Reflections on the Bible, and Other Writings, from a Christian Perspective.
Over the last last few articles we've looked at multiple aspects of shining the light to the world. One final piece I want to discuss is its connection with doing good works through Christ Jesus. Relating the two together may be surprising to hear about, but it is part of what He desires from us.
As I've been sharing in the last few posts, thanks to Jesus Christ, we are no longer in darkness and can walk as children of light. However, what if we are tempted to go back to our old ways? What will happen then? That is what I'd like to discuss now.
Jesus Christ fulfilled many prophecies of the Old Testament, one of which was that people who sat in darkness saw a great light (Matt. 4:15-16). It is because of His light that Jesus can say that we are the light of the world.
One common belief about living apart from God is that doing so gives one a sense of freedom. It has the illusion of being able to do whatever one wants in life without having to bother with religious teachings getting in the way. Through this mindset, selfish desires can be temporarily gratified. However, that isn't the whole story.
The history of Adam's sin, and the consequences that follow it, are tragic for us all. Thankfully, they are not the only things that the apostle Paul writes about in the fifth chapter of Romans. The last couple of paragraphs from that section shares a number of contrasts between Adam and Jesus. They speak of the great blessings that are available to us through Christ.
In the New Testament there are a few places where the words, "No law," are found. It occurs twice in the book of Romans and once in Paul's letter to the Galatians. One of these instances is in a passage that we recently studied, but didn't include last time. In Romans five the apostle Paul connected sin entering the world through Adam with the reign of death. He did so by speaking of no law.
Last time we studied from Romans we took great encouragement by God's love being shown through Jesus' death for us while we were yet sinners. His sacrifice was an incredible event, and with the resulting resurrection, we have great hope today. As the passage continues, Paul goes on to discuss another action that had a great impact on us all. That being the sin of Adam and death that follows to this day.
Over the past several months, many have dealt with friends and family becoming ill from COVID-19. While I expect a number of them have recovered, I'm sure that some died from it, or complications related to it. Even more have passed away from other health problems too. Of course, the eventuality of death is something that all of us have to face. It is the great equalizer.
As Christians, we have many reasons to be joyous. Some of these are due to physical blessings that God graciously provides to all people. However, we who are of the family of God should feel far more moments of joy than most. One collection of Scripture that often teaches on this topic is the book of Psalms. It speaks of praise, gladness, and singing in a wide variety of contexts. One of the best passages that refers to all of these is Psalm 100.
When we look at the world, it is possible to think that God is not in control. The Jewish people likely felt that way when the Babylonians destroyed the Temple. As the Bible tells us, after 70 years of exile, thousands of Jews returned to Jerusalem and recommitted themselves to God. Many of these events are detailed in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. This may have also been the time that Psalm 93 was written.
James L. Hutton 