Romans 5:1,2—Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Craig is blind. I stare in utter amazement as he works the controls on his soundboard. How does he do it? How can this man be a recording engineer without the ability to read dials? Soon he ushers me into a recording chamber but trips momentarily on my guitar case placed inconveniently in his pathway. Sheepishly I realize that the biggest hazard to Craig is me!
The more time I spend with Craig, the more I am reminded of what a difference it makes to follow Jesus Christ. This musician extraordinaire and his blind artistic wife literally know what it means to walk in darkness. Yet they live with the rarified dignity that comes from spiritual hope and the invisible vision it produces.
If God lived visibly among us, if He refused to allow Satan the opportunity to reign on earth with an extended ability to wreak havoc, if He made us impervious to sin and its destructive results, then faith would be an unnecessary attribute. What lends us dignity is the ability to trust our Maker while negotiating the constantly changing water above the stove of hell.
Dignity is not fashioned by an easy life after all, no one earns esteem by lounging on the couch. It is defined, illustrated and confirmed by our willingness to rise above the evil that besets us and believe that He Who promised eternal life is able to deliver.
Our worth is not achieved because we have superior coping skills. God grants us hope through the holiness of His Son Who died to give us honor. Therefore by faith in Christ we become heirs to the eternal glory He reserves for His children. A blind recording engineer can walk with his head held high not because he knows the layout of the room, but because he is loved by the King of kings.
Inspiration
