Tis the season, brothers and sisters in Christ, to start a new church year with the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ into human flesh. Just about two thousand years ago, Jesus came to planet earth as an infant. He came to take upon Himself all the sins of the world at the cross of Calvary. He did this not only out of His own love for us, but also because it was the will of His Father, and our Father.

We pray in the Third Petition of the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father, that His Will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. What does this mean? It means that although God’s Will is done, even without our praying for it—just as Jesus came to earth to die for us without us asking—we pray that God’s Will would be done among us also. “God’s Will is that His Name be kept holy and that…sinners be brought to faith in Christ and lead godly lives.”1 As the redeemed children of God—sinners who have been brought to faith in Christ—it is easy to overlook that we are still sinners. We are saints, most assuredly, and through the Holy Spirit, we do lead godly lives when we believe in Jesus as our Savior and live according to God’s commands.2

When we fail to live as God commands, however, we see once again that we still need a Savior. The devil uses the world and even our own sinful nature to tempt us into sinning and, all too often, we succumb to that temptation.3 By our own nature, which has been corrupted at the fall into sin, we are blind, dead enemies of God.4 We not only do nothing as dead people, but we bury ourselves further by going against God’s good and gracious will. And so, against our sinful will—which would want God to leave us alone—God came to earth as an infant. His very Son took on our flesh and all the sins which we have committed. Jesus took those sins to the cross and left them in the grave.

Since our sins were taken to the grave, we are free to live as God’s children without the condemnation of our sins. Does this mean, then, that we can go on sinning because we are under grace? Of course not!!5 It does mean, though, that we can live godly lives through the Spirit as unworthy servants just trying not to screw up, and that when we do screw up and sin again, we can confess our sins.6 When we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, forgives our sins because of the ultimate Christmas present, His Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World!!!7