Riverside Community Church
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Christmas, well, that’s baby Jesus’s birthday, it seems like it’s all aboutJesus as a baby, a new-born, an infant, a young child laying peacefully inMary’s lap possibly with a halo around His head.BUT WAIT A MINUTE.
He is the total package this Jesus, and He needs to be taken as the total package, all of Him because at some point the Christ-child got out of the manager, and this same Christ-child became a Christ-man and got out of the tomb, He arose, and now this same Jesus, King Jesus,lives and reigns forevermore.
2-if you take the Christmas babe in the manger, take the totality ofJesus, -> Jesus dying on a cross, taking on our sin’s punishment and freeing us, making us clean again, white as snow, giving us hope.
There are 8 more sleeps until we celebrate baby Jesus’s birth, but don’t forget -it’s the total package Jesus, -8 days until Christmas morning,yes. All this month we celebrate Christmas;
You see Jesus came to this globe to seek and to save sinners of which I am one, you too are, a sinner –‘our hearts were black with sin’. (childhood song called the Wordless book)
My heart was black with sin
Until the Savior came in
His precious blood I know
Has washed me white as snow
And in God's word I'm told I'll walk the streets of gold
Oh, wonderful, wonderful day
He took my sins away
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And although it has been over 2000 years since the birth of Christ, His salvation is not constrained by time, no limit of years is placed upon the Saviour’s ability to save. So here I stand, it’s 2023, and I am saved by Jesus Christ. He came to me -oh, the wonder of this thought, He came to save me! And He came to save YOU.
-and now instead of a black heart, a sinful heart, we are now cleaned of sin through the saving blood of Christ. He died for us, His blood, shed for us, instead of us dying for our own sin, Jesus died for our sin. And all I need to do is believe in faith in Christ and accept His gift of forgiveness. Have you believed, will you believe, will you be made clean again, washed on the inside?
- When we believe in Christ we are washed as it were, cleaned through and through, the dirt of sin removed farther then East is from the West, we are cleansed, purified, redeemed, made right with God and heaven bound. All because this total package Jesus came for me, Jesus came for you at Christmas long ago. It is a personal step of faith we must take, individually.
And now my darkened heart, my soiled soul, my sin-stained life is made white, white as snow. The Colour of Christmas is WHITE.
-the profit Isaiah wrote of this and quoted the LORD’S Words to us: Isaiah 1:18“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
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-God has turned our black, our crimson hearts white -> Christ’s righteousness is given to us when we believe in Christ. Salvation through the forgiveness of our sins. -Now God is turning our soiled lives into clean lives -white spotless.
The color white represents righteousness because of its purity of color.It is without stain, without blemish, damage or ruin, it is untainted, clean, and pure. The color white reminds us of the righteousness of Christ. He is pure righteousness, and when a sinner comes to Him in faith, He washes them clean. Sparkling clean.
Philippians 3:9…, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law (being good is not good enough -you’re still a sinner), but (a righteousness) that… is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.
Being white, pure and righteous is two fold. First, we are made righteous through faith, God looks at us and sees that we are righteous, God looks at us and sees Christ’s righteousness imputed on us like a fine robe.This is salvation’s righteousness.But hold on, when I look at myself, I see me still sinning, still messing up, still dealing with stuff in my life. Yes, yes, you understand something deep and profound. God continues to work in our lives, helping us to ‘clean up our act’, to live more righteously from day to day. This is called sanctification, becoming more like Jesus, day by day.This is what gives me hope from day to day. If God can handle my sin problem and forgive them make me white as snow (salvation), then that gives me hope, why??
Because if God can handle the big stuff, my salvation then God can handle and help my living day to day stuff. Like what day to day stuff, what are you referring to? Do you worry, that’s day-to-day stuff. Do you have deep seated fears or repeating self-doubts?This is common to humans, it’s this day-to-day stuff. Maybe your day-to-day stuff includes anger issues, substance abuse, overinflated pride (always right), depression, guilt, past abuse, lust, laziness, adultery, envy, or coveting, maybe you’re dealing with justplain agitation; on and on. Day-to-day stuff- there is a book called ‘The Sin Book’ where it lists 124 sins
Can God help my day-to-day stuff become better? -remember WHITE is the goal
There is a song that says this:
There is no problem too big that God cannot solve it
There is no mountain too tall that God cannot move it
There is no storm too dark that God cannot calm it
And there is no sorrow too deep that He cannot soothe it.
If He carried the weight of the world, upon His shoulders. All my sin, He washed them all away. I know, my brother, my sister that He, God, will carry you. Have hope.-if He washed your sins away, every sin, past-present-future then I know He can help you now, this is the Christmas Jesus.
The total Jesus package.
Jesus said, "Come unto me, all who are weary, (and tired and worn out,and worried, and fearful and beaten up) come and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28
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Luke: Unto you this day, in the city of David, a Saviour is born -that’s right -that infant, that little bundle was a Saviour because the total Christ included the manager and the cross and the tomb and the resurrection.
This Christmas, make it a totally white Christmas through the total package Jesus.
#1 Being white before God, sins forgiven & washed clean is done through faith, believing Jesus died for your sins and by accepting God’s free gift of salvation.-if you have never done this and desire to do so now, pray this prayer with me right now
- Dear God, I know I am a sinner and I’m sorry, please forgive me and wash me clean, I believe Jesus died for me and is my Saviour. Thank you. Amen.
-now tell someone if you have done that, please
#2 Walking through life becoming more like Jesus, day by day is accomplished by daily submitting to God’s will in your life (Lord Jesus) And by committing to do everything He wants you to do. As a Christian it’s always -submit and commit-is this your heart’s desire, is God calling you to a deeper walk with Him today?
Then tell God now: Pray: Dear God, I am sorry for my past failures to follow you closely, I submit Lord now to you and commit my life to fully follow you now. Amen
-now tell someone if you have done that, please
