Women Living Well Blog: Do You Know Christ?

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Do You Know Christ?

Do you journey to the grand canyon for the souvenir T-shirt or snow globe with the snowflakes that fall when you shake it? No. The reward of the Grand Canyon IS the Grand Canyon. The wide-eyed realization that you are a part of something ancient, splendid, powerful, and greater than you.

The cache of Christianity is Christ. Not money in the bank or a car in the garage or a healthy body or a better self-image. Secondary and tertiary fruits perhaps. But the Fort Knox of faith is Christ. Fellowshipping with Him. Walking with Him. Pondering Him. Exploring Him. The heart stopping realization that in him you are a part of something ancient, endless, unstoppable and unfathomable. And that He, who can dig the Grand Canyon with his pinkie, thinks you're worth his death on Roman timber. Christ is the reward of Christianity. Why else would Paul make Him his supreme desire? "I want to know Christ." (Phil. 3:10) - Max Lucado, Next Door Savior

Do you know Christ? Have you placed your faith in Jesus, not in your good works, but solely in Jesus' work on the cross and his resurrection? Have you told Him, "Jesus I believe and I am sorry for the sins I have done"? Then you know Christ as your personal Savior.

But that's only the beginning. There is so much more! Open the Bible and read for yourself. Jesus is amazing (that's an understatement!). I am reading through the book of Matthew right now in my morning quiet time. I am amazed that though I've read it numerous times, I continue to learn new things about Jesus and new things about myself!

It's Christmas Eve, a day of remembrance. The Christ child, "Immanuel, God with us" was born so that the God, who carved the Grand Canyon with his pinkie, could know you personally. God went to great lengths to know you...is it so hard to open our Bibles for just 15 minutes a day to know him? It shouldn't be, but I'll be the first to admit that it is.

Do you know Christ? I know President Obama but not personally. I know a lot about him, what he thinks and how he acts. But I can't call him up for a chat on the phone. But then there's my husband. I know all his ways, his likes and dislikes. I know him intimately and we share in a deep and meaningful relationship. Do you know Christ personally? (If you do not and you have questions pertaining to your salvation, please email me at courtney@womenlivingwell.org or talk to your pastor.)

We are about to begin a new year. I love a clean slate! In the new year resolve to know Christ more deeply than you ever have. Resolve to allow Jesus to touch your marriage, parenting and home and transform it. He can do a new thing in your home in the new year! Join me in the journey as we Walk with the King!

Merry CHRISTmas!

Labels: Holidays, Salvation

6 Comments:

NJohnson said...: Merry Christmas! Today as I sit and look at my 2 boys and watch their faces when I tell them tomorrow is Christmas, I'm just as excited as them. Then I tell them what Christmas is all about and though they are small they have a twinkle in their eyes. My oldest son asked me if Jesus was going to come to our house for Christmas! I then explained that He is in our hearts and in our minds. We have to have Him here even if we cannot see him! He gave me the head nod and walked away. Whether or not he understood me, I do not know. But I will continue to teach it. Thank you Courtney for the encouraging words! I really enjoy reading all of your comments!; December 24, 2009 at 9:05 AM
Courtney (Women Living Well) said...: NJohnson! That's so funny! My son said something similiar today. He said "it's Jesus' birthday and it's his birthday party and we can't even give him a present!!!" That bothered him. I told him his present is to obey him. It's hard for little ones to understand - but in time their small seeds of faith will turn them into strong men of God!!! Keep walking with the King!
Merry Christmas,
Courtney; December 24, 2009 at 10:33 AM
Amy said...: Merry Christmas to you and your family...; December 24, 2009 at 11:18 AM
Anonymous said...: Courtney, thank you for always getting to the heart of the matter. I am so glad to know the Lord as my savior . . . I want more of Him in my life and my heart's desire for 2010 is just that. Thank you for a year of pointing us to Christ in your faithful blogs. God bless you, friend, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and your family. Love, Jenny C.; December 24, 2009 at 11:54 AM
Anders Branderud said...: Hello! You wrote: “im, "Jesus I believe and I am sorry for the sins I have done"? Then you know Christ as your personal Savior.”
I want to comment on the Christian view of foregiveness.

(le-havdil) How to live in order to enable the Creator in His loving kindness to provide His foregivness is outlined in Tan’’kh ( the Jewish Bible) ; and was also taught by the first century Ribi Yehoshua from Nazareth (the Mashiakh; the Messiah) (His teachings are found here: Netzarim.)

Tan’’kh – for example Yekhëzqeil (Hezekiel) 18 – promises foregivness to those who do their sincerest to keep the mitzwot (commandments) in Torah. The Creator cannot lie and He does not change (Malakhi 3:6)! According to Tehilim (“Psalms”) 103 the Creator gives His foregivness to those who do their sincerest to keep His berit (“covenant”; the pre-conditions to be included in the berit is according to the Jewish Bible to do ones sincerest to keep Torah). No human can keep Torah perfectly. There is a provision. Ribi Yehoshua ha-Mashiakh lived and kept Torah with the sincerest of his heart, died innocently and became a sacrifice.

Because of this the Creator can give His foregiveness to everyone doing his/her sincerest to keep His instructions found in Torah, and to everyone turning away from their Torah-breaches to instead starting to do their sincerest to keep the instructions in Torah.

Anders Branderud; December 24, 2009 at 4:44 PM
Courtney (Women Living Well) said...: It appears that you believe in performing good works in order to be saved. You are trusting in your ability to sincerely follow the Torah (the first 5 books of the Bible) in order to receive forgiveness from God. But Christ died on the cross to save us from our sins and it is through His sacrifice and His work on the cross that we are saved – not by any works – or following of instructions that we are saved.

The Bible teaches in Ephesians 2:1 “You were dead in your transgressions and sins”. We are all dead in our sins – we cannot in our own power do any works to save ourselves. The truth is no one can follow the Torah – have you lied? disobeyed your parents once or twice? Coveted? used the Lord’s name in vain? kept the Sabbath perfectly? etc. There is no one on earth who can fulfill all these commands – except one! The Christ child!!!

Ephesians 2:4 &5 says “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.” God’s grace alone is what has saved us.

And Ephesians 2:8, and 9 says “For it is by grace you have been saved, through FAITH – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – NOT BY WORKS, so that no one can boast.”

This verse clearly states – we are saved by grace alone through faith alone and it is a free gift from God. There are NO works required to be saved – only faith. If works and following rules saved us we could boast about how great we are…but when we see ourselves as sinners and dead in our sins – we cannot help but to praise our glorious God who is rich in mercy and grace who has saved our souls!

If you continue to pursue salvation apart from Christ and through good works you will remain dead in your sins – and you will have missed the gift from God.

I John 5:12 says “He who has the Son, has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

I could site many many many more verses – but there is not room here. I pray that you will come to the cross and free yourself of the shackles of good works that you are attempting to attain. Christ has already done the saving work on the cross. Humble yourself and ask him for forgiveness and place your faith in him alone. And then bask in his mercy and grace.

Walk with the King!
Courtney; December 24, 2009 at 7:11 PM

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Thursday, December 24, 2009

Do You Know Christ?

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