Defining Providence

The 27^th article of the Heidelberg Catechism defines  God’s Providence as:

“…his almighty and ever present power,¹ whereby, as with his hand, he still upholds heaven and earth and all creatures,² and so governs them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, food and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty,³ indeed, all things, come to us not by chance⁴ but by his fatherly hand.

God’s Providence is His Almighty and Ever-present Power

The Catechism opens with a statement of the Almighty and ever-present power of God—which at once unequivocally asserts His active involvement in the cosmos.

 “Am I a God at hand, declared the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.” (Jer. 23:23-24)

Restated another way, God asks in this passage, “am I not both very near and very far away? Does the fact that I am high and lifted mean I am not involved in the daily affairs of the world?” This question is, of course, rhetorical. It expects a negative answer. God is merely stating the obvious, as evidenced by the subsequent verse, where God declares, “Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.” However, many today hold that God created the world and then left it to run on some ‘natural principles’. In other words, God put some laws in place after creation and retired from running things on the earth. God is more like an absentee Landlord to those who hold this erroneous view.

Still, others say man is in charge of things after God asked him to “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Gen. 1:28)

Who do you think holds the decisive sway over what happens on earth? Is man in charge, or God?

The  Heidelberg catechism goes on to affirm, “whereby, as with his hand, he still upholds heaven and earth and all creatures” and provides Hebrews 1:3 as proof: “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”

Acts 17:24-25, 28 further amplifies this understanding: 

“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. For “in him we live and move and have our being;”

We see from here that i) God is both Creator and Lord of heaven and earth, and ii) is in charge. He is the Sovereign ruler.

A False Understanding of Satan as the God of This World

Satan is sometimes called the ‘ruler of this world’ (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11) or ‘god of this world (2Cor 4:4), “prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2), a ‘cosmic power over this present darkness” (Ephesians 6:12). Notably, during Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, Luke records  “The [devil] took Jesus up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you then, will worship me, it will be yours.” (Luke 4:5-7)

Based on the above, many well-meaning Christians today believe that Satan holds the decisive sway over what happens on the earth. But does he? Let us scrutinise the validity of this notion against the entire Scriptural teaching. Satan’s claim to have been given the kingdoms of the world and has the power to give it to whom he wills is only partially true. Yes, he at times manoeuvres an evil person to power but he only does so only to the degree that God permits him to do so.

The Bible clarifies who truly holds sovereign control: “[God] removes kings and sets up kings,” (Daniel 2:21). “The Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” (Daniel 4:17), and, “There is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” (Romans 13:1). Furthermore, every king is subject to God’s Sovereign will: The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.” (Proverbs 21:1)

And when nations rise against God in rebellion, Psalms 2:2-4 says, “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.’ He who sits in heaven laughs; the Lord holds them in derision”. Psalm 33:10-11 further declares: “The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.”

We conclude from the overwhelming Scriptural evidence that while Satan exercises a limited degree of influence, as permitted by God. Satan and his demons do not operate outside the decisive providence of God. Moreover, let us not forget Satan is a liar and has been from the beginning (John 8:44). Sadly, many in the church today continue to preach Satan’s lies that he is in charge of this world.

 The Error of Thinking God Needs Man’s Permission to Act

We saw from Acts 17:28 that “[God] Himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything”. This verse alone refutes the notion that ‘God cannot do anything on earth without man’s permission’ as utterly unscriptural. This misguided teaching reflects a profound misunderstanding of God’s sovereignty and an inflated view of human importance. The apostle James directly addresses this arrogance in his epistle, calling it evil:

¹³ Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— ¹⁴ yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. (James 4:13-16).

James sharply rebukes those who talk as if they control the future. He reminds us that God holds sway over tomorrow, we don’t. His Sovereign will determines our next breath. If our very existence hangs on God’s will, how arrogant of us even to suggest that God needs our permission to act on earth? He is still God without us; we are nothing without Him!

The prophet Daniel drives this point home with profound clarity in Daniel 4:35:

‘All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”’

Daniel’s verdict is, we are not impressive (we are counted as nothing!), God is. Repeatedly in Scripture, we see that God is intent on exposing the false claim that there are ‘powers’ in His creation that can stay His hand. In Isaiah 40:11, 15, 17, 22-23 and 28, we see that God’s condescension and exaltation go together. We better not take His condescension as weakness! Isaiah 14:27 declares, “The Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?” (see also Isa. 46:9-10; cf. Isa. 43:13 and Eph. 1:11).

