December 24

Morning

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. — 2 Cor 8:9 BSB

The Lord Jesus Christ was eternally rich, glorious, and exalted, but “though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor.” Just as a wealthy believer cannot truly commune with his poor brethren without sharing from his abundance to meet their needs, so too, our Divine Lord could not have fellowship with us unless He shared His wealth with us. He became poor to make us rich. Had He remained upon His throne of glory, while we languished in the ruin of the Fall without His salvation, true communion would have been impossible.

Because of the Fall, our sinful state made it just as impossible for us to commune with God as it would be for light to have fellowship with darkness. For communion to take place, the rich Kinsman had to give His estate to His poor relatives. The righteous Savior had to give His perfect righteousness to His sinning brethren. We, the poor and guilty, had to receive grace upon grace from His fullness, so that in the giving and receiving, Christ would descend to our level, and we would be lifted up, able to embrace one another in true fellowship.

Poverty must be enriched by Him, who possesses infinite treasures, before it can dare to commune with Him. Guilt must be covered by His imputed righteousness before the soul can walk with Him in fellowship. Jesus must clothe His people in His own garments, or they cannot enter His palace of glory. He must wash them in His own blood, or they are too defiled for His holy embrace. O believer, behold the love of Christ! For your sake, He became poor, so that He might lift you up into communion with Himself.

Evening

And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all humanity together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. — Isa 40:5 BSB

We eagerly anticipate the day when the whole world will be converted to Christ, when the false gods of the heathen will be cast aside, when the influence of Romanism will fade, and the crescent of Islam will wane, never again to darken the nations. We long for the day when kings will bow down before the Prince of Peace, and all nations will bless their Redeemer. While some may despair, seeing the world as a vessel sinking beyond repair, we hold fast to the hope that even though this world will one day be consumed by fire, there will be new heavens and a new earth to follow.

We are not discouraged by the length of time it takes for these things to come to pass. We are not disheartened by the struggles and setbacks faced by the Church. We believe that God will not allow this world, which has been stained with the blood of Christ, to remain the stronghold of the devil forever. Christ came to break the power of darkness, and He will one day claim this world for His kingdom.

What a glorious shout will rise when men and angels join together in proclaiming, "Hallelujah, hallelujah, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!" How satisfying it will be to have had a part in the battle, to have helped break the arrows of the enemy, and to have fought for our Lord's victory. Happy are those who trust in the conquering Lord, fighting alongside Him, even if their efforts seem small. How tragic it will be for those on the losing side of this great battle, for to lose in this matter is to lose for all eternity.

So I ask, whose side are you on?