Today’s article is about love, but not the fleeting, sentimental love the world celebrates. We are talking about the love that was so vast it couldn’t be contained in the heavens, a love that came down to live among us, to breathe our air, and to walk our dusty roads. For those who haven’t encountered this truth yet, this is the profound mystery of why Jesus is called Emmanuel, which literally translates to “God with us.”
It is a staggering thought. The Creator did not remain distant. He did not watch our struggle from a safe orbit. He stepped into the fray. Why? Because God has a plan. And as we see throughout Scripture, His plan is not just good. It is perfect.
The Four Pillars of the Plan of Salvation
When we look at the architecture of God’s redemptive work, we see four fundamental pieces that hold everything together. This is the Plan of Salvation, and it is the most important concept any human being will ever encounter.
- Hope in a Better Future: Because His plan is perfect, we are not left to the whims of fate or the decaying trajectory of a broken world. We have a definitive “Expected End.” This hope acts as an anchor for the soul, ensuring that our current trials are not the end of the story.
- Peace Beyond Imagination: The plan involves the ultimate removal of every trouble, tear, and war. It offers a peace that surpasses all understanding; a tranquility that holds steady even when the world around us is in chaos.
- Everlasting Joy: God’s plan includes us. We are not observers; we are participants. This inclusion brings a joy that is far deeper than happiness. It is a spiritual strength that gives us the fortitude to keep pressing on when our own strength fails.
- Eternal Love that Casts Out Fear: Finally, the entire plan is rooted in His eternal love. In a world driven by anxiety and the “fear of the unknown,” God’s perfect love provides a shield. It tells us that we are known, we are wanted, and we are safe.
But the reality is: even with a plan this perfect, people still say “no.” It is the great paradox of the human condition. People desperately need hope, but they reject the God who provides it. They cry out for peace, yet they consistently choose the paths that lead to war. They seek joy in temporary pleasures, turning their backs on the One who offers it freely and abundantly. They try to find love in every corner of the earth, but by choosing fear over faith, they end up with hatred, distance, and isolation.
The Dead-End Track: A Lesson from the Future
This societal rejection of the truth reminds me of a classic cinematic moment. In Back to the Future Part III, there is a pivotal scene where Doc Brown and Marty McFly have travelled back to 1885. A train carrying Miss Clara is hurtling down the tracks at top speed. The problem? It is heading toward a dead-end track. In the “future” (the 1985 they know), a bridge exists there. But in 1885, that bridge is still decades away from being built. To the people on that train, the track looks like a path forward. To those who know the truth of the map, it is a death trap.
Think about that train for a moment. If you were to run to that locomotive, climb into the cab, and warn the conductor about the abyss ahead, what would happen? If the conductor listens and stops the train, you are a hero. You have saved lives. No one would dream of putting you in jail or “cancelling” you for stopping that train. It is the only logical, moral, and right thing to do.
But consider the opposite scenario. Imagine you warn the conductor, but he decides to keep going anyway. Perhaps he thinks he knows the layout better than you. Perhaps he likes the speed. Perhaps he simply refuses to accept a truth that inconveniences his current direction. At that point, the decision is made, and the tragedy is set in stone.
We have reached a terrifying point of convergence in our modern society. Today, the “conductors” of our culture are heading for the ravine, but they have made it illegal to shout a warning. We are living in a time where the most “dangerous” people are those simply trying to tell the truth. We are told we are not allowed to show God’s love if that love includes a warning. We are told it is “intolerant” to say, “Hey, there’s a dead-end ahead, you should stop now!”
In the past, doing the right thing was obvious; it was simply the right thing to do. Today, telling someone they are on the wrong track is treated as an act of aggression. But the bridge is still missing, and the ravine is still there.
The Deception of the “Inner Star”
This spiritual confusion isn’t just happening in movies or politics; it’s happening in our neighbourhoods and our schools. This past week, my wife and I went to our daughters’ school choir performance. They sang beautifully, and it was a joy to see them. However, during the program, a person stood up to read a poem intended to be a powerful and “inspiring” end-of-the-year message.
The message sounded nice on the surface, but as they spoke, something felt deeply wrong. My wife and I felt that immediate check in our spirits, the Holy Spirit, who Jesus promised would teach us all things and lead us into all truth.
