Circuit Thoughts

Many of us are getting ready for a baby’s birthday party. That isn’t a bad thing. We all need a time to celebrate and just have fun as we rejoice about the birth of Christ. But with that being said, there are some who are looking forward to the return of Christ. Now, before we start looking to Christ’s return, let’s remind ourselves of Christ’s initial time on earth.

What we must remember is that the Prophets of the Old Testament tried their best to prepare the people for what was coming. The coming Messiah was described as prince of peace and God with us and other such names. He was to be the bringer of justice and to free humanity from sin.

By the time of Christ’s birth, the people we are not looking for a bringer of justice, but an avenger of the people. They were looking for a warrior to destroy the Roman government. They were looking for a conqueror who would establish Judea as a world power. This warrior king would bring prosperity and victory to the people. I guess they were a bit disappointed. The person they got, they crucified.

You see, Christ came to change the world by changing hearts. When we follow Christ, we are offering ourselves to be changed into the image that God had in mind at creation. We must undergo transformation of the heart to inherit the kingdom of God.

The prophet Malachi points out the difficulty of that transformation. “But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap… (Malachi 3:2) A fire that refines precious metals is hot enough to destroy the impurities. It burns. Fullers soap was a high alkaline soap that was used to clean wool after the shearing. The process was to put the soap on the wool and the beat the wool until then soap had worked through to the other side, taking the dirt with it.

You see, Malachi is telling us that to be ready for Christ’s coming, we must be purified and ready. In most quarters of the Christian world, this is considered Sanctification. The problem is that sometimes change is not comfortable.

But do we really need all that filth and impurity in our lives? When God works on us through the blood of the lamb, do we really lose anything that is necessary for life? The answer is no. By following Christ, and allowing him to transform us, we only lose what separates us from Christ.

Following Christ puts us at odds with the world. The Christian way of life and thinking is antithetical to worldly ways. But, to truly follow Christ, we must be willing to lose the world’s ways.

As we continue headlong into Christmas, don’t forget to consider why Christ came. It was to save us. Also don’t forget to look forward to his return and let him make you ready.

See you in church.