A Little Bit of Jonah in Me?

Someone in the “much-beloved” press termed the fire in Los Angeles to be apocalyptic. It seems from one month to another that someone somewhere in the world claims some tragedy to be apocalyptic.  It is not. It is not even close. We can and should call the Los Angeles fire serious, even ominous. Perhaps a record tragedy for L.A. But no way is it apocalyptic.

Let’s take a look at the basic meaning of apocalyptic. Oxford defines it as, “describing or prophesying the complete destruction of the world.” Los Angeles being partially devastated by catastrophic fire is not the destruction of the world. Oxford tells us in the following picture that it comes from the Greek “apokaluptikos”.  And Oxford gives a little graph that shows the increase of the word since 1950. Its overuse started then, and it has galloped to the forefront of usage, if I read the graph correctly, many times over. Everything has become “apocalyptic”.

 

 

Partially destroying Los Angeles is certainly devastating. But it is not “the destruction of the world”.  Our use of the word probably comes from Revelation, which literally means “apocalypsis”. Wikipedia has this to say on the book of Revelation: “The Book of Revelation or Book of the Apocalypse is the final book of the New Testament. Written in Koine Greek, its title is derived from the first word of the text: apokalypsis, meaning 'unveiling' or 'revelation'. The Book of Revelation is the only apocalyptic book in the New Testament canon.”

If the book of Revelation is the only apocalyptic book in the New Testament (and it is), it certainly covers everything. The center 17 chapters of Revelation describe devastation to man and the earth that is unequalled in history. Over 90% of mankind is destroyed when the the judgment of God is thrust upon the world over a seven-year period. Billions of people are brought horrifically to their deaths. That is apocalyptic.

Hundreds of books are on Amazon describing what the end of the world, as we know it, takes place. Creative authors have imagined things like the internet “blinking” out one day through different causes. Nuclear war, famine, plagues, and hits from objects in space have all been envisioned. These books all depict a complete falling-apart of the world in the judgment of God. That is the proper envisioning of apocalypsis, what it might mean.

Our pastor has been teaching on Jonah the past month, and I have been reminded of Jonah’s willingness, even eagerness, to see the great city of Ninevah be judged by God. He skillfully took us through several weeks on the topic of Jonah. Each week he reminded us of Jonah’s temperament: Jonah wanted to be the spectator with a front row seat, watching for the judgment of God upon this terribly wicked city. Instead, the city repents and God relents for a time from his judgment. 

Jonah is devastated and disappointed because the judgment is postponed. And that reminds me a little bit of us Christians. Many of us, and I include myself, want to see the end come. As fiercely as Jonah, we “camp” outside and look at the world, proclaiming the end is coming. Perhaps it is our fault that the word apocalypsis is so overused.

As Christians in the end time, what is the proper attitude for us to have? Are we really to be like Jonah, eagerly watching for the end? This week I have become interested in a study of Peter, as our small group touched briefly on 1 Peter. Our teacher reminded me of the great Bible Project, and they have really done a great job of summarizing 2 Peter, the last letter of Peter. It touches so poignantly on my subject that I want to close with. 

Peter talks almost in newspaper headline about our world. He warns us about corrupt leadership, mainly people who are indulging themselves in sexual fantasies and greed (following their own evil desires), pretending they have God’s approval. They were teaching falsely that God would give no final reckoning, asking the question, “where is the promise of his coming?” Thus they scoff at God, forgetting “deliberately” that the world is created and destroyed by a world-wide flood. Peter then gives two quick points that I would summarize.

First, Peter reminds us that God is patient, not willing that any should perish. This is a main focus of what our attitude should be, looking to the world and reaching out with the gospel we have been entrusted with. God withholds judgment and surely the scoffers are having their day. But the patience of God is not without end and it is quite proper for Christians to look for the end of wickedness. The “day of the Lord” will come exactly at the right second, not earlier, nor one nanosecond later.

Second, Peter reminds us that the world will pass away, even the elements melting by fire, so that all of the wickedness of mankind is fully exposed. God’s purpose is not to stop there with judgment; his stated purpose is to give us a new heaven and new earth. This is really what those of us who would be like Jonah should stress. The signs that “the end is near”, proverbially put in so many cartoons for so many years, is not quite the accurate picture of us “Jonahs”. Instead, we are to look beyond the judgment toward the very plan of God. God plans on getting rid of the evil world, only to replace it with a new heaven and a new earth.

So, to summarize, Christians who feel a bit like Jonah, ought to take the better viewpoint of Peter, who looking forward to his death, was prescient enough to warn us of God’s longer plan. Though the time has extended out to nearly two thousand years now, yet the plan of God to end evil in this world is as sure and absolute as ever. We “Jonahs” can look forward to the new heaven and new earth, meanwhile proclaiming the gospel to the lost as often as possible.

