English Lesson No 1
English Lesson No 1
"When was the last time you thought about prepositions? I could echo your "never" except for this. I had to learn another language. As a non-native English speaker, the hardest thing for me was the use of prepositions. Here’s a list of prepositions with a song: https://youtu.be/MHX-CiJBVy0
The most used ones? Above, across, against, along, among, around, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, by, down, from, in, into, near, of, off, on, to, toward, under, upon, with and within.
Why does this matter? Well, a preposition hooks together two words in a sentence in a way that makes them inseparable. Take the preposition THROUGH, which didn’t make the cut of the most used, and apply it to Christ. Maybe using Romans 5.
Many images come into focus when we do. Our life with God is only possible through Christ. In our prayers for ourselves and others—loved ones, government, all peoples, our counselees, our churches and leaders, “through Christ” praying is a hope-filling way.
· Through Christ we received life, the life of the new created order Jesus brought from heaven. He modeled this life impeccably. His life is the light of the world.
· Through Christ we obtained access to God our Father and his grace. When we embrace the new order of living, then learn how life works by acting on it through the inner workings of grace. This is only possible through Christ, our door to God.
· Through Christ we got freedom to become beloved children of God through grace. Only through Christ are we able to live rightly, walk humbly, and to love mercy. We’re spiritual beings (The real us is never visible) with an eternal destiny (we’ll never cease despite death) in God’s great universe (such a gigantic domain).
· Through Christ we gained victory over sin, death and the devil, God’s archenemy and ours. We’re able to conquer temptations of anger, lust, wrath, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry (Colossians 3). Most of the world’s problems will be solved overnight, when this victory is realized in us!
· Through Christ we added reconciling peace, a most elusive need of humanity. This sense of wellbeing, deeply within our souls. We become at peace with God, others, and even our own selves. It’s a must for a thriving in our messy world.
This “through life” is sorely needed today! We’ve been playing “Mr. Fix It” for so long we’ve forgotten the “through Christ” cure of our human condition.
And that’s not the only Christ-connecting preposition. There’s “with Christ”, and “in Christ.” They open vistas of abundant and everlasting living before us now and after death. More in the next article. It turns out that these little, seemingly inglorious words, have so much packed into them.
Let’s pay attention when we read them. Read Romans 5:1-10 and see for yourself.