In telling the story about a man named Angus McGillivray, whose example transformed a hellhole of a World War II Japanese prison camp into a place of caring and concern, we stated that because we have all sinned, we are spiritually dead and, consequently, separated from God who is also a God of holiness in whose presence no sin can ever exist or sinner survive.

That was the bad news.

The good news is that, as there is a higher law than the law of gravity—the law of aerodynamics, there is also a higher law than the law of sin and death (which is the result of breaking the moral law). It is the law of the Spirit of life that God provided through his love by giving his own Son, Jesus Christ, to come to earth as a baby born in Bethlehem at Christmas some 2000 years ago and then, as a grown man, to die in our place to pay the consequences of our sin and our breaking God’s moral/spiritual law.

As God’s Word says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”⁷ Also, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”⁸

Because Jesus Christ gave his life and died to pay the just penalty for all our sins, God now offers each of us a free pardon for all our sin and, in accepting this pardon, we are freed from the law of sin and death. As the Bible says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life sets me free from the law of sin and death.”⁹

And that’s the glory of Christmas. It provides the greatest Christmas gift anyone could ever give or ever receive. All you need to do is to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that he died on the cross in your place to pay the penalty for all your sins … and pray and confess your sinfulness to God, thank him for giving his Son to die in your place, ask for his forgiveness, and invite Jesus Christ to come into your heart and life as personal Lord and Savior. Doing this is your “passport into heaven,” without which you can never enter God’s Heaven of untold beauty, joy, and love. Whatever you do, don’t leave earth without it!

For a prayer to help you, click on “God’s Invitation” at http://tinyurl.com/6k49w.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for the glory of Christmas in that you gave your Son, Jesus Christ, to come to earth to die on the cross in my place to save me from eternal destruction in hell so that, as long as my trust is in you, I am freely forgiven of all my sins, and given your gift of eternal life so that I can live in Heaven forever with you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. John 15:13 (NIV).

2. Taken from Holy Sweat by Tim Hansel, Word Publication, 1987, p. 146-147.

3. Romans 5:8 (NIV).

4. John 15:13 (NIV).

5. See Romans 6:23.

6. John 3:16 (NIV).

7. Romans 5:8 (NIV).

8. John 3:16 (NIV).

9. Romans 8:1-2 (NIV).

In yesterday’s Daily Encounter we told the story about a man named Angus McGillivray, whose example transformed a hellhole of a World War II Japanese prison camp into a place of caring and concern. This transformation meant survival for many of the other prisoners and happened because one man, Angus McGillivray, gave his own life to save his mucker (prison buddy/mate).

What a powerful illustration of the fact that one person can make a difference and what can happen when one gives his life for another. As the Bible teaches us, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”⁴ And what a powerful reminder of the One who laid down his life for you and me—the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God—who stepped out of the ivory palaces of heaven, laid aside his external robes of deity, clothed himself in a garment of human flesh, and became a man to identify himself with us when he came to earth at that first Christmas 2,000 years ago, so he could become our Savior to die for our sins, and as a result save us from the curse of hell and a lost eternity.

Some people argue, if God is a God of love how could he ever send anyone to hell? The reality is that God doesn’t send anyone to hell except Satan and his horde of evil demons for whom hell was created. If we go to hell it is because it is the natural consequences of our sinfulness. We send ourselves there.

Let me illustrate. If I jump from a very high tower the natural consequence will be that I will kill myself. It will be the result of my trying to defy the law of gravity, the law that holds the universe together. I cannot break this law. If I try to, it breaks me—physically.

There is also a moral and spiritual law that governs the universe just as real as the law of gravity. Neither can this law be broken without natural consequences. If I try to break it, it breaks me—spiritually. According to God’s Word, the Bible, the consequences of breaking the moral/spiritual law is death; that is, spiritual death which, following physical death, will be eternal separation from God, the author of all love and life—and that will be hell in hell.⁵

Because we have all sinned, we are spiritually dead and, consequently, separated from God who is a God of holiness in whose presence no sin can ever exist or sinner survive. However, because God is also a God of love, he has made a way of escape for all who put their trust in him. The answer is in tomorrow’s Daily Encounter.

To be concluded…

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you are God and not a god made with human hands or the figment of man’s imagination. Thank you, too, that you are God of infinite holiness and perfect justice; otherwise you would never be God. And thank you that you are also God of infinite love in that you have made a way of escape from the eternal punishment that your holiness and justice demands. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Note: See footnotes at end of Part III.

In his book, Through the Valley of the Kwai, Ernest Gordon gives a true account of life in a World War II Japanese prison camp. The story is about a man named Angus McGillivray, whose example transformed a hellhole of a prison camp into a place of caring and concern.

In one camp filled with Americans, Australians, and Britons, men who had helped build the infamous bridge over the River Kwai, McGillivray was a Scottish prisoner. The attitude in this camp had apparently turned into an ugly, selfish, dog-eat-dog situation. Fellow prisoners cheated on each other. Men had their packs stolen right from under their heads while they were sleeping on them. It was every man for himself. Survival was the name of the game. As Gordon put it, “The law of the jungle prevailed.” All this took place until the news of Angus McGillivray’s death was heard throughout the camp.

The men were astounded. McGillivray was a big, strong man and everyone presumed he would be the last one to die. But it wasn’t his death that shocked the prisoners, but the reason for it.

The Scottish soldiers were called Argylls and had a buddy system that they took very seriously. Their buddy or mate was called their “mucker” and each was committed to the other to ensure the other’s survival. Angus’s mucker became very ill and wasn’t expected to live. However, when someone stole his mucker’s blanket, Angus gave him his, saying he had found an extra one. At mealtime Angus would take his rations and force his mucker to eat, again saying that he had found extra. Angus did everything he could to keep his mucker alive.

In time the mucker fully recovered. And then to everyone’s surprise Angus suddenly collapsed and died. The doctors found that he had died from exhaustion and starvation.

The cause of McGillivray’s death is what brought about the transformation of the prison camp. They all knew the reason behind his death. Because of Angus’s example, the men began to be concerned for their mates and became less self-centered and more caring and sharing. They decided to get together and use their talents to help each other. “One was a violin maker, another an orchestra leader, another a cabinet maker, another a professor. Soon the camp had an orchestra full of homemade instruments and a church called the ‘Church Without Walls’ that was so powerful, so compelling, that even the Japanese guards attended. The men began a university, a hospital and a library system.”²

To be continued…

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for the power of love in that it can change lives like nothing else ever can, and thank you that love is a gift from you. Please use my life as a channel of your love so that my life and the life of others will be changed. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Note: See footnotes at end of Part III.