The In the book of James we're told to be patient and stand firm because the

Lord's coming is near. There are some who eagerly await that day, there are others who anxiously wonder

if God will accept them.

Today on Truth for Life, Alistair Beg explains how we can look forward to Jesus' return with confidence.

We're studying James, chapter 5, looking at verses 7 through 11.

We need to realize just how countercultural it is for us to affirm that creation is a divine act and not a continuing process. That's what the Bible says.

To affirm that the universe, time and history, are the work of a sovereign triune God,

and to affirm that the meaning of history is established in terms of that sovereign

Creator God.

Therefore, it is for the Christian in relationship to history

to understand and affirm that in the cross we have the pivotal event of human history.

When Paul wrote to the Corinthians about this

he put it in a verse that I found to be very difficult and I read it every so often.

In fact, I read it a great deal and I hope one day to fully get an understanding of it.

This is how it goes.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Luther referred to this as the great exchange.

The prophets had already made it clear that all of our best attempts at making ourselves acceptable to God are just like filthy rags.

That's not a very nice thing to hear, is it?

Especially when we're trying to be a good person, beginning

to preen ourselves and think how well we're doing and then we turn to the Bible and the

Bible says on your best day and with your best deeds they all look like rags.

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