Advent: Coming Righteousness

Advent, which means coming, is a traditional observance among more liturgical Christian bodies. It is spread over several weeks leading up to Christmas; each Sunday of Advent offers us a look into the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Advent actually begins a segment of the liturgical calendar which extends into January with the Epiphany . Advent may be  described as a "progressive retrogression", that is it begins in the future and moves into the past.

Advent: First Sunday, 12/1/2013,  Jesus' Coming

When we look at the Advent season, it can fill us with such hope,  which  can sustain us through difficult times. 

The first Sunday of Advent points us to that time in human history, in the years to come,  when there will be difficult days, yet , in spite of all the hardship of those times God is  faithful to be with His people and will accomplish His purpose in human history,  and in each of our lives. 

 Jesus will come; He will return and bring a time of  peace and righteousness’ and   perfect  judgment over all things.

 Jesus speaking of the timing of "the end" ,  He tells us regrading His return. Tell us that we can not "know "  when He will come.  Far too many have attempted to "predict" the events of the end and His return and every time they have done so, they have  failed.

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Matthew: 24:36, 

We cannot know the exact time Jesus is coming, but we can see the general season of His return  as the world around us in descends into disorder, deception, devastating weather, social upheaval and all the other conditions that characterize the "end time".

Yet , we can be hopeful in spite of what is taking place around us  for  God will send His Son Jesus,  and the ancient prophecies of His righteous rule will be fulfilled.

^"For to us a child is born,to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness

from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty

will accomplish this"Isaiah:9:6-7

Advent: Coming Righteousness

Advent speaks to and of, the longing in us all for something better, for a righteousness that is beyond our own abilities to produce. This righteous rule of Jesus  will be made manifest over all things at His coming.

This “desire “ for this righteousness is found in Scriptures ; we can see the blessing and correctness of the ways of  the reign of God over the lives of nations, when peoples will desire it and be motivated to lean of it and walk in it.

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it.

And many people shall go and say, Come you, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more.

O house of Jacob, come you, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.”Isaiah: 2:2-5

Advent: Now, He Comes to Us.

This longing for righteousness that will abound in those days are not just for the future alone , it  is for us today , if we will only freely receive it. When our Lord comes to us , when we each of us have a personal Advent of Jesus, when we see Him for Who He is and bow to Him and His righteous reign over our lives then we can experience this righteousness even now.

“For he has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2Corinthians:5:21

This righteousness, which Jesus will extend over all nations  in the  years to come, is the same which we can experience here and now in our personal lives. When we encounter the Lord Jesus  and we come to believe,  at that very moment  His righteousness reign should extends over our lives , we should now  be like those people who we read of in Isaiah

"And many people shall go and say, Come you, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” Isaiah:2:2-5

We should be as the Palmist in Psalm: 122:

"I was glad when they said to me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.

Our feet shall stand within your gates, O Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together:

Where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, to the testimony of Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.

For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love you.

Peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces.

For my brothers and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within you.

Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek your good."

We enter His house, the church,   and worship.  This is for us even now not just "some day"  in the years to come.  Christians should be experiencing this now in our lives  what the world as a whole will have to look forward to when of Lord Jesus descends from the Heavens and bring His rule over all things.

 

This  is only one of the hopeful images , which the  Holy Spirit inspired, that speaks of the certain hope of the days of our Lord Jesus' coming as the glorious King and Lord. This should keep us hopefully and  alert regarding the  times in which we live, always mindful that day is coming.

In This Present Age

When our Lord’s Advent occurs  in our lives we are forever changes as the world will one day be.  His coming is not just for the years to come alone,  but we today walking in the righteousness of God , through His grace which leads us to an ever deepening life of righteousness.  Grace leads us to live an all new way, it does not lead us away from righteousness but to it.

"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?" Romans:6:1

"For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, “Titus: 2:11-12b

This is the same righteousness that we Christians can walk in , is  that which will abound in the years to come as peoples and nation as will says;

  "Come you, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths:" . 

This will fill the world full of every good thing as people live under the righteous reign of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Rev.Todd Crouch, Pastor

The Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
2101 Old National Pike.

Washington, Pennsylvania.   www.gcfountainoflife.org

The Fountain of Life is heard  on the RKP Radio Network 1710 and 1670 AM in Washington and North Franklin ,and 1790 AM  in the Arden Fair Grounds area of Washington Pennsylvania, and on 1710 AM in Bentleyville and Monongahela, Pennsylvania. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com