Not a Tame Lion

Lewis famously labels Aslan as “not a tame lion”.  In so doing, he captures a characteristic of God that we often overlook. God is doing things his way, precisely because that is who he is. It is our job to uncover who he is and to see him as he is. 

“There are none so blind as those who will not see.” Another saying that fits the general character of man. When we get willful we do not even want to see. But that is not going to change who he is. We must earnestly hunger and thirst for righteousness if we are to see him at all, however dimly.

And that is precisely the point of the Word of God, the Bible. It is the fount of the definition of God; to it we must regularly pilgrimage if we are to come to know him better. I see my brothers and sisters in Christ ignoring the Bible at their very deep peril. We must spend our lives coming regularly to this fount if we are to know God at all. He is not a tame lion. I have spent my life trying to fit God into my box, only to find that the box I have constructed is not large enough after all, and I must throw it aside. But not to be dissuaded, I get busy constructing another box, sure that this time the box I have so carefully made will be a good fit. But to no avail. I think I have spent a great deal of my life constructing boxes, only to throw them aside as I realize that they do not, once again, capture his essence.  He is not a tame lion.

So it is a lifelong process, this coming to know God. And it is to his Word we must go again and again if we are to know him. Fortunately there is even a verse about our quest to know him ever better, and it is found in 2 Corinthians 3:18:

 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

My life since accepting Christ can be described as one process of getting to know Him better and better. Not much else is important besides the aim of contemplating him to know him. Have you immersed yourself in the Word lately, so that you may know him better? How about starting today? It is a lifelong process, with a lifelong commitment needed on our part. I am afraid there is no other remedy. He is not a tame lion.

Peter

Peter is an enigma. Brash and boisterous, he constantly needs correction. Yet, he is the one to first recognize the Messiah, confessing him earlier than anyone else. He remains the only person other than Christ himself to walk on water. Yes, I am aware he began to sink; but that is the very essence of Peter. At once, he was bold enough to ask of the Lord to walk on water, and frail enough to sink like most of us would. Peter is an enigma.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines an “enigma” as something that is mysterious and seems impossible to understand completely. That covers it nicely and succinctly wraps up Peter.  Brash enough to tell his Lord that he will never have to suffer (and called Satan for his efforts), yet bold enough to  proclaim Christ successfully to thousands on Pentecost. Healing as many as could even touch his shadow, yet shrinking back before Pharisees, afraid to proclaim the gospel, needing the condemnation of Paul in one of the most embarrassing confrontations of Acts. 

Yet, did Peter hold it against Paul? Evidently not, for Peter himself, in his last epistle declares Paul’s writings to be holy scriptures, providing a strong passage on the inspiration of the New Testament. Our Lord called him the Rock, and he endeavored to be that for the sake of others, but there were so many times he failed. I wonder if he came to see it as I have. He was the Rock, in paving the way to Jesus through confession. All other Christians were to follow his confession of Christ. He further was the Rock, of a foundational sort, the Rock which Jesus used to begin building his church. But in leadership, not so much. The church raised up many others to lead the church, overlooking Peter each time, to choose others to lead.

I think that is why I most love this picture of Peter. I am like Peter; uneven in much of my life. One moment standing tall like a rock for Jesus; the next moment becoming embarrassed or forgetful about what I am supposed to do. Uneven. But we have to look a long time to find another to whom Christ expressed his love and blessing to. I am a bit like Peter. Uneven. But loved by Christ dearly. And that is not so bad!

What is Hell?

Talking with friends the other night, the Twilight Zone came up as a topic. I remembered one episode where the main character got all the girls he wanted, won every time he gambled, and partied every night. He thinks he is in heaven. At the end of the show, he is becoming tired of it and makes a comment about being so bored that he is ready to try Hell out. The clincher line was, “Where do you think you are now?”

Lewis somewhat endorses this picture when he writes The Great Divorce. Of course, Lewis deliberately puts his book in the time when people are waiting for judgment, not the place where they go after the final judgment. Still, I remember his characters being able to create giant mansions, and doing so often, whenever someone got too close to them, or offended them. Then, as Lewis develops his plot, we find that the mansions are but vaporous, and do not even keep out the cold hard rain.

All of which leads to the question, “What is Hell?”. According to the speculations of men, it is many things; according to the Bible it is a place of torment without end. Jesus describes it as a place where we do not die, but neither is the fire quenched.  In other words, a place of eternal torment.

Many people do not want to believe in a place of eternal separation from God. They want to believe in the Fluffy God who will simply forgive and forget everything with time. But this is not at all the picture given to us in the Bible.

