Posted at Reformation Scotland:
So many things take the colour out of life and leave things grey and despondent. Under these clouds and shadows, the wrong response is to distract ourselves with shiny toys and the glittering baubles which the world dangles in front of us. The Christian response is to recognise the clouds for what they are, whether earthly limitations or sinful interruptions, and find hope in how Jesus is going to scatter them eventually. The young field preacher James Renwick, who laboured intensely and suffered greatly for his work for the Lord, and was eventually executed in the Grassmarket, preached a sermon on the church’s longing for Jesus to come, expressed in the Song of Solomon, “Until the day break, and the shadows flee away …” (Song 2:17). In the following updated extract, Renwick lists eight things that depress believers and obscure their view of the Lord Jesus, and explains for each how He will chase them away while for the time being we persevere in faith and obedience.Though there are many shadows now between Christ and believers, yet there is a day coming when these shadows will flee away. We are still “in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Pet. 1:19).
To open this a little to you, I shall show you some shadows that are now betwixt Christ and believers, which at that day shall be taken away.
Infirmities
The first shadow is the shadow of the believer’s infirmities. O friends! This is a dark cloud betwixt Christ and believers, which hides His countenance, and makes many a sad day and night to poor believers while here.
But at that day, there shall be a pleasant change, for then believers shall be freed from all their manifold infirmities, and be perfected for ever. Then there shall be no sinning any more. Then shall this mortal put on immortality, and corruption shall put on incorruption — then shall all be changed!