Since Christ has been born…

A few years ago, pastor Sam Crabtree filled in the blanks to the statement, “What Would Not Be if Jesus Had Not Been.”

Reading that contemplation and pondering some additional related thoughts then led me to consider the statement, “Since Christ has been born…”  Here are the Biblical realities that we, as believers, experience because Christ has indeed come:

• We have a mediator between God and man.  We have an Advocate that intercedes on our behalf against the one who always accuses us in the presence of God.  And our Advocate and Mediator never loses a case.
• We know the greatest demonstration of God’s love in general — how patient is His love towards all men — and His love in particular for those of us who have been redeemed — what the Lord has endured and done to make us His own!
• We are no longer in bondage to the Law.
• We are free from sin.  And we are free and able to obey the law and commands of God.
• We have the indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit; and we have the gifts and fruit of the Spirit working in and through our lives.
• Because Christ has come, serving others is not a burden, but a privilege.  And that sentence makes perfect sense and does not sound strange to us.
• We have an example of humility that is worth following.
• We have seen, through the eyes of Peter and John, the glory of Christ’s transfiguration.
• We have a testimony of Scripture that has been made more sure and certain.
• We have the great Shepherd of the sheep and have known of His power through many faithful undershepherds.  (Who are the shepherds — dead and alive — who have fed your souls since the infancy of your faith?)
• We have the example and power of One who has been tempted in all ways as we have, yet without sin.  He then is a worthy substitute for us and a gracious example to follow.
• We are in the Father.  We belong to Him.  We are secure in a paternal relationship and we will never be alone again.
• We have been adopted as God’s Son.  We are now the brother of Christ and part of the bride for Christ.  We are in every way secure in God’s heavenly family, with all the privileges of being in that family.
• We not only have a relationship to God, but we have relationships and fellowship with each other.  We have friends that are closer than brothers.
• We have been reconciled to God and to one another.  As Gentiles (most of us), we have been reconciled to God’s chosen people, Israel.  And that means it is also possible for a white man to love a black man.  And we do.
• We have a tangible example of what a real father and husband is and does.  And we have the ability to do what He has exemplified for us.
• We have been given a treasured message to dwell in us.  We have a message of hope for those who are sad and weak.  We have something to tell others that will sustain, encourage, strengthen, and equip them.
• We have the New Testament.  We have a sure guide and a confident hope for what is to come.
• We know of Gabriel and Michael and their power over Satanic angels and their message of grace to Zecharias, Mary and the shepherds.  And that is hopeful — if the shepherds can be given grace then maybe so can we…
• We have, because of the Spirit’s gifting, ongoing ministry in the church.
• Our blind eyes now see, our deaf ears hear, our ignorant minds understand, and our cold hearts are made warm to the truth of God.  In fact, we now love the truth and we love to have it revealed to us, even when (especially when?) we are rebuked by it, for then change becomes possible.
• We know what it means to be remorseful and repentant.  We look forward to confessing sin to God and each other.  We know that there is a certainty of restored fellowship on the other side of repentance.
• We no longer hate God and resist Him.  We love Him and His righteous standard.  Instead of being His enemy we are now His friends.
• We have a divine intercessor with the Father.  Our prayers are heard!  And our unsanctified prayers are sanctified by this Intercessor.
• We know the peace that God gives.  We have a peace that is not like that which the world gives.
• We can eat and drink to the glory of God.  The most mundane tasks — drinking a glass of orange juice in the morning — finds its meaning in Christ.
• We can live with humble means and with plenty and be content with either.  We do not despair in our humility and we do not idolize and find our satisfaction in our prosperity because in both circumstances we still have the greatest possession of Christ.
• We know the One who is worthy to open the scroll of God and receive the worship of all men.
• We have the only thing worth living for — to live is Christ.  He is our life.
• Satan is defeated.  Because Christ came it is made evident that he does not win.
• Sin is not hopeless; death is not ultimate.  Heaven is our certainty.  Fellowship is our confidence.  Life with Christ is ultimate.

And of course all these benefits are accrued to us not only through Christ’s Advent, but even more through His death and resurrection.

We are enriched in magnificent ways by the coming of Christ, but the real benefits come from having faith in Him and in His death and resurrection.  We are rich because He became poor.  We have life because He gave up His life.  We have forgiveness because He absorbed the wrath of God.  We believe because He graced us to believe.

Because of Christ, we have life, hope, confidence, fellowship, and eternity.  Because of Christ we have everything of significance, and many smaller temporal blessings as well.