grace

A Heart Hungry To Worship Part 12

/ taethne

God places lonely people in families[1]

Chapter 11

Renee’s Story

Renee was a whirlwind of animated excitement. Laughter bubbled over her lips as she showed me around her new apartment at the retirement complex. Spry and agile for someone pushing eighty, Renee introduced me to dozens of people that afternoon. As I readied myself to leave a couple of hours later, she whispered to me, “And I get to share Jesus’ love with them all.”

Renee’s life was dramatically altered from the one she was living just a few years before. A widower, she lived alone in a house, burdened by a terrible secret. Renee was a large woman, standing well over six feet tall and built like a Chicago Bear’s linebacker. She had a pleasant face but because of her size, she endured a childhood of ridicule from cruel classmates. Their ridiculing taunts damaged her self-esteem. Many of the boys she hoped would find her attractive seemed to be scared off by her size. She despaired of finding a soul mate, a person who would love and care for her.

One day, to her surprise, she found such a man. He was a person who looked at her personality, her inner self, and who loved her for more than her physical features. Falling head over heels in love, they quickly married. For a number of years Renee and her husband shared life together. They traveled around the world and Renee was fascinated with the different cultures she experienced. She began collecting idols from the various religions they encountered on their journeys.  She proudly displayed them on a shelf in her living room and made sure that every visitor knew she had her bases covered religiously. Then, suddenly, her husband passed away, leaving a hole in Renee that she despaired of ever filling.

Despair turned grief into anger and bitterness. Not believing she could ever find another person to love her, Renee began to seek relationships in destructive ways. At first she prayed to her idols, believing that among so many one would surely be able to help her. She began to think terrible thoughts and felt a spiritual oppressiveness that frightened her. Unable to face hours alone, Renee took to bar hopping in a larger city an hour from her home. There she would pick up whatever male was available and willing to spend the night with her. If she could not have love, she reasoned, she would at least take what comfort she could find in sex. For a few hours, just being with another person helped quiet the terrifying thoughts that had begun to plague her. To her dismay, there was no comfort, only a vicious cycle of hopelessness that was threatening to overwhelm her.

One day she saw an advertisement in the newspaper about a new church starting in her town. The ad invited anyone who wanted to celebrate the hope found in Jesus to attend an organizational meeting. Renee found the idea of finding hope attractive so she attended the first service. Even though she did not understand many of the words the preacher used in his sermon or know any of the songs sung, she enjoyed being part of the group.

Renee quickly realized that everyone there assumed she was a Christian and she did not wish to dissuade them of that belief. That way, Renee thought, she could remain a part of them and they would not be trying to convert her. At first, she felt guilty about the deception but that faded away soon enough. Whenever she felt guilty about what she did on Friday or Saturday nights, Renee would go to church on Sunday to try to ease her conscience. She also discovered that whenever she was in a church service, she was not plagued by the tormenting thoughts as much.

Years passed and as Renee got older, the more tired she became at living her double life. She started going to a psychiatrist for counseling but as soon as he diagnosed her as having hyper sexuality (he told her she was a “nymphomaniac”) she stopped going. It was not that she disagreed; it was just that the term sounded so vulgar to one of her generation. Renee desired to change her lifestyle but she did not know where to start.

When I met her, Renee was at a crossroads. She had continued to attend church and the Holy Spirit was working in her heart, convicting her of her lifestyle. Renee attended a special Bible study at our church on the book of Ephesians. When we got to chapter two, studying the section on God’s grace alone bringing salvation, she interrupted. She believed that a person could obtain salvation if they worked hard enough, did enough good things. Renee was in despair her whole life because she knew she could never do enough good things to counteract her sinful lifestyle. Now she was hearing of grace and it sparked a hope within her that she thought died years ago.

Another pastor and I talked with Renee for a couple of days about the power of God’s grace. We told her how God’s Holy Spirit alone could change a person’s heart, transforming them into a new person. Renee was so excited but at the same time hesitant. Admitting that she lived a sinful lifestyle according to Scriptures in the Bible was easy. She recognized that she needed God’s grace and power in her life but her pride was keeping her from submitting her life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. For over 30 years, she had deceived the church into thinking that she was already a Christian. Confessing her deception to the pastor was one thing, confessing it to the whole church was another. She was not willing to make that step.

Without confessing and asking forgiveness of her sins, Renee was never going to experience God’s salvation. She wanted to confess only those sins that she had hidden away, not those that would expose her duplicity. The other pastor and I prayed for her. We prayed that the Holy Spirit would soften her heart and bring her to the point of laying everything down at the feet of Jesus.