The speaker said: “Follow the star within you.”
To the world, that sounds poetic and empowering. But in reality, it carries a tremendous, soul-threatening lie. To tell someone to “follow their inner star” is just a modern way of saying “follow your heart, follow your instincts, follow your own desires.”
If we look at the manual for the human soul, the Bible, we find a very different diagnosis:
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick (wicked); who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9, ESV)
If my heart is deceitful and “sick,” why would I want it to be my navigator? Furthermore, the concept of following whatever “star” you like is a dangerous game. Not every light in the sky is a guide from God. Scripture tells us of one who was once a great light:
“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!” (Isaiah 14:12, ESV)
When we follow the “inner star,” we are often just following our own ego or, worse, the deceptions of the “Day Star” who fell. We MUST follow the right star: the one God has placed in the heavens to lead us to Christ.
The Relativity of Time and the Absolute of God
In 1905, Albert Einstein shook the world with his Special Theory of Relativity, explaining that time is relative. I happen to agree with him, but I believe the Bible got there first.
Time is a physical property. The days and years we experience here on Earth are different from those on Mars, or the massive cycles of Saturn and Jupiter. Time changes based on where you are and how fast you are moving. But for our eternal God, time is not a cage.
Long before Einstein, the Apostle Paul understood this eternal perspective when he wrote that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. Time is relative to us, but it is irrelevant to God’s nature. He was there before the first atom was created, He is standing with us in this very moment, and He is already present in the New Heavens and the New Earth.
In fact, the Bible gives us a glimpse of a reality where time as we know it ceases to function through the lens of light. In Revelation 22:5 (ESV), we learn about the New Jerusalem:
“And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”
The Bible even explicitly mentions the “relativity” of God’s timing, noting that one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day to the Lord. It’s almost as if Einstein was simply catching up to the Word of God.
This is why we can trust Jesus when He gave us His great promise before ascending:
“[…] And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20, ESV)
There is no time limit on God’s presence. There is no “expiration date” on His love. Unlike our human emotions or worldly trends, God’s love is absolute and complete. It releases us from fear; not just occasionally or when we feel “spiritual,” but totally.
What the World is Searching For: 2025 Statistics
I want to share something that truly encouraged me this week. In my personal study, I use a software called Logos. It is a powerful tool for deep Bible study and Greek/Hebrew exegesis. They recently sent out their year-end statistics for 2025, showing the most searched passages by pastors, theologians, and students globally.
The results are a window into the soul of the global Church:
- 2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” — This shows a hunger for the Authority of God’s Word in an age of “fake news” and “inner stars.”
- Matthew 16:18: “…on this rock I will build my church…” — A cry for Resilience and Perseverance in the face of cultural opposition.
- Galatians 5:22–23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” — A recognition that we need God’s Character to manifest in our lives.
- Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” — A global search for Assurance and Relief from the Good Shepherd.
- John 14:6: “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” — A firm stand on Salvation in Christ Alone.
Think about the scale of those numbers. Thousands upon thousands of sermons were preached on these verses this year. Millions of people in the churches or online heard these specific truths.
This tells me that despite what the media says, God is faithful. His Word is reliable. The content of this Book is the truth, and we can trust it. It has never failed in the past, it is proving to be the only reliable foundation in our current day, and it gives us the absolute conviction that whatever God has promised for the future is going to happen.
My Christmas Wish
The plan of God is perfect. He is our strong tower, our refuge, and our fortress. As we move through this season and light the Advent candles, our eyes should not be on the flickering wax, but on our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He is God’s own Son, and His light is shining bright within us, not as an “inner star” of our own making, but as His glory dwelling in our hearts.
Remember, in the New Jerusalem, we won’t even need the Sun. The glory of God will shine from all directions. There will be no shadows, no “dark sides,” and no darkness whatsoever.
That is our God. That is His love. The goal of His entire plan, from Genesis to Revelation, is simply to keep us with Him forever. With Him, we have the four things the world is dying for: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.
The world can keep its trends and its deceitful “inner stars.” For me and my house, we choose the Star of Jacob, the Lion of Judah, and the Plan of the Father.
I don’t know about the rest of the world, but THIS is exactly what I want for Christmas.
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