Resting Easy This Christmas

When you don’t know what’s going on with life, God does. 

When things seem to be falling apart, God is in control.

When you can’t see around the corner and it leaves you uneasy, you can rest in God’s hand. 

Why? 

Jesus. 

God cares. 

God is involved in human affairs.

In the fullness of time, God sent His Son just like His prophets said He would.  That was part of a cosmic plan of redemption from long before time began – where God, knowing we could not save ourselves, came to Earth to eventually die in our place: a child born a Savior so we could have forgiveness of our sins by believing in Him (that He is God), by accepting what He did for us in dying in our place, and by believing that Jesus being God having taken the form of a man, rose from the dead.  It is the perfect Gift.  There is nothing like it.  In response to accepting this Gift of forgiveness of sins and eternal life in Him, we give our lives to Him as Lord and Savior in return.  The result: the salvation of our souls.   

We don't deserve it.  We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God: our sins separate us from God because when we sin we sin against God.  But God loves us anyway . . . so much so that the provided us the opportunity to be reconciled to Him if we accept what He did for us in our place.  It's in admitting that we need a Savior because our sins separate us from a holy God, that we can humble ourselves to accept the sin-debt price that He paid for us with His death on the cross.  When we accept that wee need what He did for us, that it is the only way to be saved from the eternal consequences of our sinful thoughts, words and actions, the magnitude of which is far greater than we know, we become willing to accept it and receive His gift of eternal life in return.  

How can we make any claims on God?  We can't.  "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."  (II Corinthians 5:21)  "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."  (Romans 6:23)

Some say the opposite of love is hate; but the true opposite of love is indifference.  But God is far from indifferent.  And God had a plan. 

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.  For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.  He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”  (John 3:16-18)

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  And not only this but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” (Romans 5:6-11)

“And there is salvation is no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”  (Acts 4:12)

If God cares for me – and if God loves me like that, and knows what’s going on, and has a plan – I can rest easy.  I have accepted His gift of Jesus as Savior and His forgiveness of my sins.  I have made Him my Lord of my life.  And the God who planned this redemption story long in advance out of love for humanity so we could be reconciled to Him and share in His life, still actively cares for every detail of my life.  

I can rest easy in His hand. 

You can too, if you know Him.  If not, will you accept what He did on the Cross in your place, and believe in His rising again the dead, for the forgiveness of your sins – and make Him Lord of your life?  It’s the only way.  The Gift has been extended.  Will you receive it?