The Christmas story does not end with a baby in a manger. It begins there. The incarnation is not the conclusion of God's redemptive plan—it is the hinge. Jesus came once in humility. He will come again in glory. Between these two comings, believers live in what theologians call the "already/not yet" tension of the Christian life.
In this seventh and final message of The Long-Awaited King Advent series, we examine Revelation 22:12-21 and Titus 2:11-14 to show how both advents shape the Christian life. The sermon develops three movements: First, the grace that appeared in the first advent is actively training believers to renounce ungodliness and live godly lives in the present age. Second, the promise of Christ's return steadies believers against fear, cynicism, and spiritual drift. Third, between the two advents Christians live purposefully—not with passive resignation but with zealous engagement in good works, gospel proclamation, and holiness.
