Take heart during 2011 – God is on your side!

"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." This statement from 1 Tim 1:15 sums up the entire ministry and life of Jesus: to save sinners. It explains why God became a man in Jesus. It is the most glorious proof of God's love for us. It is the foundation of the Christian message and the single key to understanding everything written in the Bible.

The good news of God is equally clear to young and old, to experienced and not experienced Christians: Christ Jesus is God who became a human being in order to save sinners, like me and you.

Whenever we find our faith wavering and we are confused about the true meaning of the Gospel message, we should spend some time reflecting on this truth. It is of vital importance. In what Jesus came to accomplish for us, we learn that God is now on our side. We also need to learn how to be on the side of God!

Our failure to love and our inability to first of all live for God, clearly show that we are sinners. We all are the sinners Christ came to save. We all are guilty before God. Yet - "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." We know that Christ had to come, because if he didn't, none of us could be saved. We know that all of us need saving and that not one of us can save ourselves.

But what does it mean to be saved? It means forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, freely being given the righteousness of Christ as our own and being bought by the blood of Jesus. It means God's justice has been satisfied by Jesus and we have been accepted by God for the sake of Christ Jesus. The darkness of our sin is replaced by the light of Christ's presence in our lives.

To be saved therefore also means to receive everlasting life. Because Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary and went the way of the cross and of the victory of resurrection, God’s children receive everlasting life.

And because we are saved, we enter 2011 with confidence and hope. We are never alone. We are under no judgement or curse anymore. We are saved from the perils that are the result of our imperfection and disobedience. We are saved from our sins, and therefore our faith gives us the courage to look forward to being the followers of Jesus during this year, in spite of its uncertainties and concerns!

Take heart – Christ Jesus became one of us, to save us from our sins and the consequences of our foolishness. Be courageous and enter into a new year with joy and with peace in your heart! Even before we tread the first uncertain step into 2011, we are saved from ourselves and God is with us in Jesus Christ, through the work of his Holy Spirit.

May you experience God’s grace and mercy during every day of 2011!!