God's Truth: Basic and Unchanging

The last few weeks in Dulce have been busy. Of course, when I think about it, in some way or another it is nearly always busy here, so perhaps it hasn’t been so much the busyness, but that the work day has seemed more fragmented than usual.  Fragmented in part because of the variety of things that had a priority need to be taken care of, and then also in part because of some of the more urgent things of family life that were pressing into time I usually set aside for work.  Here, late on a Wednesday, I'm glad to be at a point where I can sit and write a bit.

I've had a thought on my mind since yesterday morning, when early in the day I read Paul's letter to the Galatians, which included this sentence in verses 3-5 of chapter 1:

"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen."

At the time I read that verse I could not have imagined the number of ways over the next 24 hours in which I would see evidence of the way that sin has produced what Paul calls "the present evil age."  I saw it in myself, my home, the congregation I serve, and the community I live in. From things that many people might consider to be fairly insignificant, to some things any person would consider to be heinous. 

And yet, Paul's sentence also reminded me that God's truth hasn't changed. All people with faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord have their sins forgiven and are delivered from this age.  And this is all according to God's will. 

The letter to the Galatians is packed with many good words to strengthen and guide a Christian's life. But it states the basic and unchanging truth early. Jesus Christ is Lord. He has forgiven sin and promised a glorious future to those who have faith in him, and this precious gift is not according to my flawed and frail will, but the will of God.  To which, as Paul writes, I join in saying "Amen!"

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.