God’s Gracious Gift

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.”
Romans 5:15-17 NLT

We could feel that an awful lot of blame has been dumped on Adam. After all, he committed one sin and then, because of that, he was immediately removed from the Garden and spent the rest of his life fighting thorns and thistles as he scratched a living in circumstances never intended. Genesis 3:17-18. “And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains.” If that wasn’t punishment enough, the blame game for man’s sin focused on Adam. Paul wrote that Adam’s sin “brought death to many”, “led to condemnation” and “caused death to rule over many”. 

Perhaps it is fairer to empathise with Adam, and put ourselves in his shoes (if he had any at this point). Would we have behaved any differently? Whether it was Adam’s fault or not, we all sin. Of course, we could look at the spiritual connotations of the Genesis account, and see Adam as a spiritual representative of mankind. Fronting up God’s human creation, using Adam as a name for all mankind. We are effectively all Adamites. But whatever our opinion, it would be wrong to use the excuse “It was Adam’s fault”. As Paul said in Romans 3:23, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard”. 

But, thankfully, things didn’t end with the human race being doomed through Adam’s sin. God had a rescue plan in the form of a gift. “God’s gracious gift”. Just three words but behind them was a manifestation of God’s love so breathtaking that it has completely turned the world into a sphere of hope. Imagine it. We stand before a Judge, knowing that we are guilty, and just before the verdict is passed a Man steps forward and says to the Judge that He will take the punishment. That would be amazing enough in the natural, but when we find that it is the Judge’s own Son who steps forward we can only stand in amazement and gratitude. Emotions beyond all that we can even experience. That’s “God’s gracious gift”. But what is even more amazing is that most people in our societies will stand before that Judge one day without realising that if they had only accepted “God’s gracious gift” earlier then they would not have had to do the time themselves. And it will be a long time. Eternity.

God’s loving grace is available for all. No exceptions. And we pilgrims, having found a wonderful treasure, can only invite others to take a share. God has a personal gift available for everyone. It has a gift tag attached which reads, “To [put in your own name]. Here is a “gift of righteousness”, a passport to eternal life with Me”. And we reach out and take it, trembling and overwhelmed, knowing that it is totally undeserved. What a Saviour!

Dear Father. What else can we say than thank You. Amen.

Adam’s Sin

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break.”
Romans 5:12-13 NLT

The word “sin” is not one that is used very much in today’s societies. It is mostly associated with religion, being defined as an immoral act, or when a law is broken. It is one of those words that make people feel uncomfortable, so they attempt to reduce or eliminate the potential pain by calling it something else, or projecting its reality into a treatable illness rather than calling it what it really is. This particularly applies to words defining sin in the Bible. So “adultery” becomes “an affair”. And, perhaps controversially, taking drugs, or stealing, or drinking alcohol to excess, are illnesses. And so on.

A typical dictionary definition of the word “sin” is “an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law”. So without even mentioned God, the definition connects morality with law, and particularly in a way that involves a higher being. So is breaking a secular law a “sin”? Technically yes, but perhaps not in a way that complies with the dictionary definition of the word. It is rare, even unheard of, to hear the word “sin” associated with a traffic offence, for example.

In Genesis 1:27 we read, “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them”. God doesn’t sin. He never has done. So His original intention for mankind, having made them in His own image, just like Him, was that they would be sinless as well. We must therefore consider what it was that violated God’s creation, and why.

In parallel with the Eden story, a battle raged in Heaven, with an angel called Lucifer trying to take over from God, a sort of Heavenly coup. We read what happened to him in Isaiah 14:12, quoting from the King James Version. “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” Lucifer ended up in the only place available to him – Planet Earth. And it is here that he introduced his rebellious and wicked spirit, here he introduced “sin”. In the guise of a serpent, he caused Eve and then Adam to break the only law that they had been given by God. We read in Genesis 2:16-17, “But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die””. And we all know what happened next – the sad story is recorded in Genesis 3. Sin started with a rebellious angel in Heaven and in due course infected Planet Earth.

Sin happens when we break laws. And in particular God’s laws. The one overriding law that underpins all others was told by Jesus to a local Jewish religious expert. We read in Matthew 22:36-40, ““Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”” So the root of sin is disobedience to God. These simple laws power all other laws, and those who don’t want to sin must start here. And in so doing, they must bring everything they do under God’s scrutiny to see if they line up with these laws.

Perhaps we wonder what would have happened if Adam and Eve had confessed their sin, and were made right again in God’s presence. Their relationship with Him restored. Their sin wiped away and forgotten. But sadly it didn’t happen, and the disease of sin has been with us ever since. A pandemic of all pandemics.

