{"id":39252,"date":"2021-03-13T12:56:47","date_gmt":"2021-03-13T10:56:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kernbeisser.ch\/through-our-lord-jesus-christ\/"},"modified":"2024-07-15T09:51:29","modified_gmt":"2024-07-15T07:51:29","slug":"through-our-lord-jesus-christ","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kernbeisser.ch\/en\/through-our-lord-jesus-christ\/","title":{"rendered":"Through our Lord Jesus Christ"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/1″][vc_column_text]The Bible speaks of God being in charge of this world, of Him making Himself known, and of our lives and the entire universe being safe in His hands. This is not visible. However, those who are touched by God’s Word and Spirit, who trust the Bible, have recognized a larger context and discovered a relevance for their own lives.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”422341″]<\/p>\n

Everything has a reason<\/h3>\n

Provided we follow the biblical narrative, everything has a reason. God is in charge. He makes Himself known to the people and communicates Himself. He works in the world and He works toward a goal.<\/p>\n

This goal of God to be once “all in all” (1Cor 15,28) is the reason for His work in this world. It is also the reason for what we call “salvation”. God wants to reach the goal with everyone. He wants to reach the goal with this world. Everything is designed with this in mind. Everything is of Him, through Him, and to Him (Rom 11:36).[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”200220″]<\/p>\n

It is “through Him<\/h3>\n

The gospel, as Paul speaks of it in Romans, is not a communication “that God loves us,” as if that were merely a condition. Rather, it is the proclamation that God is working and we are included in that working. God is working toward His goal. His Son, Jesus Christ, is the means to this end. It happens “through Him.” This is how it is described. The word “son” in Hebrew is related to the word for “build”. It is through the son that the father builds his house and realizes the future.<\/p>\n

Let’s read in Romans how Paul describes it:<\/p>\n

“Justified therefore by faith, we may have peace with God through<\/strong> our Lord Jesus Christ, through<\/strong> whom also we have obtained entrance by faith into this grace wherein we stand, that we may glory in expectation of the glory of God.”<\/em>
\nRom 5:1-2<\/p>\n

The peace we may have with God is “through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Likewise, it is also “through whom we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand.” Two things, then: first, we have peace because it was brought about through Him. Secondly, we now stand in this grace permanently because we receive this grace permanently through Him.<\/p>\n

These are liberating words because it is not just a one-time experience, but also has ongoing consequences. It was given and is now permanently our reality. Because this is so, we may also look ahead. We no longer have to worry about the basics, the fundamental things, but may confidently assume and cultivate our expectation. As Paul continues, “so that we may boast in anticipation of the glory of God.”<\/em><\/p>\n

There is more. That’s terrific.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”210338″]<\/p>\n

From the future to the present<\/h3>\n

In the next verses, the apostle pivots from the expectation of the future to the experience of the present. He writes:<\/p>\n

“Not only so, but we may also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance, but perseverance brings about probation, and probation brings about expectation.”<\/em>
\nRom 5:3-4<\/p>\n

Certainly Paul is referring here to tribulations that were known to the church in Rome. Perhaps, too, he includes his own tribulation. Exactly which tribulation is meant is not mentioned. However, there are several references to tribulation. It was not an easy time for the churches (Acts 8:1-3, Acts 9:1-2, 1 Timothy 1:12-13). Paul speaks of his own challenges and hardships (2 Cor. 11:23-28). We can, of course, take Drangsal as a general statement and interpret it in such a way that we also meet hardships of any kind today as positively as Paul does. That would then be a figurative application of the word that no longer necessarily has anything to do with the context.<\/p>\n

What the apostle does here: he gives meaning to the current experience. He embeds the experience in something bigger. The tribulation is not only tribulation, but it causes something:<\/p>\n