Grace Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Sunday,
December 31, 2017
In His birth, JOH 1:11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
The dark and ugly side of Christmas is sin and evil.
In the first Christmas, sin was dealt with.
In the second Christmas, the Second Coming our Lord God will be glorified.
His life was also attacked by this evil and ugliness but He did not quit.
I believe that there are two reasons why our Lord endured after the first Christmas:
1. Not My will but Thy will be done.
2. You and I were the joy that is set before Him. Heb 12:3.
Even after the ugliness or the presence of the OSN at the first Christmas, mankind would continue to rebel against our Lord and His desires for their life.
Our Lord did something about the ugliness of sin and evil not only upon that tree 1Pe 2:24, He also left gifts, spiritually speaking, in the form of gifts and promises; Eph 4:7-10.
Don’t forget Christmas is about giving…….and I want you to just think of some of those gifts underneath the Tree of the Cross.
In Acts 1:4, the promise of God the Father to the Church-age believer is that God the Holy Spirit would be given to each one of them.
In Eph 3:6 The royal family of God is said to be partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.
Heb 9:15 talking about Christ as our mediator says, and for this reason they which are elected may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
They are valuable because they come from a God that cannot lie.
They are fantastic because they come from a God who only operates in perfection.
Heb. 10:23b He who promised is faithful.
2Co 1:20 For as many as may be the promises of god, in him they are yes; wherefore also by him is our amen resulting in the glory of God through us.
In Rom 4:21, the promises are assured by divine ability.
In Rom 4:21 and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform.
God’s promises are based on God’s performance not man’s.
All the promises of God are said to be grounded “in Christ” –
2Co 1:20.
Psa 37:3 – Trust in the Lord, and produce divine good, and you will receive all the supplies needed.
Unlimited blessings are promised to those who believe – Mar 9:23.
Answers to prayer are promised; Mar 11:24 Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you.
Removal of obstacles is promised to those who have faith as a tiny grain of mustard seed – Luk 17:6.
We have the promise of brighter days and joy. Psa 30:5 Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning
Deliverance in affliction is promised Psa 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
Divine care in sickness is promised Psa 41:3 the Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed; in his illness, thou dost restore him to health.
We have the promise of an eternal home in Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.
We have the promise of all things working together for good for those loving God in Rom 8:28.
2Co 4:17 for momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.
The sufficiency of divine grace is promised in 2Co 12:9;
My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness
The promise of final deliverance – ie. Death.
We have the promise of death which is really a beautiful promise of final deliverance from sorrow, crying, and pain – Rev 21:4.
We have the promise to those that give liberally, with no strings attached; Psa 41:1 How blessed is he who considers the helpless; the Lord will deliver him in a day of trouble.
We have the promises to the backslider or to those who have regrets and sorrow Psa. 34:18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves (delivers) those who are crushed in spirit.
Jer 3:22 Return, o faithless sons (backslider) I will heal your backsliding.
Hosea 14:4 I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.
In Joel 2:13 Now return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving-kindness, and relenting of evil.
There’s the promise of the uniform of glory for those who win souls in Dan 12:3 and those with WISDOM and those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
MAR 9:41 for whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.
Rom 2:10 There will be glory and honor and prosperity to every man who produces divine good.
Now, I would like to close this subject with an understanding of the ugliness of sin (singular).