Hallelujah! for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. The Kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ: and He shall reign for ever and ever. King of kings, Lord of lords. Revelation 19:6, 11:15, 19:16
“What a wonderful thing it is to be sure of one’s faith! How wonderful to be a member of the evangelical church, which preaches the free grace of God through Christ as the hope of sinners! If we were to rely on our works – my God, what would become of us?”
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) as recounted in The New Encyclopedia of Christian Quotations, comp. M. Water (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2000) 84.
This Advent season Jenni and I are privileged to attend a performance of Handel’s Messiah at the Sydney Opera House (pictured above from the Manly Ferry). We are going tonight with dear friends Gary and Debbie Williams of CMA and Steve and Kate Kerr of CMASC. Of course, the Scriptures above serve as the text of the famous song,”Hallelujah Chorus”.
In his own words, Handel describes the foundation for his joy. His assurance of salvation finds deep roots in the grace of God through Christ and not in his works. This testimony serves as an unforgettable reminder for us as we anticipate the performance. Our generous works are not for us. The performance of them does nothing to attain salvation. We do them so the world sees Jesus.
Be more generous than you have ever been this Advent season because of your confidence in your faith in Christ and so that the world sees Jesus through your generosity. In observance, may they too stand and proclaim, “Hallelujah!”