Within a week, Renee’s attitude changed. The next Sunday she marched to the front of the church and announced she was ready to receive God’s forgiveness and His salvation. She found that and more. Not only did she experience God’s grace and cleansing from sin, but she experienced the forgiveness and good will of the church. She was amazed, fearing the church would condemn her for her years of pretense. She basked in the glow of experiencing the love that was shown to her by people genuinely happy that she had found the peace of God. Her whole life monumentally began to shift from that moment forward. On her own initiative, she brought all her idols to church in a bag and asked us to smash them and dispose of the pieces, as she was now publicly declaring that there is only One, True, God.

After taking this action, Renee stopped being plagued by the destructive and depressing thoughts entering her mind. She had never associated them with the idols on her shelf before, but after her mind was free, she understood what God had delivered her from. Renee also decided to move out of her house and into the retirement center. Too much time alone, she informed me, led to her feeling sorry for herself and getting depressed. She was worried about her sexual appetite, about not being able to control it. She had indulged herself without restraint for decades and she did not know how to curb the desire. We prayed, asking God to remove the illicit desires and to replace it with an ability to love people and engage in relationships with them in ways that did not involve sexual contact.

God answered, removing that desire immediately. For the first time since her husband died, she was able to have normal friendships with males and to give and accept non-sexual love. Jesus filled a void in her life and she was so grateful that she wanted training on how to share Him with others around her.

She loved the structure of the retirement complex, of being surrounded by people 24/7 and interacting with people her age. For the rest of her years Renee continued to witness to everyone in her complex about how God had radically transformed her life. Her story reminds me of a woman in the Bible whose life was similarly transformed. A woman named Mary Magdalene.

[1] Psalm 68:6

Wednesday’s Words

/ taethne

Some random thoughts on this first day of July:

  1. If you claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ, where is He leading you?
    1. How well are you following – reluctantly, enthusiastically or not at all?
    2. If you don’t know where He is leading you, why not?
  2. Do you love Jesus Christ for who He is, or what He does for you?
    1. If He withdrew His blessings, would you still praise, worship and honor Him or withdraw yourself?
      1. He is worthy to be honored, praised and worshiped because He is the King of Kings, not a genie.
      2. We owe Him all, He owes us nothing.
      3. Any blessing He gives is out of mercy and grace but not because we somehow deserve it.
    2. Peter’s declaration should ring true with us. In John 6:68, when the crowds stopped following, Jesus asked the disciples if they would leave also. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.  We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
  3. Is Jesus, alone, enough for us or are we still looking for something extra?

Rethinking Advent – Joy

/ taethne

This week marks the lighting of the joy (pink) candle. This is the third candle lit, going from expectation of the coming Messiah to longing for His presence now to joy at His appearing. In this world, marked by conflict and division, anger and turmoil, disappointment and despair, we light this candle to proclaim “Jesus came to give us joy unspeakable and full of glory!” Like Mary, we can sing, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

Each day this week we need to contemplate on what a great gift of grace has been given to us. The Holy Son of God came to take our sin guilt, came to pay the penalty we owed to the Heavenly Father, came to give us a new birth, a new life, a life to be lived in Him. It is for that reason we rejoice. Our salvation has come. We who believe have been given a new spirit and are being fitted for our new home with Christ.

Yes, life remains difficult. Yes, we mess up day by day. We are still on our journey after all; we haven’t arrived yet. But, we are confident that as we confess our sins and repent of them that we will be forgiven and the grace we ask for will be given to us. We will still encounter sin. We will encounter it in this evil ,fallen world and we will encounter it hiding in our own lives. When we encounter it we can bring back to mind the words of the angel, “You are to name him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins. Matthew 1:21”

If you can’t rejoice over that thought this week, then you have nothing to be joyous about. He came to seek and to save those who were lost. He found me. Has He found you?

Burning Bridges Instead of Reaching Out

/ taethne

There are many church signs with cute sayings. There are many with profound sayings, some with ones that are witty and some that show great creativity. Then there are those that are offensive or just downright rude, like the one I saw while taking my daughter to school this week.

What was on the sign? “If Christmas offends you than go to Thailand for 30 days. They don’t like it there either. Grow up or shut up.” I don’t really know why poor Thailand was singled out, as far as I know they have never gone out of their way to ruin anyone’s Christmas in south Georgia, but what bothers me is the attitude portrayed in the sign from a church  with the word “grace” in their name.

The unsaved are not the enemy. They are our mission. To unnecessarily offend them makes it ten times as hard to witness to them of God’s love. Christmas is God showing love to man by coming down and becoming one of us. It was for dirty, sinful, lost mankind that He came, not for the smug religious crowd. As a minister, this sign offends me. It also offends the unchurched in our community.

Wouldn’t it be better to hold a community party to celebrate Jesus’ birth? Maybe they could be proactive and do a food drive or help gather presents for the poor that would show God’s love in action instead of belittling those who have not yet experienced the grace of God. Come on church, live up to your name — show grace, the giving of a gift to someone undeserving of it this holiday season instead of being snarky and strident.  Telling a large segment of your community to “Grow up or shut up” simply shows them how childish and immature you are. Why would they come to your church for answers when their life falls apart?

