The Advent of Our King (v. 4-6)

 by Charles Coffin, 1676-1749, tr. John Chandler 1806-76 

As judge, on clouds of light,

He soon will come again

And His true members all unite

With Him in heav’n to reign.

Before the dawning day

Let sin’s dark deeds be gone,

The sinful self be put away,

The new self now put on.

All glory to the Son,

Who comes to set us free,

With Father, Spirit, ever one

Through all eternity.

At Christmas time we often focus on the first time Jesus came. We read Luke 2 and remember how Jesus was born in a stable and laid in a manger. We wonder at the angels and the shepherds. But for all the glory that shone on that Judean night, Advent reminds us that there is another day when Jesus will come for His people to unite us all in the glories of heaven.

               The hymn urges us to think about how we should live because we believe Jesus has come and will come again. In the darkness we believe that our deeds can go unseen, but Jesus is the light of the world and his coming is like a dawn that reveals our sins. Thanks be to God, He also reveals our salvation! He says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (Jn. 3:17 ESV)

               If anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation. The old is gone. The new has come. (2 Cor. 5:17) As a new person, we turn away from sin’s dark deeds, confess our sins, and receive Jesus’ forgiveness. And, having received His forgiveness, we are free to give God glory and praise.

Prayer

               Lord Jesus, You came to us as an infant, even though You are the eternal God. You will, someday, come again in glory, majesty and power to judge the living and the dead. We thank You for preparing us for that day by forgiving our sins. Help us to continue to prepare for Your second advent by turning away from sin, living in Your forgiveness, and giving glory and praise to You. Amen.

One of the devotional practices of Advent is the giving of alms and other acts of generosity. Through the month I encourage you to find ways to give. The giving can be great or small, but in any case it should be selfless. You could pick up a stranger's tab at the drive through. You might notice someone is short on cash in the check out line. Drop some coins in the Salvation Army kettle. One of the ministries that I would like to suggest as worthy of your generosity is Lutheran Campus Ministry of Kent. You can check them out here: https://kentstatelutherhouse.org/