[Faith-talk] FW: [thefamilyoffaith] The Cost of Christmas - by Billy Graham

[Eric Calhoun]

Original Message: 
From: "thefamilyoffaith" <TheFamilyofFaith at tampabay.rr.com>
To: <thefamilyoffaith at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [thefamilyoffaith] The Cost of Christmas - by Billy Graham
Date: 
Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:21:36 -0500





The Cost of Christmas by Billy Graham


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Christmas emphasizes the glorious truth that salvation is provided apart
from us, that into this sin-cursed world came One whose supreme mission is
to save sinners. We cannot save ourselves because we cannot deliver
ourselves from the guilt, the power and the consequences of sin. Those in
rebellion against God have no terms of peace to offer that are acceptable
to God. Only God Himself can make peace, and this He has done through the
atoning sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. Through the merits of Christ's
life and death, we are offered full and free forgiveness.

Christmas tells us what it cost God to save the world: "For God so loved
the world that He gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16). Christ is God's
great Christmas Gift to the world: "Thanks be to God for His indescribable
gift" (2 Corinthians 9:15). Christ does for us what no other has been able
to do: He removes our guilt and reconciles us to God. He raises us from the
death of sin to the life of righteousness. He reconciles us to life and to
our fellow man. He implants within us new hopes, new aims, new enthusiasms.
He regenerates our affections, our desires and our energies, and
strengthens our wills.