The perfect Christmas message is captured in the words of the Apostle Paul to young Timothy:
“This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.” (1 Timothy 1:15 NLT) To the question, “Why did Jesus come?”, the only true answer is, “To save us from our sinful wickedness!”
If we don’t get the answer to that question right, we won’t understand or fully appreciate what Christmas is all about. I know, I know—we love Christmas time because we hear sentimental songs (Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song” is my favorite!). We love to sing Christmas Carols (Silent Night is my favorite!). We give and receive gifts. We experience Christmas parties. Most everyone seems to be in a jolly good mood.
But the reason for the season is that the Imago Dei, the image of God in humanity, was and is disfigured and depraved. Jesus came because we needed a Savior!
Secularists can’t accept what the Bible says about people: that we are lost, morally bankrupt, sick, and broken in every way. Because they have misdiagnosed the problem, they have focused on the wrong solutions. Take their solution on gun violence—control the guns and you control the evil. But controlling guns does little to control the evil. In 2012, Chicago bought back guns with gift cards. Many of the guns were older or damaged models turned in my law-abiding citizens.[1] Yet Chicago continues to have one of the highest gun violence rates in the country.[2]
I don’t write this as a 2nd Amendment activist; I only cite this as one way the Left misdiagnoses the problem and ends up making things worse.
Don’t think for a moment that wickedness or evil are terms that should be reserved for the most heinous of crimes and people. Other forms of evil include abuse, adultery, theft, lying, cheating, gossip, homosexual behavior, etc. In fact, any moral desire, word or action that is not considered ‘right’ or ‘righteous’ by God is called and considered evil and wicked in Scripture.
For our actions to change, our heart must change. Enter the gospel of Jesus the Messiah. By accepting His message of repentance, and trusting in His provision for our moral bankruptcy, a regeneration begins to take place in the heart of that person. The Spirit of God in us begins to make us into something we could never be by ourselves. By His grace we are saved, and by His grace we are changed. The more we submit to His lordship and the more we surrender to the control of the Spirit of God, the more we are delivered from the deeds of the flesh (Galatians 5). Morally perfect? Absolutely not. Becoming more like Jesus—prayerfully so.
While the world continues to struggle with the sources and cures for evil and wickedness, the biblical Christian knows two ultimate realities: 1) Wickedness can only be expunged from the human heart by the indwelling, controlling Holy Spirit; 2) Wickedness will continue in this world until the end of the age when Jesus returns and does away with it all.
Lord Jesus, thank You for coming the first time! Now we pray that You will come the second time—quickly!
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Russ Barksdale
December 22, 2022
[1] Tina Sfondeles, “Chicago buy-back nets 5,500 weapons,” Chicago-Sun Times, January 24, 2012;
Chuck Goudie, “Gift Cards for Guns”, abc7chicago.com, February 17, 2022
[2] Toni Monkovic, “Why people misconceive crime trends,” NY Times, September 27, 2021