Christmas, an offensive holiday! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Galatians 5:11b,

"In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished."

While discussing the tension Paul had with those who taught the
Gentile believers were to keep the laws in the old testament, he
mentions the "offense" of the cross. Why would the cross of Jesus
Christ be an offense? Simply put, to recognize Jesus Christ paid the
penalty for all our sins, is to acknowledge all our sins. Something is
wrong with us if we need him to pay for our sins. It is an offending
message, needfully so. No one is saved from something they are not
endangered by. We won't reach for salvation if we don't know we are
lost. I believe the offense of the cross will result in our culture at
some point concluding that evangelizing children will be a form of
child abuse. Wait and see if I am not wrong on that...

Many people refuse to embrace Jesus Christ in faith. When he was here
he told Nicodemus why that would be so, "This is the verdict: Light
has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light
because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light,
and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be
exposed." John 3:19-20.

We may be a pillar of the community, we may give to all kinds of
wonderful charitable organizations, we may comport ourselves properly
in mixed company, we may be kind to our dogs and have good table
manners, but the truth is we all are sinful and we all need to be
saved from God's wrath for our sins. "All have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God." Romans 3:23. The trouble for many, as far as
Jesus was concerned, is they would rather cling to their sins than
turn to God in faith and trust. His observation of mankind is, "Many
are invited, but few are chosen." Matthew 22:14. Why are they not
chosen? As we read John 1:12, "To all who received him, to those who
believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."
God has elected or chosen for himself all who will turn to him in
faith as a response to the invitation, the gospel. A turn to God
results in a turning from our past ways and committing ourselves to
living for God. Some people are simply too interested in the things
they are currently immersed in than turn to God.

To be reminded of God is to revisit that fateful decision to reject
God's offer, his invitation. Consequently, not only is the cross of
Jesus Christ offensive because of its claims on our sinfulness, but
any mention of God, any reminder, any symbol that places the cross of
Jesus Christ in front of an unbeliever can be confrontive and
offensive. This is a big reason atheists are so animated in their
opposition to public displays of crosses, to nativity scenes on public
squares at Christmas time, having the ten commandments posted anywhere
they may see them. Why would you want to be reminded that you have
turned your back on God's gift of joining his family because you
desire to cling to a life that excludes him?

All the wishful thinking, all the "banking" on the notion that just
maybe the Christians are wrong, that the gospel is a hoax, that God
doesn't exist won't wash away the painful reminder that those who have
rejected the gospel are on very thin ice and headed for that "fiery
lake of burning sulfur", Revelation 21:8. Who wants to be reminded of
that all during the Christmas season? Rejection of God spawns recoil,
animosity, confrontation. All of which I find a good thing. No one
should feel confident and comfortable in this life rejecting God's
offer of forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

I think the perspective of feeling picked on when the atheists and
agnostics take action to have Christmas displays removed, to have
crosses removed, to have the ten commandments taken down is not the
best response and represents the wrong outlook. We should expect
unbelievers to feel offended, to feel a need to oppose any display
reminding them of their fateful choice of rejecting the gospel,
rejecting God's offer of forgiveness. Rather, we should exult in being
on the offense, we should embrace the opportunity to challenge
unbelievers who oppose us. I don't care a whit about my "rights" when
compared to the need for us to get the gospel in front of as many
people as often as we can.

When a governor wants to call it a "holiday tree", when a school wants
to scrub the traditional Christmas carols from the "winter
celebration" program, when the football team is told it can't pray
before the game or the valedictorian is told to remove God from the
speech, I'm far less concerned about "my rights" as I am about the
opportunity such occasions provide for championing the gospel and
furthering the message.

This Christmas season, lets all get out there and be offensive!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com