New Life in Christ – part 1
“I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress.” (Is 65:19)
New life in Christ is a life of hope. It is a life in which believers know a wider span of God’s plan than just the short life we are living here on earth. Academic studies of history and geography are helpful in studying trends of events and estimating what the future will be like – in terms of physical climate, public governance ideologies and practices, and trade and development at national and international levels for example; but Christ is greater than the best research: in Him we live a life of hope that no other being or philosophy can assure.
In the Church Calendar – both Anglican and Roman Catholic – the year is arranged in major seasons, which are as follows (in their order)
- Advent – Waiting for the Coming of our Lord and Saviour
- Christmas – Celebrating the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ
- Epiphany – Revelation of the Saviour Jesus Christ to Gentiles
- Lent – Devotion to God in Fasting and Prayer
- Easter – The resurrection of Jesus Christ – hope for life eternal
- Pentecost – The Coming of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit
- Trinity Season – God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit at work
Seasons and times teach us many lessons, and God speaks for our encouragement in this language. Isaiah announces promises of a new heaven and a new earth where ‘no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and cry of distress’. This is clearly a peek into the seasons of life that we must embrace in a wider context. Times of Suffering bring weeping, crying and distress some time before the new Jerusalem arrives. This suffering time was brought about by people’s sin and rebellion, which continues even today – in broken relationships between children and parents, husband and wife, and in deplorable disrespect for people and God.
New life in Christ comes in Times of Salvation. God has put a bridge to connect us back to Him; the season of suffering will therefore not last forever. The Psalmist also declares that ‘Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning’ (Ps 30:5). A life without seasons is a life without hope. A life without hope is painful, regrettable and undesirable. To know times and seasons and what we must do when, is important wisdom. As we celebrate the beginning of the new Church Year on Advent Sunday, let this be a reminder to you that as surely as physical seasons come and go, as surely as morning follows night, so the Times of Salvation that have been announced by numerous prophets will surely come. New life in Christ is a life of hope.
God bless you.