God is a God of mercy; they see this and heartily endorse it. But God is also a God of justice, and this they tend to forget. God loved the world so much, the Scriptures teach, that he sent his only Son, that whosoever believeth should find everlasting life. Man cannot make himself right; this Christ did perfectly in giving his body to be sacrificed. There is salvation for all who believe, and that means all, even to the worst among us. What about those who refuse to receive what Christ has done, who refuse to believe?

One of my favorites Lewis analogies comes up here. We essentially are saying to God when we believe, “thy will be done.” Christ has died for us. It is the will of God for us to receive him as Savior and Lord. In this sense, we are agreeing with God, “Thy will be done”. But what about those who will not believe? What happens to them?

Many Christians have fallen from the truth because they try to imagine a God of grace somehow expressing grace and in the end the humans live as in a fairy story: they lived happily ever after. But that is not a all what Christ would teach us. If we will not say to God, “Thy will be done”, he will, in the end say unto us, “Thy will be done.” Thus, we have a God of mercy, but also a God of complete justice. It was altogether merciful and justice for God to completely overlook our sins because Christ himself took those sins and died for them on the cross. He tells those of us in the end, if we will not accept his mercy, “thy will be done”. 

If I may borrow from Star Trek, the Prime Directive to Christians becomes an order to spread this good news to a lost world. Now is the day of salvation. Now is the very time to find mercy, a mercy that shall last throughout eternity. It is our path out of this morass; the only path left to us. Let us say to Him, "Thy will be done,” lest we find ourselves someday listening to Him say, “Thy will be done.”

Connections Ramble

I have been privileged to read three great stories all at once and it sort of resulted in an epiphany of sorts. The books happen to be twice famous; The Lord of the Rings (I try to read this book annually), and Mere Christianity (a book which has sharpened how thousands think). The third book is not so famous; I am just beginning the fourth volume. It is a story about a young girl who discovers her power of light, and begins to heal others. To her dismay, she finds when she heals someone that person wants to enslave themselves to her, creating a moral dilemma. How can she help others without the unintentional consequences?

Putting all of this together makes a remarkable synthesis. I got to thinking about what might happen if someone were given sudden powers of healing or fixing the world. Then I remembered Galadriel, whom Frodo freely offers his ring to, and she is sorely tempted, but in the end refuses the temptation. Power in the hands of people is not the good thing others think it to be. 

I started contemplating what might happen if I were given just a bit of power, as a “grandfather” over my family.  What if I had the power to change things in my family? I have often thought that if I just had a bit more money, I would use it to help my children out who are facing severe costs in mortgages. I looked at the very rich, and note that one person seems to make the wealth (the Trump family certainly is an example), while the others have frequently not risen to the heights the maker of the fortune had.

Further, many such families are torn apart by their fortune. They often fight over the monies; they are just as broken as you and me. There appears to be little virtue in great wealth. Moreover, the great wealth that comes upon such men tends to warp them into what I call citadels of pretend righteousness. I know I have a moral code that strictly governs my life; I also fail that code. But to bring that same code upon others who do not share it, might bring evil or hardship upon the very people I would help. I am just a "citadel of pretend righteousness" not accurately representing the moral code we all know to be true.

But the powers I am reading about are far greater than mere wealth. What if I had the power to really change the world? I could do a lot of good at first, but perhaps not even as much good as I think. But, as Lewis points out, I would in the end (probably a lot sooner than the end) still have the idea of good and evil, and I could not possibly keep the moral code. All would soon fall apart in my hands. I cannot help but wonder why the world’s politicians do not more often see this.

Here is the passage, a favorite of mine, from Tolkien:

‘You are wise and fearless and fair, Lady Galadriel,’ said Frodo. ‘I will give you the One Ring, if you ask for it. It is too great a matter for me.’ Galadriel laughed with a sudden clear laugh. ‘Wise the Lady Galadriel may be,’ she said, ‘yet here she has met her match in courtesy. Gently are you revenged for my testing of your heart at our first meeting. You begin to see with a keen eye. I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired to ask what you offer. For many long years I had pondered what I might do, should the Great Ring come into my hands, and behold! it was brought within my grasp. The evil that was devised long ago works on in many ways, whether Sauron himself stands or falls. Would not that have been a noble deed to set to the credit of his Ring, if I had taken it by force or fear from my guest? ‘And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!’

