Masters courses, scholarships, and the salvation of all humanity.
April 23, 2008We recently found out that Abi’s been given an unconditonal offer of a place on the MSc Music in the Community course that she wants to do, which is great. However, we found out today that she’s not going to be given a scholarship, which means we have to pay the full fees, which isn’t so great.
I’m also in the middle of preparing a Bible study on Romans chapter 4, and have just been struck by the last section – verses 18-25. Paul’s writing to the church in Rome, and speaking to a mixture of Jewish and Gentile believers. He’s just been arguing that whether you’re Jewish or not makes no difference to how you are made righteous. Using Abraham as the example (being the man to whom God gives circimcision, the sign of being Jewish; but also being the man of whom the Bible says “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness”), Paul explains that whether you’re Jewish or Gentile, salvation comes from believing God and receiving God’s gift of mercy and grace.
Paul’s argument includes an explanation of exactly what Abraham believed God for: Abraham was 99 years old, and his wife was 89 and barren when God promised them numerous descendents. Paul says that “without weakening in his faith, he faced [these facts]. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God…”
Abraham saw that the circumstances were stacked against him and his wife, but he trusted God’s provision over his own circumstances, and from God’s promise came the whole Jewish nation, through whom God carried out his salvation plan for the whole of humanity.
…which is an encouraging thought given today’s news.
That story of Abraham kind of puts things into perspective … I’ve been doing family history stuff and looking back at the families our ancestors had in the past and gasped at the fact they were still having children at 50 … yet Sarah had Isaac when she was almost 100 – that’s certainly proof that God keeps his promises!