded heart and soul. He turned each one of them into a better version of themselves. To bring you back to perspective, look at the cross to see the immeasurable greatness of God’s love. THE INNOCENT BECOMES THE GUILTY, SO THAT THE GUILTY CAN BE MADE INNOCENT!
“What then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also along with him graciously give us all things!” “The Lord has done great things for us. And we are filled with joy.” (Psalm 126:3)
God is on your side. WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS! Let’s leave the trivial things behind! Let us move on with our lives, focus on those things that heaven considers critical and important. Open your heart to the gift of Christmas, AND LIVE in victory! Live at peace with yourself and with everyone! AND REMEMBER, CHRIST IS THE MAIN COURSE! Enjoy Christmas!
