So in my post about Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton, I mentioned the book provoked some thoughts deserving of a separate post. Here is that promised post. To be honest, Full Cicada Moon made me very sad. A common theme in many of these starred and praised books is a search by the main character for something. Hope. Something to hold onto. Anything that will change the present circumstances. The character usually finds something, but ultimately she is grasping at a cloud. The hope he thinks he has is empty. And sadly, the reason for this is simple: whatever the character has chosen to hang onto is temporal or indefinable and vanishes like a vapor. Hope, dear readers, cannot be found in a library or degree or a book. That one thing the character and every human on this earth really needs, that hope, is not a thing, but a specific person. And that person's name is Jesus Christ.
In 1 Peter 1:3-9, Peter shows us what life looks like when we have the hope that can only be found in Christ Jesus:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." (ESV, emphasis mine)
Did your heart burn when you read these words? Did your soul lift, just a little? If you want to have this hope, gaining it is simple. Recognize the fact that you are a sinful person. What do I mean by sinful? We are sinful and separated from hope in Christ the minute we sin once as a human being.
What is sin?
Have you ever lied? Cheated? Thought badly about someone? Thought about someone in a lustful manner? Then according to the Bible, you have sinned and; therefore, are sinful.
You are separated from God, since God is holy and cannot be in the presence of sin. But, this is where Christ comes in! He bridged the gap between sinful us and God, by taking our punishment. He became our mediator by dying on a cross and came back to life three days later!
2 Corinthians 5:20-21 says, "We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
John 3:16 sums up what Christ did beautifully: " For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
With his own blood, Jesus covered and cleansed us from ALL our sin and offers us salvation and hope as a free gift, so that we might again enter the presence of God. The only requirement is that we accept this costly and beautiful gift. How do we accept it?
"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, 'Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.'"
Therefore, we first, recognize our sin.
Next, we repent, which means to ask forgiveness for and to turn from our sinfulness, and thank Christ for the gift He has offered us!
Third, we relinquish control and make Christ the Lord and Master of our lives.
Then we thank Him and praise Him for His mercy and grace and truth!
That, dear readers, is the only place where hope abides, and what burns in my bones more than books or blogs or accolades or anything else that could ever be. Christ is everything. If you are confused by anything I have said or if you have any questions, or if you are just longing for the hope I wanted to share with Mimi the whole time I was reading Full Cicada Moon, please let me know! My email is tabor.alyssa@gmail.com and I would love to hear from you!
I love the apostle Paul's view of his salvation and I believe it is the perfect way to conclude:
"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."
Alyssa
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