Paul, in today’s verse from Romans 5, states that Adam’s sin became human sin. All have sinned, he said. And it is very true. I don’t know of anyone who has not broken any laws, let alone God’s laws. And all those who sin will ultimately die. That is, unless, they find forgiveness and redemption in God’s presence. Through Jesus we can discover that sins can really be washed away. Forever.

Father God. Only You, the Sinless One, has the power to forgive sins. On our knees today we worship You, deeply thankful for Your amazing grace. Amen.

Rejoice!

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.”
Romans 5:11 NLT

Paul made another statement as though it was a fact. He took it as read, beyond an assumption, that rejoicing would follow the process of belief in Jesus and all that He did at Calvary. Quite a leap for someone in that culture, moving from idolatry, to faith in the one true God. Society wasn’t very kind to those early Christians. But Paul wasn’t being theoretical when he wrote that. He wasn’t living in some different world, divorced from reality. What he wrote to the early Christians in Rome was a perfectly valid statement, designed to set out for them what a relationship with God should be like. A relationship that they could rejoice about. A relationship that was wonderful and new.

We fast-forward to today. If anything, our world is just as hostile a place to Christians as it was in Paul’s day. More so, if we read about the levels of persecution experienced by some. Constant negative news reports wear us down. The hostile spiritual environment where even leaders in the faith struggle and prevaricate rather than act as beacons for God’s ways. Worldly expectations have created a society where God doesn’t exist any more. And here are Christians today who, in spite of all that is going on, are called to rejoice in our relationship with God.

But we pilgrims have made a decision to follow Jesus. Through our faith in Him, believing Him for our future salvation, we do in fact have a “wonderful new relationship” with God. We are indeed His friends, positioned right in the “sweet spot” which He designed for us before the foundations of the earth. We rejoice! It’s not something we can do with one eye on what is happening around us. We do it with both eyes on God, because it is in Him we find a Friend who has overcome the world. We view the natural world through God’s eyes. And in that way we get His perspective. Through prayer we approach difficult situations and relax as God whispers in our ears wonderful words of wisdom and guidance. 

It may have been some years ago that we experienced  the “wonderful new relationship” with God. Perhaps we have taken our eyes off Him a bit. Perhaps we have been worn down by all the information, most of it negative, that bombards us every day. Well there is good news. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, “ … Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest”. Having refreshed ourselves in God’s presence we can experience being friends with God. And that has to be good news. That has to be a wonderful experience. And through it all, regardless of the circumstances, we can rejoice. We look forward to a time when joy is the norm, and worldliness is no more. And because we are God’s children, we can experience that joy right now. 

So if any of my readers are experiencing a lack of joy this morning, feeling they there is nothing to rejoice about, we read these words of Paul. Through Jesus we are friends of God. Meditate on what that means this morning. How amazing is it, that the Creator of the whole universe, wants to be friends with us. That very thought is enough to make even the stones around us burst into praise. It truly is a momentous statement, and one that we embrace through our faith in Him. Paul wrote in Philippians 4:4, “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” That is not a statement of delusion. It is a fact and one that will never leave us regardless of our circumstances. Join me this morning in rejoicing, because Jesus is alive, and because we are God’s friends.

Father God. We worship You today. You are the source of joy. You are the mighty One, our Lord and God. Amen.

Friends or Enemies

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.”
Romans 5:10 NLT
“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more certain, having been reconciled, that we will be saved [from the consequences of sin] by His life [that is, we will be saved because Christ lives today].”
Romans 5:10 AMP

Two different translations of the same verse today. The NLT comes from the angle that through Jesus we become what we always should have been – friends of God. The Amplified (and NIV) versions bring the thought that all people are enemies of God by default, and it is only through the death of His Son, Jesus, that we become reconciled to God, and are not His enemies any longer.

We all know why people are God’s enemies. I bang on about it often enough. Sin, the product of evil and wickedness, appeared on Planet Earth, sullying God’s perfect creation. And we see its impact all around us. I often think, as I meander around the West Fife woodlands near my home, that the beauty I see around me, the plant growth, the birds and small animals, even the occasional deer, is after its corruption from sin. And yet every year, during the Spring, I watch as the vegetation, now largely rotting away through the long winter months, somehow starts to burst into new life. Surely a prophetic statement of what is to come when God finally deals with sin and wickedness, releasing all creation from its bondage and death.

