Jim Van Gelderen: I’m broadcasting from Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. We’ve had a wonderful tour this fall. We started in California. Been out there for about a month and a half before we moved to Arizona and then to the state of Florida. Now I say all that because it’s a little humorous to me.

Just a week ago, I was finishing up in Bonita Springs, Florida in about 85 degree weather, sweating it out while we were getting things tied together. And we got in our rigs and started to make our way up, passing through a cold front that was coming down. And it was interesting, within that day, we saw snow on the ground in Georgia, of all places. And then, of course, up to Menomonee Falls, where I’ve had a few snows since we got back. Of course, we’re ready for Christmas now, and so a Merry Christmas to each one listening, wherever you are in the world.

I trust you’ll be rejoicing in what the Lord’s done. And that’s what I want to talk to you about, because many times with Christmas, we can get so distracted by the presents of Christmas. And I think it’s important to recognize that even now they’re saying that the religious parts of Christmas are becoming obscured in culture. That should be no shock, at least here in the U.S. Things are becoming more secularized and that’s how people view Christmas.

But I begin thinking about this now for several years. What’s the core reason for Christmas? And I know this is going to sound kind of really odd and maybe you might not even initially agree with me, and that is sin. Without sin, there would have never been a Christmas. And it’s interesting that it’s actually quite interwoven in the Word of God and even in some of our Christmas carols.

It’s interesting that the Bible tells us when Jesus was born, it says that you’ll call His name Jesus. Why? For He shall save His people from their sin. See, the truth is there would be no Christmas if there was no sin. We know when sin came into the world that there was no remedy that was obviously the Lord had before the foundation of the world had this ready, but there was no remedy given.

There was obviously a picture of the Old Testament sacrifice given, but Jesus was the remedy. Christmas was the remedy for sin. When Jesus was born, He came for one purpose. He came to save His people from their sins. It’s interesting in the Christmas carols, some of them are really quite evident in this point.

God rest ye merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay. Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day, here it is, to save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray—O tidings of comfort and joy.” Now of course that’s a reference to Isaiah 53, all we like sheep have gone astray and have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. So Christmas was because we went astray, we needed a Savior and obviously Christmas is God coming robed in human flesh. John chapter number one, verse number one, the word was God. Verse 14, and the word became flesh and dwelt among us.

Okay, God became flesh and dwelt among us. First Timothy chapter three, verse 16, God was manifest in the flesh. Back to the Christmas story, God says call his name Immanuel. What does it mean? God with us.

Christmas is all about God solving the sin problem. I think of Hark the Herald Angels sing, that famous line in there, God and sinners reconciled. See, when that babe came in the manger, he came for one purpose and that was to provide a way of reconciliation, a way for sinful man to be reconciled to a holy God. And so when you think of Christmas, you need to think about the fact that men are sinners. Here at our church just a little while ago we did a gospel adaptation of a Christmas carol and in the Christmas carol Scrooge was called that covetous sinner.

Well, it’s interesting to me, really, that is very, how can I put this theologically, what Christmas is all about. Now, you may not be a covetous sinner, you might be an adulterous sinner. You might be looking at garbage on the internet, or you might be an adulterous sinner. Sometimes people are lying sinners, a thieving sinner. Romans 5, verse 10, For if when we were sinners we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more.

Being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. You know at Christmas time, you not only need to think about the fact that Jesus came to die for your sins, He came to live His life through you. And although Jesus right now is seated in heaven at the right hand of God, His Spirit has been sent forth to live in you. If you’re a born-again believer, He lives in you. And you can be saved.

You know that means delivered. Delivered from what? The power of sin. By what? His life.

He lives in you. And as you trust Him, as you depend upon Him. He can enable you to have victory you never thought possible. Hey, look to Jesus to save you from hell, if you’ve never done that. You’ve got to trust Him to be your Savior from your sins.

But my friend, you need to trust Him to be your Savior from the power of sin if you’re already a believer. He wants to save you by His life, that He lives in you as you trust Him, depend upon Him, surrender to Him. Now all I’m saying is this, have a Merry Christmas. But have a Merry Christmas because Jesus Christ came for a purpose. When He came, think about Christmas, think about sin.

He came to solve your sin problem. And it’s a wonderful thing. If you think about that, Christmas will take on new meaning. Savior from sin’s penalty, hell. Savior from sin’s power, right now.

Now, if you’re a believer and you’re part of the Thee Generation, you already know what I’m about to say. The Christian life, it’s all about total surrender to the will of God. Zero percent my will, a hundred percent His. And one hundred percent dependence upon God. Zero dependence on my strength and 100% dependence on Him.

So as I sign off let me just say have a Merry Christmas and live a life totally surrendered to Jesus and totally dependent on His life to live.