Our sermon series, “How To Sin & Get Away With It” has now concluded and this week we begin a much briefer but very important follow up series called, “How To Be Forgiven Because We Can’t Get Away With It.” (How’s that for a succinct series title?) The fact is, we can be deceived into thinking our “secret” or “respectable” sins are not so bad compared to the more “serious” sins of others. God is offended by all sin however, no matter whether we categorise some sins as being more serious than others. Hopefully our recent series has helped to highlight the reality and seriousness of all sin.

So when we recognise our sin what do we do? How can we be forgiven? Thankfully God doesn’t just point out our sin then leave us to wallow in self condemnation and guilt - not at all! He has graciously and mercifully provided us with a Saviour, whose long awaited arrival changed for all time the reality and permanence of God’s just forgiveness. Through Jesus Christ we can be forgiven and experience the freedom and joy of knowing and walking with God.

The provision of a Saviour, in Jesus Christ, is God’s grand plan of salvation for the human race. It is a plan that has taken millennia to unfold and be fully revealed. Amazingly we live in a time when we can look back on God’s purposes throughout history and His trail of raising up prophet after prophet who have spoken of and given clues to the identity of the coming Saviour. We have the privilege of being able to follow those clues, and recognise the Saviour’s final arrival in Bethlehem some 2,000 years ago.

A couple of things become very evident when we reflect upon God’s provision of a Saviour. One is that God loves us dearly, more than we can fully comprehend. The second observation we can make from God’s grand plan of salvation is that God is certainly not in a hurry. All is done according to His will and His timing - not ours. When you are eternal time has much less significance.

I encourage you to reflect in this Christmas season on the wonder of God’s plan of salvation and the provision of His Son our Saviour. The privileges we enjoy as Christians know no bounds and all because He loves us so much.

Forgiven in Jesus,

Brian