But we see most dramatically the impact of sin on the behaviour of our fellow men and women. If we read a newspaper, or log into an online media site, we will find reports of the consequences of sin. Lots of them. A quick glance at the BBC website this morning revealed that 10 out of the top 13 news stories were a direct consequence of sin-influenced problems. It’s no wonder that God considers those who reject Him and His ways as His enemies. 

Those of us who live in a relatively peaceful place, such as a Western society, will perhaps struggle to find any enemies that affect them. We may have enemies in a more abstract way, such as a hostile foreign power, but we couldn’t name an enemy we know personally. We might think of an enemy as someone who wants to do us harm, but in God’s view, an enemy is someone who rejects Him. Someone who refuses to even accept that He exists. 

The Amplified version ends Romans 5:10 with the declaration that Christ lives today. He has to be really, because God raised Him from the dead. He was resurrected long ago on the Easter Day. Jesus said, and as recorded by the Apostle John in Revelation 1:18, “I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave“. Jesus has been alive for a long time, and will continue to be so for all eternity. He lives within us, if we let Him, by His Spirit. And because of that we will be saved, enemies of God no more.

Can we pilgrims feel the Spirit of Jesus within us? If not, we must ask Him into our hearts. He is more than willing to oblige. Jesus said to the Laodicean church, as John wrote down in Revelation 3:19-20, “I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends”“. We will know Jesus’ voice when He speaks to us, and He wants to share a meal with us, as friends. Isn’t that amazing? How could we ever refuse?

Dear Lord Jesus. We thank You for considering us Your friends. We are truly grateful. Amen.

Dying for Another

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
Romans 5:7-8 NLT

Paul made a statement that is very difficult to accept, if put in the form of a question. Would I be willing to die in the place of another person? Come to that, would you, my reader, be prepared to do such a thing? I think the honest answer has to be “No, of course not”. There are stories of such a selfless act, of course, which was probably why Paul said “most people”. We can read of a man called Max Kolbe, who volunteered to die in the place of another prisoner of war in Auschwitz in 1941. And there are mentions of other selfless acts throughout history. But I think we can all agree that such a course of action is very rare because self-preservation is a built-in part of our psyche as human beings.

But God is not a human being. He is the Creator of the universe. All matter was brought into being by His Word. No words can totally describe who God is, by a long way. But there is one Godly quality that He has that we must consider from our verses today – He loves His human creation. Paul wrote, “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners”. Jesus, early on in His ministry, explained to a Jewish leader called Nicodemus why He, the Son of God, had come to Planet Earth. We read in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”. That is the ultimate sacrifice. No human being has come anywhere near such an act. 

We pilgrims must share the Gospel message with those around us, the message about Jesus and how He died for all mankind, not just a select few. And in the process we share how much God loves them. It’s a life-changing experience. It will bring colour into a dull monochrome existence. It will bring a new dawn after a night of helplessness. It will bring hope to the hopeless. God’s love changes everything.

Dear Father. Your love for us is without bounds. We thank You for Your patience with us and Your free gift of salvation through Jesus. Amen.

Strength of Character

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.“
Romans 5:3-5 NLT

What is this entity “strength of character”? The dictionary defines the word character as, “the particular combination of qualities in a person or place that makes them different from others”. But the “character” that Paul was referring to was much more than that. Just to be different in character to other people is all very well, but Godly character is something else. This type of character is active, not something that is passive. Godly character is something that is constantly improving, drawing us closer and closer to the person God designed us to be. As we endure the hassles of life, our endurance in maintaining our faith and relationship with God strengthens us, so that when the storms hit, we stand firm.

Someone who has a Godly character is like the wise man in Jesus’ parable about the builders. In Matthew 7:25-26 we read, “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock”. The wise man had the right character, because he knew, perhaps from previous experiences, the consequences of building on a dodgy foundation. Perhaps previous “problems and trials” had taught him much and honed his character. He knew that only Jesus had the words of eternal life and would lead him to the right outcome. But so many people instead put their trust on sandy foundations. They trust a friend, or a political party, or their bank account, trusting a substitution for God that will collapse like the foolish man in Jesus’ parable when the storms of life crash against them. They lose their jobs, or their friend moves away and cuts off contact. Their bank account is swallowed up by inflation and they find that there is too much month left at the end of their money. But whatever happens, they find that they have no endurance to get through the crisis. Their character fails the strength and endurance test.

We pilgrims are made of sterner stuff, of course. Not for us a trust in worldly systems that could collapse at any moment. We have built our foundations on the Rock that is Christ. Psalm 18:30-31, “God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock?” Who indeed!

