At Home with the Lord

St. Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is
gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for
me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire
to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary
for you that I remain in the body” (Philippians 1:21-24).

“We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from
the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).

I am not anticipating going to be with the Lord imminently,
but it will not be in the distant future.* I am ready to go. This readiness has
nothing to do with merits; I had none and have none.

“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and
enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy,
being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our
Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but
because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by
the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our
Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs
having the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:3-7).

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We
have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father,
full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still
powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a
righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But
God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners,
Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8).

“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in
their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of
death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in
slavery by their fear of death” (Hebrews 2:14-15).

This is what Christmas is all about.

*Written December 2008. Jim went to be with the Lord in
2022.