This is the mystery which holy angels pry into–devils envy–proud infidels reject with derision–humble sinners glory in–and for which all the redeemed around the throne above are incessantly shouting and everlastingly triumphing.
The sin-convinced, spiritually-enlightened christian is ready to exclaim, O how did we talk of God in nature's darkness, when we were without Christ, "having no hope, and without God in the world." But now, O wonder of converting grace, we see, we believe, we know, God with us. This is the chief glory of our faith, the chief joy of our hearts. In the eternal counsel he had our persons in view, our case at heart, and undertook to be our surety, our Jesus. Lo, we were then given to him by the Father. In the fullness of time he appears in our flesh. Lo, he is born: see the babe: adore the God: rejoice in "Emmanuel, God with us."
He came to accomplish that in our nature, without which we must have perished eternally; but for which we are everlastingly saved: namely, to "finish transgression, make an end of sin, bring in an everlasting righteousness, and suffer, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God." I Peter 3: 18. This is sweet in the history: but, O how much more so in the experience of the christian.
God with us, living in our hearts, hopes, and affections by the Spirit, through faith. We know, we taste, we feel the reality, power, and comfort of this truth, God in Christ reconciled, "not imputing our trespasses to us." 2 Cor. 5:19. God with us, to oppose all who are against us? Rom. 8:31. Now, may we not stand forth and challenge all the powers of sin, earth, and hell, "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?" For God the justifier, and we the justified, are one in Christ: "I in them, and thou in me," says our Lord. John 17:23. Hence we meet in love, mutually embrace, and have fellowship one with another. This is the glory of Christ's nativity, brought into our hearts. "Christ in us the hope of glory." Col. 1: 27.