14th December 2024
Advent – Rejoice! The one who comes is our salvation
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)
As we are about to enter the third week of Advent, we are invited to pause and reflect on the deep joy that comes with the approaching fulfilment of God’s promises. This season of waiting prepares us not just to receive Christ, but to be transformed by him. To experience the fullness of God’s love, we must first allow our hearts and minds to be changed. Often, that means letting go of the old to make room for something new, something much bigger and more beautiful than we could ever have imagined.
In our header scripture, the apostle Paul calls us to rejoice always, regardless of our circumstances. This call to joy is not rooted in the fleeting happiness of the moment but in the deep and abiding peace that comes from God. Paul invites us to release our anxieties, our fears, and our old ways of thinking. In doing so, we make space for the peace of Christ to guard our hearts and minds.
There is a joy in letting go of what no longer serves us. Repentance – turning away from the old and embracing the new – brings a unique kind of joy. It’s the joy that comes when we realise that God’s dream for us is far greater than our own and that his love has the power to transform not only our lives but the world around us.
When we allow ourselves to be changed, our perspective broadens, and we begin to see the world through the lens of God’s love. The kingdom of heaven that Jesus came to usher in is one of peace, justice, and wholeness – a kingdom where the broken are made whole, and the old is replaced with the new. This is the joy we are called to: the joy of knowing that the One who comes brings salvation and renewal to all creation.
The joy we experience in this season is not a fleeting emotion; it is a deep, abiding joy that comes from knowing that God’s salvation is near. As we prepare our hearts for Christ’s arrival, we let go of what holds us back – our fears, our anxieties, our old ways of thinking – and make room for the newness of life that Christ offers.
Christ leads us into the fullness of joy.
Prayer
Loving Father, as we enter the third week of Advent, may we be reminded to let go of the old so we can embrace the new. Let us rejoice in the coming of our Saviour, who brings peace beyond understanding and joy that fills our hearts as we await the fullness of God’s kingdom. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
This study is the amended transcript of an equipping video to empower and inspire Grace Communion International congregations around the world to live and share the gospel. It has been produced by the Home Office Team in Charlotte, NC, USA, and was first published in the 1 November 2024 edition of the Equipper publication.
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