Comfort And Courage Sermon Ii: The Miracle Of God's Salvation Series

Comforted by the Miracle of God’s Salvation

Have you ever felt that your life was in danger . . . all alone . . . helpless . . . hopeless . . . like the walls were closing in on you . . . like there was no way out . . . all was lost . . . there was little or no hope?

If so, you have felt like others have felt . . . sat where others have sat . . . walked in another’s shoes . . . been in the same boat with others throughout ages past and, if the Lord tarries, for the rest of your life!

Such was the case when David composed the 23rd Psalm and spoke of the valley of the shadow . . . when Isaiah surveyed the darkness of the situation in his day . . . when Jesus began his ministry by quoting Isaiah, as recorded by Matthew:

“The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.”

In the Bible the word “darkness” is used to describe all of the different kinds of negative situations in which people find themselves from time to time.

On the other hand, the word “light” is used to show the difference God’s intervention makes in our lives if we are willing to see it from a new perspective and respond to it in a positive manner.

So, when we find ourselves “in the dark” what we need, for comfort’s sake, is “light”. Thus, fears associated with darkness are dissipated by the light of God’s presence, which occurred in dramatic fashion with the incarnation - when God in the person of Jesus Christ became flesh via Mary’s virgin birth and dwelt among us – “and we beheld His glory, the glory of the one and only Son of God.”

Wonder no more about whether or not God the Father of Jesus is also God the Father of all who believe in and receive Christ as their one and only Lord and Savior! In the beginning God said, “Let there be light.” When the time came, God the Son said, “I am the light of the world.”

Had the poet Wm. Hensley “seen the light” that shone over Bethlehem’s manger . . . accepted as truth the angels’ announcement, “for unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord” . . . taken to heart the pronouncement of our Lord, “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life”, his famous poem “Invictus” might have begun on a different, more positive note than the way it did:

“Out of the night that covers me, black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be for my unconquerable soul.” Hensley believed that he was the master of his own fate and thereby responsible for overcoming fear on his own rather than trust the one and only God whom we Christians know to be the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and, therefore, our Father who art in heaven!

Martin Luther made a very interesting observation which he included in his journal which he entitled “Table Talk”: “God and the devil take opposite tactics in regard to fear. The Lord first allows us to become afraid, that he might relieve our fears, and comfort us. The devil, on the other hand, first makes us feel secure in our pride and sins, that we might later be overwhelmed with fear and despair.”

Now, I suspect that you, like I, have learned from personal experience: Martin Luther knew what he was talking about – as did David – Psalm 27:1-6 . . .

Somehow if we can grasp the concept that God IS Light . . . in Him is no darkness at all . . . His Son became the epitome of “the Light” (the manifestation of it), and that if we “come to the Light” in repentance of sin and in acceptance of it as “the Way” to a right relationship with God, this very act of “conversion” if genuine removes fear of eternal separation from God! The Light of God’s Love dissipates darkness.

Spiritually, it’s as if we had been imprisoned in a pitch black room with no glimmer of hope when, all of a sudden, a rescuer broke down the barrier, allowing a ray of light to pierce the darkness, reigniting hope; then when the “fullness” of the light enveloped us, we knew that we had indeed been set free to fear no more! But you know, God’s salvation does not just deal with the negatives in life by removing our fears.