In the TV show “The Price is Right” audience spectators are called down onto the game floor to become part of the participants. The host would then have individuals compete to determine who would be the closest in guessing the retail value of a displayed item. The person with the closest estimate would win that object and then move on to another level of competition for more prizes. Good purchasing skills and good guessing are necessary to successfully proceed to higher levels of competition.
In the TV show “The Price is Right” audience spectators are called down onto the game floor to become part of the participants. The host would then have individuals compete to determine who would be the closest in guessing the retail value of a displayed item. The person with the closest estimate would win that object and then move on to another level of competition for more prizes. Good purchasing skills and good guessing are necessary to successfully proceed to higher levels of competition.
It is interesting that in all the major world religions, except one, it is human effort that is necessary to proceed to higher levels of spiritual success or winning the ultimate prizes of life. In simple generalized overviews we see that within:
- Hinduism – The participants believe that the individual’s own destiny is determined by the actions of the individual. They believe in Karma, the law of cause and effect by which each individual creates his own destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds.
- Buddhism – It is important to remove oneself from suffering. This is done through: Right knowledge – Right intention – Right speech – Right action – Right livelihood – Right effort – Right mindfulness – Right concentration
- Islam – It is important that one be a follower of Allah and that their good actions outweigh the bad actions.
- New Age – Adherents believe that all is god and individuals just need to release the God within themselves and this will bring about self-actualization.
But Christianity is different from the other religions. In Christianity, instead of progressing from one level to the next by trying to be better, working harder, trying to believe more, etc. we realize that we will never be good enough to please God in our own efforts. Instead of people trying to work their way up to heaven, we see God coming down from heaven to help us. Christianity is unique in that only in Christianity is the understanding that God comes down to help us, instead of mankind trying to rise to be with or to be like God. It is because of our sinfulness, our inability, and God’s desire to walk with us that God comes down to be with us. We do not force Him to come to us, He lovingly desires to come to help us walk with Him.
Contrary to the game show “The Price Is Right”, we do not need to compete, be good enough or know enough to try to earn the prize. Instead, Jesus – God Himself, comes down to help us! At Christmas we celebrate that God came down to earth. Jesus, the living word of God, takes upon Himself the limitations of a human so that He ultimately would help us walk with God. All that is required on our part is that we trust that Jesus will forgive us and that He will help us walk with God. This is the good news of Christmas and of Easter, combined into one message.
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