So why did God raise up Jesus? According to Peter in his sermon in this chapter, it was to turn us from our wickedness or as some translations say from our sinful ways. The people had wanted deliverance from their oppressors but what they and most today don't realize is that the greatest oppressor we have in our lives is our own evil ways. It is the broken human spirit that is our greatest oppressor, not an outside person or the society around us. This is why Jesus came to save us from ourselves.
Yes, there is a place for Christians to work for justice, but if we don't work at changing hearts with Jesus then we will only create a different type of oppression. Also if we only worry about trying to change the hearts of others and not let Jesus change us then we have failed. There have been a great many people who have taught, fought, and given freedom to others only die without it themselves. There have been others who have fought to bring freedom only to impose a different type of slavery. At the end of the day the only freedom that really last is what Jesus brings inside the hearts of those who surrender to him. He gives freedom from our own brokenness.
Photo by Aimee Vogelsang on Unsplash
No comments:
Post a Comment