Lost people act lost because they are spiritually blind and without hope. They are spiritually dead and incapable of acting any other way than what they do. So-called Christians acting the way this church did just shows stupidity. I know that is harsh but it is true. The sign may play well to the frozen chosen inside her walls but it embarrasses those of us going out and meeting people in the marketplace and introducing them to a Jesus who offers grace, mercy and new life. I truly wish that this church would grow up and until that happens, please – shut up so the rest of us can give a message of hope to our town. It desperately needs it.

Of Elect and Non-elect Infants, A Clarification

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Clarifying beliefs is a tricky business. It is hard to explain one’s beliefs to others if there is not a good frame of reference that the person you are addressing can relate to easily. This is especially true when the issue is an emotionally charged one. On the question of whether infants or the mentally retarded go to heaven upon death, one must strive to be very clear on their beliefs and the biblical basis upon which those beliefs are built.
It has been charged that the Reformed view, or Calvinist view, teaches that those babies or mentally retarded persons who are not elect of God will go to hell when they die. This is not the teaching of either Calvin or the Presbyterian church, nor most Reformed believers. At issue is the statement in the Westminster Confession which states “Elect infants, dying in infancy, are regenerated and saved by Christ” (Chap. X. Sec. 3). The charge is that this implies that non-elect infants are lost. Concerning this Dr. S. G. Craig says: “The history of the phrase ‘Elect infants dying in infancy’ makes clear that the contrast implied was not between ‘elect infants dying in infancy’ and ‘non-elect infants dying in infancy,’ but rather between ‘elect infants dying in infancy’ and ‘elect infants living to grow up.’ ” However, in order to guard against misunderstanding, furthered by unfriendly controversialists, the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. adopted in 1903 a Declaratory Statement which reads as follows: “With reference to Chapter X, Section 3, of the Confession of Faith, that it is not to be regarded as teaching that any who die in infancy are lost. We believe that all dying in infancy are included in the election of grace, and are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit, who works when and where and how He pleases.” (a)  The Presbyterian view goes beyond the Westminster Confession in stating positively that all infants who die are part of God’s elect but is the clarifying, or logical extension of what was written.
It is this difference that is crucial. The phrase was worded as such to contrast with the belief of the Catholic church that baptized infants were saved but unbaptized infants were not. Since the Reformed churches do not believe baptism confers saving grace, they were setting out their beliefs to reflect this. For what Calvin taught, I defer to Dr. R. A. Webb: “Calvin teaches that all the reprobate ‘procure’—(that is his own word)—’procure’ their own destruction; and they procure their destruction by their own personal and conscious acts of ‘impiety,’ ‘wickedness,’ and ‘rebellion.’ Now reprobate infants, though guilty of original sin and under condemnation, cannot, while they are infants, thus ‘procure’ their own destruction by their personal acts of impiety, wickedness, and rebellion. They must, therefore, live to the years of moral responsibility in order to perpetrate the acts of impiety, wickedness and rebellion, which Calvin defines as the mode through which they procure their destruction. While, therefore, Calvin teaches that there are reprobate infants, and that these will be finally lost, he nowhere teaches that they will be lost as infants, and while they are infants; but, on the contrary, he declares that all the reprobate ‘procure’ their own destruction by personal acts of impiety, wickedness and rebellion. Consequently, his own reasoning compels him to hold (to be consistent with himself), that no reprobate child can die in infancy; but all such must live to the age of moral accountability, and translate original sin into actual sin.” (b)
So, to clarify, the classic Reformed view does teach that all infants who die are part of the elect. There are those who hold differing opinions, of course, but the original teachings were that God’s grace saves those who cannot save themselves – which is precisely the point of the gospel. No one can save themselves, it is a gift of a gracious and merciful God made possible by the atoning work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Adults are just as helpless, spiritually speaking, to affect salvation in their own life as an infant is. All people, no matter the age, need the Holy Spirit to “quicken” (make alive) their spirit. Praise be to God that He graciously provides for us what we cannot provide for ourselves. As Ta Ethne works with believers of differing interpretations of doctrines, it is important not to charge someone with believing something that isn’t necessarily true. Here, we hold to this particular belief about infants and the mentally disabled — that God in His grace provides them His salvation.

