Access

I was carrying my recycling down to the room of bins in my block of flats (and there was quite a lot due to some recent pre-Christmas festivities), when I came to this:

This is the combination lock used to guard the recycling bin area against teenagers and others who may have previously sheltered there. It requires me to know the code to prove that I am a legitimate user of the room.

It then struck me how many times in my daily life that I require some form of proof of who I am to gain access to something. The first time I check my phone, it requires either my thumb print or a six digit number to be given for me to use it. As I step onto the bus, I need my orange key card which lights the nice machine in a green colour and the bus driver knows I have already paid for this journey. When I get to school, there are codes to enter both the gates and the front door. Once at work, I need a password to access my computer then my school e-mail, home e-mail, my Twinkl account and Class Dojo (those last two may be lost on non-teachers, apologies). Lots of different words and codes to remember! On returning from work, I need my fob to gain access to my flats and the key again to open my front door.

I have also been struck in a fresh wonder at the Christmas story and what it represents. An all-powerful, loving God in the form of a tiny, vulnerable baby. But why? Well he had a purpose. His life was under threat from the moment He was born, but only when it was time did he surrender fully to this destiny. And in doing so he created access for all mankind to a relationship with an amazing, loving, all-powerful, gracious God! When I come to pray or worship Him, I don't need a thumb print, a code or password. I can just speak! He knows my voice! In fact He knows what I will say or ask before I do, yet He loves us speaking to Him! There is no ritual I have to go through to be 'good enough' for Him. If it relied on me, everything is hopeless. Thankfully, it depends on a victory secured 2000 years ago!

That's what makes Christianity so unique. In no other religion or belief does God come down to experience how hard life can be, totally understanding what life is like for us, but also making a way for us to have access to Him and to his kingdom forever! I mess up every single day of my life, and yet all mess-ups past, present and future were dealt with on the cross where this baby who had grown into a man, eventually surrendered to man’s schemes. In so doing, at that central point of history, he defeated death, and now I am viewed as fully righteous by God. Far from making me want to ‘get away’ with lots of stuff, it motivates me to want to be more like Him!

Romans 8 says:

 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 

 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord

This world needs secure codes and passwords to protect us and prevent us from going where we shouldn't or taking what is not ours. But Christmas means that I have full unrestricted access to the most amazing and life-changing relationship you could ever know! I urge you to find out more!

Merry Christmas to all!