Once Job came face to face with God’s present and Almighty power, he declared, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2). 2 Chronicles 20:6 affirms conclusively, “In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you.”

Response and practical implications

This doctrine calls us to savour the greatness and condescension of the God who created and sustains the entire universe yet knows us so intimately. It should give us great comfort to know that our loving Father holds the decisive sway over what happens in our lives and our world, not Satan.

This doctrine gives us unspeakable comfort since it teaches us that nothing can happen to us by chance but only by the arrangement of our gracious
heavenly Father, who watches over us with fatherly care, sustaining all creatures under his lordship⁶, so that not one of the hairs on our heads (for they are all numbered) nor even a little bird can fall to the ground without the will of our Father⁷. In this thought we rest, knowing that God holds in check the devils and all our enemies, who cannot hurt us without divine permission and will. For that reason we reject the damnable error of the Epicureans, who say that God does not get involved in anything and leaves everything to chance. (The Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 13, ‘The Doctrine of God’s Providence’)

Notes

1. Jer 23:23, 24; Acts 17:24-28.
2. Heb 1:3.
3. Jer 5:24; Acts 14:15-17; Jn 9:3; Prov. 22:2.
4. Prov 16:33.
5. Mt 10:29.
6. Matt. 8:31; Job 1:12; 2:6
7. Matt. 10:29–30.

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“Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” John 6:26-27

Just the previous day, he fed five thousand men with five loaves of bread and two fish. For the majority of his followers, this was it—finally, a miracle worker who would solve their perennial food shortage issues. There was no longer the need to till the land. Who cares whether the rains come in or not now that the food-producing king had arrived?

This characterisation may sound condescending and simplistic, but it is not far–fetched when you consider the actions of some Christians today. I have been to churches where the average person was there not because Jesus is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”, but because of what they have heard he can do for them materially.

On April 6 2023, I came across a social media post attributed to the ministry of a prominent preacher with a large following. I want to believe this is not his real account and even if it’s not, it clearly tells what his followers believe. In the said post, 17 items had been listed from which followers could select one and they would have it by April 30 (don’t ask me, because I have no idea what was so auspicious about that date). The listed items ranged from cars to babies to visas. The most astonishing item on the list was number 11, Salvation. According to the post, salvation is one item among many that followers could simply pick from the shelf. No mention of repentance from sin, turning to Jesus, or God’s sovereign act in saving the lost. They could either choose a car, a visa or salvation. Sadly, this is not an isolated incident. Such is the state of Christianity in Ghana and many parts of the world today.

It is against this backdrop that Jesus makes his statement in John 6:26-27, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.” Jesus knew why the throng was following him. It wasn’t because of his teaching or his impending death and resurrection and what that means for their eternal state; rather, it was because they ate their fill of loaves the previous day and had come for more. However, in verse 27, Jesus exhorted them to have a different mindset; he elevated their eyes and minds to that which is truly eternal. He offered them himself, the true bread that came from heaven.

I’m not sure why you are following Jesus, but his reproof in this verse is important for you too. One of our greatest deficiencies as humans is our inability to accurately diagnose our true needs. Perhaps this is why most of our problems remain: because we have not been able to accurately identify what will truly bring us joy and peace. Our felt needs are often not our truest needs. Jesus says, “do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life.” Your greatest need is not a visa or a car or a baby or even good health. Your truest need is peace with God through Jesus Christ.

If you don’t have that yet, then earnestly call out to God to have mercy on you and restore you to a right fellowship with him through his Son, Jesus Christ. If you have already accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, then you have everything you need. Don’t let anyone distract you with cheap and fleeting substitutes. Your worth is not in what you own, not in skill or fame but in the fact that your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Remember, he will never deny us what he knows to be good for us, and he will never give us what he knows will be harmful to us. That is the confidence we have in our Heavenly Father as Christians.

Most of those who followed Jesus back then thought their problem was bread, but Jesus would have them focus on their true need, eternal life. This understanding is what led Paul to say, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him” (Philippians 3:7-9).

