From a tragic beginning to a triumphant conclusion

"For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous" (Romans 5:19).

Go back to the beginning. It's the story of sin. Move forward, from there, to the Cross. It's the story of salvation. There are two stories in the Bible. There's the story of sin, and there's the story of salvation - the story of tragedy and the story of triumph. There's bad news, and there's Good News. Thank God that sin has not and will not triumph over salvation. As I was thinking about the triumph of our Saviour and His salvation, I began to think a hymn that proclaims of the Lord and His love - "Come and see the shining hope." It's sung to the tune, "Marching Through Georgia." Here's a link to the words and music - Come and see the shining hope that Christ's apostle saw - Jubilate. Each of the three verses and three choruses ends with the words, "Love has the victory for ever!" The third verse is particularly powerful, as it describes the mighty triumph of our God - the God of our salvation: 

"Power and salvation all belong to God on high!

So the mighty multitudes of heaven make their cry,

singing Hallelujah! where the echoes never die:

Love has the victory for ever."

Hallelujah! - What a great word to describe the response of the Lord's people as they rejoice in the Lord's salvation. The greatness of this Hallelujah will be be fully revealed when all God's people, from every nation and every generation, are finally gathered together to be with the Lord forevermore. While we're here on earth, while wrestling with our own story and the world's story , the story that has repeated itself, again and again, down through the generations of our history - the story of sin, may we learn to appreciate, more and more, the story of salvation and the song of salvation: Hallelujah!