Christ is the Hope of Sin City

Jeremiah was conflicted with God’s people because God was conflicted with them. God wanted them to relinquish sinful ways. The four sins that God called them out for were idolatry, lying, thieving and sexual sin. Jeremiah opposed these sins because God opposed them. The hope of sinners to be saved from sin is the Savior Jesus Christ. Jeremiah avoided cynicism in regards to the circumstances of his city by trusting in the Lord’s promises to bring about changes that he could not bring.

Basically, Jeremiah urged the people of his city not to live autonomously from God. Not to resist promptings to draw near to God! He warned them that life never ends well for those who reject God’s help. God was confronting sin in their lives to save them from harm and bring them to a better life. He loved them. He wanted to save them, but they needed to cooperate with God.

Grief over being separated from God is good, but it is not complete unless it leads one to repentance… to say, “Okay, God, I am ready to forsake and renounce sinful ways, and to embrace Your ways. Please forgive me for my sins. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit so I can live life Your way.” God’s grace is about letting Him do for you what you could never do for yourself, namely transform into His image.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” [1]

“The battle in this world is not to succumb to denial, cynicism, or assimilation. Like Jeremiah, the only hope we have to cling to is that God will be with us.” [2]

Christ is the hope of sin-city. And how does the Heavenly Father reveal Jesus Messiah to us? He reveals Him to us via His Word and Holy Spirit. We draw strength and wisdom from Him as we Sabbath in Him. We are blessed to know and walk with God. God sings over us with gladness and loud rejoicing. We rest in His love. Sin-city is about despair, loneliness, and degradation. New life in Christ is about love, joy, and peace in the Holy Spirit. [3] 

[1] 2 Corinthians 5:17
[2] The words about Jeremiah stem from my reading of Walter Brueggemann’s book, “Hopeful Imagination - Prophetic Voices in Exile,” copyright ©1986 by Fortress Press
[3] Zephaniah 3:17-19; Romans 14:17