The doctrine of original sin is not popular today, despite the profound evidence of its truth. But for anybody who has any self awareness at all, recognizing how rotten we can be is not at all a stretch. And I’m not talking about looking backwards to Hitler or Stalin, or looking outward to drug dealers and murderers, but looking inward and examining our own fantastic capacity to be wretched. Ask me how I know…
So here we are in Advent, and what the heck am I doing talking about the darkness of my own soul in the midst of this season of twinkling lights and cheer? Shouldn’t the words tapped out on my keyboard be filled with hope, joy, and peace on earth? I’m getting to that. But the bad news is always better delivered first.
The history of the human race, though certainly punctuated with acts of mercy, courage and grace, is more often than not an ugly, twisted trip down familiar roads with the repetition of evil being as sure as the rising and setting of the sun. In my survey through the Old Testament books of history and of the prophets, I’ve gotten whiplash going from good king to bad king…but bad kings are in the lead by a country mile. And even the good ones have simply terrible moments, so insidious is the bent toward self - the prideful root of all wickedness.
God at one point, very early on in the history of mankind, looks upon the world and the scriptures record this devastating revelation:
“And it repented Jehovah that he had made man on the earth, and grieved him at his heart.”
~ Genesis 6:6
People had become so horrifying in their selfish ambition and the evil inclinations of their hearts that the Creator was actually saddened and regretful that he started the whole thing. Only His infinite love and the knowledge of His plan to make something good out of this cosmic dumpster fire staid His hand from closing down the whole operation. That’s where Christmas comes in…
In those years before the birth of Jesus, prophecies and hints, psalms and stories of a coming deliverer peppered the inspired writings of the saints of God. Everywhere you look in the pages of the Torah, and the other OT books, the coming Messiah is forecast. A tired world, groaning under the weight of the tyranny of wicked kings, and indeed, even worse, under the slave driver of personal sin, was straining to somehow find a rescuer. And God, who will not be rushed and who knows the sovereign timing for all things, at the perfect time sent his begotten son to gestate in the body of a virgin Jewish girl from a backwoods (or desert) town under the thumb of another miserable ruler.
In this unlikely place the whole eternal history of human begins stood on the point of of a knife. Could it really be true, that God really does love us lost, grimy children - enough to come personally to our rescue. To stand in our place. To remain just himself, not bent as we are, but willing to bend to be our justifier? Not to wag his finger but to spread His beautiful arms across the wood and with every pounding of nails not regret anymore but for the joy set before Him endure the cross? To know every evil thought, motive and deed of every one of us, but to be determined to do what was always the point of Christmas: to come save us, out of unthinkable love, simply because we cannot save ourselves.
I found my self completely undone one day last week, reading from the Old Testament book of Daniel. A very bad king, Belshazzar, was drunk and having a party with his cronies and concubines. He used the gold goblets that were sacred objects of the temple for his alcoholic shindig. Worship of other gods was part of the extravaganza. It was all fun and games until a hand appeared and wrote on the wall for everyone to see. “Mene mene tekel parsin”, the words read. Only the great prophet Daniel could interpret the meaning: “You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting”.
When I read those words, I shuddered. ‘I too, Lord, being weighed on the scales, am found wanting. The private sins, the envy, the selfish motives of my heart, and things too embarrassing to mention here - these leave me as far from a Holy God as east is from west.”
But as quickly as the thought came, so came the words of grace, relief and Christmas mercy beyond my reckoning:
“Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
~ 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
And God showed me a brick being placed on the other side of the scales, and that brick was the justifying grace of the blood of Christ. And Jesus in His inimitable way spoke to my heart: “You have been weighed on the scales and found justified.”
And so there it is. The wraparound to Christmas. The hope, joy, cheer, twinkly lights, popcorn garland and every other good and beautiful celebratory delight. There it is: peace on earth, good will toward men. There are the people living in darkness who have seen a great light. There is the conquering gift greater, far greater, than the curse of original sin - that meaty, difficult doctrine that would kill the heart in us if not for Christmas.
Not by works of our original crooked hearts, but by the gift of grace of a perfect Savior, are we weighed on the scales and found justified. Loved. Treasured. Valued. We couldn’t do it, so God descended and did it Himself.
Jesus in a manger. Jesus in the garden. Jesus on the cross. Jesus in the tomb.
Jesus risen, forever high king of all. Jesus, the Great Justifier.
There is absolutely no Christmas gift that compares.
Your friend on the pilgrim road,
Loriann
