#ADVENT2025

“Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” — Luke 13:24
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” — John 1:14
“…so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” — 2 Corinthians 5:21

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Advent is not a sentimental season. It is a spiritual summons.

Yes, it is filled with hope. But it is also filled with holy tension.
The Word became flesh — and when He did, He didn’t just arrive. He invaded.
He confronted our sin. He exposed our self-reliance. He called us to follow Him — through a door that is narrow, not wide.

Advent reminds us: the One who came for us also came to claim us.

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The Gift of Righteousness — And Why We Struggle to Receive It

“In Him we might become the righteousness of God.” — 2 Cor. 5:21

Jesus took our sin and gave us His righteousness. This is the heart of the gospel.

But here’s the hard truth: receiving that gift will cost you your false identity.

To be clothed in Christ’s righteousness means you must be stripped of:

• The belief that you’re good enough
• The comfort of controlling your own life
• The pride that feeds on comparison, image, and performance

Most people will not receive this gift — not because it’s hidden, but because it’s humbling.

“Many will seek to enter… and will not be able.” — Luke 13:24

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The Psychological Stripping: Who Am I Without My Sin?

For many, the thought of giving up sin is not just about behavior — it’s about identity.

We’ve wrapped ourselves in:

• Our achievements
• Our pain
• Our coping mechanisms
• Even our failures

And to enter the narrow door, Jesus says: You can’t bring any of that with you.

This is why the door is narrow — not because God is cruel, but because our hands are full.

To experience the righteousness of Christ, I have to let go of the version of “me” I’ve built without Him.

This requires psychological death:

“If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself…” — Luke 9:23

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The Spiritual Awakening: What Happens When I Lay It Down?

When I finally let go — not just of sin’s actions, but of sin’s identity — something breaks… and something is born.

This is what the Holy Spirit begins to do in the soul:

• He softens the heart that was hardened by control
• He exposes hidden fears, false identities, and secret self-deceptions
• He awakens new longings for holiness, truth, and communion with God
• He speaks: “You are no longer that. You are Mine.”

To receive Christ’s righteousness is to be re-created.

It is not just moral reform. It is spiritual resurrection.

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The Ongoing Striving: Living a Life You Didn’t Create

Jesus gives you His righteousness — and now, you must learn to walk in it.

And that’s where the striving begins.
Not a striving to earn, but a striving to align.
To unlearn everything the world taught you about identity, strength, and success.
To submit — daily — to a righteousness that did not originate in you, but now lives in you.

“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you…” — Philippians 2:12–13

This is what Luke 13:24 is about:
A life of real repentance. Real resistance against sin. Real reliance on Christ.
Real obedience.

This is not passive belief. It is active surrender.

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The Narrow Way: What the Spirit Will Lead You Into

The narrow way is not just about what you leave behind. It’s about where the Spirit is leading you:

• Into humility — because pride cannot live in the presence of the cross
• Into holiness — because grace trains you to renounce sin (Titus 2:11–12)
• Into hope — because righteousness births joy (Isaiah 61:10)
• Into fruitfulness — because those who abide in Christ bear much (John 15:5)

But be warned: this life is not natural. It is spiritual.
And it is only possible if you have been made new.

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Advent Is Not a Sentiment — It’s a Sword

The child in the manger did not stay there. He grew. He preached. He died. He rose.
And now, He calls you to die — and rise with Him.

Advent invites you to the cradle.
But Christ demands you come through the narrow door.

Will you leave your old identity behind?
Will you lay your sin down?
Will you let Him give you a life that is not your own?

This Advent, I don’t just wait.
I strive. I bow. I submit.
Because His righteousness has been given to me — and now, it must shape me.

Some Participating Bloggers include:
Bridget A. Thomas – Every Day Is A Gift
Loring Schultz  – Word For The Soul
Alan Kearns – Devotional Treasure
Nathan R Dooley – Time For Providence
David Duncan – David’s Daily Dose
Cindi West – God Still Speaks
Barb Hegreberg – My Life in our Father’s World
Rainer Bantau – The Devotional Guy™