Christmas Break & Forgiveness

Merry Christmas 2019

Good morning (or evening) everyone and God bless you all!  This afternoon will mark the beginning of our two week Christmas break.  My wife and kids will be out of school until January 7th, 2020.  That is actually 18 straight days off and we have really been looking forward to it!  In keeping with the season, I would like to talk about perfection and forgiveness today.  More specifically, talking about the truth that none of us are perfect and we all need forgiveness.

Before I get started, I would like to ask for prayer.  The last couple of days have been rough and then our son got sick last night, so please pray for our health.  We had a very hard Christmas and New Year last year and I don’t want a repeat of that.  I haven’t written in a couple days because honestly I have been frustrated and dismayed about our family’s health and finances.  I am giving it to God as I always do.  I know He has good plans for us.  I am just very tired from all the suffering and loss and I have been crying out to God for mercy.  Sometimes all we can do is just rest in Jesus.

I am writing this today because I promised I would always be honest and real about my walk with Jesus.  I just want to make it clear that I don’t act like I’m perfect, not in person or on this blog.  I make mistakes like everybody else.  I desperately need God’s grace and mercy every day!  I accepted Jesus in 1996 because I realized I needed forgiveness for my sin, not because I thought I was perfect.  A repentant heart says, “have mercy on me, a sinner!”  A repentant heart accepts God’s Truth that all of us have sinned and fall short of God’s glory and we desperately need a Savior!

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Romans 3:23-24

“But the tax collector stood at a distance.  He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'”

Luke 18:13

I am just doing my best to follow God and fulfill His calling on my life.  The preaching of His Word that God does through me here is preaching I need to hear too.  I am not out here acting like I’m perfect.  I’m a sinner saved by grace too and I know how much grace and mercy has been poured out on me!  The Lord called me to publish my testimony and start this blog to preach the Gospel to the world, so I obeyed Him and did it and I’m doing it now.  He gave me the gift of evangelism.  It’s not something I gave myself as if I could boast about it.  I am just doing what He called me to do with the gifts He gave me.  I am just a servant of the Most High God.  Just an evangelist scribe doing his duty, nothing more.

I am not ashamed of Jesus Christ.  I love Him, worship Him, and serve Him because He rescued me and my family from darkness and set us free, and He is worthy to be praised!  I have laid down my life to Him because He alone is worthy of that devotion!

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.  For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

Romans 1:16-17

Christmas is all about celebrating Jesus Christ and Jesus is all about forgiveness and love.  He was born to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, so we can stand forgiven and righteous before God!  This Christmas, remember how much you have been forgiven by the Blood of Jesus, and offer that same forgiveness to each other.  Love each other and forgive the mistakes and shortcomings and move forward together in peace.  Don’t keep a record of wrongs on each other.  Give it to God and ask Him to make His love increase and overflow in your hearts!

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Colossians 3:12-14

“Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.  But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Sometimes we say and do things we regret.  Recently, I said some things I regret and I had to ask for forgiveness.  Don’t think that just because you are a Christian you are perfect now and you can’t sin.  You can most definitely still sin and when we do, we must repent and carry on with Jesus.  Nobody will be perfect until we see Him face to face in our new glorified bodies.  However, we do have the power of the Holy Spirit inside of us and those who believe in Jesus have overcome the world!  We must forgive each other as Jesus has forgiven us!

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 3:12-14

Am I perfect in being patient and kind?  No.  Am I perfect in not being rude and not being easily angered?  No.  I am not perfect.  Nobody is perfect.  I make mistakes and sometimes I say things that are hurtful to those I love, and I admit my mistakes and repent and ask for forgiveness when I stumble like that.  Likewise, we must forgive and not hold those mistakes over each other’s heads!  We must press on in Jesus!

We all desperately need Jesus more than we realize!  Salvation is immediate upon your confession of faith in Jesus Christ and you are sealed by the Holy Spirit who is given to you the moment you believe (Ephesians 1:13-14).  The sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit inside of you convicting you of sin and leading you in all truth is a lifelong process that will continue until your last breath (John 16:5-15).  You are not perfect just because you believe in Jesus.  Believe me, if you have the Holy Spirit, then you will feel the Lord’s conviction on your heart if you say or do something sinful or hurtful to someone.  My advice is to follow the Spirit’s lead and repent and make it right immediately!

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”

Galatians 5:22-26

God wants us to love each other and forgive each other like He loves and forgives us!  Let us forget what is behind and press on in Jesus!  Let us strain with all our hearts toward what is ahead and be found loving and forgiving each other!  None of us are perfect and we all need His forgiveness.  May we submit to the Lord and the mighty work of His Holy Spirit inside of us.  May we become more and more like Jesus every day and may His will be done!

“A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Jesus speaking in John 13:34-35

Grace and peace to you all and Merry Christmas!

