Advent Devotional - December 21, 2014

“O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
 / Our spirits by Thine advent here
 / Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
 / And death's dark shadows put to flight”

-O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

The power of sin lies precisely in that it affects the whole person. Sin not only creates an infinite gap between God and man, it also dominates our very way of living. Both Jesus and Paul taught that all who are under sin are “slaves to sin” (John 8:34; Romans 6:20). Consequently, humanity has lived long under the “gloomy clouds of night,” dominated by the weight of sin.

The very reason we celebrate Advent each year, however, is because Christ has brought an end to our darkness. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” images Christ as a “Day-Spring”, which is an old way of describing dawn, the beginning of the day. In descending from heaven to our time and place Jesus has enacted the beginning of God’s ultimate plan for salvation, making possible that those who would respond in faith might be sons and daughters of God (Romans 8:12-17). This infant proved to be powerful enough to put to flight “death’s dark shadows” for the sake of those He came to save. In so doing, Jesus has removed the gloominess that comes as a result of our failure to live rightly as His people and instills the revitalizing impact of His presence as Emmanuel, “God with us.”

Christian, in this season of Advent, let your countenance reflect the joy and cheer that Christ makes possible for you. He has removed from you any reason to return to the darkness of your sin. As you prepare your hearts and minds to celebrate the coming of our Lord, remember that His presence means life and peace to all who would believe in Him.