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Season of Preparation
It seems that earlier and earlier, every year, the Christmas lights are coming out in the stores and everyone's getting ready for Christmas.
1 Thessalonians 3:13
This is definitely the season of preparation. It seems that earlier and earlier, every year, the Christmas lights are coming out in the stores and everyone’s getting ready for Christmas. The church at this time of year also has a season of preparation. But it’s not Christmas. It’s called Advent. Advent means coming and so in this season of the church year, the church prepares for Jesus coming.
They remember how he came in the past, they contemplate how he comes to them in the present, and they look forward to when he comes again at the end of time. The verse that I’ll share with you this morning looks at that third point, the coming of Jesus at the end of time and being ready for it. In First Thessalonians chapter three the 13th verse says
That he may establish your hearts as blameless in holiness before our God and Father, when our Lord Jesus comes with all his saints. (1 Thessalonians 3:13)
Jesus came once as a baby born in Bethlehem, but he is coming again. And when he comes again, he’ll be coming with a very different purpose. When he came the first time, he came to establish a holiness and a blamelessness for all people. He did that by perfectly loving God and perfectly loving his neighbor. And through his perfect life he has won for you a holiness before God. But Jesus also had to deal with your guilt because you have not loved God with your whole heart and you have not loved your neighbor as yourself. So you have guilt before God, and that guilt has to be dealt with. So Jesus took away your guilt. He claimed those sins as his very own, and he suffered and died in payment for them.
So why are those two things important? Why is the holiness that Jesus has won and the blamelessness that Jesus has won, why are they so important? Because when he comes again, he is coming as the judge of the world. To be able to stand in front of Jesus, you need to be holy and you need to be blameless. Anyone there that stands without Jesus stands there with the guilt of all of their sins. But in Jesus you have a perfect life. In Jesus, your guilt is taken away so that your heart can be at rest when he comes again. So trust, trust that Jesus has lived and died for you, and you have nothing to fear about his second coming. Prepare for that day by believing that Jesus is your Savior from sin. To him be the glory now and forever. Amen.
