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This Christmas

There is a company out there that can give you all of the information about a used car before you buy it. You can see if it has been in an accident and how often it was serviced. They will even identify the locations where the car was purchased. It seems you can see just about everything from this report.

Some car dealerships proudly boast that they only sell cars that are accident free. I'm not sure what they do with the used cars that have been in an accident. It's hard to believe that a car that was broken on the outside then repaired would not be acceptable. They clearly take cars that were and may still be broken on the inside. 

This Christmas I find myself thankful that it doesn't work the same with God as it does with cars. Whether we are broken on the inside, outside, or both God accepts us. I'll take it a step further, He pursues us and goes to great lengths to be near to us. He sent his only son to live as we live, face temptations as we do, and die the way we deserve to die. He later overcame death and defeated it soundly. All because He loves us and wants us.

I think if we all had one of these automobile reports run on us we'd find that each of us has been in a wreck. Many of us have had a few. Some of the damage is completely unseen, covered by a facade of fake smiles and pleasantries. For others the scars from those wrecks can be easily seen. 

God's car lot accepts and searches for the broken and beaten up. He doesn't stop there. He takes what once was broken and he makes it new through his son, Jesus Christ. We celebrate his entrance as a baby into this world and we are made new as his story progresses to hang on a cross, pass through a tomb, and finally taking the throne with His Father. 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! - 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

This Christmas, know you have been made new when you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. He has already paid the price. Simply receive the gift of a forever changed by a God who loves you more than you will ever fully understand.  

Merry Christmas!
Matt

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