Message Notes

(I) THE TERROR THAT THE THOUGHT OF DEATH BRINGS

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned”        Romans 5:12

“Through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage”    Hebrews 2:15

“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.”   Hebrews 9:27

1. An innate fear of death

2. The dread of standing before God on Judgment Day

(II) THE GIFT OF LIFE

“But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by one man’s offense many died, how much more the grace of God and the gift of grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ abounded to many.
And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.”           Romans 5:15-16

1. It is Free Romans 5:15

“Much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the One Man”     Romans 5:15

2. It is Profound

a) It is salvation

“We shall be saved by His life”     Romans 5:10

b) It is reconciliation to God

“When we were enemies we were reconciled to God”       Romans 5:10

c) It is the gift of imputed righteousness         Romans 5:17

d) It is eternal

“Grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”   Romans 5:21

(III) THE COST OF THE GIFT OF LIFE

“While we were yet sinners Christ died for us”       Romans 5:8

“Reconciled through the death of His Son”        Romans 5:10

1. The Costliest Price

2. The Ultimate Sacrifice

(IV) A CHRISTMAS PRAYER

“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death. Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of life”    Romans 6:3-4

1. Sound comprehension of what it means to be fully identified with Christ

2. Strong determination to walk in newness of life

POEM

THE INWARD LIFE

Oh, sacred union with the Perfect Mind,

Transcendent bliss, which Thou alone canst give;

How blest are they this Pearl of Price who  find,

And, dead to earth, have learnt in Thee to live.

Thus in Thine arms of love, O God, I lie,

Lost, and forever lost to all but Thee.

My happy soul, since it hath learnt to die,

Hath found new life in Thine eternity.
Go then, and learn this lesson of the Cross,

And tread the way of saints and prophets trod;

Who, counting life and self and all things loss,

Have found in inward death the life of God.

– Anonymous –