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Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”(Acts 11:1-3)

The background of this text is Acts 10, where the apostle Peter had a vision in which he was instructed to rise and kill to eat from a sheet with different animals –reptiles and birds of the air. The narrative further tells us Peter, upon further instructions from the Holy Spirit met eventually with Cornelius—a Gentile—and preached salvation to him and his household. It was upon returning to Jerusalem that some of the brethren took issues with his having fellowshipped with Gentiles. Peter’s response in the vision and the subsequent criticism of him by the brethren points us to the error of legalism in full force.

I believe you may have encountered or are presently encountering people who are bogged down in “do’s and don’ts”. Their idea of Christianity is built on legalism. One may ask, what is legalism? Legalism in Christian terms is making rules or works the basis of salvation. When we propose rules; do’s and don’ts for the justification of a sinner, we have signed up to legalism.

Legalism is the excessive and improper use of the law (10 commandments, holiness laws, etc.). This can take different forms. The first is where a person attempts to keep the Law in order to attain salvation. The second is where a person keeps the law in order to maintain their salvation. The third is when a Christian judges other Christians for not keeping certain codes of conduct that he thinks should be observed.¹

Simply, legalism makes works or self-righteousness the basis for Christian living. To better appreciate the subject of Legalism, we will examine the response of some Jewish brethren when they heard Peter had been with Gentiles. And also examine Peter’s own response in the vision

Legalism Denies The Work Of Grace

Throughout Scripture, Salvation is only by grace through faith (Rom. 3:28; Eph.2:8-9; James 2:10). When Peter was instructed in the vision to kill and eat, he answered that “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” (Acts 10:12-14). Peter was rebuked for calling unclean what God has sanctified. Further in the narrative, we understand how through that vision God was bringing salvation to the Gentile world through faith. Again, in the narrative, we come face to face with the fact that “it is God who justifies” (Rom. 8:33). When Peter protested he had not eaten any unclean thing, he was rebuked: “What God has made clean, do not call common.” (Acts 10:15).

Now pause on the words “what God has made clean“. This is a work of grace. If God doesn’t clean a sinner, no one can be saved. But out of his mercies, he saves and cleanses us.

Paul, in Galatians—a letter that opposes the error of Legalism—notes that “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1). Legalism enslaves and Paul is here dealing with people who are making circumcision a matter for salvation. He didn’t take that lightly. Indeed when it comes to the issue of grace, any aberration must be dealt with with all seriousness.

Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are a severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law” (Gal. 5:2-4).

You see, if we are to make any part of the law the basis for salvation, then we would have to keep the whole law because as James said, breaking one of the laws is breaking the whole law (James 2:10). What a burden to make laws, regulations and rules the basis of our salvation! No one can be saved who makes the law their focus. Legalism therefore denies the work of grace that God has wrought on behalf of sinners. The brethren criticised Peter for having eaten with Gentiles and in the process denied God’s work of grace.

Legalism Opposes Freedom In Christ

There is a freedom in Christ legalism opposes and we see the brethren in the narrative bogged down in legalism. They saw nothing good out of the encounter between Peter and the Gentiles but their religious prejudice. Instead of rejoicing that salvation had come to the Gentile world, they were concerned with their religious rites. The description of them, “the circumcision party” tells a lot. This points us to brethren who are still bound to keeping the law to be right before God. These “circumcision party” are mentioned at different places in the New Testament and whenever they are mentioned, grace is under attack.

In Philippians 3, after Paul opens the chapter with a charge to “rejoice in the Lord”. He next warned the Philippians to “look out for those who mutilate the flesh” (Phil.3:2). That expression “mutilate the flesh” is reference to circumcision and making it a requirement for salvation. One can argue that these circumcision party are “joy stealers.” Their insistence on circumcision robs people of their joy in the Lord. Instead of looking to the grace of God, they place their confidence in their works. Paul again says “For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (Phil 3:3). You see, rather than glorying in Jesus Christ our Saviour, legalism glories in the flesh and makes self-righteousness rather than faith in Jesus the basis of Salvation.

Charles R. Swindoll in “The Grace Awakening” notes that “God has given His children a wonderful freedom in Christ, which means not only freedom from sin and shame but also a freedom in lifestyle, so that we can become models of His grace.” Here is a beautiful description of grace: “freedom from sin and shame.” Let no one dear friend hold you in the shackles of Legalism.

