THE year is gradually coming to an end! The erstwhile festive mood has been tempered this time around by the economic downturn, while there is also widespread foreboding or anxiety over the in-coming year. Yet, amid our anxieties, we must first of all give thanks to God for the blessings we have received so far this year. Whatever our lot may be, we should remain thankful – at least for the gift of life. God has been good to us. He has kept us alive; He has shown us His mercy and grace, and we ought to give Him thanks always.
There is a second gift that we should thank God for. It is the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. This is the time to accept the free salvation (if you have not done so already). All human beings are born into sin. The natural human nature is sinful. David made a personal declaration that was actually universal when he said,
Psalms 51:5 Behold, I was sharpen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
We were all shaped in iniquity; we were born into sin. Meanwhile, the consequence of sin is judgment – death. Sin causes separation from God, and the myriad consequences of that separation. Thus, everyone is in need of salvation, or reconciliation with God. This is what Jesus Christ offers. John 3: 16 – 17 says,
John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Modern man seeks to dispense with religion. They argue that science and technology have eroded the basis for superstition and/or religion. But has science and technology eroded the need for salvation? What does salvation do for the modern man? The same thing that salvation has always done for man down the ages. The Lord himself said to us,
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Outside of Jesus Christ, life is a vicious cycle of loss, death and destruction. In Jesus Christ, however, man gains newness of life. He enjoys divine abundance, which translates to peace. He says,
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
If there is something that the world lacks today, it is peace. Jesus Christ gives peace to all who come to Him. He takes them out from the harsh cloud of evil affliction, and He hides them under the canopy of God. Will you also come under that canopy today, so that you can escape the troubles that fill our world?
To be continued
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