Father God. Only You can develop our characters through the trials and problems of life. Only You can hold our hand and help us. We praise and thank You today. Amen.

Endurance

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”
Romans 5:3-5 NLT

In the UK at present, in the natural, there seems little to rejoice about. The cost of living has gone up dramatically, impacting a new generation of adults who have never known anything other than very low inflation and interest rates. Energy costs have more than doubled over the space of a year or so and there seems no sign of them returning to the level enjoyed before the Covid pandemic. Eventually, wages will catch up, but “problems and trials” will abound for the foreseeable future. So why did Paul make the statement that the difficulties we are facing into will “help us develop endurance”?  

Paul wasn’t the only early first century Apostle who made such a statement. We read in James 1:2-3, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow”. 

So what is this “endurance”? It is that ability to persevere through “problems and trials” without going under, without giving up, without jumping ship and joining another with less hassles. The Christian life was and is never going to be an easy option. Not only do we have to clean up our own lives under God’s gracious and loving guidance, but we will be largely shunned by those in society around us. In some parts of the world, even the state authorities will be against us. We have many brothers and sisters persecuted for their faith in other countries like North Korea and Afghanistan.

Jesus told His disciples, “But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world”  (John 16:32-33). Jesus was facing into an incredibly difficult situation. He knew He was heading to the Cross and a horrible and painful death. And He knew His disciples would abandon Him to His fate. And here He was, encouraging His disciples with words of comfort. He told them that their future natural lives were going to be full of “problems and trials” and yet, through it all, they would have Jesus with them because, as they would find out later, His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, would be with them, enabling them to “overcome the world”. 

There are many Christians who start well, but then become shipwrecked on the trials of life. Perhaps they are in a church that goes through a difficult time with splits and changes of leadership, and they get hurt in the process. Or perhaps a Christian friend is treated badly by another Christian and they decide that they want no more of this faith. So they stop going to church. They stop reading their Bibles. And before long they have failed to endure. 

What do we pilgrims do, when circumstances seem to conspire against us? Go down the tubes? Or rise up above the difficulties? A Psalmist, Asaph, was facing into an inexplicable situation that severely challenged his faith in God. We read in Psalm 73:2, “But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone”. As we read on, we see the gyrations that went on in his mind as he considered how the wicked seemed to get away with their behaviour. Bitterly, he said, “Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?” And then we read, “Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do” (Psalm 73:17, 25-26, 28). Asaph regained his perspective. There are many other examples in the Bible, of people who faced into trials and problems. We read about a few in Hebrews 11.

But through it all, we have a wonderful loving Heavenly Father who is always there for us. He will always help us through our times of trial. Somehow in His presence, the trials don’t seem half as bad. There is an old saying, “When the going gets tough the tough get going”. Much truth in that when it comes to endurance.

Father God. Your Son Jesus knew all about trials and problems. We thank You for Your encouragement and guidance when the going gets tough. Through You the world has been overcome. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Peace With God

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.”
Romans 5:1 NLT

Paul seems to now draw a line under his previous references to the Law, Abraham, and legalism. He, almost as though in passing, makes a statement of certainty, that through our faith in God we are now righteous in His sight. And he reminds us that our new-found status is all because of Jesus, and what He did for us. Because of all of this, he declares that we now have peace with God.

Mankind is either for God or against Him. There is no middle ground. No grey areas. All those people who deny His existence, or choose to ignore Him, are at war with God. And that is a very serious place to be found. It is only by God’s grace that His enemies aren’t zapped by a lightning bolt or something similar from Heaven. God’s patience is such that he gives people time to make the right decision and make the transition into His kingdom. In 1 Timothy 2:3-6 we read, “This is good and pleases God our Saviour, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time”. The “right time” is now. Today. Because we don’t know when God’s patience and grace will expire. 

Are we pilgrims in a place of peace with God today? Or are our spirits agitated and all confused? If that is the case, then we must enter our places of prayer, wherever or whatever they are, and touch base with our Heavenly Father. He is not against us, because we are His children. What loving and gracious Father goes to war against His children? Instead, He reaches out His arms in an attitude described by Jesus in Matthew 11:28, “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest””. That’s the place for troubled souls. And as we rest in His presence, all our troubles somehow become less of a problem. After all, our Heavenly Father knows what is best for us. 

We finish today with the well-worn, but profound, verses from Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus”. 

Dear Father God. Thank You for taking on board all our chaos and confusion. And in return providing us with Your peace, that is totally beyond our understanding. Amen.