What Can We Do About Legalism?

Receive God’s Word By Faith

What made the difference in the life of the Gentiles is that they “had received the word of God.” It is even the Jews who testified to this. The phrase “received the word” of God means they believed it. They accepted it as the truth of God’s word and did indeed act on the word by faith. The best opposition to legalism is therefore faith. The believer must accept there is nothing more they can do to be accepted by God apart from faith in Jesus Christ. Paul in Galatians draws an analogy with Abraham’s faith and tells us that “just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham” (Gal. 3:6-7).

Dear believer, be on the alert not to fall prey to any system of belief which prescribes rules for salvation. It is faith alone in Christ that saves. Amen

Notes:

1. Matt Slick, “What Is Legalism”, https://carm.org/what-is-legalism, accessed 7th April, 2019.
2. Charles R. Swindoll, “The Grace Awakening: Believing In Grace Is One Thing, Living It Is Another (Nashville, Thomas Nelson, 1990), 122-123

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Paul’s epistle to the Philippians is one exuding with great joy, praise and adoration. In this epistle, you encounter words like “rejoice in the Lord” (3:1); “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (4:4). What is most fascinating is that Paul wrote these words while in prison. The epistle to the Philippians, therefore, is one of Paul’s prison epistles. Now it is fascinating because, in our normal human reasoning, a man in prison shouldn’t be exuding with such admonishments to be joyful. John MacArthur notes that “In spite of Paul’s imprisonment, the dominant tone of the letter is joyful (1: 4, 18, 25, 26; 2: 2, 16– 18, 28; 3: 1, 3; 4: 1, 4, 10)”¹. Philippians without doubts contains great themes not only of joy, but also of the humiliation of Christ and the great exchange that took place:

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him a name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Here is a Christological statement telling us of the humility, humiliation, and exaltation of Christ. Albeit, despite these great themes, there is one text in Philippians which is often widely quoted, and often widely misinterpreted. That text is Chapter 4:13. It reads,

I can do all things through him[Christ] who strengthens me.

Paul’s words here have been interpreted to basically mean the ability to achieve great feats in whatever endeavour a believer sets their minds to. A believer has exams to write, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me“. A believer is attending a job interview, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me“. A Christian businessman is chasing a contract, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” A believer competes in a sports event, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me“. An online article aptly describes how this text has been used in the sports arena by some athletes.

Tim Tebow put Phil 4:13 under his eye before football games. Jon Jones, the former UFC light heavyweight champion, has it tattooed on his chest.

What we must not do is pluck biblical texts out of context to say what we want them to say. Unfortunately, that is what many believers have done with Philippians 4:13. In hermeneutics, that is, the science of biblical interpretation, this is called eisegesis—reading into a text a meaning that is not there. On the contrary, we must be doing exegesis—reading meaning out of the text. Now, it doesn’t matter how sincere we may be with a text; once it is taken out of context we are being unfaithful to God’s word.

So, you may ask, how must we view Philippians 4:13? In dealing with any biblical text, the immediate context and the larger context of the bible is to be taken into consideration. We shouldn’t, for example, interpret a text in such a way that other passages of Scripture are contradicted. Thus, in the immediate context of Philippians 3, what do we learn?

Not A Booster for Great Achievements

Firstly, Paul’s words “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” should not be taken to mean the believer can do any great thing they set their minds to. In fact, with a correct understanding of the text, I dare say “you cannot do all things through Christ who strengthens you.” Eyebrows raised? Of course, the text says exactly that so why am I saying otherwise?
Please hear me out. The fact is, Christ doesn’t empower you to be able to do ‘everything’ you want to do. If you are not a trained surgeon, for example, you cannot perform a surgery simply because you believe “you can do all things through Christ”. This may sound an extreme example but that is a perfect picture you paint if you believe you can do all things. You cannot pilot a plane if you have not been trained to do so, simply because you can do all things. In fact, you cannot fly because you believe you can fly. You are not a bird.

