Conspiracy Theories or the Truth?

 

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The rise in new cases of coronavirus in several parts of the country, and more abroad, is a real concern. It makes you wonder if some people don’t really believe that the virus is so infectious, or they don’t really believe the authorities' advice and instructions or do they just neglect to put it into practice so that many others are infected?

We have been told how infectious the virus is and how simple things like hand washing, keeping a distance from others, and wearing a face mask can reduce the spread. We have faith in the experts. We trust their advice. Most people rely on it and practise it, but a few don’t!

Most of the time in everyday life, we believe what people tell us. We trust people when they do things for us, such as preparing our food or supplying our water. We have faith in them. If it’s to go somewhere, say on a bus or a plane (but maybe not just now!), our faith progresses like this.

Faith, Hope and Love

 

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In the Bible, we read a lot about faith, hope and love. In fact, at the end of a well-known chapter about love (1 Corinthians 13), we read, “Now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”Perhaps these three have helped us to keep going all these difficult months, or maybe we feel we need them more.

 

Just now, for the move out of lockdown and the control of the pandemic, our faith is in the widespread vaccination programme's success. So far, it seems to be working well. The amazing work which has led to the design and availability of these vaccines has to be admired. It was all very costly, but to us, it’s free - to all who are willing to come and get their “jab” – just like how we can receive God’s gift of salvation!

 

And this gives us hope! As we used to know it, many aspects of life have been missing for such a long time. We have missed the simple pleasures of meeting friends and families, going where we wanted, of social gatherings, church meetings, holiday trips etc. We have been concerned about our young people with their education interrupted, and our business colleagues with their livelihoods threatened. All complicated – but we have reason to hope that it’s not for much longer.

Experiencing life as it was meant to be!

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We do not have to wait until we get to heaven to experience God’s banqueting house. His overflowing grace is something we can experience in this life. Jesus said, “I came that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly”. Now that is a cup running over with God’s grace. He does not just give us the gift of eternal life when we believe, but He keeps on giving eternal life. The life He is willing to give us means, “to have a surplus,” “superabundance,” “till it overflows.” 

Jesus gives us Himself. He is this abundant life. It is God’s kind of life. When we read “my cup overflows,” that means it is not just full; it is “running over,’ filled to the brim and overflowing. God’s saving and sustaining grace is always like that. His grace is always in fullness, abundance and all-sufficiency. 

The most glorious word in the English language - Forgiveness

 

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In the New Testament Jesus spoke to a man in need with these important and life-changing words, “Your sins are forgiven you” (Luke 5.20) and they brought wonderful comfort to the man who heard them. We also read in the New Testament these words, “And Jesus said unto her, Your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 7.48). and the woman who heard Jesus speak was greatly blessed.

These are the only two examples in the New Testament of Jesus telling people directly that their sins were forgiven, with one being male and the other female. This simply reminds us that God’s forgiveness is available to anyone whether man or woman, because we are all in the same spiritual condition of having sinned by breaking God’s commandments and therefore needing His forgiveness.