Whether speaking with Christians or those who have yet to discover the
one true Christmas Gift from God, there is always great interest in the
things that God has kept hidden for his children to search out.
In particular, the subject matter "666", has been of immense
interest. For, "It
is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to
search out a matter." (Proverbs 25:2)
The necessity for
Christmas, Christ's birth, life, death and resurrection, is
made clearer when we understand Proverbs 20:27, "The
spirit of
man is the candle of The LORD, "as
quoted above. When God created Adam and then Eve, they were made
in the image and in the likeness of God (Gen. 1:26).
In
other words, they were complete. They had eternal life. Their
candle
was not just wick and wax (two thirds; 0.666), but
it was wick, wax and Fire - triune. God, who is Spirit,
communed with them through the union of His Spirit with their spirits,
until Eve and Adam's disobedience. "For there shall be no reward to the
evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out" (Proverbs 24:20).
At that point, because God is
holy, the Holy Spirit separated from their spirits and all further
communication had to be from the outside. Adam and Eve's candles
were put out and there was absolutely nothing they (man) could do to
bring back the Holy
Spirit. It is for this reason Abraham was stopped from
sacrificing
Isaac. Isaac was just another human being and therefore hardly worth
the
equivalent of the whole human race. Remember, "A just weight and balance are the
LORD’S:
all the weights of the bag are his work." (Proverbs 16:11)
Nevertheless, "The things which are impossible with
men
are possible with God"(Luke 18:27). Because
God is love (1Jn 4:16), the
Creator of everything and everyone, became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Being God, Jesus Christ, unlike
Isaac, is worth more than His whole creation (Colossians
1:16). In His love for us lost sinners, He died a
horrible, yet necessary death
on Calvary's cross in order to redeem the entire human race back to
Himself. The reason for Christmas was fulfilled on the day of
Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out from heaven to those
who waited for
the promised Gift from God. More importantly, this Gift is still
today given, to every heart who, at the preaching of the Gospel, will
appropriate Christ's shed blood over the door post of his or her own
heart. Having received the Holy Spirit, his or her candle is once
again lit. John the Baptist said, "I indeed baptize
you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier
than
I, ... he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with
fire:"(Matthew 3:11).
We are restored to completeness
- lacking nothing. We return to God's original intent - to be
made
in the image and likeness of God. "And ye are complete in
Him,"
(Colossians 2:10)
"For thou wilt light my
candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness." (Psalm 18:28)
May the true Gift of
Christmas, be yours this day and forevermore, and may the precious Lamb of God receive the
entire reward of His suffering on our behalf. "And there shall be no night there; and
they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth
them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever." (Revelation 22:5)
{There are NO copyrights on Life.Org materials - copy
and distribute freely in His Name. 2 Chron 7:14}
|