Explore Christianity

Thoughts from Rev Graeme

Well, the election is over and we are now trying to get used to our new coalition government.

I have been thinking recently about all the campaigning and what we thought about it whilst it was going on.

I remember many people saying to me that they did not know what the politicians believed in. They seemed to sound so convincing, so sincere, so coached; but so many of us still didn't know what they really believed in. Of course, we all knew that they believed they should be in power, and our great concern was if that belief in itself dwarfed any other convictions that they had.

Of course, this makes me think of ways that we can discern what people really believe in. Is it really what they can argue for so passionately? Maybe, maybe not. I would like to give you one means by which I try to discern what people really believe. For me, I look with particular interest at what people are prepared to suffer for. What, I wonder would people risk their career for, their reputation for, their future financial well-being for? If I see someone who has paid some kind of price for what they believe in, it makes me more confident that they do actually believe in what they argue for.

So, how do I know that God, that Jesus really do care for me? How do I know that it isn't just insincere but convincing words? I would like to share with you a little bit from a book in the Bible called Romans.    
Chapter 5, beginning at verse 6:  For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. For it is rare for anyone to die for a righteous person, though somebody might be brave enough to die for a good person. But God demonstrates his love for us by the fact that Christ died for us while we were still sinners.

There was a time when Jesus Christ actually demonstrated his love for us all. He went through terrible pain and agony for no other reason than to give us the best chance to be rescued from our sinful lives. He took the hit for us. He took the pain and showed us just how much we matter to him.

There are many, many things that are confusing in this life. There are many, many things that I do not understand about the Christian faith yet. There are many, many answers that I would dearly want to have. But hear me when I say this please. I am convinced that God really does love us; that we really do matter to God; because of the pain and limitation he suffered just for you and for me.

Jesus Christ, really does care about us and awaits our response to his demonstration of love .