Daily Devotional
Eternal Life
December 26, 2019
Today’s Reading
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. ISAIAH 7:14
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. JOHN 3:16
Eternal Life
Jesus did not come into this world at Christmastime to make us nice people. He came to make us new creatures. He was born of a virgin so that we might be born again. He became the Son of Man so that we might become the sons and daughters of God. Our Lord came to earth in order for us to go to heaven. The Savior laid down His life to give us eternal life.
The birth of Jesus is a foundation stone of this world’s redemption. It is not incidental but fundamental to our faith. Without the virgin birth, our faith would collapse like the proverbial house built on the sand. We must remember that God cannot merely overlook our sin and call it mercy. If He did so, He would cease to be a holy God. God’s holiness demands that all sin must be punished. If a judge knowingly acquits a guilty man, the judge himself is condemned. God’s holiness demands that there must be a full payment for sin.
This full payment was made by the substitutionary death of the virgin-born Son of God. He had to be a man in order to die for our sins, but He had to be sinless in order to pay the sin debt. By means of both the cradle and the cross, God is now just and the justifier of those who believe in Jesus.
Remember:
He came as He did—virgin born—
To be what He was—the God man.
He was what He was, to do what He did—die as a substitute.
He did what He did, to change what we were—lost sinners.
He changed what we were, to make us what we are—new
creatures.
Activity
Let family members share their own salvation experience. Pray for others in your immediate and extended family who do not have a clear testimony of having received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord.
Take advantage of the related activities and resources at ExperienceChristmas.org.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
