Extreme Makeover - A Christmas Eve Message...Continued from page 1

First, that outsider sees the possibilities you couldn't see.

Second, that outsider does what you couldn't do.

Third, that outsider pays for what you could not afford to pay.

You know, that's actually what Christmas is all about. That is, if you put aside the nomenclature of political correctness, allowing "Christ" to be put back into Christmas.

You see, the God of all creation, who is "totally other," engages himself in this three-step extreme makeover on behalf of all humanity.

This God sees possibilities you and I couldn't see.

This God does what you and I couldn't do.

And this God pays the price that you and I couldn't afford to pay.

That's what Jesus came to do, except for one major difference. His extreme makeover is not just a cosmetic outside job. It is a life-changing inside job.

The Bible is primarily the story of God's extreme makeover. He created you and me in His image. You and I were not made to be robots. He gave us the capacity to choose to live the way He created us to live or to do our own thing. The Bible says the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, chose to disobey God. In the process, they became alienated from Him. Ever since, we all have chosen to do the same thing. Our disobedience and rebellion have established a chasm between us and God. The Bible says, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." The Bible also says, "The wages of sin is death." That's the bad news. But the Good News is that God has done something about it. God has taken the initiative. The Creator God has come from the outside, breaking into human history in the form of "the second Adam," His Son, Jesus Christ. That baby at Bethlehem grew up experiencing everything you and I experience, yet without sin. The Bible says that He himself bore your and my sins on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

The Bible calls this the Gospel. That literally means Good News!

This is the extreme makeover of a NEW CREATION.

The Apostle Paul wrote, "If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

This is the extreme makeover of SPIRITUAL REBIRTH.

Jesus said, "'Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above'" (John 3:3). The man he was talking to was puzzled. He wanted to know how you could be born a second time. This man asked Jesus, "'Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?'" Jesus answered, "'Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above'" (John 3:5-7).