Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."⁶

In telling the story about a man named Angus McGillivray, whose example transformed a hellhole of a World War II Japanese prison camp into a place of caring and concern, we stated that because we have all sinned, we are spiritually dead and, consequently, separated from God who is also a God of holiness in whose presence no sin can ever exist or sinner survive.

That was the bad news.

The good news is that, as there is a higher law than the law of gravityâ€"the law of aerodynamics, there is also a higher law than the law of sin and death (which is the result of breaking the moral law). It is the law of the Spirit of life that God provided through his love by giving his own Son, Jesus Christ, to come to earth as a baby born in Bethlehem at Christmas some 2000 years ago and then, as a grown man, to die in our place to pay the consequences of our sin and our breaking God's moral/spiritual law.

As God's Word says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."⁷ Also, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."⁸

Because Jesus Christ gave his life and died to pay the just penalty for all our sins, God now offers each of us a free pardon for all our sin and, in accepting this pardon, we are freed from the law of sin and death. As the Bible says, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life sets me free from the law of sin and death."⁹

And that's the glory of Christmas. It provides the greatest Christmas gift anyone could ever give or ever receive. All you need to do is to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that he died on the cross in your place to pay the penalty for all your sins ... and pray and confess your sinfulness to God, thank him for giving his Son to die in your place, ask for his forgiveness, and invite Jesus Christ to come into your heart and life as personal Lord and Savior. Doing this is your "passport into heaven," without which you can never enter God’s Heaven of untold beauty, joy, and love. Whatever you do, don't leave earth without it!

For a prayer to help you, click on "God's Invitation" at http://tinyurl.com/6k49w.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for the glory of Christmas in that you gave your Son, Jesus Christ, to come to earth to die on the cross in my place to save me from eternal destruction in hell so that, as long as my trust is in you, I am freely forgiven of all my sins, and given your gift of eternal life so that I can live in Heaven forever with you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. John 15:13 (NIV).
2. Taken from Holy Sweat by Tim Hansel, Word Publication, 1987, p. 146-147.
3. Romans 5:8 (NIV).
4. John 15:13 (NIV).
5. See Romans 6:23.
6. John 3:16 (NIV).
7. Romans 5:8 (NIV).
8. John 3:16 (NIV).
9. Romans 8:1-2 (NIV).

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