Luke 1:77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

It is that time of year again that we celebrate the birth of Christ. Today I would like to focus on one of the essential purposes for His coming. Please understand this is only one element and not the whole story. Jesus and all He has done for us and in us cannot be summed up in one issue.

Remission of sin is a multifaceted word, meaning it serves more than one purpose. The first and primary issue is removal of the shackles, that bondage, the imprisonment. We are set free. All well and good but does nothing to the sin. There is a abstract detachment, the chains have fallen and you are free to walk away, but the sin and the shackles still lay there on the floor as you picture it in your mind.

The secondary and more important issue of remission is found in forgiveness, a pardoning of sins. It is a letting go of the image of the sin as if it never happened. Yet it did happen, I remember it, I can still see it laying there with the open shackle waiting for me to return to be bound up together again. This part of remission is difficult for many of us but is just as essential to salvation as the breaking of the shackle.

1 Timothy 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity (agape love) out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

A good conscience is one which is purged of the self-image of the one who committed the sin. Yes you did it, yes it cannot be undone, yes the consequences of the sin exist, BUT the man who committed them died in Christ and no longer exists. If you cannot let go of the self-image of “those are my sins”, then you do not have a clean conscience because something in you will not allow you to walk away from the scene of the crime and walk in the freedom that is yours in Christ.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

All things includes forgiving yourself as much as it does all the rest. If you are having a difficult time walking away for some reason you cannot understand. Get help. It is essential.

Matthew 15:2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

A dear friend recently posed a question about the activities of Matthew 15 and the answers that came out of that question were varied and valid all to a point. But if we boil down the essential issues it comes down to the exercise of traditions over obedience of faith. When do traditions replace love?

Tradition is the observation of ceremony above ideals. Traditions change, they are compromised by influence of power and authority. Some have gone on so long that the original meaning is lost and all that is left is meaningless observance.

This holiday season is a prime example of traditional influence. Different cultures observe different traditions. Some people respect and honor their parental traditions more than others. People may be married into families with vastly divergent national origins. Some hold to no observation beyond having paid time leave for a few days.

I found it interesting that Jesus answered this particular test with this verse.

Matthew 15:3-4a But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother:

It is obvious to me that the two are linked because Jesus answered the test in this manner. The honoring of mother and father in tradition are fine as long as they are not used to transgress God’s commanments.

We cannot do much of anything about the person who sees the holiday only as paid vacation. We can however observe the traditional goal of the season, the commandment.

1 Timothy 1:5 The purpose of this command is for people to have love, a love that comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a true faith. (NCV)