December 27, 2020 Text: Galatians 4:4-7
Dear Friends in Christ,
Susan Ertz was a British fiction writer who died in 1985. She once commented, “Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon.” How do we use or misuse the time that is given us?
A family moved to the country to escape the high-pressure run everywhere life they had been living in the city. One day a neighbor stopped by and noticed something pinned to the family bulletin board and asked about it. The mother said, “That is a poem that represents what our moving here was all about. The poem starts, ‘Lord, slow me down…uh…well, I haven’t had time to read the rest.”
I pray your Christmas season time wasn’t wasted. Let’s grasp the importance of time and the time we just celebrated.
“AFTER CHRISTMAS TIME”
Do you remember this 1980’s song by The Alan Parsons Project? “Time, flowing like a river Time, beckoning me Who knows when we shall meet again If ever…”
Time. Here and gone. What happens when it ends? “Who knows when we shall meet again? If ever?” But that is the world’s lot when Christ is removed from the life and death and what’s beyond question.
God steps into human history and changes the direction. “When the fullness of time had come…” God’s time. God’s timing. He is not subject to time, but gives it to us. He owns it.
Every minute and movement since the fall of Adam and Eve into sin was being directed to Christ’s coming into this world. The Savior entered in time.
The world has its time. It is composed of hatred and violence and vulgarity and greed and lies. We are no closer to solving man’s foibles than we were 50 years ago or 500 years ago or 5,000 years ago. Time for man is lost water under a decaying bridge.
Look at time in relation to those who understand the significance of Christmas. “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”
Christ did everything necessary. He kept the Commandments perfectly in thought, word, and deed. He bought us back from sin, death, and hell. Those who believe this “receive adoption as sons.”
Our time is now. We still battle the awful sin in us. As sons of God we are blameless through Christ. Men, women, children – everyone trusting in Christ for forgiveness and eternal life.
We are members of God’s family. Peter wrote, “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession…” (1 Pet. 2:9a) Isn’t it fascinating that everyone clamors to a part of something in this world? And for us as a Christian is that our goal? Isn’t the fact that we are “a people of his own possession” sufficient for each day?
The last verses of the text, “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba, Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”
God is our eternal parent. The Holy Spirit works through the Word so that we can understand that God is our Father – in time and in eternity.
How about the “heir” part? We’ve all seen a movie where the family gathers to hear the reading of the will. They want to see if they are getting anything. Maybe you have been in such a setting? In Christ we are not waiting on the will to be read. It has already been read: “You are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” What do we receive? Heaven and eternal life and an unending Kingdom!
Remember Moses? He had the attention of the world and riches right in front of him. What did the writer of Hebrews say about that? “He considered the reproach of Christ’s greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.” (Heb. 11:26) His time here was insignificant compared to what was promised Him in Christ. “Time, flowing like a river Time beckoning me Who knows when we shall meet again If ever…” Such is the sadness of the world. Such is the tragedy of this life’s brief, brief, moment.
For those of us in Christ? Every moment is a time to be ready? “…the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The Christ of Christmas goes with us…with us…to the end of this world’s time – right into eternity.
Amen.