Isaiah 61:1–4; Isaiah 61:8–11; Psalm 126; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–24; John 1:6–8; John 1:19–28 are our scripture readings for the weekend. You can find those linked below. in blue.
Our Psalm and Isaiah passage for this week point us not to a future event of exodus from exile but to the praise and thankfulness that we have when we receive the gifts and blessings that are ours in Christ.
Readings for the Third Week of Advent
Advent Devotion – Week Three
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:16–24)
So it is God’s will for you to rejoice always, pray without stopping, and give thanks no matter what.
How are you doing with that? Are you doing a good job of only allowing into your life those things that God calls good? Are you only holding tightly to Jesus’ person and work for you and nothing else?
That is what we call “Law”. Good things that can and will do good for you. Good things that God has placed in your life that will push you to love and serve your neighbour. But also it condemns.
In fact, it always condemns because you are never going to live up to it. “Go ahead,” someone may say, “Don’t you know that it is God’s will for you. He must then give you all the ability you need to complete the task.”
If those first instructions do not seem damning to you then sit with it a while longer. Try a little bit harder. Prove to yourself that you have been saved. See if it is a comfort to you.
We have learned before that the letters to the Thessalonians are pointing the hearers and readers to the hope they have in Christ as they await his return.
These commands laid down by Paul concerning prayer, worship, and holiness are right responses to being saved by Jesus. These are also the gifts and tools that we should be staying busy with while we wait for Jesus to return.
But we need something other than commands to keep us going. We need promise. God himself is going to make us completely holy. Something that is already and not yet. It is already true because Jesus gave us all of his righteousness so that we would be saved. And yet we do not experience all of this righteousness here and now.
If we are going keep the whole of ourselves blameless we are going to need Jesus to do it. And thankfully he promises to do just that. God who calls you to himself will keep you, himself.
As you wait for Jesus’ arrival know that you are not simply waiting for a true future event. You are waiting to fully know and be comforted by a person, Jesus, who is already present with you and of whom you are a part of.
Christian, while you hold fast to what is good know that Christ will hold you fast until that last day, the Advent of our Lord and Saviour Jesus.