It has been noted earlier that Philippians is a prison epistle. Think of this: what greater feats is a man in prison attempting to achieve when he writes “I can do all things…?” No, Paul cannot do all things in the sense of achieving whatever great feat he can set his mind to. This is someone in prison, who is probably bound in shackles and couldn’t even move about freely. Achieving arbitrary great feats will not be his focus at that time. A man in prison will perhaps be making good use of the limited time he has. He wouldn’t be having “conquering the world in great achievements” on his plate at all.

Contentment

In Philippians 4:13, what Paul is speaking about condenses simply into contentment. You see, Paul is in prison and the Philippians church have finally had an opportunity to show their concern for his upkeep: “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity” (v.10). It could be that perhaps hitherto, they had not had the opportunity to show their concern to Paul in prison, yet, through divine providence, it had become possible and Paul shows gratitude for their concern. However, perhaps for them not to feel compelled under duress to further provide for him, Paul quickly explains he is not appreciating them out of need. He tells them: “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be a content” (v.11).

Paul here makes it clear he has learnt contentment in whatever situation he finds himself. And this is the crux of the whole text: contentment. Building up to v.13 Paul will again speak of how he has learnt contentment in every situation:

” know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need (v.12). This is very instructive to us today in a world that constantly calls us to crave for more. A consumerist spirit has gripped many and they are never content with what they have. But not so with Paul. He tells us he has learnt to endure both plenty and lack. Where did he learn this from? He learnt it by emulating Christ. Remember, earlier he had advised the Philippians to “have this mind among [themselves], which is yours in Christ Jesus.” Learn from Christ, he is saying. Set your mind upon him. Let his humiliation be an example to endure whatever situation you find yourself. Be content with whatever you have and learn to trust in God in the bad and good situations.

Logically, if you have read v.12, the meaning in v.13 must now begin to stand out when Paul says “I can do all things through him[Christ] who strengthens me.” The ‘all things’ refers in the first place to coping with need or plenty. The apostle’s words are better translated ‘I can do all things in him…’. It is ‘in Christ’ that he has learned to do this.² If you have never seen contentment in Philippians 4:13; begin looking at the text in its context. I will conclude with the words of Sinclair B. Ferguson in his book ‘Let’s Study Philippians’:

Christians today live in a society which is permeated by a spirit of discontentment. Greed has destroyed gratitude, getting has replaced giving. But in the pursuit of self-sufficiency, we have lost our way. We have developed spirits driven forwards to gain more, incapable of slowing, stopping and remembering that those who sow the wind reap the whirlwind…It is time to pause and to ask: ‘Am I content, in Christ?’ If not, it is the first thing I need to begin to relearn³.

Notes:

1. Note on Philippians 4:13 from The MacArthur Study Bible, 2006, Thomas Nelson.

2. Sinclair B. Ferguson, Let’s Study Philippians (Edinburgh:Banner of Truth, 2005), 108

3. Ferguson, Let’s Study Philippians, 109

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The excitement is almost palpable. One can’t help but notice the jolly faces and the height of expectation as Christmas approaches. Christmas lights went up as early as mid-November where I live. Streets are sparkling when you go out at night. Christmas music everywhere. The line-up of entertainment activities is endless—from festive foods, to customised Christmas jumpers, circus carols, you name them! In a sense we can say that the whole world is excited about Christmas. That surely must be good for the Church, says someone. After all, nearly everyone (or so it seems) is celebrating a Christian festival. Everyone is excited about the commemoration of our Lord’s birth—at least for a few weeks. Isn’t that something to be glad about?

But alas, it seems to me that Christmas has been hijacked; and here perhaps, Satan has won one of his greatest Satan’s victories. Christmas has never been about wining and dining or decorations. These external depictions that are commonly associated with the season are meaningless if the true meaning of Christmas is relegated to the side-lines.

Not the wine
Nor the opportunity to dine
Not the gifts
Nor the lights
Not the veneer
Of seasonal wishes, no matter how dear
But a proclamation of the greatest act of love!
God come in flesh–mystery divine
The Judge become Saviour
The righteous for the vain
Humble and in a manger
Rejected and slain
My sins and yours upon His shoulder
Atoning sacrifice–that you and I should gain
True Life came at Christmas!
Bursting the bonds
Up He rose, hail!
Leading bands
Free from Satan’s grips and hell
Free from condemnation
Adopted into His family
Spreading the message of reconciliation
Free grace in Jesus through faith in Him only.
This is the message of Christmas!

