Hope Of Christmas 25 Pack

Christmas. For many, the word brings thoughts of fun with friends and family and the enjoyment of giving and receiving gifts. For them, as the song says, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” But for others, Christmas is a painful reminder of broken relationships, lost loved ones, or financial hardships, any of which makes the season the most difficult time of the year.

Whatever feelings we have this Christmas, the Bible explains that there is good news that can give us hope and joy no matter what our Christmas season is like. But before we can benefit from this good news, we must first understand the “bad news.”

The Bad News: We are all separated from God

God did not create us like robots to automatically love and mechanically obey him. The first man and woman chose to disobey God and to go their own willful way. Each of us since then has been born sinful and disobedient toward God. All this results in spiritual separation from him.

The Bible says . . .

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

The wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23

People have tried many ways to bridge this separation between themselves and God.

The Bible says . . .

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. Proverbs 14:12

Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God. Isaiah 59:2

No bridge reaches across that separation . . .
except one.

The Good News: God has provided a bridge–the cross

Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the grave. Though he was God’s sinless Son, he became a human and took our place in order to pay the penalty for our sin. By doing that he bridged the otherwise uncrossable gap between God and us!

The Bible says . . .

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5

Christ . . . suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God. 1 Peter 3:18

God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. . . . The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 5:8; 6:23

Christ died for our sins, . . . he was buried, . . . he was raised on the third day. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

God has provided the only way to forgiveness of sin and eternal life. But each person must make a choice.

The Choice: Accept or reject Jesus Christ

In order to receive the forgiveness of sin and the eternal life offer