My writes

Christ in you, the hope of glory

It was timely, by divine appointment, that Fabian shared about knowing our identity in Christ last Wednesday's prayer meeting through Romans 5:17 - For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reighed through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision og grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Thanks bro. And thanks Pat for letting me have your envelope to scribble on.

We are in constant need to be reminded our identity in Christ, no matter how young or (old??) Christians we are. As young adults who are embarking on this exciting journey of adulthood (I know some of us are quite senior, and thanks for being there as a senior figure for the rest of us), which constitute largely career, church (I certainly do hope so), family, social life and for some of us, starting to build a family of our own. As we journey through life spinning our wheels, each of these elements have demands that can exert significant pressure on us. As finite human beings, we sometimes can't help feeling lost, helpless or even pushes us to the edge of bitterness and resentment. Sometimes, we also question our own salvation.

This reminds me of the event where Jesus calms the storm in Matthew 8:23-27. Drawing the anology of the storm as challenges (or problems, whatever you may want to call it) in life, I do not at all blame the disciples for panicking. And notice how Jesus replies : You of little faith, why are you so afraid? I thought it was harsh rebuke...I mean who could possible stay calm when you're in a boat that is on the verge of capsizing. But His rebuke was valid. Here He is the Son of God amongst them, and they are striken paralyzed by fear due to the circumstances around them. Of course He would be displeased, because without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). But God never gave up on them. Even up to the point of His cruxifiction, the disciples were a disappointment. Peter even denied Jesus. But eventually, they were the frontrunners of the Great Commission in proclaiming gospel.

Consider Paul's statement in Ephesians 1:11-14 : In him we were also chose, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of his glory.

Nothing is too far out of reach from the grace of God. Even your life is miserably stained with scarlet sin, it will be as white as snow by the grace of God (Isaiah 1:18). Very often, life's disappointments are God's appointments. Knowing that we have a heavenly Father we can always turn to, the change of mindset will trigger us to gradually move from being victims of circumstances to capitalizing on challenges to eventually emerge as a victor in life. From the moment we believe, we have an eternal identity in Christ. That is the hope of glory.

posted by Mel-Vern @ 10:52 AM