Thursday; January 21

I like the Bible. Now that should be an obvious statement that all of us could make, but what I mean by my observation is that in addition to acknowledging its principles, I like the literature in the Bible. There are several differ literary styles in the Good Book, but one that fascinates me is the use of comparisons and contrasts – sometimes by the same writers and, other times, by different authors. The other day I was involved in a study that was discussing I Peter 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead …”. The teacher challenged us to analyze this and contrast this living hope with something that might be described as dead hope. The first thing that came to mind was another passage, Matthew 23:27-28, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”. If a belief in the resurrection of Jesus is what keeps Christianity alive, then the hypocrisy of a heartless and emotionless religion can render us useless. The contrast between the two is astounding and telling.

Today, people are watching those who profess a belief in God – are they going to see us alive, active and relevant in the world or will they see us merely playing out a spiritual façade? The world needs living hope, not lifeless pretense.
Think About It!

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