Acts International Template
Articles > Christmas: > Never Left Out

Never Left Out

So let every one of us who can this Christmas season open our hearts to others in need—others who are less fortunate than we—and do what we can in some thoughtful way to help brighten their Christmas as an expression of gratitude for all that we have been given and for all of our innumerable blessings.

Most of all let us do this as an expression of our gratitude to God for his great love gift to the world in the giving of his Son, Jesus, who laid aside his external robes of deity and, clothing himself in a garment of human flesh, stepped out of the “ivory palaces of heaven” to come to earth as a babe born in a humble manger in Bethlehem. He did this to identify with lost mankind and die on an insufferably cruel Roman cross in your place and mine to pay the penalty for all our sins so we could be freely forgiven and receive God’s gift of eternal life so we could live with him in heaven forever. There is no greater Christmas gift to you and me than God’s loving Christmas gift of his Son, Jesus, to the world.

The fact is, whether we realize it or not, God loves every one of us with an everlasting love and doesn’t want any one of us to feel left out of his Kingdom of Heaven. This is why God gave his Son Jesus to die for us to save us from our sins and its consequence which is separation from God and all loving life for all eternity.

As God said to the ancient children of Israel and says to you and me today, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.”1 And again, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”2 In other words, God doesn’t want you and me to be left out of his great plan for mankind.

Just as certain as Christ’s first coming
... so will be his second coming.

God’s Word, the Bible, also promises that Jesus Christ will return to earth and when he does, he will be coming for his true followers to take them to be with him in heaven forever. His Word says, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned.”3 Just as certain as Christ’s first coming was at Christmas 2000 years ago, so will be his second coming. The critical issue is that we are ready for that time because God doesn’t want you or me to be left out. What if Jesus would come this Christmas, would you be ready or would you be left out and left behind?

Dear reader, if you have never accepted God’s gift of forgiveness for your sins and his gift of eternal life, accepting these could be life’s greatest Christmas gift you could ever receive. Whatever you do, make sure you are ready for Jesus’ return and that you are prepared for life after death by accepting Jesus as your Savior today.

You don’t have to be left out. God’s gift is there for the taking. In a simple prayer confess your sinfulness to God right now, tell him that you believe Jesus is the Son of God and that he died for your sins, ask for his forgiveness and invite Jesus Christ to come into your heart and life to be your personal Lord and Savior.

For a simple prayer to help you to do this, click on the God's Invitation link below, or for further help click on the Know God link below.

1. Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV)
2. 2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV).
3. 2 Peter 3:10 (NKJV).

Back to Page One

All articles on this website are written by
Richard (Dick) Innes unless otherwise stated.