This Christmas, let’s fully receive the greatest gift the world has ever been given — and put an end to santa claus-based theology forever.  

This is not a parenting article. The aim of this article is to help reform the way most of us have grown up, with a performance-based mindset for the way we view God and the way we approach our life and work.

So for the sake of showing there is no comparison — no rival, no equal —  to the distinctly preeminent Jesus, we are going to poke fun and pick on the longtime make-believe hero of our culture.

santa’s Theme Song  
‍“You better watch out, you better not cry…
You better not pout, I'm telling you why.
He's making a list, he's checking it twice.
He's gonna find out who is naughty or nice…
He sees you when you're sleeping,
And he knows when you're awake.
He knows if you've been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake.”
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 - Lyrics from “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”

santa's gifts are Poor Theology

This transactional song and the fairytale of santa are not a big problem if they stay in the realm of make believe, like Snow White and the 7 Dwarves. Too many of us, however, carry this “santa claus theology” into our relationship with God and others. You see, santa is not only make-believe, he is also not consistent  — he changes who he is and what he does from person to person, house to house, and decade to decade. To mimic this in our relationship with God and in our life and work is a major problem.

santa claus theology is believing —

1. God is keeping score and we need a “good score” to get the best things. santa’s relationship is solely transactional, not personal. Our Father who loves us, requires perfection because He is perfectly holy (Leviticus 11:44). Yet we all know we’ve never even had a perfect day, so we tend to discount what God requires — causing us all to have a [.text-style-link]wrong view of the perfect, holy standard God requires.[.text-style-link]
2. God operates on the curve and changes His standard like make-believe santa and many teachers, bosses, and friends — making us into comparison addicts as we think “well I am not as bad as…” This distortion of standard also causes us to have a misunderstanding of the [.text-style-link]God who never changes[.text-style-link] and most importantly the [.text-style-link]grace and love that fulfills the holiness standard perfectly in Christ Jesus.[.text-style-link] ‍
3. We control circumstances and outcomes by our performance. This puts unrealistic confidence in our human abilities as we believe, “if it’s to be, it's up to me” — [.text-style-link]impacting where we place our faith[.text-style-link] and how we work.‍
4. Others should meet our standards, causing us to have false or unrealistic expectations of others and tempting us to approach relationships with a carrot-and-stick approach — which creates too many scenarios for bidirectional disappointment — [.text-style-link]giving us false hope[.text-style-link] in other people and earthly institutions.

In short, santa claus theology is a cheap imitation of the highest truth and supreme gift of Christmas: The Gift of Jesus Christ.

Receive The True Gift

Consider the distinctive and preeminent benefits of receiving Jesus fully — becoming closer to Him. Based on these brief descriptions of all He is offering you.

1. [.text-style-strikethrough]God is keeping score and we need a “good score” to get the best things.[.text-style-strikethrough]   [.text-color-blue]Jesus is perfect, and He offers a perfect relationship.[.text-color-blue]

He came to earth as the exact representation of our perfect holy God (Colossians 1:15) and the radiance of God’s glory (Hebrews 1:3) in order to bring about perfect relationship. Jesus came to earth to offer his life for our life. Jesus came to stand in our place with His perfect spotless record. Jesus came at just the right time to put an end to striving to earn a perfect score. Jesus came to settle the score and reconcile all things to Himself, by making peace through the blood of the cross (Colossians 1:20).

2.[.text-style-strikethrough]God operates on the curve and changes His standard like make-believe santa.[.text-style-strikethrough] [.text-color-blue]Jesus never changes, and He paid it all.[.text-color-blue]‍

Jesus came not to abolish the law we could not uphold perfectly, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17) for our sake. Jesus pays for our sins, making us children of God and co-heirs with Him as his brothers and sisters.  

‍But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba , Father.”  So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.  - [.no-reftag]Galatians 4:4-7[.no-reftag]

3. [.text-style-strikethrough]We control circumstances and outcomes by our performance.[.text-style-strikethrough] [.text-color-blue]Jesus is a free gift to receive.[.text-color-blue]

You cannot earn Jesus. You can’t talk your way or pray your way into a relationship with Jesus. Even the desire to seek after Jesus is a gift. The only way to get Jesus is to receive Jesus. You must receive Him as a gift.

“To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” - [.no-reftag]John 1:13[.no-reftag]

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. - [.no-reftag]Ephesians 2:8-9[.no-reftag]

4. [.text-style-strikethrough]Others should meet our standards, causing us to have false or unrealistic expectations of others.[.text-style-strikethrough] [.text-color-blue]Jesus provides all we need.[.text-color-blue]

Jesus has, is, and will provide everything we need. Being with Jesus is the greatest gift. Jesus loves us perfectly (John 15:9). He offers way more than a transactional relationship — He is love. Jesus defines friendship (John 15:13) and offers friendship to us (John 15:15). Jesus came to earth to participate in our suffering (John 11:35) — He is with us! Jesus came to provide joy (John 15:11) — He is for us! Jesus even provides rest. His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30). The gift of His presence now, leads to being with Him and becoming like Him forever (1 John 3:2) as coheir and sibling. There is nothing good that Jesus withholds from us. He provides all we need for life and work now, and He provides our closest relationship in glory forever. Our close relationship with Jesus results in contentment (Philippians 4:11-13), not always wanting things from Him.

‍And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. - [.no-reftag]Philippians 4:19-20[.no-reftag]

Jesus is New Life and Light

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. - [.no-reftag]John 3:16[.no-reftag]

The gift of Jesus transforms us. Jesus offers us new life, born-again life (John 3:3). We are made new and full of light as we receive Jesus. There is no darkness that can touch us and no reason to hide once we are in Christ.

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. - [.no-reftag]John 1:4-5[.no-reftag]

The gift of the resurrected Jesus allows us to shine light in every part of our life and work. Tim Keller says that Jesus gives us a patient hope and splendor in the ordinary as we go about our life and work.

For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. - [.no-reftag]Ephesians 2:10[.no-reftag]

Jesus is redeeming everything — the whole earth. This means we can redeem all our mistakes, errors, and sins. Whether we have overplayed or underplayed the make-believe santa card — in life, home, or work — we can redeem that too.

We can all use the santa story to point to the greater reality — the One who is worth putting all of our faith and trust in. The One who loves us more than we love ourselves. Jesus the One who will never change the rules or let us down.

Receive and give this gift of Jesus!

Sing a New Song

This Christmas, sing fairy-tale songs, sing Christmas hymns, and sing an Easter Hymn too, so that you can remind yourself you have received the Preeminent Gift — Jesus. This will make you a gift to all you know and love.

In Christ Alone
In Christ alone, my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
'Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live, I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand
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- Songwriters: Traditional / Keith Getty / Stuart Townend

Listen to the full song here.

[.text-color-blue]Merry Christmas![.text-color-blue]

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Resources:

Book: Everyday Gospel Christmas Devotional | Paul David Tripp

Sermon: The Deity of Jesus | Tim Keller

Sermon: I Am Life and Light (I Am, Part 4) John 9:1-25 | Kennon Vaughan

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