Thinx 123: Two Christmases

Every year two Christmases are celebrated in parallel. 

One is about eating, drinking, making merry in the here and now, and some fat man with a white beard in a red suit.

The other is also a feast but has both here-and-now and transcendant elements. God made a promise thousands of years ago to destroy death, the "shroud that covers all nations"¹. At Christmas we celebrate the incarnation, the enfleshment, of God: Jesus, "conceived by the Holy Spirit [of God], born of the Virgin Mary"² as the Apostles' Creed (and early summary of Christian teaching) says. This Jesus in his death, resurrection and ascension, lived (and lives) the perfect life our forefather Adam failed to live.

There was no death when God created the world. It came into existence as the consequence of rebellion against God by the first humans, Adam and Eve. God calls that rebellion "sin" and it's been part of mankind ever since, a disease of the heart, will and mind with many symptoms.

Those who turn away (and keep turning away) from their sin and believe (and keep on believing) in this Jesus are given eternal life. Jesus himself said, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."³

Thinx 89: Forgiveness Leading to Fear? to Love?

But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.

— Psalm 130:4 ESV

"Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little."

— Luke 7:47 ESV

I'm trying to figure this out. How is it that forgiveness leads to fear? Is this just an OT thing or is there more to "fear" than just being afraid? Is there more to "love"? How should we respond to forgiveness, both in the short term and in the long?

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2016

Thinx 84: Following the Crowd

“You must not follow a crowd in doing evil things; in a lawsuit you must not offer testimony that agrees with a crowd so as to pervert justice,

— Exodus 23:2 (NET)

Even if the crowd has important people in it; even if men and women in lab coats with doctorates say it's a good thing; even if the law of the land sanctions what God forbids; Even if your parents or your spouse or your children think it's OK or least socially acceptable.

I fear God. I know he's not to be trifled with.

© Copyright Bruce M. Axtens, 2015