Sometimes I notice myself feeling desensitized to Jesus. I've known Him for so long that I can forget just how significant He is, particularly how significant His birth and death are. The best way for me to keep my beliefs fresh is 1. for me to spend time studying the Bible deeper to understand the cultural context in which these events occurred. And 2. for me to spend time reflecting on them. But why is any of this worth my time? I'll give you a hint: It shouldn't be to impress people or make them think you're some brilliant Christian... It SHOULD be to maximize your impact as a believer. I know from experience that when the gospel is fresh in my life, that's what will flow out of me. When it's dry and distant in my mind, I forfeit the daily opportunities to evangelize by simply being mindful of Jesus in everything. So I hope this scripture and reflection will help you bring the focus back to where it should be. It is Christmas week, after all!
“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘no’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, & to live self-controlled, upright & godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.” Titus 1:11-14 People waited a very long time for Jesus to come. We're talking many, many generations. Prior to His arrival on earth, there was no once-&-for-all way to cover our sins & be totally forgiven for good. They used to have to find spotless lambs & kill them, using their sacrificial blood as a covering for their sins... & then they’d sin again & have to go through the process over & over. There was such a great distance between God and man. That distance is also called “our sin.” The promise of a Messiah coming one day to save God's people was the hope they clung to. That's something we tend to forget about in our era... the great anticipation of the Savior's arrival & the deep desperation many must have felt. This may be a memory lane lesson taking you back to 3rd grade Sunday school, but stick with me: We didn’t deserve it, but God’s love for humanity is so deep & limitless that He sent His beloved Son to enter this earth as a helpless baby. Unlike the lavish king people expected Him to be, Jesus was raised by a simple carpenter & a young, surely nervous mother. Have you ever thought about how strange it is that the "King of the Jews" had a life that looked nothing like that of a royal? He had no throne, no title, no glamorous image. At 30 he (finally) was prompted by God to begin HIs ministry. He spent three years performing miracles & ministering to people. Some believed His true identity, Messiah & Son of God, and LOVED Him. Others did not; especially the religious leaders. They HATED Him. He led a sinless life & performed the most amazing, life-changing miracles, yet his fate was to be brutally beaten and crucified by the very people He came to save. The Bible tells us He did not WANT to be beaten & crucified... He was fully God, but He was still fully human too! But He knew He was our only hope, so He didn’t fight the people who viciously beat and killed Him. He knew WHO He was sent to this earth for: Us. & He knew WHAT He was sent to the earth for... to endure all of that, just so we (sinners) could be in close relationship with God forever. And don't forget that many will choose to reject that invitation anyway! The extent of God's love is much greater than we can understand. We must never forget that. For Jesus it’s completely unfair. Totally unjust. Disturbingly cruel. Entirely undeserved. It makes me stop and grieve sometimes... thinking about all He went through for me... how sad God must have been watching His Son suffer. But it’s NOT a tragedy to Him. And it shouldn’t be to us. Yes, we should feel deeply thankful when we reflect on all of that. BUT, it’s the most joyful news we will ever receive! Why? Because Jesus’s life and death had (and have) PURPOSE. Without Jesus coming to die for our sins - and without Jesus raising from the dead... sin and death would still have the final say. We would all be separate from God forever and on a speeding train to Hell. Satan would win. Thank God that doesn’t have to be our fate! Because of Jesus’s complete blood sacrifice on the cross, we can be fully forgiven for ALL of our sins - past, present, future. ALL. OF. THEM. We deserve Hell, but God loves us too much to give up on us without a fight. The thought of His precious children spending eternity away from Him in misery is NOT His desire! After all, He made us in His image to have close relationship with Him. It's just that our sin gets in the way. So He sent Jesus to be the one & ONLY WAY. Yes, there is only one way to Heaven, and His Name is Jesus. The good news is, it's all quite simple from here. When we accept Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross, believing He died for our sin & rose from the dead for our eternal life, we can be SAVED from the terrible fate we deserve as sinners. All we need to do is acknowledge that we are sinners in need of God’s Grace... believe that Jesus died and rose again for us... & confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord... and BOOM. If you were sincere, you have just been totally forgiven. “My sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow” describes salvation perfectly. “It’s really that simple? I grew up in a church where it seemed so much harder than that...” Yes, it’s really that simple. And to my friends who are already walking with the Lord: It’s time we all work up the courage to share this good news with someone that God loves. Spoiler Alert: God loves all of us - so it shouldn't be hard to find someone! Please promise me you will try your very best to not become desensitized to the Good News. God calls us to SHARE it because we all NEED it! So today I challenge you to ask God who He wants you to share the Good News with. Eternity is at stake. I hope you feel urgency! I know I do. It’s hard to be bold, but it’s the most loving thing you can be in this situation. And to my questioning/new believing friends, feel free to reach out to me if you are wondering what you should do next after you’ve heard the Good News. I am a safe person that you can ask any spiritual question to! In closing, have a a wonderful Christmas week everyone! Allow yourself the chance to remember just how meaningful the Reason for the Season is! Merry Christmas! Love, Abby Grimaldi #BornToShine
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AuthorChristian Singer-Songwriter, Writer, Hockey Wife, & Fitness Fanatic. Nomad with North Dakota roots. Archives
January 2020
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