What Strikes You About Christmas?
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Woodstream Church
Genesis 3:15
What strikes you about Christmas? Is it the songs, gift giving, family and friends? Or is it also a time to remember that it was part of God’s plan for redemption, which was promised to Adam and Eve from the beginning? In the Garden of Eden, Satan launched a first strike attack on Adam and Eve, leading to the fall of man. It was calculated, lethal and highly successful, plunging man into sin. Death entered the world, affecting the entire creation. God responded to Satan, telling Satan that not only would His Plan of Redemption be initiated and executed, but Satan would not be able to stop it.
God Is All In. God is holding nothing back in His restless pursuit to defend, redeem and reconcile us to Himself. He sent His Son to earth, suffering torture and execution at the hands of unrighteous men to save us all from sin. God is all in to save us; are we similarly dedicated, responding in kind, in study, devotion, service, church attendance and loyally supporting fellow Christians?
He Is In To The End. At Calvary our Lord was wounded, bruised and pierced; Satan struck His heel. But on the third day, Christ arose from death, crushing the authority of Satan, releasing us from the bondage of sin. Satan is defeated, but persists in fighting, lying to deceive men into following him into destruction. God is all in to the end. Our challenge and duty is to follow Christ to the end, and partake in the joy of eternal fellowship.
God Is In Us. God was in Mary through the person of her son, Jesus Christ. God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself. Now God is in us through the Holy Spirit. Although Satan is now attacking God’s Family on earth, we can be confident that “greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.”