Gorillas, Gun Laws, and the Gospel

Yes, it has been months upon months since the last time that I posted on this blog... almost a year. I’m the worst, but what does one say about beauty in such a broken and fallen world? I’m going to be honest, this past school year I fell into a pit of pessimism and completely stopped seeking beauty in this world. Because of recent events in my life, I have been forced to turn my face to Jesus and there, in His light, I have slowly begun to seek and find beauty again. Although I could write for a long time on that subject, that is not what is on my heart this evening.

Lately, I have felt a helplessness and sadness because of the direction of this country. I don’t feel like I need to go into any sort of detail in regards to recent events, for any of you readers to know and understand why I feel this way. I have found myself being bombarded by “facts” and opinions about presidential candidates, religious groups and various other cultural issues on social media, television and every other possible outlet. I see people pitted against one another in ways that I have never seen before. I realize I’m still very young, but even in the past few years the climate of this country, and world, has changed in a very noticeable way.

In every situation, though, I have found myself being disappointed by one huge factor. I have been so disappointed in the way that I have watched fellow believers, myself included, respond to the world around them. We respond with fear, criticism and faithlessness. We look at the world that has turned their backs to Christ and act as though our voices and opinions are the last chance that this world has of seeing Christ and repenting. In what world do we, sinners and fallen people, have that kind of power?

 I have been studying the book of Romans lately and tonight I found myself continuously drawn to Romans 3: 9-26. This passage speaks of our position before Christ. Verse 10, in particular, caught my attention:

“as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one…’”

As I looked at that verse I felt so foolish. In this world that is so fallen and broken it is so easy to get discouraged by sin and a world full of people that seem to reject God and the life that He gives, but that’s just the point. We all, at one point in our lives, rejected God. Not one is righteous, no, not one. Later on in Romans Paul even refers to us as enemies of God. We were all born in sin, enemies of God, separated from Him. Fellow believers, from where are we drawing our hope in a world so dim and broken?

Just as we were born enemies of God, dead in our sin and trespasses, we have been saved by a gracious, merciful, relentless God. We have been made right by a God that stooped down and covered us with an unrelenting love. So, brothers and sisters, in a world so full of fear, hatred, and sin... take hope. He has overcome the world, He has made you right and, in His sovereign will,  can do the same with every other fallen and broken sinner.

One of the pastors at CityLight in Omaha, Nebraska said, “the Gospel has a way of leveling the playing field.”

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

~ John 16:33 ~