Hebrews 2:8b

“For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him.” (NKJ)

One of the hardest things about being a Christian is living in a world that is still struggling under the weight of sin. We know that God is in control for all things are subjugated to the Lord Jesus, but we do not yet see it. What is true in the spiritual isn’t yet evident in the physical.

It is the same in our own lives. We agree with Paul (Romans 7:15) that we do what we know we shouldn’t do. And yet we also know because of the grace of God that when we repent (1 John 1:9), our sins are forgiven and forgotten and we can move on in victory. The fact that we can find forgiveness at the Throne is perhaps the greatest wonder and joy of all. The fact that I don’t have to live with the burden of my sins, but can have them totally wiped away is amazing and wonderful.

Psalm 103:12 (NKJ) tells us that “as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” I just took that at face value until I looked at it using a world globe. If you start at any location on a globe, go north, and continue on, you will eventually begin to go south. South meets north one step past the north pole. It’s the same if you go south. But if you go east, you continue to go east (and east and east) never going west. It’s the same if you go west. While north and south meet at the poles, east and west never meet. In other words, once we are forgiven, our sins are so far away that we will never encounter them again. Of course, we may encounter consequences, but those only if the Lord chooses and then for our good discipline.

The fact that we don’t yet see creation subjugated to the Lord Jesus doesn’t mean that it isn’t. The apostle Paul wrote “for now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” (1 Cor. 13:12 NKJ). Have you ever looked into a dim mirror? Sometimes when I’m in an antique store, I’ll find a mirror that has lost much of its shine. It’s difficult to see my reflection because the mirror is dim. Now, in this life, I see dimly, but one day I will see the Lord face to face. Then, all that I have believed (without seeing) I will see clearly! But in the meantime, I need to continue to believe without seeing. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 NKJ). My faith exists because I cannot see. So for now I have faith that all things are subject to the Lord Jesus; one day I will see that it is so.

© 2010 Robin L. O’Hare. All rights reserved. Permission granted for nonprofit and church groups to use this article in its entirety (including this notice). For other uses, please contact servinggodalone@yahoo.com.