Our only hope
By Gerry Straker, 19 Mar 2020
In this time of great fear and anxiety it is good to know that the Bible's most repeated command is this: 'Do not be afraid'. Do not be afraid of...God. Remember the Christmas shepherds? When on that hillside that dark night they are exposed to the glory of God, it is they who are exposed. Meeting the glory of God is terrifying. And yet the message is: 'Do not be afraid'.
We don't need to be afraid of God if we turn to Christ Jesus. And if we don't need to be afraid of God then we don't need to be afraid of anything.
Romans 8:32, 35
If God is for us who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?... Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
God's got this! He is for us, and we are loved. Nothing can separate us from his love whether fear of the virus, the crazy situation many people are facing because of the virus, or the virus itself. God is for us; Christ loves us.
This is our only hope. And what a hope! This is the first question from the Heidelberg Catechism.*
What is your only hope in life and death?
That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death,
to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from all the power of the devil. He also preserves me in such a way that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, all things must work together for my salvation. Therefore, by his Holy Spirit he also assures me of eternal life and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for him.
Amen!
Would you please pray..
- For us not to be afraid because God is for us and he loves us.
- For each of us to be thinking of how we can serve others at this time, especially with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
- For parents and children, teachers and support staff working out how to react to the news about school closures on Friday.
- For God to have mercy on many at this time of crisis.
- For our plans to livestream a Church service to you on Sunday morning.
* A catechism is a teaching tool to help people learn a summary of Bible teaching and which often uses a question and answer format. The Heidelberg Catechism was written in 1563 in Germany mainly by Zacharius Ursinus and Caspar Olevianus. The Heidelberg Catechism was written to
- To help people understand the big picture and to begin applying the Bible to daily life;
- To help the youth of the Church;
- To help preachers have consistency in their preaching;
- To teach people to ask important questions;
- To help people spot heresy.