Transcript
As much of the country is living with lockdown orders, only able to go out for necessary items and for exercise. And as we're seeing the figures of this pandemic rise, it is again, important for us to think of this moment that we're in from the perspective of the Gospel. There is so much encouragement in the Gospel to be found.
The Gospel Is About the Here and Now
You know, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not just about an entrance and an exit, it's not just about past forgiveness and a future in eternity, it's about the here and now. Jesus didn't just die for your past and didn't just die for your future, he died for everything you and I would face between the already and the not yet. All those things that we would face, internally and externally, as we live in this broken world. We need to remember the now-ism of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The "right here, right now" perspectives and promises and benefits of the Gospel of the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And we need to, as we think about what we're now going through, look at this moment through the lens of Gospel glasses. I'm going to ask you to put on your Gospel glasses with me. And one of the things that the Bible teaches, one of the things that is one of the bright, beautiful notes of the Gospel is that God is able and willing to bring very, very good things out of very, very bad things. The argument for that, the main argument for that in the Bible is the cross of Jesus Christ.
I mean, think about this for a moment: What could be worse, in all of human history, than the unjust murder of the only perfect person who ever lived? What a travesty, what a horrible thing. Yet what could be better? What has produced more good eternally than the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ? God is able and willing to bring the best things ever out of the worst things ever. And so, what good is it that God is seeking to do in us in this moment? What good is He seeking to do in our culture, in our world? And we should pray because we believe the Gospel, and because we accept the example of the cross that God would, in this moment, bring very good things out of this very difficult moment. God finds joy in doing that.
You know, you've never heard anybody say, "I went through three of the most comfortable, easy, wonderful years, and I learned so much." Probably haven't heard that. But you've heard multiple people talk about how their lives were transformed through moments of difficulty. That's our Lord, that's His Grace. May you look for the good that God will bring out of this difficult moment. It doesn't mean it's not difficult, it doesn't mean it's not painful, it does not mean that we should not pray for this to end, but we ought to have Gospel eyes and we ought to pray that out of this time, a harvest of personal church and cultural good would come. Our Lord is ready and able and willing to bring very good things out of very difficult things. As you walk through this difficult moment, put on your Gospel glasses.
