What Does God Want For Christmas?

Another new Christmas song has hit the charts this year, What Does God Want For Christmas, by Darius Rucker.  If you haven't heard it, you should. It's a sweet, traditional sounding tune that's bound to be a future classic of Christmas Seasons to come.  Yet there is a haunting quality to it.  After hearing it just once, I found myself immersed in a thought process to try to answer the question posed by the song lyrics.   What DOES God want? 

It's not as if we haven't promised Him gifts in Christmases past;  Peace on Earth, Joy to the World, Love, Praise, Giving......it's a rather endless list of promises that we seem to callously offer each year as we run to and fro, self-absorbed in the true madness of the Holiday.  It seems pretty fair to say, that the ONE person most deserving to receive a gift on Christmas, is the one most neglected or simply forgotten altogether.  What's really sad is that we know this and still do little about it.

So, being the pragmatist that I am, I approached the question in a very logical manner.  Normally when getting a gift for someone I know, I look closely to see if there is something particular that the person Needs.  Obviously, that doesn't work well with God.  How do you give Peace to the One who IS Peace, or Love to the One who IS Love, or Joy, or Charity, or anything good for that matter.  It's the age old problem of, What do you give someone who has everything?

So I'm forced to skip Need and go right back to Want.  If God doesn't Need anything, is there something that he Wants from me?  This is the "haunting" part of the process.  I dare anyone reading this to spend some quality time pondering and meditating on the question; What Does God Want From Me?  And at this point in the process, it's critical that we have a clear understanding and picture of just Who we are talking about here.

GOD. The creator of all things. The sovereign, all powerful, all knowing, ruler of all things in existence now and forever.  The one solely responsible for your life and the next breath that you take. The One who is supremely Holy, and righteous.  So Holy in fact, that He has a supreme Hatred for sin and evil.  He is the Ultimate Judge, and will undoubtedly judge us all.....

Now I know what some of you are thinking, because it tends to be a natural reaction.  Many of you are considering making some changes to your life as a gift to God.  Being a better person.  Not sinning as much.  Doing your best to be good.  Maybe even go to Church more often.  Surely He would like that as a gift, wouldn't he?  Well..........there's a problem with that.  You can't break the most basic rule of gift giving, which is; you cannot give a gift that you cannot afford or that is impossible for you to obtain.  My wife would love to be 30 yrs old again, but I can't give her that as a gift can I? 

You see, the Bible, God's Word, is very clear on this type of gift.  It tells us that there is "none righteous" not even one.  There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins. (Ecclesiastes 7:20), there is no one who does good, not even one. (Psalm 14:3), For whoever keeps the whole law yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. (James 2:10), When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. (Romans 7:21).  Try as we might, the fact of the matter is, we can't be good enough to please God which makes this a lousy gift idea.  It's not in us.  It is just simply impossible to do. And that brings to light an even bigger problem for us.

Our inability to be good or even do good has separated us from God. Completely separated us.  Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. (Isaiah 59:2)  See what I mean by a big problem.  If God is so Holy that He cannot look upon sin, look upon sinners, or even hear from sinners, I can't imagine that He is too awfully interested in receiving a gift from sinners. In fact, the Bible calls us enemies of God, and uses the word "enmity" to describe our separation from Him.  What is "enmity?"  That means a severe hostility and hatred for something or someone.  

I don't know about you, but the idea of that sets me back on my heels and it makes me feel a bit foolish.  Here we are, talking about, even singing songs about, what to give God for Christmas, and all the while He is storing up His righteous anger, which will pour down as his Holy Wrath upon us all in judgment.  "Well, I don't want that,"  you say.  "Maybe that's the gift I can give Him then, to be His friend and not His enemy."

