Gospel: God Redeems the Effects of Sin
While celebrating Pentecost Sunday yesterday I was struck with a wonderful thought: On Pentecost everyone heard the gospel in THEIR OWN language. Rather than dispose of the diversity for clarity’s sake God used our crazy language cacophony to bring himself glory.
The multiplication of languages was an effect of sin. God confused our languages at the Tower of Babel setting off centuries of strife, misunderstanding, ethnic wars, and maybe worst of all, language schools. The confusion of languages was an effect of sin meant to keep us men from working together in unity. Why? Because our aims when we are unified is to topple God and get God’s glory for ourselves.
Given that reality, we might expect that the gospel would reverse the effect of sin and cause all language differences to be erased. Instead, God maintains the the diversity of languages to multiply and beautify the gospel message. It is glorious that the gospel goes out in so many different languages. It is beautiful that the words of grace and God’s everlasting love can be expressed in so many ways that have so many different shades of meaning.
Yesterday we sang The Blessing (quoting from the Levitical Blessing) which was reserved in Hebrew for the Jewish people in Arabic and Spanish as well as English. How beautiful to hear God’s blessing being spoken to the all the people groups who speak those three languages! What glory to God that he would communicate his love and intention to bless in ways that reverberate in words that are understood in the deepest hearts of so many! Our languages have been redeemed as He speaks words of life, hope, and reconciliation to us! Praise Him!
The thought occurred to me: What other effects of sin does God redeem instead of reverse?
How about sickness and disease? Is not Joni Erikson Tada an example of one who was not made whole from her paralysis but thanks God for a paralysis that has brought her inner healing and joy?
How about divorce? Divorce is surely an effect of sin that is so destructive. But can’t God redeem the effect of divorce using it for more glory for himself and healing those affected?
How about the horrors of war? This is surely an effect of the sin of the fallen world. But didn’t God use WW2 to open Korea to the gospel? And doesn’t he still use the displacement of peoples from the Middle East to bring them to places in the world where they can hear the gospel and be saved?
What about the future? What if we looked at all effects of sin with expectancy that God would redeem it and make the effect to somehow and in some way bring Him even greater glory and bring us greater good? Could we treat our children and their mistakes with more patience? Could we live with less dread and fear and with more faith and thankfulness?
What about you? Can you think of other effects of sin that God has redeemed in your life or in the world around you?