JESUS SAW HIMSELF IN GENESIS About sustaining the world To Know: ³Then the Lord said, The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.ı Then Abraham approached him and said: Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked. What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the fifty righteous people in it?ı² (Gen.18: 20, 23,24) When Jesus opened the book of Genesis he saw himself on page after page. ³Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners² (1 Tim. 1:15) Abraham was a forgiven sinner. He did what forgiven sinners do: seek forgiveness for other sinners. Abraham did for other sinners what every sinner should desire to do. Before serving communion, the pastor under whom I did my practice work in seminary days reminded us that we were a ³fellowship of failures.² Abraham failed both the Lord and his wife when he lied about who Sarah was for fear of Abimeleck. Being forgiven for his betrayal, he had good reason to pity the sinners in Sodom. The Sodomites faced the wrath of God and were in desperate need of divine forgiveness. Godıs wrath is against all sin and Abrahamıs sin was no less hateful to a holy God than was the sin of Sodom. ³Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?² That was Abrahamıs question. Jesus saw himself as the final solution to Abrahamıs query. Abraham stopped asking for mercy for Sodom when he reached ten righteous, but Jesus was willing to ask his Father to spare a great multitude of lost sinners for the sake of one. He himself is that one. We who believe in Jesus Christ need to take seriously that our presence in the world is sustaining the world while the Lord continues his saving work. The Apostle Paul was on a ship that should have sunk. ³He said to those on board, ³Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.² (Acts 27:23,24) You may be only one but you make a difference in the world. 011810$-011810 <{{{{{{>< Other posts:
• About God in the flesh
• About provision • About Isaac • About giving offense • About the most owned and least read book • About sustaining the world • About righteousness • About the Christians new relationship • About God providing • About the prologue • About confusion |