We are in the season of Advent or Parosuia, The Coming of our Lord. During this time we celebrate the First Coming of Christ, and anticipate His Second Coming. In the Middle Ages the tradition was each Sunday in Advent the liturgy was filled with passages from the Second Coming (Revelation 19:11-16, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). I have created four posts for Advent you can use if you arn’t already committed to other observances.
During this dark time of year it is worth mediating on our Messiah’s Coming. To prepare ourselves for Christ’s Return while celebrating His first Coming. So many people prepare for the new year with resolutions, when we ought to resolve to know (ginosko) Christ our Lord more intimately, and be ready at any moment for His Coming. There is a passage in the apocalypse that should stir in us with a sense of urgency, “Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is he who stays awake and who keeps his clothes [that is, stays spiritually ready for the Lord’s return], so that he will not be naked—spiritually unprepared—and men will not see his shame.” (Revelation 16:15 AMP). We should not be living lives of depravity and compromise when Christ Returns. Instead, we ought to be living holy lives by His grace, spending our time knowing Him and doling good works His Holy Spirit spurs us towards. On the day of our Lord’s Coming, we all would hate to be doing something that makes us feel ashamed.
This is what Adventus ought to be for us, an assessing of our spiritual state and wither we need reform and to press deeper into the arms of our Lord. The Holy Trinity is s gracious God, He has made propitiation for our sins and offers forgiveness (1 John 2:1-2). The purpose of the adventine assessment is not perfectionism, but like when a car needs maintenance or a tune up, like an oil change, we need to keep our spiritual oil well supplied:
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” (Matthew 25:1-13 NIV)
Advent is a advantageous time of year to take stock of our spiritual lives in Christ. Not to impose self abasement or asceticisms, but to inspire ourselves to a deeper walk with The Word of God. Our lives can be consumed by crises, and it is easy to put our quiet time with God on a back burner, and yet binge our favorite shows on our streaming services. I am not saying stop streaming, but fit in time with the Lord Trinity each day, start with 5mins of a Bible reading and prayer, then move gradually to 6mins then 10mins, and so on. But no matter what always reserving a base line of 5-10mins in Christ’s presence. For soon our Lord Jesus will come like a Thief in the Night, and we should be clothed and with our oil full and lamps lit. Amen.
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