Turning Worldly Insults into Worshipful Expressions

          The world has a habit of taking wonderful expressions of language and corrupting them with all manner of sinful and oppressive concepts. We all know that the name, “Jesus Christ,” is a preferred curse word all around the world, even though Jesus has been given “the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

          It is not surprising that the term “Big Brother” would also be marinated in the world’s expressions of defiance against God our Creator. We have been conditioned to think of Big Brother as an impersonal government force that spies on everything we are doing and manipulates our lives towards mindless submission to authority. A popular TV show uses the designation “Big Brother” to showcase all manner of human depravity. These negative scenarios condition our minds to think of such a title in some kind of negative way, when it is really a most beautiful designation.

          When I think of Jesus as my Big Brother, I am drawn to Scriptures like this: “For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, ‘I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise’” (Hebrews 2:11-12).

          Another Scripture declares, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers” (Romans 8:29).

          There is a special gift of comfort and encouragement to anyone who puts their faith in Jesus Christ because everything we are told about Jesus is ours in his relationship to us as our Big Brother. We are the “beloved children” of God who can now “walk in love, as Christ” our Big Brother, “loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1-2)

 

© 2013 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)