Saturday, December 2, 2017

December 3, 2017

Yesterday I talked about Christmas as proof that God loves you because He is serious about sin. He hates sin because He loves people and sin hurts people.


This Sunday I will talk about how God proves His love because He is serious about seeking. That got me wondering if the Bible talks more about God seeking us or about us seeking God. I haven't found a definite answer yet but I suspect He is the greater Seeker.

A lot of the basis for God seeking us is from stories in the Bible about specific people, or groups of people (mainly Israel).

Most prophets in the Bible, God has to pursue to do his work and to give a message to his people. Think about Moses. Moses denied his ability to speak and be a leader of God's people, but he pursued Moses until he was convinced of God's plan for him. In the story of Jonah God wants Jonah to be a prophet to the people but he runs away. He keeps running while God pursues him to the point where he finds himself on a boat in the middle of a storm and Jonah comes to terms with God's plan. Through God's seeking of Jonah (as a prophet to the people, and thereby seeking his people), he sends a fish that swallows him and puts him back on shore.

In the New Testament Jesus sought out most of those who became His disciples. He sought the woman at the well. He sought Zaccheus.

Jesus told several stories about a lost coin, a lost sheep, and a lost son that were desperately sought.
As far as verses go this is what I found just quickly when I came across this question.

Luke 19:10 - "And I, the Son of Man, have come to seek and save those who are lost."

Romans 5:8 - "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."

John 6:44 - "For people can't come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them from the dead."

Proverbs 8:17 - "I love all who love me. Those who search for me will surely find me."

Luke 11:9-10 - "And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks."

While some of the verses talk about us seeking God, it also shows that God is right there when we seek him. He is seeking us by providing the answers and knowledge we're looking for right in front of our noses.

And it is true because of Christmas!

December 2, 2017

"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned— To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come. But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the  one man, Jesus Christ!" Romans 5:12-17

Jesus was born to be the second Adam!

Why would He want to do that?

Because the first Adam blew it big time!


The second Adam had to undo what the first Adam did.

The first Adam was hand-crafted by God. Therefore, he was created with a sinless nature so He could walk with God.

The second Adam was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin, therefore, He was born sinless. Not only could He walk with God, He came from God and was in fact, God in the flesh!

The first Adam was placed in Paradise and enjoyed a personal intimate friendship with God every day - until he rebelled and was expelled.

The second Adam was in Paradise but left it to come to earth. He gave up His paradise to suffer and die in our world in order to regain access to Paradise for you and me!

The first Adam was perfect but sinned because he wanted to be God.

The second Adam WAS God but became man - albeit a perfect man - for one reason, so He could die to atone for our sins! He had to be sinless so He could take our sins upon Himself!

Christmas is about the arrival of the second Adam! The second Adam means a second chance!

The good news of Christmas is that God is the God of second chances! Jesus proved it!