Christmas is a time when we are reminded of our need for a saviour. The true Christmas spirit, is one that glories over the gift of God’s Son to a world that is steeply plunging into perversion and perdition. Christmas reminds us of our great sin, and God’s great sacrifice to turn rebel mankind back to Himself. On the contrary, the Christmas spirit of the age is one which says you’re a good person as long as you’re nice and kind for a few weeks (during Christmas).

Suddenly during Christmas, everyone is generous and giving away presents. Enemies are encouraged to make peace—even if it’s just for a few weeks. Friends and families get together for meals, and for a few weeks it’s all cheer and jolly. We are easily misled to think that man is not so evil after all. We can be good if we want to. Certainly, Christmas proves we are naturally kind at heart. Occasional church-goers pride themselves that they at least attend the Christmas and end-of-year services. One of such occasional ‘worshippers’ told me once, “I like the positive feeling I get each time I attend the mass at Easter and Christmas. You really get a true sense of God’s presence. I like that sort of feeling.” This I believe is where we have fallen prey to Satan’s sly tactics. Attending a service or two throughout the year, and an occasional show of kindness do not automatically make us good in God’s sight.

Scripture labours the point that we are not good by nature (Jer. 17:9; Romans 3:10-13). Not that we can’t do any good at all, the question at stake is not to be able to do good for a season or most of the time, but to meet God’s standard of holiness. Truth is, we fall short miserably (Rom. 3:23; Isa. 53:6, 11). That’s why Christ came. The one from whom we were estranged, and the one who will judge all our actions on the last day, became like us to save us. He identified with us at Christmas, and took our place and died for our sins. Jesus became our substitute at Christmas. Through His sacrifice—by believing in what He did on our behalf–we can be reconciled to God (John 3:16, 2Cor. 5:19).

The modern spirit of Christmas is a deception. Our superficial and temporal acts of goodness can’t make things right between us and God. J. I. Packer captures this deceptive spirit of the age aptly in his writing¹ thus:

Modern men and women …naturally incline to a high opinion of themselves…in the moral realm they are absolutely kind to themselves, treating small virtues as compensating for great vices and refusing to take seriously the idea that, morally speaking, there is anything much wrong with them. They tend to dismiss a bad conscience, in themselves and in others, as an unhealthy psychological freak, a sign of disease and mental aberration rather than an index of moral reality. For modern men and women are convinced that despite their little peccadilloes – drinking, gambling, reckless driving, sexual laxity, black and white lies, sharp practice in trading, dirty reading, and what have you—they are at heart thoroughly good folks. Then, as pagans do (and the modern heart is pagan – make no mistake about that), they imagine God as a magnified image of themselves, and assume that God shares their own complacency about themselves. The thought of themselves as creatures fallen from God’s image, rebels against God’s rule, guilty and unclean in God’s sight, fit only for God’s condemnation, never enters their heads.

More and more the focus of the season has shifted from Christ—even the songs that are passed off these days as Christmas carols have little or nothing to do with Christ. The irony is, people are happy to chat about Santa, elves, travel plans and socials, but hate the mention of Christ at Christmas. But there can be no Christmas without Christ. Christmas is a proclamation of the glad tidings that whilst we fail to meet God’s mark, God has Himself provided a way by which we can approach His presence. The Son of God came down at Christmas that we might become sons of God. Thomas Binney articulates this beautifully:

Eternal Light! Eternal Light!
How pure the soul must be,
When, placed within thy searching sight,
It shrinks not, but with calm delight
Can live and look on thee.

The spirits that surround thy throne
May bear the burning bliss;
But surely that is theirs alone
Who, undefiled, have never known
A fallen world like this.

O how shall I, whose native sphere
Is dark, whose mind is dim,
Before the Ineffable appear,
And on my naked spirit bear
The uncreated beam?

There is a way for man to rise
To that sublime abode:
An offering and a sacrifice,
A Holy Spirit’s energies,
An Advocate with God:

These, these prepare us for the sight
Of holiness above:
The sons of ignorance and night
May dwell in the eternal Light,
Through the eternal Love!

Let’s tell everyone about it!

Notes:

1. J. I. Packer, Knowing God; pp. 146-147.

2. Thomas Binney, 1798-1874.

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