Footnotes:

a — http://www.ccel.org/ccel/boettner/predest.iv.iii.xi.html

b — Calvin Memorial Addresses, p 112

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Impact of a Song

/ taethne

Many followers of our blog will have noticed that there are a lot of song lyrics that get posted here. There is good reason for that. Each song whose lyrics have been used are ones which have personally impacted my life. Today, there will be another song’s lyrics posted, this one written by Steve Green. When I first heard this song, many years ago, I was a young man. It impacted me then and has continued to impact me to this day. I have tried to live my life in such a way that God would not be ashamed of me (though I am positive I have shamed Him many times) and in a way that would not cause His name or reputation to be impugned (although I am positive I have sometimes failed in this also). At any rate, this song continues to challenge me to be faithful, and I hope it challenges you as well. Enjoy the lyrics, find a CD of Steve Green and buy it — he has many songs that are inspiring and that give glory to our God.

We’re pilgrims on the journey
Of the narrow road
And those who’ve gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament to God’s sustaining grace

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who’ve gone before us
Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives

CHORUS:
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift through all we’ve left behind
May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find

REPEAT CHORUS

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

Calvinism, Cyborgs and Baptism

/ taethne

Recently there has been a stir among the Web about the future possibility of wrestling with the question of baptizing cyborgs. As more and more artificial parts are integrated into human beings, the issue of creating cyborgs as pictured in science fiction movies may, indeed, become fact. The question arises when artificial intelligence is uploaded to a human body. Does it then become human? Does it have a soul? These are questions that seem far-fetched, and yet they are being discussed in places such as Christianity Today and in the Southern Baptist Convention.

At issue is the definition of a soul and the definition of salvation, as well as the means by which salvation is obtained. If salvation is by a free will choice solely determined by one’s mind (I choose to accept Jesus as Savior) then the question of an artificial intelligence choosing wisely is very real. If salvation is a grace gift given by the Lord to whom He chooses (the elect), then the question is irrelevant. Do you see how one’s theological understanding of free will impacts the discussion?

If God breathes into a life at conception, giving it a soul, then that is one issue. If one believes that the soul and intelligence are one and the same, that is another issue. If one believes the mind (intelligence) is the same as a soul, then there is a real concern of baptizing cyborgs. If one believes that the soul is placed into a body, (and by extension a new body at the resurrection) then it doesn’t matter, the whole point is moot.

Before more articles are written raising questions about such things, it would be wise for authors to clarify and define their use of terms for words such as soul, spirit and  salvation. It might even be helpful to clarify the authors understanding of cyborg versus golem. Just a random thought on a Tuesday morning, but one that might merit some consideration.

Good Definitions of Repentance

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Again, as part of our research in putting together our newest resource, The 180º Project, we have found some good thoughts concerning biblical repentance. Some of these we share below. While not all of these will make it into our final book, all of them are worthy of contemplation. If you run across any that you would like to share with us, please email them to us at taethne@outlook.com.  Please enjoy”

[Repentance] is not a merely intellectual change of mind or mere grief, still less doing penance, but a radical transformation of the entire person, a fundamental turnaround involving mind and action and including overtones of grief, which result in (spiritual) fruit. — D.A. Carson

Repentance is more than just sorrow for the past; repentance is a change of mind and heart, a new life of denying self and serving the Savior as king in self’s place. — J.I. Packer

Remorse precedes true repentance. Changed behavior follows true repentance. But this necessary prelude and postlude of true repentance are not themselves the essence of repentance. True repentance is a denial that anything in us ever would or ever could satisfy God’s holiness or compel His pardon. We humbly concede that we can offer nothing for what He alone can give. Then we rest in His promise to forgive those who humbly seek Him… Repentance, therefore, is fundamentally a humble expression of a desire for a renewed relationship with God – a relationship that we confess can be secured only by His grace. — Bryan Chapell

Our Lord’s idea of repentance is as profound and comprehensive as His conception of righteousness. Of the three words that are used in the Greek Gospels to describe the process, one emphasizes the emotional element of regret, sorrow over the past evil course of life, metamelomai; Matt. 12:29-32; a second expresses reversal of the entire mental attitude, metanoeo, Matt. 12:41, Luke 11:32; 15:7, 10; the third denotes a change in the direction of life, one goal being substituted for another, epistrephomai; Matt. 13:15 (and parallels); Luke 17;4, 22:32. Repentance is not limited to any single faculty of the mind: it engages the entire man, intellect, will and affections… Again, in the new life which follows repentance the absolute supremacy of God is the controlling principle. He who repents turns away from the service of mammon and self to the service of God. —Geerhardus Vos

It is one thing to love sin and to force ourselves to quit it; it is another thing to hate sin because love for God is so gripping that the sin no longer appeals. The latter is repentance; the former is reform. It is repentance that God requires. Repentance is “a change of mind.” To love and yet quit it is not the same as hating it and quitting it. Your supposed victory over a sin may be simple displacement. You may love one sin so much (such as your pride) that you will curtail another more embarrassing sin which you also love. This may look spiritual, but there is nothing of God in it. Natural men do it every day. —Jim Elliff