Righteousness Through Belief

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.”
Romans 4:22-25 NLT

The story of Abraham in the Bible is remarkable. In a place called Ur of the Chaldeans, Abraham (then called Abram) married a lass called Sarai (later Sarah). But Abram’s Dad, Terah, wanted to go to the land of Canaan, and he took Abram and Lot, his grandson, with him. He got half way to a place called Haran and settled there, eventually dying at the age of 205. We can read the story in Genesis 11. But in Genesis 12:1, Abram heard the call of God. We read, “The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you””. The next few chapters in Genesis relate the story of Abram and how he became Abraham, the father of many nations. The Apostle Paul pointed out to his readers the reason this story was included in the Scriptures of the time was because it was put there for their benefit. And, of course as it turns out, for ours as well.

God made a promise to Abraham of descendants as numerous as the stars, when he was of an age that was too old for child bearing. Sarah was well into her 90’s, an age considered impossible when it came to having children. But through faith he believed God’s promise. And Paul points out to his readers that they too will be considered righteous if they believed ”in Him the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead”. Paul’s explanation as to why was quite simple. Jesus was killed because of our sins, but through believing in Him, His resurrection made us righteous in God’s sight.

This word “belief” is critical. The dictionary definition I found today is spot on, in my opinion. “An acceptance that something exists or is true, especially one without proof.” So although there is historical proof that Jesus was arrested and crucified, we have no proof that He allowed this to happen so that our sins are forgiven. We have no proof that because of His resurrection, we are now counted as righteous. So we have a “belief”.

But the “belief” Paul was referring to goes much deeper than the superficial meaning. Even the devil believes that Jesus existed. No, our belief in Jesus is life changing. We live in an age where people in society have largely rejected God and His ways. They may believe that a “god” of some sort exists, but that knowledge makes no difference to either the way they live in the now, or will live in the future, even beyond the grave. They may attend funerals and feel a twinge of regret or concern, but that soon wears off at the “wake”, the event scheduled to take place after a funeral service, and in an alcohol-fuelled family get together. 

We pilgrims believe with an intensity that is transforming in its impact. When we truly believe in all that God has done for us through Jesus, then we find ourselves transported to a new kingdom, the Kingdom of God. There, God rules and reigns, and we worship and praise Him, with thankful hearts. About our old lives living in the world, we read in 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light”. God’s Kingdom is like that – full of light. 

So, because of our belief, we pilgrims are righteous in God’s sight. That’s what happened to Abraham, and it has happened to us as well. “Amazing love, how can it be, that thou, my God, should die for me“.

Dear Father God. We sing that old hymn today, assured of our righteousness through faith in Your Son Jesus. Such love! Amen.

A Reason to Hope

Posted on by Adrian Clark

“Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.”
Romans 4:18-19 NLT

We read today more about Abraham’s faith. He had been given a promise that, in the natural, was impossible to fulfil. After all, how can someone approaching the age of 100 bear a child in her womb. Without a child and heir, how could Abraham keep on hoping that it would happen one day. There was indeed “no reason to hope”. 

What are we pilgrims hoping for? A new job? A child? A restored relationship? The list of human hopes is probably endless. But are we hoping to see the fruition of a God-given promise, like Abraham, or just something we thought about in the shower this morning? Proverbs 13:12 records the debilitating effects of unrealised hopes. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life”. 

In our natural world, “hope” is something very different from Abrahamic hope. We “hope” to go on holiday. We “hope” to have enough money to pay the electricity bill this month. But in the Kingdom of God, our “hope” for a warm home is based on God’s promises such as Philippians 4:19, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus”. Another “hope” we may have is to get some relief from the chaotic and clamorous lives that we leave, and the worries that drag us down. Well, Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus”. And there are other examples of how God has an answer for our “hopes”. You see, Abraham’s hope was based on something that God promised him, and he believed it with something we call faith. We read in Hebrews 11:1, “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see”. Faith is the glue that joins our hopes to God’s provision. We may never see the answer to our hopes in our lifetimes. For example, we may spend our lives praying for the salvation of a family member, and not see it happen before we pass, but God will still answer our prayer at the right time.

So what do we pilgrims “hope” for. Is it based on something from God? Something like a prophetic word brought to us by a faithful brother or sister? Or a promise we have read in the Bible, a verse that immediately connects with our spirits? Whatever it is, we must let our faith grow, as we pray for the answer that God has promised.

Dear God. We know that only You have the answers to our questions, our confusion. We bring our hopes to Your feet today and look to You for the provision for our needs. Amen.