Plumbline Thoughts

“’And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins. . . . Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’” (Matthew 1:21, 23 NKJ)

A Plumb Line Thought: Necessity did not drive the Incarnation; it was God’s everlasting love to save His people from their sins

The sin rendered man incapable to restore fellowship with God. And it is because of man being in a helpless and hopeless state, the Incarnation of God the Son became necessary, taking on Him the very nature of man both of body and soul. It would be the only way that God’s people would be saved from the penalty, power, and presence of sin (Romans 3:9-20; John 1:1-3, 14; Matthew 1:21).

But though the Incarnation of the Second of the Triune Godhead was necessary, God would have been perfectly just in leaving man in his condemned state (John 3:18); it was God’s love that moved Him to save those sinners whom had chosen out of the whole of humanity (Deuteronomy 7:7-8; ; Jeremiah 31:3; John 3:16; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 1:3-5; 2:1-5).

And because we do not know who are to be saved and who will be left in their condemned we are to also be moved with love and compassion for every man, woman, and child of every nationality, people, ethnic background and tongue to witness Christ to them in proclaim the good news of God’s salvation and redemption through Jesus Christ (Revelation 5:9) – and as we do so, let’s pray that God will work grace in each person by the mighty working of the Holy Spirit to wash and regenerate him to a new life in life grant him a repentant heart and giving him the gift of faith to believe (Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 2:25).

Won’t this Christmas season be a time when you come to Jesus Christ by faith and in true repentance, resting in His atoning work on the cross alone for your salvation, rejoicing in His redemptive work having delivered you from the bondage to sin and the power of the devil?