This coming Sunday the Adult Class will be led by Grant Lowe. The Scriptures are Genesis 28:10–19a; Psalm 139:1–12, 23–24; Romans 8:12–25; and Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43. One of the common themes addressed in all these Scriptures might be, as the Seasons lesson suggests, You can run, but you can’t hide.
That’s certainly the emotion evoked for many by the 139th Psalm. Even the weeds, in the parable in Matthew, shouldn’t assume that being left alone is a sign of being overlooked.
On the other hand, that’s not the only thing the Scriptures imply. The Providence of God is not fatalism, it is also a great occasion for hope. The Westminster Larger Catechism, question 81, puts it this way:
Q. 81. Are all true believers at all times assured of their present being in the estate of grace, and that they shall be saved?
A. Assurance of grace and salvation not being of the essence of faith, true believers may wait long before they obtain it; and, after the enjoyment thereof, may have it weakened and intermitted, through manifold distempers, sins, temptations, and desertions; yet are they never left without such a presence and support of the Spirit of God, as keeps them from sinking into utter despair.
Or, as St Paul put it more succinctly, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
See you Sunday,
Bill
Attachments:
