I love the way Galatians 4:4 puts it:
“But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law . . . “ (NASB).
The “fulness of time” is our focus this Christmas season at Good Shepherd.
The times we are in are unprecedented. Urgent. Anxious. Yet filled with promise and possibilities.
It all starts with “Time To Turn” this Sunday. 8:30. 10:00. 11:30.
There are 5 comments
Why is “fullness” spelled with only one “L”? Is that intentional?
It’s that way in the New American Standard version. I had the same question myself — perhaps it’s one of those words that can be spelled two ways.
I need to understand something you said during your sermon regarding repentance. You referred to “our sin” and in the after life, Jesus would not be in the presence of sin. I do not think you mean that we would have to be sin-less to go to heaven, but the statement confused me since all of us “fall short of the glory of God.”
Charlotte,
Thanks for listening so well. And my goal as a preacher is always to eliminate confusion, not to create it!
But I did say exactly what you quoted. What I did not go on and say (and should have to clarify)is that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is the solution to our sin problem. It is true that in the after-life, God will not be in the presence of sin. It is also true that he lookes at those who have trusted Christ as Savior as “sinless” — not because they are sinless themselves but because they are clothed in Jesus’ righteousness. When we trust Christ in this life it means that in the after-life the Father will look at us and not see our sin but see our Savior. Our sin problem will be dealt with. That’s why Philippians 1:21 says, “Christ in me is to live; to die is to gain.”
Hope that helps!
Thanks for the clarification. That was my understanding, but I fear for those who are new to Christianity, that they might believe that they have to “work” to be “perfect” which is, as you know, a major stumbling block to the understanding of Christianity.