13/04/2024
The Bible is a story about God’s undying faithfulness to His people. From the beginning until the end of the Bible, we see that God never abandoned His people as long as they remained faithful to Him. Sometimes, it comes down to a small thread, such as the case of Noah and his family, but God continues to show His love and mercy even to those few.
In the beginning of the Bible, we see that God was pleased with everything He had made. He was pleased with man until sin came into the world through Adam and Eve, which changed the relationship between man and God. By the time we get to Genesis chapter 6, the world had become evil, but God did not destroy everything. He saved Noah and his family because of their righteousness. After the flood, it was not long before the world became wicked again, and God called Abraham to leave his home and go to the promised land. He established His covenant with Abraham to bless him and for him to become the father of all nations. The promised Messiah, who would give hope to the entire world and repair the relationship that was destroyed by sin, would come through the seed of Abraham.
The Old Testament shows us God's characteristics and eternal love for people. In Exodus, we find the Jews in exile. They cry out to God to rescue them. God called Moses to lead them from Egypt to the promised land of Canaan, but even after God rescued them from slavery, the Israelites complained and rebelled, even to the point that they would not enter the promised land for an additional 40 years. This story is significant because it shows that God did not hold the younger generation responsible for the sins of their parents. God gives each person free will, and nothing can separate us from God unless we disobey Him. When Jesus gave the great commission, He said, into all the world, proclaim the gospel, make decuples, baptize people, and teach them to observe all He has commanded. He ends with, “And I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” The life of a Christian is not easy, and the life of an evangelist is even more challenging, but no matter what we face, as long as we remain faithful to God, Christ is always there with us, and He will never abandon us.
Another example of God’s mercy and love is a story of Ragan, the pr******te who was saved because of her faithfulness to God even though she was not a Jew. Even though she was a pr******te, she became part of the genealogy of the Messiah. David sinned many times, but God called him a man after His own heart because he was willing to repent and return to God every time. Man’s sin is never so great that God’s love cannot redeem us as long as we return to Him.
I think about Jesus getting down on His knees to wash His disciples' feet. One would renounce Him three times, one would betray Him with a kiss, and all would abandon Him in His time of need, yet He loved them and empowered them to become zealous and to establish His church. I think about the triumph entry, the Jews praising Jesus, Hosanna in the highest, and a short time later, crying crucify Him, crucify Him. On the day of Pentecost, Peter taught the gospel message and the message of God’s forgiveness, and the first people to hear the message of hope were the Jews who crucified the Messiah. The first people to receive forgiveness were the ones who cried out to crucify Him.
In Titus 2:13, we are promised that one day, our great God and Savior Jesus Christ will return to those who have been faithful to Him and take them to be with Him for eternity, where there will be no more pain, no more sorrow, no more sin, only eternal joy, united with our Father and with our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ for eternity.
The Bible is the greatest story ever told because it reveals God's love, tells us the path to salvation and eternal life, and is living and powerful enough to change the hearts of even the most hardened sinners and give them joy and hope through Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
