“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Matthew 16:24
All Scriptures are KJV (King James Version of the Bible)
Saved by Grace
There’s a quiet belief that can slip into the Christian heart, especially during the Christmas season. We know we are saved by grace through faith alone. Belief in Christ secures our salvation: complete and eternal.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8–9
But somewhere along the way, we may begin living as though the Christian life requires nothing more. We want the blessings without the bleeding, the crown without the cross, the celebration without the sacrifice. We want resurrection power without the weight of the cross. We long for the crown, but hesitate at the cost.
Jesus Came Down
Yet if Christmas teaches us anything, it is this: Jesus came down.
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:14
He stepped from glory into a stable.
He traded heaven’s throne for a manger’s straw.
The One who created the universe chose to be wrapped in swaddling clothes.
He came for one reason—to save us.
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11
Christ did not come to be served but to serve.
“For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45
He was brought to the bottom, and then He was exalted. He modeled a life that costs something, a life that bleeds for others.
Salvation and Service
We are saved by belief. That is the glorious heart of the Gospel. Yet Scripture also reminds us that though our salvation is secure by faith, our works will still be tested, and our lives examined.
“Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” 1 Corinthians 3:13
Some will be saved, “yet so as by fire.” 1 Corinthians 3:15
That sober image warns us: faith does not remove the call to faithful living. If the Christian is too busy to truly make a difference—too distracted to serve, too self-focused to surrender, too comfortable to care—then at the Bema Seat his garments may indeed smell like smoke when the crowns are handed out.
“Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Revelation 22:12
Too many of us are tempted to want God’s use without God’s cost. We want His blessing, but avoid the places where those blessings are born: humility, service, surrender, and obedience. We pray for blessings but hesitate at sacrifice. We honor His birth with our lips, but not always with our lives.
Following the Pattern of Christ
Christmas should arrest that tendency. The Baby in the manger is the same Savior who said:
“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Matthew 16:24
A Poetic Call for the Season
Christmas is our holy reminder:
that the Savior who came low now calls us to walk low,
that the King who stooped to serve now calls us to serve with Him,
that the Baby laid gently in a manger now calls us
to lay down our lives—not in physical death,
but in dying to the pull of this world,
setting aside selfish wants,
and surrendering our hearts to a life of humble, willing obedience.
The Test of Our Works
Every act of humble service becomes gold, silver, and precious stones built upon the foundation of Christ. Every opportunity ignored becomes wood, hay, and stubble that will be burned away.
“Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” 1 Corinthians 3:12–13
The True Reason for Christmas
Christmas, then, should be more than music, lights, and gifts. It should be a holy reminder that God wrapped Himself in flesh and vulnerability so that we might see sacrificial love in action. Anything less than Jesus at the center of this season is a sad commentary on our Christian confession.
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
The call is clear and tender: follow the pattern of our Savior.
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:5–8
Take up your cross daily.
Serve with joy.
Go toward the people who need Christ’s touch.
See interruptions as divine appointments.
Notice the unseen.
Carry someone’s burden.
Pour out what God has poured into you.
For when we descend into the low places, we discover the presence of Jesus waiting there. When we kneel to serve in the shadows, we shine in His presence. The way up has always been the way down.
A Life That Honors Christ
May we not be Christians whose garments smell like smoke—saved, yet with little to show for a lifetime of grace. May we instead live so that when the crowns are passed out, Christ’s smile is our greatest treasure.
“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:40
The Baby in the manger became the Savior on the cross. He is truly the reason for this season. Anything less than that is a pale and sad commendation of our faith. Let us celebrate with hearts that both believe and bear, with hands that both receive and reach, with lives that both treasure grace and prove it by service.
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, into this world, humbling Himself from glory to a manger, that we might know the depth of Your love and the cost of salvation. Lord, forgive us when we celebrate the season with empty hands and hearts, when we fill our days with noise, shopping, and distraction, but forget the One whose birth gives us life.
Open our eyes this Christmas to see what truly matters. Remind us that the Baby in the manger is the Savior who came low so that we might follow Him in humility. Help us to lay down our lives, not in death, but in surrender to Your will; to die to selfish desires, worldly pursuits, and distractions that keep us from serving others.
Give us hearts that rejoice in giving more than receiving. Give us hands that reach to the lonely, the hurting, and the overlooked. Give us eyes that notice opportunities for kindness and love, even when it costs us time or comfort. Teach us that true celebration comes not from what we gather, but from what we pour out in obedience to You.
Lord, may our lives this season reflect the humility, sacrifice, and love of Jesus. May we honor Him not just with words or gifts, but with lives shaped by service, compassion, and joyful obedience. Let this Christmas be more than a memory of a night in Bethlehem—let it be a turning point, a holy reminder, and a daily call to live like the One whose birth we celebrate.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and King. Amen.
Jesus ~ Amazing Grace! 