We have entered the annual season in which we look forward to celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, His coming into this world as a baby conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary by God the Holy Spirit. He was God the Son, the second person of the divine trinity, who would take to Himself in addition to His eternally divine nature, a permanent human form and nature. (Philippians 2:6-8). His coming into this world as a human being was for a number of reasons that are noted in the New Testament. Jesus Himself tells us in Luke 19:10 that He came to seek and save that which was lost. In Mark 10:45 He tells us that He did not come into this world to be served by man, but to give His life as a ransom for many. The Apostle John reveals to us in 1 John 3:8 that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.
However, the Apostle Paul gives us the clearest and most concise reason for Jesus coming into this world as a man when he writes in 1 Timothy 1:15, This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners… ; to save from God’s wrath and judgement, and restore to the glorious life with God for which man was created, those who in their rejection of God’s purpose for and rule over their lives had blasphemed the holiness of God, denigrated the majesty of God, belittled the goodness of God and slandered the glory of God, and were thus destined to receive the just wages of their sin, death and eternal confinement to Hell (Romans 6:23) (Psalm 9:17).
Paul concludes his statement in 1 Timothy 1:15 that Jesus came into the world to save sinners, by pointing to himself as the chief or preeminent of sinners. Now I am sure Paul was remembering and haunted by his murderous persecution of Christians, of whom he was now one, as well as his self-righteous leanings as a Pharisee. However, I might dispute this claim of Paul because, truth be told, there are times when I feel that I must claim for myself that inglorious distinction. I shamefully confess that over the course of my life I have transgressed every commandment of God more times than I know or can begin to calculate. This is however what I do know.
I have been a gross and vile idolater, having loved, desired and pursued my joy, my pleasure, my satisfaction, my significance and security in the things, relationships and activities of this present evil world rather than in the God who created me to find my greatest joy, my greatest pleasure, my ultimate significance and satisfaction in Him, thus violating the 1st Commandment of having no other gods before Him (Exodus 20:3) (Romans 1:25).
I have contrived and conceived in my heart and mind a blasphemous image of God, an image that contradicts His holiness and belittles His majesty, an image that slanders and suppresses His glory, thus violating the 2nd commandment to make no graven images (Exodus 20:4-6) (Ezekiel 14:1-5).
I have spoken wrongly of God, irreverently of God, ignorantly of God, harshly of God, profanely of God, thus violating the 3rd commandment, to not speak His great name in vain (Exodus 20:7).
I have not always kept the Sabbath holy, being unwilling to separate my heart and mind from the world and the vain activities of the world, so that for one day a week I could focus on the glorious person and purposes of God, on His great and precious promises, resting in and remembering all of the goodness he has displayed toward me the previous week, and coming together with God’s people who are doing the same, thus violating the 4th commandment (Exodus 20:8-11) (Hebrews 10:25).
I did not always honor and obey my parents, nor any of the other persons of authority God has placed over my life, teachers, coaches, bosses, pastors, and civil leaders, and thus violating the 5th commandment (Exodus 20:12).
I have been a murderer in thought and intent, thus violating the 6th Commandment (Exodus 20:13) (Matthew 5:21-22).
I have been an adulterer and sexually immoral person, thus violating the 7th commandment (Exodus 20:14) (Matthew 5:27-30).
I have been a thief, taking that which did not belong to me. As a very young boy I would steal from my grandmother’s purse to buy for myself candy bars and baseball cards, thus violating the 8th commandment to not steal (Exodus 20:15).
I have lied and believed lies, misrepresented myself, gossiped and born false witness of others and of God, thus violating the 9th commandment (Exodus 20:16).
And I have coveted things that belong to others, envying them for having possessions and positions I desired, being discontent with the things that God had given me, thus violating the 10th commandment (Exodus 20:17).
And to add an exclamation point to the reality of my sinfulness and ungodliness, I have never, for even a moment, despite my striving to do so, loved the Lord my God with all of my heart and soul and mind and strength (Matthew 22:34-40).
However, despite all of this, I can live my life at peace with God, having the assurance that I am forgiven of all my sins, accepted by God as His child, and destined for Heaven when I die. Why? How can I make such a bold and seemingly presumptuous claim? I can do so only because of the magnificent, marvelous, majestic, miraculous grace of God, that is mine through faith in Jesus Christ, my Lord (Ephesians 2:4-10) (Galatians 2:20).
More on this grace in my next post.
Grace and Peace ×