God is up to something. Speculation abounds. Christ returning soon? Maybe. Judgment? Plausible. Something new? Not at all. God is always up to something. In the face of this unprecedented (in our lifetime) turn of events, when the news is ominous, the world seems strange, draconian measures are implemented, and life as we’ve known it is profoundly disrupted, I am happy to report that God has not changed an iota—every jot and tittle of his Word is in tact. And Jesus Christ is still Lord. In fact, Jesus Christ, being Lord of all (Psalm 24:1-2), is also Lord of the virus. Every outbreak, every patient, every man, woman, and child who succumb to it, every atom of COVID-19 is as known to God as each sparrow that falls (Matthew 10:29) and every hair on our head (Luke 12:7).
This is a time for the church of Jesus Christ to shine. And, indeed, she has been. But in order to continue shining, her people must remain perpetually in the Light. That is, daily saturation in God’s Word for comfort, instruction, and courage. In these strange times, our daily routine must include social distancing, hand washing, refraining from face touching, and a daily plunge into the life-sustaining, peace-inducing, comfort-providing, courage-producing, wisdom-enhancing, truth-illuminating pages of the Word of God.
For my part, during this time of sequestering, I’ll be posting a weekly installment of a study I’ve used for the annual women’s Bible study I host every summer in my home. Use it as you will. Share it if you like. Whatever you do, keep digging, because “…whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).
The Gospel: Perfect People Need Not Apply
When God created the world, he declared it “good.” When he made humans, he declared it “very good” (Genesis 1). When I consider the ocean, or the enormous oaks surrounding my house, or the bees pollinating the flowers in my yard, I’m gripped with wonder that of all his creation, he seems to like us best. And we betrayed him.
I am glad God is who he is. He is not a petulant, record-keeping god, but a God of love, forgiveness, and grace. In order to rightly respond to what God has done for us through Christ, we have an imperative. We must understand our utter wretchedness before a holy and sovereign God. From birth, we are wretches, not because of anything we may or may not have done, but because it is inherent in us (Romans 3:23; Psalm 51:5). Francis Scheaffer explained,
…men are separated from God because of their true moral guilt. God exists, God has a character, God is a holy God, and when men sin (and we all must acknowledge that we have sinned not only by mistake but by intention) they have true moral guilt before God who exists. That guilt is not just the modern concept of guilt feelings, a psychological guilty feeling in man. It is a true moral guilt before the infinite, personal, holy God. Only the finished, substitutionary work of Christ upon the cross as the Lamb of God— in history, space, and time— is enough to remove this. Our true guilt, that brazen heaven which stands between us and God, can be removed only upon the finished work of Christ plus nothing on our part. The Bible’s whole emphasis is that there must be no humanistic note added at any point in the accepting of the gospel. It is the infinite value of the finished work of Christ, the second person of the Trinity, plus nothing that is the sole basis for the removal of our guilt.
Reflect
In Romans 3:10-12, Paul tells us, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
When you hear that you are a wretch, and have been from birth, what is your first impression?
For some reason, in his sovereignty, God requires a sacrifice of blood for the redemption of sin. I would recommend reading the book of Leviticus in order to better understand God’s requirements for his people in the Old Testament. In fact, the gospel is a bit less mysterious when you understand the Jewish Law handed down by God in Leviticus. Despite the strangeness of the requirements, they were nonetheless consummated in the death of Christ, and as a result, followers of Christ have free access to the throne of God!
Read Leviticus 4. Then Read Romans 8:1-4. How do these two passages, written thousands of years apart, connect?
When you read in Romans 8:1, “…there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” what is your first impression?
Think about living your life in this time in History. There are some who would have you believe that if you have accepted Christ and his gospel, you will prosper (temporally) in all you do.
Read Acts 5:27-42. Does living fully in the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ make your life easier or more difficult in the day to day? Explain.
Read Zephaniah 3:17. Then reread it. Chew on it for a while. Then think about your nature and Christ’s sacrifice. Write down your impression.