Celebration of Incarnation

Christmas is the celebration of the Incarnation – and the Incarnation means that God took on flesh and dwelt with us.  After Jesus came, all foods became clean.  After Jesus came, all the earth became holy and not simply the little place called Israel.  After Jesus came, all peoples received the blessing of Abraham and not simply those who were of the line of Abraham by blood.  After Jesus came, the world was remade.

 

Among other applications, this means that God likes stuff – the stuff of the earth.  There is nothing unclean in what you put in your mouth, in the land that you live on, in the family line you come from.  There is nothing unclean if you have faith – faith in the One who has made all things new.  There is a false teaching that if you become a Christian you have to stop enjoying the things of this earth.  That is not true.  In fact, what you are to do is enjoy more than ever the things your God created, the things your God has made new, the things your God has given to you to enjoy to the glory of His name.  You may not make an idol of any of these things – they must all be hated in comparison to the love you have for the Savior – but with love for your Savior you are to love your Savior’s redeemed and reconciled earth.  In fact, it is another form of idolatry to try and be “spiritual only” as though you only were a spirit now.  You are not – and because of the resurrection – you will not be – forever and ever after the resurrection.

 

So practice here – practice now – learn to eat and drink, to dress and build, to decorate and repair, to build and restore, to invent and write and sing, to lie down in a wonderful bed, get up and take a hot shower, pour yourself a cup of hot coffee – look out your window and say – He made it all for me and for His glory – and Amen.  Go decorate a cookie to the glory of God!