Advent Alphabet - "B" - "But"

December 1, 2015 But God proves His own love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “But” is a strange word to use for Advent. But if it weren’t for the intervention of God into this world to provide a way of healing and salvation in the hearts of men and women, we would all be lost and doomed for a life of meaninglessness and even misery here on this earth and an eternity in torment without Him. So, I am forever thankful that but for God’s intervention into our lives on a dark night over two thousand years ago, all by means of a small baby in Bethlehem, Jesus, we would still be people without hope. Webster’s definition of but is, “except that.” Jesus is the “exception” in our lives that but for the fact that if Jesus had not left the glories of heaven and come as a baby, and for love for us He lived and died; except for that fact we would be lost eternally. “But God shows and clearly proves His own love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ, the Messiah, died for us” (Romans 5:8). By our rebellion and life style we earn all that sin pays – “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”(Romans 6:23). This gift is available just for believing and asking. But God – so rich is He in his mercy! Because of His great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, even when we were dead by our own shortcomings, He made us alive together in union with Christ and gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same life with which He made Christ alive, for it is by God’s unmerited favor, which we did not deserve, that we are saved and made partakers of Christ’s salvation. And He gave us joint seating with Him in the heavenly sphere (by virtue of us being in Christ Jesus). He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable riches of His free grace in his kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus. For it is by His unmerited favor that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through your faith. And this salvation is not of yourselves of your own doing, it came not through your own striving, but it is the gift of God; not because of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:4-9). I am sooooo glad for the “but God(s)” in His Word. I am glad for God’s plan which was to intervene in our “lostness” with a small baby in a manger so long ago! (Scripture texts are from the Amplified Bible).