Advent Day 12 Genesis 3:3-5

“But God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.  For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:3-5 ESV)

Satan lied, humanity fell, and sin entered the world. Man did die, an unseeable death, one of the Spirit, separated from God. But God foresaw this happening. Remember, God is Omniscient; He knows everything. He knew the end before the beginning. (Isaiah 46:10) God’s plan of redemption was already in place when Adam sinned in the garden. However, God also knew the path of humanity and allowed us to use our limited freewill, and with every error humanity made, God was there to set us back on the correct path. Ever faithful is our God.

God did this until it was decided that the time had come. It was time for humanity to make one of two choices. Believe or Die, there would be a gray area, not vacillation; one had to make a choice and stand by it. Their choice was and is the Messiah, Christ Jesus.

During this Advent, let God’s patience with His people be at the forefront of every mind and every heart. As Jonathan Edwards put it, sinners are suspended over the pit of hell by the mercy of God.1 The wrong choice and its destination are sealed.

But God provided a way for us to secure our salvation. So, we celebrate the birth of Christ, the beginning and the end. Our faith in Christ, our belief in the finished work of the risen Son of God, has given us the right to be called Children of God. (John 1:12)

During this Advent season, let us be thankful for a merciful God whose overflowing love sent His only Son to enter creation in the flesh. In His mercy, Jesus came not to condemn the world, but to save it. Advent is a time to remember and meditate upon the gifts of God. To remember how He Himself died for you so that you should be saved from an eternity in the fiery pit. The infant in the manger, God incarnate, would grow to shed His sinless blood for those who come to have faith in that very thing.

Do you know Christ as your Savior? Christmas is about Him. A celebration of God and His love for His creation. The magi, wise men, sought Him, and women still do. Will you?

Grace and Peace

Advent Prayer Day 12

Father,

We glorify and worship You because You are our God.

You displayed your love for us by sending Your only Son to save us from our sins.

We are eternally grateful for Your patience with Your children. Your corrections convict us of our sins.

In our repentance, Your Spirit guides us back to the path of righteousness.

All glory and honor are yours, now and forever, in this life and the next.

May Your face always be upon us.

In His name and for His sake, we pray, Amen

1 Jonathan Edwards, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, preached July 8, 1741, Enfield, Connecticut.