“Christmas” and “saving” aren’t words that we immediately link together. “Christmas” and “spending” or “Christmas” and “debt” seem to fit better, but really Christmas is all about saving.
The
angel announced to Joseph that the baby Mary would give birth to would be
called Jesus (meaning the Lord saves), “for He will save His people from their
sins” (Matthew 1:21). That was the purpose of the Lord coming into the world –
that’s the reason for Christmas.
We
all know that we have sinned, but not everyone knows that we need to be saved
from our sins. Maybe you think sin is nothing to worry about, no big deal. You
could not be more wrong. We are going to look at three things the Bible says
sin does to us, and it will show us how much we need to be saved from our sins,
and I hope will make us thankful that there is one who is able to save us from
our sins.
Sin
condemns us
Sin
isn’t just a slip or a flaw. It’s a crime. When we sin we break God’s law, and
that means we are condemned. We have a guilty past, a criminal record, and
there is a judge who is all-knowing and absolutely righteous. He isn’t going to
overlook our crimes. Because sin is an infinite offence to God, the penalty is
one we can never fully pay, meaning that we will be under the sentence
eternally. Little wonder the Bible says, “we must be saved” (Acts 4:12), and
little wonder the angel said that the announcement of a Saviour was “good
tidings of great joy” (Luke 2:10).
There
is nothing we can do to save ourselves from sin’s condemnation, but there was
something the Lord Jesus did – He went to the cross, and bore the condemnation
due to sin (Romans 8:3). He paid the penalty in full, and proved it by rising
from the dead. If you will repent and accept God’s offer of a substitute you
will be saved from sin’s condemnation (Romans 8:1).
Sin
contaminates us
Sin
leaves its defiling blemish upon our soul so that the Isaiah the prophet says,
“we are all like an unclean thing” (Isaiah 64:6). When the Bible speaks about
that beautiful heavenly city, it says, “there shall by no means enter into it
anything that defiles” (Revelation 21:27). The qualification for entering
heaven is not to be “cleaner” than other people, but to be “clean”, and none of
us is. But although we are not clean, we can be cleansed. The Lord is able to
save us from the contamination of sin. He says, “I will deliver you from all
your uncleannesses” (Ezekiel 36:29).
You
maybe feel the filth of sin in your own life. Because of the life you have
lived and the things you have done your mind is defiled and your heart soiled.
There is a wonderful verse in the Bible which says, “the blood of Jesus Christ
His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Every single stain sin has left
upon your soul can be washed away. Mark 1:40-42 tells us about a man who had
leprosy, and he came to the feet of Jesus saying, “If You are willing, You can
make me clean.” Those last three words maybe express the longing of your heart
– “make me clean.” The Lord Jesus said to that man, “I am willing; be cleansed”,
and immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. This is a picture of the
cleansing from sin you will have if you kneel before the Lord as he did, and
say, “Make me clean.”
Sin
controls us
Sin
has a power over us, so that we cannot live the life God wants us to live or
enjoy the blessings God intended us to enjoy. As you think of the Christian
life, you just can’t imagine ever being able to live a life like that and you
are convinced you could never be happy – it’s just not your thing. But that is
the same for everyone. No one is “naturally” able to live a Christian life. But
when we come to Christ for forgiveness, He sets us free from the dominion of
sin and gives us a new life, and this enables us to live and love the Christian
life. It’s one of the things that proves the reality of the gospel message.
Jesus said, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed”
(John 8:36).
Sin is an awful problem – you really do need to be saved from it. But Christ is a wonderful Saviour – He is able to save you from you sins.
