[Come Ye Sinners, Ex Nihilo]

I'm embedding the title song at the end of my blog; we're blessed with an incredible church that plays ROCKIN' worship music, no sissy stuff, and I never knew I could love old hymns like this one until I came to Mars Hill.  Anyway, when you finish reading, give the song a listenin' to!  It's really good, and not just "good for church music" good- like actually solidly good music!  Love it :)

So, as I mentioned in my last post, this one and perhaps one or two more were written on Christmas Eve Eve (got that... I know you do!) because I'm in the grand ol' Missoula, MT to celebrate Christmas with my fabulous in-laws... fabulously flawed, like every other family, but I'd have it no other way.  "Perfect" people make me puke.

Well, at least, they make me want to.

This actually reminds me of something wonderful- we were recently with a bunch of friends from church and one of the guys is a new Christian.  He just met Jesus right before Halloween.  He's soaking up the Bible and learning what it means to be in relationship with Jesus and he's not the least bit religious because he doesn't know how to be.  At least, not yet, and hopefully not ever.

Anyway, we were all talking about our lives, the work Jesus is doing in us, and he started kind of tooting his own horn, talking about how generous he is and has always been and that's just a really generous person.  There was this uncomfortable shift in the room, as people sort of diverted eyes and looked at the ground.  I know what everyone was thinking-- "You're a Christian!  All glory to Jesus!  Anything good in you is because of Him, not your own merit!"

This is totally true.  But... the truth is, all of us, at one point or another, think we are better than other people.  We pride ourselves on what we consider our better attributes, and we usually determine our worth by contrast to others.  We either think, "Man, my friend Scott is such an ass!  I'm so glad I'm nice!" or we think, "Man, my friend Matt is so nice.  I'm such an ass."  When we compare to other people we always come out either looking really good or really bad.  So... we Christians (are supposed to only) compare ourselves to Jesus, realize that He is perfect and we are wretched, and find joy in dying to ourselves in order to be more like Him.

So yeah- said "I'm-awesomely-generous" friend was off base.  But I found it so refreshing that he just said that, his patting-my-own-back bit, because it was honest.  Jesus will mature Him, and that he'll stop relying on his attempts at righteousness, but that comes from walking with Jesus over time.  I was refreshed because so many of us, even more mature Christians, to this same thing- I, for example, think, "I am such a loving person.  I just really care about people.  I always have.  Look at me, world, I'm fabulous!".

Ok, so I don't actually think in those words, but I definitely have that attitude.  The deal is, though, I rarely admit that to a room full of friends in love with Jesus.  I don't want to look like such a... sinner.

Go figure.

So I'm grateful for "generous" friend, for reminding me that it's better to be honest and let the ugly truth of how desperate I am for Jesus to redeem me just hang out there.  Better than to put up the constant front of having it all together and basically living a lie.

Today, this day that we celebrate the birth of Jesus, think about why He came.  Not for presents.  Not for family, even.  Not for snow or Santa or eggnog or mistletoe or even animals with flashing red noses.

Jesus came to set us free, to redeem us and allow us to find the liberty of living life not for ourselves, imprisoned by our sin nature, but for Him.  A great Savior He truly is.  I'm honored to be able to say, with full confidence, that Jesus Christ is my Savior.  The baby in the manger died as a sinless man on the tree, and He's my entire life.  I struggle to live out the gospel, whoring out on food addiction and stuck in obesity, but He loves me, Jesus loves me, He perfectly fully actually completely loves me and He died while I was a sinner heckling Him on that cross as His sinless blood pumped out the hamburger mess that was His broken body.  From birth as a newborn in a barn that was always His purpose and, because of Him and only Him, I have the chance to be free.

That, my friends, is a reason to celebrate a merry Christmas.

So... listen to this song.  I'll even post the lyrics.  Read them.  Think about them.  And know that they are truth.

Love ya, kids.