Daily Bible Verses for 12/18/2016

Advent: Jesus Came to Give Us Hope – (Romans 8:22-25)

Daily Verse(s)
For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

Reading Notes
Since the fall, all of creation, as well as mankind himself groans for the restoration of all things. Mankind was created to live in relationship with God and with all of creation. However, the fall brought with it disharmony. With the fall, mankind fell out of harmony with God, out of harmony with self, out of harmony with others and with creation. This means, we were created with a need to know God and a desire to have a relationship with Him. This also means as human beings made in the image of God, we are not complete without a restoration of our relationship with God. Moreover, all of creation as well as ourselves, groans over the damage sin has caused and continues to cause in our world today. However, we are not without hope. God’s mercy and grace bring hope to the hopeless because it gives to us the free gift of salvation by faith alone. God’s mercy and grace give us that which we so desperately lacked and were unable to obtain by our own abilities. That is the salvation of our souls and a guarantee of an eternity spent in the presence of God.

Therefore, we sing songs of joy and celebrate what God has done for us through the advent of Christ’s first coming. At this time of the year we are especially reminded of what God has done for us! He has sent us a Savior who gives us eternal life through our faith in Him. Because of His sacrifice for us, we can now have eternal life. Our hope comes from God and God alone, through faith alone in Christ Jesus our Lord. God loves us so much, that He came to save us. Jesus, the eternal God of Heaven stepped out of eternity and took on humanity with the incarnation. Why? In order that He could pay the price we could not afford to pay, and thereby through faith we could receive the remission of sin. And by this act of grace, God gives to us the hope of a future where the curse of sin in this world is reversed. And because of God’s love and hope that we have in Him, we have been adopted into the family of God as children of God, and joint-heirs with Jesus in the kingdom of God. Moreover, because of the event which happened over two-thousand years ago; where God stepped out of eternity and took on flesh, joining His divinity with our humanity. We have the first-fruits of our salvation which is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, for all those who have placed their faith in Christ alone for salvation. The Holy Spirit is our guarantee of the promise of glory to come, and the eternity which awaits us.