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Romans 5:8

8             But God commend his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

God’s Loving Sacrifice

God’s love is not just a feeling, but something that is shown through what He does. This is the concept of grace in a nutshell. God’s love is freely given to all people unconditionally. It’s not something that we work towards or attempt to earn. God gifts it to all people willing to accept it. Humanity is full of sinners. A sinner is someone in rebellion against God. God’s love and Christ’s sacrifice wasn’t dependent about when humanity stopped rebelling.

There is a belief that all humans are born into sin (see Psalm 51:5 and Romans 3:23). The cultural context views sin as a separation from God. This shows the reason of the reconciliation that was started by God despite this separation. The death of Christ is the ultimate sacrifice to provide the reconciliation. The death fulfills the Old Testament sacrificial system and different prophecies that describe the suffering servant.

Christ took the place of sinners, bearing the punishment fit for sinners. Historically, a crucifixion was a Roman method of execution, reserved for the most serious offenses. This sacrificial act was the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: Read Psalm 51:5 and Romans 3:23. Do you agree with the belief that humans are born into sin?

Responding to the Gift of God

We’ve been curious over the last two parts about “What does Christmas mean to me?” We’ve talked about how Jesus sent to the world to save us from our bondage to sin and reconcile our relationship with God. Jesus wasn’t sent to condemn Christians for their sinful acts, but to rescue them. Our response to God’s love is a life of gratitude. Part of the Christmas season is about sharing God’s love to those around us. We often do this through the gifts we give, but these gifts are often the tangible items that last typically for a season and that’s it. How we can respond to God’s love is a life of servitude and obedience. We can respond to Christ’s sacrifice by serving God and being His hands and feet to all the world. We must meet the needs of those around us. Seeing how we can help them out can be the greatest gift of all. We can also respond to God’s gift through our obedience. It’s a way to show God that this sacrifice wasn’t in vain. We can work towards being Christ like in everything we say and do. The more we can reflect the light of Christ that lies inside of us to all people, the more people that can learn about Christ, and the more people that can be invited into the Kingdom of God.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: How can you respond to Christ’s sacrifice this Christmas season?

Next part: Transforming Lives || Curious About Christmas || Part 12