The next verse in my list of 5 favorite Scriptures is appropriate as we enter the Christmas season. In Galatians 4, Paul is talking about how we were born into the bondage of sin, and he makes the following statement in verses 4-6:
But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”
What a glorious and awesome truth! Knowing that we were under complete enslavement to our sin, which, of course, we chose in rebellion against our Maker, God still fulfilled his plan of redemption by sending his own Son to be born as a man. And it’s not just that Jesus was born as the God-man, but that he came to make the payment our sin required, so that we could be adopted by the Father. What could possibly be better than to become a child of God? Well, there is one thing, and it is to have the Holy Spirit of Christ come to live inside of us, and to cry out from our hearts, “Abba, Father!” This expresses the ongoing fellowship we have with God the Father by means of the Holy Spirit who was given to us by Jesus Christ. That is really what Christmas is all about!
And when I think about all that Christ has done to reconcile me to God and to guarantee my eternal inheritance in heaven, my thoughts drift to the final passage in my top 5, Revelation 5:11-14. Here John was given a glimpse into the heavenly realm and saw the worship that takes place there when Jesus Christ takes hold of the scroll that is in God’s right hand and prepares to open its seals. He writes,
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped him who lives forever and ever.
I can honestly say that I have never experienced anything so majestic as John describes. What could be better than to lift my voice along with every creature in heaven and on earth and sing praise to God and to the Lamb, forever and ever? I can’t think of anything.