Paul stated in his letter to the church at Rome that everything that was written in the earlier times was written for us. In particular, he was pointing towards the Torah (collection of Scriptures held by the Jews). Found within these writings were instructions, the history of Israel & God's dealings with them, and the prophecies concerning the Messiah. All of these things were meant to provide encouragement for the early church. Of course, today, we have the New Testament as well. Therefore, I believe that it is necessary for us to apply Paul's own words to his writings as well. There is so much to be learned from these 1st Century believers.
I have never believed the Bible to be outdated. However, I have found some of our understanding to be archaic. Think about it. Almost 2,000 years since the death of Jesus and we still struggle to understand what freedom in Christ is all about. We may not argue about circumcision anymore, but only because we have a longer lists of things we believe are to be done in order for someone to be accepted. Rather than finding encouragement through the Scriptures, we often find ourselves bewildered.
God had a plan to redeem His creation. He had a plan, before the foundation of the world, to do what needed to be done to redeem & reconcile humanity. The Old Testament Scriptures are full of this understanding. I would encourage you to go back & read through some of those pages with this understanding: Everything God did in those days was to preserve the Seed that He had promised to Eve. The Seed that would destroy the hold of the evil one upon this creation. The Seed that would bring restoration. Paul mentions this Seed in Galatians 3 & then in 4 talks about the fullness of time coming - God sending His Son - born of a woman. The promises of righteousness restored. The promises of a nation delivered. The promises of God even upon the Gentiles. All of these were wrapped up in the Seed. And the Seed was none other than Jesus.
The coming of the Seed meant the promises of God being fulfilled. When we talk about the finished work of Christ, we are talking about the things that were accomplished through the life, death, burial, resurrection, & ascension of Jesus. He would be the One who would do what Adam did not do. He would be the Son of God who walked in obedience, in faith, in righteousness. He would be the Son to restore the children of God to their rightful place. He would be the One who would shine the light of God into our darkness. He would become the summation of ALL THINGS, according to Paul's writings in Ephesians 1. All of these things were written for our instruction and our encouragement, so that we would have hope.
Paul takes this idea of hope a little further when he says that it is "Christ in you" which is "the hope of glory." It is Christ in you which speaks of the fullness of time. It is Christ in you that gives you a future & a hope. It is Christ in you that allows you to rest in God's unconditional love. It is Christ in you that causes you to trust fully in the grace of God. Your life is hidden with/in Christ. The glory that comes out of your life is due to His indwelling work. He allows you to hope. He allows you to persevere in the midst of great difficulty. He is the One in whom we live, and move, and have our being.
What does this mean for us now? I believe it means we can begin to look back at the writings of Scripture, see them in their historical context, and trust in the goodness of God for today. I believe the instructions found within, help us to formulate our understanding of the Lord and His church. I believe that the way in which Jesus did life is something for us to emulate. We see His confidence in His Father. It should be ours. We see His trust in the heart of God. This should be ours. We hear about His confidence in prayer. This should be our confidence. This same Jesus, looked at His disciples and said, Greater works than I have done - you will do. We should believe that. It may take a little patience on our part to see the things come to fruition in our lives, but that is what the Scriptures are for: "That we, through patience and the encouragement of the Scriptures might have hope."
What God has said about who you are in Christ is true. Be patient to see it developed. Don't lose hope. You are the righteousness of God in Christ. Believe it. Walk in it. And if you struggle to see it manifest in your life, be patient. This life of faith is not a sprint. It's an opportunity, everyday, to believe in the finished work of Christ in your life. KEEP GOING. And by all means, ENJOY THE JOURNEY.
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