But you're missing the point.  And it's one of the great underlying Truths of the Bible. YOU CAN'T!  There is nothing we can do to reconcile ourselves to God.  We are doomed, screwed, hopeless..........and the Word of God is very clear on this matter. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:20)

Listen to the words of the theologian, Jonathan Edwards:

The power of the enmity of natural men against God, is so great, that it is insuperable by any finite power. It has too great and strong a possession of the heart, to be overcome by any created power. Indeed, a natural man never sincerely strives to root out his enmity against God. His endeavors are hypocritical. He delights in his enmity, and chooses it. Neither can others do it, though they sincerely, and to their utmost, endeavor to overcome this enmity. If godly friends and neighbors labor to persuade them to cast away their enmity, and become friends to God, they cannot persuade them to it. Though ministers use never so many arguments and entreaties, and set forth the loveliness of God; tell them of the goodness of God to them, hold forth God’s own gracious invitations, and entreat them never so earnestly to cast off their opposition, and be reconciled; yet they cannot overcome it. Still they will be as bad enemies to God, as ever they were. — The tongue of men or of angels cannot persuade them to relinquish their opposition to God. Miracles will not do it. — How many miracles did the children of Israel see in the wilderness! Yet their enmity against God remained; as appeared by their often murmuring.

"What kind of Christmas message is this?"  you're probably asking by now.  God's hatred of sin and sinners, my separation from Him, my hopeless condition, and NO WAY to fix it.  Oh....................but that IS the Christmas message don't you see.  You hear people all the time saying, remember the "reason for the season" and "the true meaning of Christmas," well it begins with the acceptance and understanding of Mankind's hopeless predicament.

Do you really believe that the God of this Universe would send his only Son to this earth to die a horrible death so that we could have a "Christmas Holiday of gift giving?"  He sent Jesus Christ to this earth because mankind was hopeless, doomed to die and forever be separated from their creator.  Christmas is surely about a Gift, not one that we can give Him, but one that He has given to us.

Christmas is a story of the Grace and Love of God.  Grace, the undeserved favor of God.  Think about it.  Who is more undeserving than a people who consciously choose to disobey their Creator.  Who choose to love the things of this world more than He who gives us life and breath itself.  A people satisfied living a life at enmity to God. And Love, a love that mankind cannot begin to comprehend.  A Love that would sacrifice His Son to provide us with the only Hope of being reconciled with Him.  Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans Chapter Five: "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die--  but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life....... Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned--  for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.  Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.  But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.  And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.  For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.  Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.  For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. 

Let's back up now to our original inquiry; What does God want from us this Christmas?  I think it's safe to say it's not a gift.  I learned over many Christmases that there are certain people you just can't out-give........and God is chief among them.  So I believe that we are focused on the wrong question altogether.  The ultimate question this Christmas is not what we should give to God, but what have we done with the Gift that he has given to us?  If you truly desire to put a smile on God's face this Christmas, it begins and ends with HIS gift...............not ours.

So what exactly is His Gift? 

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."  (James 1:17)  Remember, there are some people you'll never out give.  The Bible is loaded with verses related to the gracious gifts of God.  They are too numerous to begin to count.  I am reminded of one of my favorite movies, "The Ultimate Gift."  In it, the young man is told that he will receive a series of gifts leading up to the Ultimate Gift.  It's similar in many ways with God.  He is constantly and forever delivering gracious gifts to us, but there is but one Ultimate Gift of God. 

Lets first clarify what this Gift is NOT and dispel some age old, and current misconceptions.  God's Ultimate Gift is not our happiness, or our comfort/peace, and it is certainly not our prosperity.  It has become very popular in recent days, for preachers to stand in the pulpit and tell their congregations that God is ultimately in the business of making us happy and prosperous.  It's a great sales pitch to get people to join their church, but it is a not the Truth...........it is a lie straight from Hell.  It was even foreseen by the Apostles writing to the early churches; "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions."  (II Timothy 4:3) 

Secondly, God's Ultimate Gift is not us going to Heaven.  Somewhere down the line, churches across this country have oversimplified the Gospel message down to an oversimplified choice:  do you want to go to Hell or Heaven?  DUH.................now that's a real tough choice.  Then, almost in a "used car salesman like fashion" we tell people to pray a scripted prayer, sign a card, join our church..............and you're IN.  Folks listen to me clearly.  Heaven is NOT God's ultimate Gift to mankind.  In fact, there is not one passage in all the Bible that says Jesus came and died so you can go to Heaven.  Not one.

So what are you saying?  You don't believe in Heaven?  NO........I'm not saying that at all.  I cherish the fact that God is, even now, preparing a place for me in Heaven.  I think about it often and can't wait to be there.  But God's Divine Plan of Salvation for mankind must not be simplified to a place of residence.  It is so much more than that.  His Ultimate Gift to us is not just a change of residence.  And I challenge you, if your Faith is anchored on simply getting to Heaven, you need to honestly answer the question posed here by John Piper:

“The critical question for our generation—and for every generation—is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven,................ if Christ were not there? ” 

If you are even mildly tempted to say yes to this question, I urge you to run back to the Cross of Christ, bury yourself into the scriptures, renew your understanding of the Gospel message.............and pray.  Pray for wisdom in your search for God's Truth.

