Grace Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
What it means to celebrate our Lord’s birthday and how it relates to our union with Him and our spiritual birth.
So, first of all we will begin with the fact that we all need a spiritual birth.
The problem with Nicodemus was not his personal sin but his birth.
Man’s problem is basically his birth, this is why Romans 3:23 says for all have sinned and comes short of the glory of God.
ROM 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.
The Bible says that we are in union with TLJC.
We share in everything that He has, including the celebration of His birthday because when He was born He was born physically alive, and spiritually alive.
We celebrate our physical birth on the day we were born physically but our spiritual birth we should celebrate as members of the RF family with Him because of our union with Him.
Even though we do not really know the exact day our Lord was born physically and spiritually alive our birthday is related to His spiritual birthday when He was born physically alive as well as spiritually alive.
1. Eternal life. 2. His Righteousness. 3. His Election 4. His Predestination 5. His Sonship
6. His Heirship 7. His Priesthood 8. His Eternal security. 9. His Adoption 10.His Royal family
“As He is, so also are we in this world, 1JO 4:17B.
We share all of these principles because in JOH 14:20, “In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
GAL 2:20 “We have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer us who live, but Christ lives in us; and the life which we now live in the flesh we live by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and delivered Himself up for us.
COL 1:27, we share all of these principles because God willed to make known what is the glorious riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the confidence of the glory.
We share everything Christ is and has, because the head and the body are united into one spiritual entity.
There is something else we also share in and that is the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And in reality His physical birth is analogous to our spiritual birth.
He was born physically alive but also spiritually alive and the day that we became born again is the day that we became spiritually alive and for the first time we had a body, soul, and spirit as Paul taught us in
1TH 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
On the day of the virgin birth, which is when our Lord became true humanity, it was the beginning of a brand new life for Him as well as the day that we were born again.
As we celebrate our Lord’s birthday, because of being in union with Him, we should be celebrating our new birth as well.
Just like the wise men brought gifts to our Lord on His birthday, the analogy that follows is that we give gifts to each other in honor of Him.
First of all He said, It’s more blessed to give than to receive, ACT 20:35.
Secondly, in MAT 25:40 ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, {even} the least {of them,} you did it to Me.’
Thirdly, Christmas is a time that we share the principle of giving with each one of God’s people, especially those who are born again.
PSA 16:2 O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;
PSA 16:3 But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.
GAL 6:10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.
We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.