We in affluent America rarely think of just “one thing” for Christmas, but maybe we should. The Apostle Paul expressed a powerful sentiment with these words (Philippians 3:13-14): “… one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
One thing.
As our celebration of Christmas proper draws near, it’s the perfect time to make sure that Paul’s one thing is our one thing: moving forward in Christ! It’s so easy for any of us to get stuck in the past, but the past is not where we’ve been called to live. We’re to appreciate the past, and to trust God with the good parts as well as the hard parts of our past. We’re to learn from the past, and to grow in wisdom from our experiences. And we’re to remember the manifold faithfulness of God in days gone by. But, when it comes to the past, you and I don’t live there anymore.
C.S. Lewis reminds us, and this is true for every follower of Christ: “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” That’s a good word for the close of one year and the start of a new one.
It’s been said, and for good reason, that our rearview mirror is much smaller than our windshield. Similarly, Paul is reminding us that, when we’re not moving forward in Christ, joy is very elusive. That’s because joy isn’t found in the things that are prized by this world, but only in our life-giving walk with Jesus. Christ alone is where our truest joy is found. Joy is born out of our life with Him. All of the lesser and temporal pleasures of this world functions like neon signs – they point us to the ultimate and eternal fulfillment for which our souls were designed to long: Jesus.
One thing.
The main message of Christmas is that Christ has come to be “God with us” forever! This was the angel’s “good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10). So Paul is reminding us to keep celebrating that good news, and to not let our past regrets, sins, failures, and mistakes get the best of us. We all wrestle with parts of our history that we wish had been different. It’s called being human. But we who follow Christ must always remember the “marvelous grace of our loving Lord … grace that is greater than all our sin” (Julia Johnston, 1910).
The cross is higher. The blood is deeper. The river of grace is wider.
We must keep swimming in that river. If the current of God’s grace isn’t moving us forward, then we’re moving backward. For us, there’s no holding pattern or neutral territory. Our spiritual maturity (the word Paul uses in Philippians 3:15) requires that we “press on …”
As 2025 approaches, you may be dogged by ominous feelings of false guilt. We all can get overwhelmed by agony over sins which – quite ironically – God has already forgiven. I urge you to recognize these feelings for what they are: feelings. Feelings can be very deceptive. That’s why we can’t trust them indiscriminately.
In sharp contrast, you and I must agree with God. When our feelings contradict what God has spoken, then we must side with God. And what has God spoken? In Christ, you and I are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17)! We are forgiven and free! The “prize” of which Paul speaks is the unspeakable joy of everlasting life with Christ – and knowing that the “everlasting” part has already begun. We have been changed … we are being changed … and we will be changed! No other gift which we will ever receive even comes close.
One thing.
As we celebrate the marvelous birth of Christ – the Word made flesh – let’s remember that joy isn’t something we can purchase. We can’t wrap it up and put it under the tree. We can’t manufacture it or reduce it to a tangible commodity – because it’s not of this world. True joy comes from our Creator and Sovereign Lord. It’s a gift from God – an unearned fruit of His Holy Spirit – secured through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. And the incredible joy of which I write in late December is unshakable because it’s grounded in the truth of God’s timeless and immutable Word.
One thing.
Let this Christmas and new year be our shining moment, friends, as we surrender the past … embrace and appreciate the present … and press on in vital faith. As we fix our eyes on Jesus, we’ll learn to walk – and even run – in the fullness of joy that our Christ has come to give us.
In the manger, God with us.
On the cross, God for us.
Now and forever, God in us.
I’m on the journey with you. And we are so not alone.
Pastor Charles
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