A Christmas sermon part 2

God made a decision to do this without consulting us, with out asking our permission, without us really having anything to say about the matter. God wanted our salvation to be in his hands, not ours. God decided that sending his son to earth having him walk among us, live with us, then die for our sins and rise on the third day, would be the only way that God the father could be reconciled with the children of his creation. So God decided to do this for us. God decided because he is a God of love, a God of mercy, a God of compassion. God made this kind of decision because he knew that we could not my our own merits, our own works, our own efforts make ourselves worthy in his eyes. God knew we could never live up to the perfection he wants, so he decided he would live up to that perfection himself, then punish himself for our sins, and then tell us that by believing in what he has done for us. We would be made right with him.

There is a story about an elderly woman who was being called on by her pastor. As the pastor sat by her sick bed, the woman said: "Well I've had a long life, and a good life. And I've tried to do the right thing. I've never wanted to hurt anybody. And I've tried to keep the 10 Commandments as best as I could." The pastor who was listening began to think to himself: "Not dear old Suzie Johnson. After all the words of the gospel she's hear through out her life, her Christian education the sermons she's heard.... still believing that she is saved by her own works???"

The woman continued: "So I've tried to live the best life I could, pastor. But I know that's not good enough. I know I've broken God's law over and over again. But thank God I am saved through the merits of Jesus Christ. He's done that for me, which I am unable to do. I can look forward to the end of life trusting in His grace and mercy.

And the Pastor smiled... ..."

And that makes me smile too, for that woman believed in the decision that God made for her this evening. That woman believed that God decided to give her eternal life as a gift, as a present, not as something she had to earn, or achieve herself.

Christmas time is the one time that we celebrate the gift, the present of God, the birth of his son, who will give to us who believe

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