The Chaplain Rev William Davis has asked Christians to use the season of Yuletide to reflect on activities of the past year, putting right what we did wrong. In his Christmas message, Rev Davis ask Christians to reflect why Christ Jesus came into the world.
Strength and Encouragement
Christ came into the world to provide forgiveness for sinners who would ask Christ to be their Saviour. Some of us may be facing various trials and tribulations in our daily lives. We may be enduring intimidation or coercion from unbelieving family or friends. We may find ourselves a minority as Christians, in a culture that is worldly in its environs. We do not have to be afraid. There are thousand things in this dangerous world of ours that can cause a heart to quake, a resolve to crumble, a spirit to tremble. We need to be strong. Our God will come with vengeance. We should not make it our business to retaliate, or seek revenge against those who wrong, harm or malign us. If you read Romans 12:19, God is the great avenger who will right every wrong, and he does not need our intervention. He will come and save us. God is everywhere with us all the time. Yet, we do not always see his delivering hand immediately at work in our circumstances.
However, if the guilt of our sins have invaded our carefully protected peace of mind and we see ourselves as being in opposition to a holy and good God, then this admonition will be a welcome relief to our souls. If you have been stumbling over the question, “What can I do? What should I do?” then the answer is repent, and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ as only in Christ is forgiveness of sins to be found; there is no other way to clean our record up on our own by ourselves. But through Jesus Christ we can find remission of our sins.
Forgiveness
We are all sinners. Our thoughts, actions, and words are tainted with selfishness, pride and idolatry. We need forgiveness. While we may have hurt friends or family along the way, the one whom everyone has offended is God. But how can we be forgiven? No matter how good or charitable you may be, you cannot undo the sins you have committed in the past. You cannot earn forgiveness by doing good works. Your sins have been forgiven through faith in Jesus Christ. And if God has so freely and sacrificially forgiven you, how should you respond to others? If you have not earned God’s forgiveness, but instead received it freely, why would you make others earn your forgiveness ?
Prayer
If we have anything against any one, Jesus says, forgive them from your heart before you seek to pray to your Heavenly Father. Do not presume to ask for forgiveness that you are not yourself willing to grant others. Let us use this Yuletide to reflect on our activities in the past year, putting right what we did wrong and starting afresh in the new year as Christian Brothers and Sisters in the true sense of the word. Amen
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year