Author: Ryan Callahan

Hello, and welcome to my site! I am an independent Christian author (One Man's Very Strange Supernatural Life), blogger, and evangelist for Jesus. My main goal with this blog is to help people come to know Jesus, help people understand the Bible, and to minister to a lost and hurting world. This site is about hope, new beginnings, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love! I'm glad you are here, God bless you! Copyright © 2024 Ryan Callahan. All rights reserved.

48 thoughts on “Christmas Break & Forgiveness”

  1. Hi brother I will keep you guys in my prayers it’s not fun when we get sick over the Christmas holiday. I know that I have shared this before but it bears repeating. Anything that touches the life of the believer no matter how difficult no matter how trying it wasn’t by accident it wasn’t by accident to get in there you’ve got the Father you’ve got the Son who gave Himself in your place the Father who decreed your Salvation your indwelt by the Holy Spirit of of God if it touches that life it has been allowed to do so by a loving Father a redeeming Savior a sanctifying Spirit it is a part of God’s purpose in your life the whole idea of purposelessness is banished by a recognition of what the Christian life really is no such thing as purposelessness evil anything that touches our life has been allowed to enter into that incredibly personal intimate place where my life has been hidden together with Christ There’s never a time the Father loses His attention span and something accidentally happens. Because when you think about it what the biblical teaching is if it’s touched my life it’s touched my life because God chose to allow it to do so out of love. What we need to remember what these inspired words tell us is that if it touches our life it has touched our life in God’s purpose and that purpose is wrapped up soaked in immersed in the love He has for His own.

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  2. Check out this Bible passage. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.So death is at work in us, but life in you.Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak,knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. – 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2Corinthians4:7-18&version=ESV

    God Jul. Which translates Merry Christmas in Swedish.

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      2. I shared this with pastor Jim last night. I’m thankful I will be free of Cerebral Palsy and run to Him in front of all believers I look for to that day!

        After decades with it will be great to run with no help to hear Him say bibleguy run to me. And He is using Cerebral Palsy for His glory and purposes.

        Before I was saved all I wanted was an earthly cure that would be nice but being rid of it in heaven is far better so I will wait for heaven to be free of Cerebral Palsy no scars or bent fingers feet that have been worked on hips twice back head eyes feet legs vp shunt etc all one day fixed.

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  5. Thank you Ryan, Jesus truly is the greatest gift! I pray His healing, comfort, and grace, and that your faith will grow as you find more ways to trust His love for you and your sweet family. Have a rich time of fellowship with your loved ones and a blessed Christmas celebration!

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  6. Ryan Thank you for sharing this truths. The Christian life is a battle against the flesh, the forces of evil and the world . Our trials shapes and moulds us as the Potter wills and we have the victory in Christ.
    One day we shall be in His Presence, face to face, no more tears or pain.
    Praying for you and your family..
    Love in Jesus

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  7. Great post and I have you and your family in my prayers!! You are so right about none of us being perfect, but asking forgiveness and listening to him is how we grow from our mistakes. I can’t argue that you have a full plate, but His calling for you with this blog has more impact than any of us can imagine!! God Bless and Merry Christmas to you and your family!

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  10. I do hope my grandson is no longer sick, so sorry to hear that, Ryan. I sure am praying and hoping you have a sick-free Christmas break and a happy, relaxing one. When we seek forgiveness from those we have hurt or wronged, especially those closest to us, the loving thing to do is forgive. That is a great gift to that person, and yourself! That is the only way things can move on. Even when we have been wronged at work, or a friend, we must forgive… God does want us to forgive and He forgives us. Amen, Ryan.
    Let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.
    I JOHN 4:7

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  11. Great post, Ryan. Yes, I am human and often need to repent and be forgiven, too.

    Here are some of my favorite bible verses:

    Psalm 103:8-14 Amplified Bible (AMP)
    8
    The Lord is merciful and gracious,
    Slow to anger and abounding in compassion and lovingkindness.
    9
    He will not always strive with us,
    Nor will He keep His anger forever.
    10
    He has not dealt with us according to our sins [as we deserve],
    Nor rewarded us [with punishment] according to our wickedness.
    11
    For as the heavens are high above the earth,
    So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear and worship Him [with awe-filled respect and deepest reverence].
    12
    As far as the east is from the west,
    So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
    13
    Just as a father loves his children,
    So the Lord loves those who fear and worship Him [with awe-filled respect and deepest reverence].
    14
    For He knows our [mortal] frame;
    He remembers that we are [merely] dust.

    Amen! And thank you for all the great verses you shared here. God bless and Merry Christmas.

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  19. Your Christian witness is filled with truth and honesty. None of us are perfect. Only our Savior walked the Earth as a perfect person. We all fall short of God’s expectations, and we regularly come to Him for forgiveness. God’s peace to you and your family. Merry Christmas!

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