Last Updated on June 23, 2018 by OCF Communications

by OCF Home Office

“All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life, Jesus of Nazareth.”

(Dr. James Allan, ©1926)

 

What often comes across as merely Christmas card captions are there for the quick reading in our holiday mail: “Jesus is the reason for the season.”

Or: “He came to pay a debt He didn’t owe because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay.”

But while even many non-Christians can tolerate a cute little baby in a manger, it’s when Jesus gets out of his crude crib and grows up that the deaf ear becomes turned.

It’s not that He just merely talks about hot-button things: our sin, mankind’s need for a savior, that heaven and hell exist. But He also requires a personal response—from every one of us-to the gift of eternal salvation He extends. A gift that only He could purchase—with His blood at the Cross of Calvary.

Now that cooing infant lying in the manger has gone from preaching to meddling.

But what to do about Him? Nearly two millennia have passed since His brief life on Earth, and all the attempts to silence Him or His message of salvation have failed—and always will.

As the late Dr. S.M. Lockridge said in his renowned “He’s My King” sermon:

“I’m trying to tell you, the heavens cannot contain Him, let alone a man explain Him. You can’t get Him out of your mind. You can’t get Him off of your hands. You can’t outlive Him, and you can’t live without Him. Well, the Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but they found out they couldn’t stop Him. Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him. Herod couldn’t kill Him. Death couldn’t handle Him and the grave couldn’t hold Him. That’s my king!”

Soon, Christmas nativity scenes and all the Christmas season trappings will be packed away into storage for another year. But the unopened package—the Christ of Christmas—remains for the taking, offering lasting hope and future beyond our often dreary, heart-breaking world.

Finding peace with God:

 

  • Tell God you are sorry for your sins and that you are willing to have Him change your way of living.
  • Ask Jesus to be your Savior and Lord. The Officers’ Christian Fellowship statement of faith serves as a simple, yet eternally profound prayer to use:
    Inasmuch as I am a sinner and deserve the wrath of God, and since Jesus Christ died for my sins, was buried, and has been bodily resurrected, according to the Scriptures, I have accepted Him as my personal Lord and Savior and am saved by His grace alone.
  • Seek out other believers and a Bible-based church to help you grow in your faith.

 

OCF, which can be found at many installations across the nation, encourages small-group fellowship and Bible studies among its military members and families.

Find a small group near you, and have a Merry Christmas!