Christ as Savior

A little more than four years after my wife and I were married we received the news that we would become parents for the first time.  Our initial response was a mixture of joy, anticipation, and anxiety.  Would we be good parents?  Will we know what to do while caring for our baby?  What will life be like when he comes?  Some of these questions were answered quickly for diapers had to be bought, a crib purchased, new decorations for the baby’s room had to be set in place, and a name with meaning must be chosen.  In other words, our life began to transform at the moment we knew our family would grow to three.  And that transformation continues to this day, almost seven years later.  Decisions are no longer made by what is best for “the two of us” but by what are best for “the family.”  That which is desired by the individual is placed secondary to that which is best for the family as a whole.  This is understandable and healthy, but is a change none-the-less.

When Christ saves an individual a transformation happens.  Sometimes that transformation is slow while other times it is very quick.  But it is a transformation none-the-less.  Like our experience as parents, Christ enters and transforms the life of the believer.  At times this transformation is difficult, but in the end it is always the best.  And at His second coming the transformation will be whole.

Christ humbled Himself by leaving His throne in Heaven to be born in a manger.  He is wholly righteous and came to judge the living and dead.  But He is also the Savior of the world.  He is a life-transformer.

May this Sunday before Christmas be a time that we as His disciples focus on His transformation of our lives.  We were dead, but now made alive.  We were lost, but now are found.  We were enemies of God, but now are children of God.  Praise Him for sending us our Savior.

Christ as Judge

A family member of mine once had to go before a judge to challenge a ticket they received for overdriving the conditions of the road.  They had been in an accident in their car, nothing too serious, due to the black ice that had formed on the road.  As they approached the judge it was clear that they would not be able to handle themselves in a calm matter as they began to sob uncontrollably.  They were too intimidated by the judge to defend themselves and so in the end had to pay the fine anyway.

The first and only time I have had to stand before a judge was for jury selection.  And even that situation was nerve-racking.  Especially when I was singled out and asked questions directly.  Standing before a judge can be very intimidating and when we realize that we all will have to stand before the Judge, Jesus Christ, Creator-God of all things, the intimidation factor can rise to extremes. 

Two weeks ago Andrew spoke about how Jesus Christ humbled Himself, coming down from His throne in Heaven to be born in a simple stable to a poor family.  What an amazing, loving thing to do for us, the created.  Last week we studied how Jesus Christ was, is, and always will be the only truly, wholly, Righteous One who is perfect in every way.  His shed blood upon the cross was the only sacrifice worthy to turn away God’s wrath toward us for our sin.  This week will explore how Christ is Judge of the living and dead.  What will that judgment look like?  What will we be judged for?  How is Christ worth of being Judge?  Should we be worried as we stand before Him as our Judge?

Prayerfully prepare yourself for encountering this amazing characteristic of our Savior.  May God speak to us, teach us, and mold us as we dig into His Word with an open and teachable heart.

Christ as Righteous

Advent literally means a coming into place, view, or being.  When applied to Jesus Christ the Advent is His coming down to earth in full view of the world.  But the Advent would not be if it weren’t for the very character of Jesus Christ.

Last week Andrew led us in a study of Christ’s humility and the impact of His humility on our faith.  Christ’s call for us to follow His example and humble ourselves has a huge impact on our growth in God.

On this second Sunday of Advent we will be focusing on the righteousness of Christ.  What is righteousness?  What is the importance of Christ’s righteousness to our faith and salvation?  Why is my “righteousness” not enough for right standing before God?  Was Christ really righteous and was His sacrifice needed?

Let this time in God’s Word and our focus on Christ’s righteousness be a catalyst for growth and deepness in relationship with Christ.  May Christ’s righteousness be an encouragement to us and give us reason to praise and glorify His name.  God came to this earth, humbling Himself by coming in the form of a little baby.  This righteous, perfect, Creator became human in order to fulfill the will of God and save His people.  This alone is reason to glorify His name.  Join us this week as we study and are transformed by His Advent.