THE FIRST NOEL

Sometimes, history swallows up the facts for future generations.  Some things simply come about without record; nothing is known about them.  The origin of today's Christmas Carol is just such a thing.  The tune and original words came from somewhere, but it seems history has swallowed up the facts about where.  However, the modern version of the carol is not the only version.  In the 17th Century - 1823, William B. Sandys (1792-1874), and Davies Gilbert (1767-1839) edited and added lyrics to create the version we sing today.  This carol seems to have stemmed from France, and then came to England - and so we have two spellings of the word "Noel" (Fr.) - "Nowell" (Eng.).  Indeed, there seem to be three varieties of the lyrics.  However, most of our Hymnals contain the English version.  

DEVOTION

What I like about the carol is it's rolling tune and articulate lyrics.  Simply put, the joy of the first Christmas is melded together with the wonder of it all!  God has come in the form of a person!  He has done so to save us, to unite us, and He announced it through a host of Angels to a field of poor shepherds.  

Have you heard the story?  I know you have - at least you've heard the carol, most likely.  What I mean is this, "Have YOU experienced the joy of knowing Jesus has come to YOU?"  It's never enough to have Jesus come to someone you know or love.  God wants peace with YOU!  He sent His Son to YOU!  He wants to cleanse your heart of YOUR sin.  He wants to live forever with YOU.  That first Noel, the star shone the light, pointing to the True Savior of the world.

I know we have plenty of people who do not believe that God exists, much less that He cares enough to choose a means of showing it that is far better than a Hallmark Card.  God, did, however, send the very best.  Faith is not what makes it true or not.  Faith is only the means by which we choose to receive what is already true - Jesus Christ!  Such darkness of unbelief is only dispelled by the light of Truth!  Will you not simply believe with your head, but also your heart?  Will you follow that star to the Shining Star of Bethlehem - Jesus Christ?

And that's Just A Thot for today.  Merry Christmas!



1.  From the Internet:  http://www1.cbn.com/devotions/the-first-noel, 12/8/2015.
2.  From the Internet:  http://www.sharefaith.com/guide/Christian-Holidays/holiday-songs/the-first-noel-the-song-and-the-story.html, 12/8/2015.
3.  From the Internet:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_First_Noel, 12/8/2015.

The "Gospel" MUST Include Repentance

 Romans 6:11-13 (NKJV) ¹¹  Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹²  Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. ¹³  And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 

This morning, something rather unusual happened to me.  I was in that twilight state of sleep where your dreams and your reality seemed to melt together.  I was between states, thinking and dreaming at the same time - not quite conscious and not quite unconscious.  I seem to remember things pretty well when that happens - but it doesn't happen very often.  What matters about this morning's experience was the subject of my thoughts/dreams.  It was as though the Lord broke through to me at a very deep place, and He revealed to me something very personal - and very true.  It is that truth I want to share with you today.

The Truth is this: "If you are still practicing a "besetting sin," then you are not set free from it."  Repentance is part of the redemption of Jesus Christ.  Too often, we want to FEEL saved without BEING saved. We turn to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, trusting Him to grant that forgiveness - and then we return to Him for it over and over and over again each time we fall to a particular weakness.  

When we do that, we are using Jesus to clear our guilty conscience rather than experiencing His salvation.  By that I mean we are still slaves to our sin, and not set free. We, however, feel better about our sin than we did before asking forgiveness.  And this is not salvation, it's deception.  We've been deceived into thinking ourselves as "saved" when we are not.  That sin still controls us.  Only by turning from our sin to "go and sin no more" will we experience the freedom from our sin.

People articulate their salvation in some pretty common ways, but those ways are rarely associated with the freedom from sin anymore.  For instance, consider the following things people say.

• I know I'm saved because I came forward in church.
• I know I'm saved because I was baptized.
• I know I'm saved because I prayed for salvation.
• I know I'm saved because I joined the church.
• I know I'm saved because I asked Jesus to forgive me and live in my heart.

NONE of these things mentions a life of repentance from sin.  None of these things mentions the work of Jesus on the Cross for ME to be free of my sin.  I may be set free of the penalty of sin, but am I free of the power of sin over my life?  Am I victorious over sin in my life?  

And the harder I try to be victorious over sin in my life, the more I am aware of sin's power over me, the more I am aware of my INABILITY to overcome that sin by myself.  I need supernatural power, I need Jesus Christ to help me.  I need Him to live in me and me not to live at all!  

And this is the gospel - the salvation that comes from the finished work of Christ on the cross to pay the penalty of sin AND the continual work of the Resurrected Christ empowering my life moment by moment!  That is good news!  I don't need to live my life free of sin, I need Jesus to live His life in me - and that will be free of sin!  I need to let Christ have my everything!  Then He will control me, and sin won't!  That's Salvation!

And that's Just A Thot for today!  

May the Lord bless you as you repent and let Him live His life in you.

Comments are always welcome, but will be moderated before being posted.