Contrasting Christmas Messages of Britain's Leaders

Once again Britain's leaders have delivered their annual Christmas messages to the nation. The content of those messages has been varied, with many missing the opportunity afforded to them to speak to people of their need of the Saviour. The Archbishop of Canterbury, the pre-eminent 'Christian leader' in the United Kingdom, in his Christmas sermon offers no more certain hope than the statement that Jesus Christ offers 'fresh possibilities for being at peace with God and each other'. A mere possibility of peace with God is of no comfort to those in the depths of sin and despair, but what is needed by men and women is that sure and certain hope that their sins have been forgiven. The man centred message of 'seeing ourselves honestly' and 'seeing the world differently' is not the message of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ but is 'another gospel: which is not another'. Though to many it may seem the same it is but poison to the soul, for what is truly needful is that turning from self to sole reliance on the Christ who was born in the manger, yet who was born with that purpose of dying on Calvary as the substitute for our sins.