A Christmas Story, great movie, AND it's a good season to think about what the real Christmas story is all about.
Tullian Tchividjian (say it five times fast and I dare you to spell it without looking:) has written a splendid gospel primer called Jesus Plus Nothing Equals Everything.
Much richness in it, but this caught my eye today. There is something about the difference between being created and redeemed for beauty than for “productivity” that should really stun us. Furthermore, and most importantly, Pastor Tullian goes on to state five important misconceptions about Christianity that I want everyone, believer or not, to know. Since it’s the Christmas season, it’s a good time to think about what that “Christ” in Christmas really means, and whether we just want to settle for a “happy holiday.”
“God created you for beauty – and redeemed you for beauty – so that you and your joy and peace and gratitude for what he’s done for you in Christ would be put on display in a dark, watching world.
“The world isn’t captivated by people trying to give the impression they have it all together. That’s not what draws them. What captures their attention is the sight of humble, desperate, dependent people who acknowledge their sin and who point to their Savior as the only one who can rescue us. The world, in other words, needs our confession, not our competence.”
5 important myths and realities about Christianity
- “rules and regulations and standards and behavior modification are not the heart of Christianity.”
- “the gospel is radically different…”
- “Jesus came first not to make bad people good, but to make dead people alive.”
- “the primary goal of the gospel is to bring about mortal resurrection, not moral reformation.”
- “Christianity is not the move from vice to virtue, but rather the move from virtue to grace.”
Think about it. How do you view Christianity? Have you ever thought or been taught that “keeping rules and regulations” is what makes you a Christian?
What difference does it make in your life today that Jesus came to make “dead people alive”?
