Merry Christmas

"For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11).

Though many people today recognize Jesus is the reason for the season, they don't connect their lost condition spiritually with the reason for Him coming to the earth. In other words they fail to see why the angels announced Him as Savior when He was born. Let me show you what I mean.

The other day I was talking with a fellow swimmer at our area recreation center. He and I had just finished exercising and were getting our street clothes on when I told him it was my birthday. That led to a discussion about our ages. This gentleman told me he was ten yers older than I. He shared with me he had been swimming for exercise for 20 plus years and he hoped to live many more years. To which I said, "I didn't know when I would die but I was ready anytime to go home to heaven." I had wondered about his eternal salvation before, but this seemed to be an opening to talk with him about it without it being awkward and out of context.

Now we were not strangers. I had talked with him before about my past vocation as a pastor and he knew I was still working at the church as a biblical counselor. I knew he and his wife atteneded a church regularly every week. But I don't assume because people attend church they have grasped the reason Jesus Christ was born. So the opportunity was there and I asked him what his plans were for after he lived his life here? He didn't get the drift of my question. So I asked him if he were to die would he go to heaven? His answer I have heard many times over the years. First he said, "I think I am!" Followed with, "I think God will see me as a pretty good person and He will let me into heaven." To which I said, "it sounds like a risky gamble."

This encounter reveals how vulnerable people still are today to not going to heaven when they die. Despite the good news that Jesus was born to die for our sins many church going people still think the pathway to heaven is being a good person. Why is this what they think? People like to claim responsibility for everything even the merit of making it to heaven. But it isn't because they think they are without fault. Rather they compare themselves to others and their life looks pretty good. They don't understand they were born with sin and are dead in their trespasses and sin.

But God makes it clear one cannot gain access to heaven by doing good things or having his good works outweigh his bad deeds. In the Bible He declares, "For by grace are you saved through faith, that not of yourself; it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Faith in Christ is the only way one gets to heaven.

If you are still uncertain about your own eternal destiny I might suggest several things you can do.

1. Read the Gospel of John. As you read it notice how the author describes Jesus with seven "I am" sayings. The goal of the author is described in John 20:31 - ". . . that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God; and believing you might have eternal life."

2. Check out the following link: https://www.gotquestions.org/four-spiritual-laws.html

3. Call us at CBCM and we would love to open the Bible up with you and explain the good news of why Jesus came to this earth (814) 724-8099; ask for Doug or leave a voice mail message for me to return the call.

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