Have Yourself A Moral Centered Christmas

Posted on December 1, 2021 by Catey Stover in Freedom Fighters

“For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.”

James 2:10 (NKJV)

 

So…today is December 1st and anyone with a copy of “My Utmost For His Highest” knows that Oswald Chambers has started today’s devotional with this statement, “The moral law does not consider our weakness as human beings; in fact, it does not take into account our heredity or infirmities. It simply demands that we be absolutely moral.” Not too sure about you, my friend, but as for me the word “OUCH’ comes to mind. So, what’s he saying? There ain’t no wiggle room? Well, he goes on to answer my question…and I don’t like that either. “The moral law, ordained by God, does not make itself weak to the weak by excusing our shortcomings.” Gee, that’s swell.

 

Can you imagine going to your children, at this time of the year and telling them, “There ain’t no Santa Claus coming if you don’t OBEY everything single syllable I utter. One moment of weakness in your obedience and BOOM…no more Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” I mean you would make Ebenezer Scrooge look like Mary Poppins, your children would be crushed, probably still disobedient in some ways and The Grinch is looking for holiday tips from you.

 

And John Calvin doesn’t make things better. “We now, then, understand the design of James, that is, that if we cut off from God’s law what is less agreeable to us, though in other parts we may be obedient, yet we become guilty of all, because in one particular thing we violate the whole law. And though he accommodates what is said to be the subject in hand, it is yet taken from a general principle, —that God has prescribed to us a rule of life, which it is not lawful for us to mutilate.” Wha!? If that is coming from your pulpit this coming Christmas season, coal is too good to be in your stocking, you heathen!!

 

“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God–through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:24-25a

 

I know it isn’t a good thing to try a convey one of these moral law kinda messages while everybody is trying to deck the halls with boughs of holly but we are called to sit back and reflect on what was done for us by Emmanuel…God with us. So maybe I oughta share something from another December 1st devotional. This comes from “Come Let Us Adore Him” by Paul David Tripp.

 

“God would take on human flesh and invade His sin-broken world with His wisdom, power, glory, and grace. But He wouldn’t descend to a palace. Instead, the Lord Almighty, the Creator, the sovereign King over all things would humble Himself and take on the form of a servant; He would live on our behalf the life we could have never lived, He would willingly die the death that you and I deserve to die, and He would rise from His tomb as the conqueror of sin and death. He would suffer every single day of His life so that He could, with His life, give grace to the rebels, extend love to those who would deny His existence, impart wisdom to those who think they know better, and extend forgiveness to everyone who seeks Him.”

 

As I take that in, I ask myself, “Why wouldn’t I wanna try to keep a God-centered moral code about myself? Why wouldn’t I wanna display these same attributes in my life?” I can’t really excuse my behavior in those times where I’m muttering, “at least I ain’t out there looting and rioting like the rest of those “double-minded sinners’”, but I am casting a false witness upon them because, to put it simply, they know not what they do. No Jesus, no peace. My position should be one of praise because I claim to know Jesus and to know peace. In this we should be comforted by humility.

 

None of us are prefect by any stretch of the imagination but there ain’t nothing wrong with working on being morally centered either. This may be the most wonderful time of the year but it is also good to be reminded that Jesus Christ was sent to fulfill the ministry of reconciliation, that was always the mission. With that comes the responsibility of understanding what God requires of us.

 

It ain’t the decorating of Christmas tree’s. It ain’t kidnapping Mr. Shirley from his happy, holiday slumber over there on Melody Lane with all the other rich people (that’s kinda against the law and not very Christian). It’s simply to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. Oh, before I forget…love your neighbor as yourself. Amen?

 

 

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris is a husband, a father, has an education in Biblical doctrine and is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. He has been a Freedom Fighter contributor since 2008. You can e-mail at cphughes515@verizon.net.


Think About This: “We only begin to realize the power of the moral law once we see that it comes with a condition and a promise. But God never coerces us. Sometimes we wish He would make us obedient, and at other times we wish He would leave us alone.” – Oswald Chambers

The Daily Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 4 | You can download our 2021 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here. 

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. -Colossians 3:12-13

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