Scripture: Ephesians 2:8 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

After decades of fighting, Colombia’s military tried a new approach to get guerilla groups to surrender—a Christmas campaign. It involved decorating trees near the insurgents’ jungle base with lights triggered by motion sensors. 

When a rebel approached, the Christmas tree lit up and a message read, “If Christmas can come to the jungle, you too can come home. Demobilise. At Christmas, everything is possible.” More than 330 rebels demobilised.

The following year, friends and relatives wrote Christmas letters to the rebels, asking them to come home, which were placed in thousands of beautiful glowing balls and floated down the jungle’s rivers. More rebels laid down their arms. For this group of guerillas, kindness helped them come home.

It reminds me of God’s ways with us. For while we rebellious humans have long fought against Him (Titus 3:3), “When God our Saviour revealed his kindness and love, he saved us,” Paul says, “because of his mercy” (vv.4-5). Although God’s judgment of us is warranted, He’s delaying it, waiting patiently for us to return (2 Peter 3:9). God’s kindness leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4).

The God of the universe, who has heaven’s armies at His command, chooses to win us not with force, but kindness. Let’s lay down our weapons and come home. — Sheridan Voysey

Oh, did you know?

That salvation in Christ is not about self-improvement, but about being a totally new person? It is not a repair job, but a complete overhaul. Salvation is God’s gift and we receive it by faith. If you have accepted Christ, then you can have the full confidence that your salvation is secured. But now that we are saved, we are to do the good works He has planned for us beforehand (Ephesians 2:10)