Popular Categories

No categories found.

Home For Christmas, Part 2



“For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:11-14, NKJV).

What a powerful thought! The Creator of the universe loved mankind so much, and knowing man couldn’t save himself from the self-inflicted wound of sin, God sent His Son to take the death-stroke which sin demanded.  It was selfless! It was beyond gracious! It was more than merciful, and it was for everyone!

God didn’t announce Jesus’ arrival to kings; rather, He announced it to shepherds – some of the lowliest of the day.  Jesus’ birth didn’t take place in a palace, it happened in a manger – a feeding trough.  God’s message was, “Salvation is for everyone, no matter their station in life.”

It is a profound thought that God not only loved mankind enough to save us, but for the first time in eternity past, God left heaven to become a Man!  Now, forevermore, a Man sits on the throne of Heaven.  To take it a step further, you might say that God became like us so that we could be like Him.

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8, NKJV).

God came to make a home in the heart of man.  As anyone who purchases a home knows, once you move in, it may be necessary to do renovations.  Afterward, you will decorate the home the way you want it to look.  Renovations were needed for man to be whole again.  Jesus was broken that we might be made whole.  It is essential to understand that our wholeness comes through the participation of our faith in Him to make us whole.  From that point the work of the Holy Spirit begins to make us like Christ.

“…If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame” (Romans 10:9-11, NKJV).

The Christmas Season gives us renewed hope and the opportunity for a renewed sense of focus.  While costs traditionally go up in December, I appreciate the fact that at this time of year, there is a built-in opportunity to shift the focus from myself to God and to His people.

Merry Christmas!

* * *

Rob Granger and his wife, Becky, serve as Executive Pastors of Grace Church San Marcos under Senior Pastors Brian and Melissa Bauer. Located at 855 E. Barham Drive, San Marcos, Grace San Marcos meets at 10 a.m. Sundays and 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays with meetings for youth, children and other groups scheduled throughout the week. Visit www.gracesanmarcos.net for further information.

  The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Times-Advocate.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *