Editorial December 23, 2019 Issue

Unwrapping God’s gift of true freedom

Tony Lobl

Christmas is cherished by many as an annual treasure trove of family love, traditional food, and festive fun.

But there’s a core element of Christmas that is about something very different. It’s about recognizing and rectifying aspects of our lives that aren’t quite so rose-tinted—including some, such as selfishness, overindulgence, jealousy, or a short temper, that can spoil our Christmas celebrations. The Bible says of Mary and the virgin birth at the heart of the Christmas story: “She shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

The promise of salvation from sin is the pledge that we will eventually find freedom from all thoughts and actions that obscure our recognition of being Deity’s joyous offspring, completely satisfied by God’s love. This promised freedom was the original Christmas gift from God to all of humanity, wrapped in the words and deeds of Jesus. He healed people of sickness as well as sin by knowing and showing their true being as the pure offspring of a perfect creator. This true nature is beautifully described in scriptural words that apply to one and all: “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.… ‘I am pure, without transgression; I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me’ ” (Job 33:4, 9, New King James Version).

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Bible Lens—December 23–29, 2019