And Makes The Nations Prove The Glories of His Righteousness
The definition of the word prove is to demonstrate the truth or existence of something by evidence or argument. Jesus told us to go into all the world and preach the good news (Mark 16). In this song and in scripture, the nations are typically a reference to the different people groups around the world, not necessarily their government, as we often think of it today. As the good news of the free gift of righteousness apart from works (Romans 5:17 and 3:28) spreads through the earth, it bears fruit in the hearts of those who believe. That fruit is the proof (demonstration of the truth and existence) of the glory of God’s righteousness. Imagine an unbeliever, buried under guilt and sin, turning to the Lord and being truly cleansed from the inside and set free. That transformation is proof that God is righteous and that His divine influence (through which Christ is the vehicle) brings about goodness and righteousness in those who accept Him. There is coming a time when the world will be judged. That is a reality. But currently, God is extending a hand of grace and forgiveness to all who will receive Him and believe on Jesus and His finished work.
A theme throughout these posts has been that God is good and only good! Mankind also has complete free will. The modern-day church often views God as a puppet master, orchestrating everything in their life to teach them lessons through circumstances. But the Bible says that the Holy Spirit is our teacher, not the tragedies we may experience in a fallen world. Jesus showed us that many things on earth are not the Father’s will. He removed those things from people’s lives when they would let Him; He is still doing that today. As I encourage myself, I encourage you to be constantly aware of the goodness of God and His goodwill towards us. That will was manifested in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. What a glorious thing to remember this Christmas!
