Child Of God? The WORD Became Flesh - Merry Christmas!

Dear Saints,

Imagine you created the internet. You have used it to communicate back and forth even with people in the remotest part of the world. Not just the internet; you also created everything in the world. The people have never seen you before, but they know that you exist. And the people have a problem no one around them can solve. The people need a savior; otherwise, they will be destroyed forever. You are the only one who can help and stop their destruction.

Imagine, this Christmas, you showed up in one of the remotest villages for the very first time. The people cannot fathom and believe that it is you. For the first time, they can touch you and feel you. Then, you speak from person to person. Imagine how thrilled these people would be?

Our imagination falls short because we are not God. Yes, we are made in God’s image, but there is nothing in us to compare to the Mighty God, the Creator of heaven and earth. The Mighty God, still God, has become flesh, human, dwelling/living with us. He is fully God, and at the same time, He is fully human - Jesus Christ.

Folks, this is the most fantastic news ever; that God came down from heaven to redeem and be with people He made. The Gospel of Matthew and Luke give us the step-by-step birth story of Jesus Christ. John 1 is Apostle John’s version of the Christmas story for the sole purpose that we may believe in Jesus and have eternal life. 

Do you believe, trust in Christ as Savior and Lord? Otherwise, celebrating Christmas means nothing to you. For "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." Romans 10:9.

Are you a child of God, not just His creation? 

Let’s read John 1:

The Eternal Word

1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. ⁴ In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

John’s Witness: The True Light

⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. ⁸ He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. ⁹ That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. ¹¹ He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. ¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: ¹³ who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

The Word Becomes Flesh

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

¹⁵ John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”

¹⁶ And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him." John 1:1-18.

I am often drawn to the central theme with my evangelistic gifting like Apostle John. When all is said and done, the bottom line is to believe and trust in Christ as Lord and Savior.

God left heaven came to the earth He created to save us all by His grace. The grace, which is a gift, is not actualized unless we believe, accept, and use it for the glory of God. Grace is a relationship with God. "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12.

I am particularly drawn to verse 14. Jesus is full of grace and truth. Compared to Moses, who gave us the Law. The Law is like the mirror that shows us our need for Christ. We are all messed up and have sinned. This Christmas and forever, we need a savior (the meaning of the name Jesus). 

Do you believe in this Jesus who is fully God and at the same time fully human? Please note that “the Word [Jesus Christ] was with God, and the Word [Jesus Christ] was God” verse 1. It did not say “the word was a god” as the Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs) have written in their bible. Jesus Christ is God the Son. We only have ONE God. "Within the one Being that is God, there exists externally three coequal and coeternal persons, namely the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." (James R. White, The Forgotten Trinity).

Contrary to the JWs, the Mormons, the Muslims and etc., Jesus is the Creator and not a created being. ”All things were made through Him [Jesus Christ], and without Him [Jesus Christ] nothing was made that was made.” Verse 3. Why is this very important? If Jesus is a created being, he would be sinful as all of us and would not qualify as a perfect sacrifice for sinners. We thank God Jesus is a perfect sacrifice and has paid in full the penalty for our sins and reconciled us to God the Father. Now we have a relationship with the Father.

Hallelujah! The above is the good news of Christmas. Please do not stop at Jesus in the manger. I get it. We all love babies. Please go all the way to Jesus on the Cross, died, buried, risen, ascended into heaven, and soon to return as King and Judge of the whole earth.

In this season, please share with someone the complete story of Christmas. It is more than a “merry Christmas.” May we relate to all people “full of grace and truth” (verse 14) like our Jesus. Grace and truth must go together.

Note in verse 12 that only those who receive Jesus and believe in Him are children of God. All humans are created by God. All humans are not the children of God. Judas Iscariot and Hitler were created by God but they were not children of God. Are you a child of God? Do you believe in this Jesus Christ? If not, today, repent of your sins and put your trust in Jesus Christ, the Lord, and Savior. Begin a relationship with God this Christmas.  Amen!

Merry Christmas to you and your family!