By Pr Ho Wei Liang
“Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” Do you find these words so familiar that you subconsciously sing them in your mind? Yes, these words are from the simple Christian hymn you, or your children, might know so well from Sunday School. Yet you may be surprised to know that they were also the reply of Swiss Reformed theologian Karl Barth—arguably the most influential theologian of the 20th century—when asked to summarise his life’s theological work in one sentence.
As we study the epistle of Romans, it is easy for us, whether we are a long-time Christian or a recent convert, to be confused by Paul’s complex and twisting arguments about our faith. But no matter how difficult it is for us to understand it, let us not give up delving into God’s Word, for through the help of the Holy Spirit God will surely make His Word clearer and clearer to us in due time. So make time to read the Bible every day, seek the aid of commentaries during your personal study, and better still, join a group of like-minded Christians to understand God’s words to us.
And as we wrestle to make sense of the Word given to us and its implications, let us not lose sight of the simple and clear message of the Gospel which we need—Jesus loves me! This is the great truth of the Bible, one we need to be reminded of daily. Too often we assure our young children of Christ’s love for them but forget that it equally applies to ourselves! You are God’s beloved child (regardless of how old you are)!
You must surely realise the love that God has for you: He sent His only begotten Son to die for your sins and mine, so that we might know Him, enter into a relationship with Him, and be with Him forever! Together, let us take a moment and dwell upon how wide, how long, how high, and how deep Christ’s love is for us (Eph. 3:18). May the love of Christ be felt in our hearts every moment, that it may transform us to see everything anew. He is the Restorer of sight; may His light be that by which we see everything.