Ok.................I'm sensing an impatience to get to the bottom line.  What then is God's Ultimate Gift?  Well it is clearly announced several places in the scriptures, two of which are very familiar passages;  "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)  The Ultimate Gift of God to mankind is Eternal Life.

Eternal Life..... Well isn't that Heaven?  No it's not........Eternal Life is not a place.  "Then what actually is it.............define it for me."  That's what I love so much about God's word.  When we truly search for answers, you can always, always find them in the scriptures.  In fact, it's Jesus himself who offers us the straight-forward definition of "Eternal Life."  During his last night on this earth, in an agonizing prayer to His Father, Christ says these words; 

 "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.  And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."  (John 17:2,3) 

Eternal Life is Knowing God.  And God's Ultimate Gift to us is granting us the right and the ability to Know Him.

Now, before we fall into the same old trap of over-simplifying or misinterpreting God's word, lets quickly discuss three important characteristics of this "Knowledge of God."  First, it should go without saying, that this is NOT a head knowledge about God.  I could go out and read every book ever written about Barack Obama, learn everything there is to know about him.  Yet, if I then go to the White House and knock on the door to see my good friend Barack, I will quickly and probably very forcefully be turned away. And I will most certainly hear the words; "President Obama does not know you!" The Bible warns and foretells of the exact same thing happening to many who say they believe in God, know God, even preach about God.  Listen to Christ's words from Matthew Chapter 7:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'  And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness." 

This word "know" is speaking of intimacy instead of mere intellectual knowledge. Therefore, eternal life is having an intimate, personal relationship with God the Father and Jesus the Son. The original Greek tense of the word used here also reflects the idea that this "knowing" is an ongoing and growing thing.  It can almost be read as "should get to know and keep on knowing." 

Secondly, Eternal life is not living forever. Everyone lives forever in either heaven or hell. Also, eternal life is not living forever in the blessings of heaven as opposed to being tormented in hell. John 3:36 and 5:24 show that eternal life is a present-tense possession of the believer.  "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." 

Thirdly, and most importantly, we must remember and take hold of the fact that this "knowing God" is a gift.  It is offered to us by God himself. The logical implication to this means that it is not something we can attain for ourselves.  You can't learn it, earn it, work for it.......remember, you are at enmity with God, separated apart from Him.  This gift is ALL His doing.

And Jesus Christ is the physical embodiment of this Gift from God.  There is no other way to come to Know God, to reconcile our relationship with God, to be at peace with God except through His Son.

 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

" For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus"  (I Timothy 2:5)

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."  (John 3:36)

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—"  (Ephesians 2)

"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."  (Romans 5:1)

According to John 3:16, this intimacy with God is what salvation is all about. Forgiveness of our sins is not the point of salvation; this intimacy with the Father is. Of course, Jesus did die to purchase forgiveness for our sins because unforgiven sins blocked us from intimacy with God. Sin was an obstacle that stood between God and us. It had to be dealt with, and it was. But anyone who views salvation as only forgiveness of sins and stops there is missing out on eternal life.

Salvation was intended to be presented as the way to come back into harmony with God. Instead, it has often been presented as the way to escape the problems of this life now and the judgment of hell later. It is possible to become born again with that kind of thinking, but more often than not, people who are saved through that type of ministry view the Lord as someone to help them in times of crisis but don't come to know Him.

The church has been preaching forgiveness of sins instead of relationship with God. Forgiveness of sins is an essential step to relationship with God that cannot be bypassed, but it is not eternal life. Jesus didn't die for us out of pity for our impending doom, but He died for us out of love for us --a love that longed to have once again that intimate communion with mankind that He had originally created us for.

I urge you to meditate on the very words of Jesus, spoken to His Father the night before His crucifixion.  The motivation of God is clear, so is the purpose of Jesus' earthly ministry and death. 

 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,  since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.  And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.  I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.  And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. "I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.  Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you.  For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.........The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,  I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.  Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me.  I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."

So..............What Does God Want for Christmas?