Come to Him
Christmas. It’s the beginning of a new day. A new era. Instead of saying, “Go, perform well by following the law” (which no one could ever do), Jesus arrives and simply says, “Come!”
For all of history, the children of God were told, “Go, and take heed unto thy steps as to the path in which thou shalt walk. Go, and break the commandments, and thou shalt perish; go and keep them, and thou shalt live.” Now here’s the baby Messiah whose call starts with come, not go.
It started with the shepherds and wise men . . . walking hundreds of miles in the dark, cold night . . . all to see a newborn. Come! Jesus probably looked like any other newborn, but the Holy Spirit told them He was different. This baby is the promised Messiah, born of a virgin, destined to be sacrificed on a cross to save the world.
Charles Spurgeon . . .
“The law was a dispensation of terror, which drove men before it as with a scourge; the Gospel draws with bands of love . . . the law repels, the Gospel attracts. The law shows the distance which there is between God and man; the Gospel bridges that awful chasm, and brings the sinner across it.”
Do you see the difference? Does He want us to obey the law? Of course. But He knows that our only chance of living a “God-centric” life is through Jesus. For a lot of my life, I thought I had to fix myself, clean up my act, and then I could invite God to come back into my life. I thought God was all about “go” and “be good enough” . . . then maybe I could have peace. Later on, I learned He was there all along, ever since my childhood conversion. I had failed at being good enough for years, ignoring that still small voice that kept calling, “Come.”
As you sit down with your family and friends this week, ask yourself this question, “Am I still on the treadmill of the law? Am I still trying to be good enough . . . to behave well enough that God will bless me?”
Or have you come to Him. Have you realized how futile being good enough is? Have you grasped that Jesus not only brings forgiveness for your sins and a pathway to heaven, but He also brings unconditional acceptance and unbounded love for you? All you must do is answer His call to come with a simple, heartfelt “yes.”
What a great way to come into Christmas this week than to say to yourself and to Him, “no more.” I’ll take Him at His word and come to Him. Because of His justice-creating death on the Cross, we are free from the terror of the law. When we accept His peace and His promise, He’ll be there beside us for the rest of this life.
Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for inviting me to come. Now, in the New Year, and every day following, I’ll thank you and trust you with every outcome in my life. I’m so glad you changed the game. I’m so glad you invited me to come.
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