Live Christ!

20th day of Advent December 22nd, 2017 Hebrews 1:1-14

“the Name He has inherited is more excellent”

What is our relationship with Jesus? What does it mean to say "I am Christian"? The Gospel of Christ tells us the Christian lives in Christ, through Christ, for Christ, and with Christ – each statement points to our relationship with Jesus Christ. It means something to say "I live in Christ" – in short, it means that I am no longer my own, "I" have become His. It means something to say "I live through Christ" – it means "I" no longer go into the world as me, "I" go to reflect only Him. It means something to say "I live for Christ" – it means that “my” desires fade as His desires brighten. It means something to say "I live with Christ – it means that “that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” In these proclamations (and many others) we say we are completely bound to the Lord of lords, the King of kings and the God above all idols. It is important we hear this clearly. The pluralist societies in which we now live distort our Christian thinking. Pluralist philosophies and anthropologies would have us understand and accept as perfectly valid non-Christian worldviews that center upon our self, our family, our goals or ambitions, our hopes or dreams, other definitions of the One God, or even our own imaginings of who God should be. As we are drawn into accepting these ways of thinking and understanding, we are subtly, step-by-step turned from Christ. Our lives soon no longer reflect the Light of the world, rather they reflect the world. Slowly, we are drawn onto that easy road towards the wide gate that leads away from the Christ of Christmas. As we approach Christmas, we will hear many proclaim, “keep Christ in Christmas” … but as we move beyond Christmas day let us truly and humbly ask what it means in my life to “keep Christ in Christian.” Jesus Christ is unique and to be His means something. The Name He has inherited is most excellent; to claim it and arrange ourselves under His banner and His name means something and looks like something.