The Habit of Self-Justification

Birth of a King

The birth of Jesus Christ was not the arrival of a harmless figurehead, but the coming of a true King one born to rule, to defend, and to enforce justice. In ages past, the birth of a king meant security, order, and hope for even the poorest man, because a ruler had come who would restrain evil and protect the realm. Scripture declares Christ King from His birth, ordained to overthrow every enemy and set all things right. This is why His coming is truly joy to the world: not a fragile peace of sentiment, but the strong peace of justice, righteousness, and victory. Come what may, Christians rejoice for one simple reason we have a King.

The Increase of His Government and Peace

Isaiah foretold that Christ would bear the government of the world on His shoulders and that His rule and peace would never stop increasing. True peace, Scripture insists, does not come from the absence of authority but from righteous government under Christ the King. The world’s demand for peace while rejecting God’s law only produces chaos and perpetual conflict. Christ reigns as Prophet, Pries t, and King, establishing justice and righteousness forever, but His government must first be welcomed personally. The promise of lasting peace begins not in institutions or nations, but in hearts prepared to receive their King.

No Vacancies

The Christmas story reminds us that when Christ came into the world, there was no room for Him not in the inn, not in the town, and not in the busy lives of men preoccupied with their own affairs and that same tragedy is repeated whenever our hearts are so crowded with trivialities, schedules, excuses, and self-interest that there is no place left for the Lord. Like the people of Bethlehem, we often mean well, speak kindly, and offer explanations, yet still turn Him away because our lives are already “full.” And yet the wonder of the gospel is this: though we so often have no room for Him, He always has room for us, calling the weary, the overlooked, and the undeserving to come in, making space by grace where none seemed possible. The question Christmas presses upon us, therefore, is not whether Christ is willing to enter, but whether we will make room for Him in the inn of our hearts.

Rationalism and the Chain of Being

Rationalism inherits a Greek idea that treats good and evil as metaphysical states on a “chain of being” rather than moral obedience or rebellion against God. This view assumes a continuity of being between God and man, making human reason capable of accessing ultimate truth and reducing sin to a “thinness of being” instead of lawless defiance of God’s law. Biblically, however, God is uncreated and man is created; sin is moral rebellion, not metaphysical decline. The chain-of-being idea undermines creation, predestination, and the historic atonement, replacing them with autonomy, deification, and a rationalized, impersonal god ultimately leaving man to enthrone his own reason as supreme.

The Resurrection

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is not a vague spiritual symbol it is the decisive victory of God in history, in body and soul, over sin, death, and every power that opposes Him. Because Christ rose bodily from the grave, His authority extends over all things, spiritual and material, making prayer effective and hope unshakable. This is why the early church lived with joy and courage even in a hostile world: death was defeated, fear was broken, and victory was assured. While the modern world drifts from faith into anxiety and darkness, Christians are called to live as people of the resurrection confident, joyful, and unafraid because our King lives, reigns, and has already secured the victory.