‘I pass the test,’ she said. ‘I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel.’1

It is certainly the rare man that gets power and finds himself able to not be twisted beyond recognition. I like to think a great many times such men are great spiritual examples, perhaps Christians in their worldview. Because the truism proves itself: power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. We find it in ourselves to be absolutely incapable of exercising power; I think it is only when we reach that conclusion that we can appreciate the total and complete righteousness of God. God, the giver of right and wrong, is the only one that can exercise it properly; it is just not in me to find righteousness. However, the good news of Christianity is that we can find righteousness in Jesus Christ. In him alone is all of our hope; for if it as Lewis says, we know that we ourselves can never live up to that moral code.

I think that is why all of our attention and devotion must reside in Christ himself. I cannot imagine a way out of the moral dilemma except by faith. He can do it. No other even comes close.

1. Tolkien, J.R.R.. The Lord Of The Rings: One Volume (pp. 365-366). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Kindle Edition.

The Book in our Daily Life Part Four

I am concerned that the Bible is not the center of Christians’ lives anymore. Other things have intruded into the sacred place that the Word ought to have in our hearts. Today “my opinion” has replaced the word, perhaps gradually and unnoticed, it creeps up on our lives like a snake on a mouse—little noticed until it is too late.

What is to be done? I know of nothing that can be done, at least by little me, except to proclaim the need to return to the Word. Sometime before the Covid hysteria, an interesting article appeared in our newspaper. The article featured a man in his fifties, who was gladly proclaiming that he had accomplished a great goal—reading the Bible through for the first time in his lifelong Christian walk. The article went on to showcase rather dismal statistics—the essence of which was that most Christians did not even bother with reading their Bibles through. What an amazing fact! Most Christians live quite comfortably without even a basic knowledge of their road map—the Bible tells us everything that we need to get through this life.

Hence, it is no surprise to me that we are here today: where Christian conscience has become more important than the word of God. We used to try (and many times failed) to at least follow the word of God. Now, we are no longer pretending. Christians today often argue by persuasively presenting their favorite group’s plight. They show the devastation the group is enduring from prejudice, and the pity that they feel towards the group becomes a tidal wave, washing away everything in front of it.

What replaces the Bible? My opinion. The “common-sense” cultural view. Anything but what the Word of God plainly teaches. We are too busy to be a good Berean anymore, and have forgotten that they were known for listening to the Word, and then checking the Scriptures to see whether these things were so (Acts 17:11).

We Christians are all called to become like Christ, and through the power of the Spirit, live the lives that Christ has called us to. How can we possibly live like Christ without the roadmap? Hundreds of times the Scripture tells us to love one another, and always to love the Lord our God. But I read this morning that as many as 25% of families are not meeting this year for holidays because of politics. Love one another? Not to be found in these lives, as their passion for politics eclipses their love of Christ.

I used to fish in the small streams of the Sierra Nevada, and I would take two steps forward in the swift waters, and move one step backwards for balance, lest I fall. The Christian walk is very much like that. The swift waters of our culture make progress up the stream difficult, and we are constantly moving a bit backwards for balance. In the midst of trying to go upstream, while all others are going downstream, we need to keep our focus on our Lord and Master who gave himself for us.

What better way to do that, except through a constant checking of the Scriptures, reading them, checking them against our behavior, and memorizing them. An interesting thing about fishing in the streams is that the trout are always facing upstream. The fish knows his food is coming from upstream, and only the dead fish looks backward. The skilled fisherman knows this and fishes upstream, casting his flies out ahead of the fish, and enticing them to take the bait. So our skill in fishing for men is directly related to our knowledge of the Word. When we cast our bread out for the world to see, we need to be sure it is the very bread of God. Are you reading and taking the Word of God into your life so that you might be changed into the very image of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18)?  What should you do? Pick up that dusty Bible, open it, and begin being transformed today.

The Book—In Our Daily Life, Part Three

What part should the Word of God play in our daily lives? Perhaps the question should be turned on its head. What part shouldn’t the Word of God play in our daily lives? God gave us one job, and it was not to reform the world politically. Christians used to believe in mass that their job was to change the world little by little, until we had almost perfected the world, and at that time, Christ himself would return. How far is that picture from the reality of Scripture!

The Bible clearly pictures a time of Jacob’s trouble (Jer. 30:7) where Israel finds herself in dire trouble, persecuted nearly to extinction. The Bible clearly tells of this day, emphasizing the great distress and anger poured out on his people (Luke 21:24).  Israel shall be encompassed by its enemies on all sides, with all the people of the earth gathered against it (Zech. 12:2, 3). Revelation, a book avoided by many Christians, tells of destruction and judgment on this earth, with a third of the sun smitten and all darkened. (8:12). This terrible effect to the sun (and the moon) is told of and retold in many places in the Old Testament.

I could go on and on, but the point is that you would not know of these things unless you immersed yourself in the Word of God. We are not here to make the world better in preparing for Christ. We are here to shine out in the gathering darkness, witnessing to a lost world, and hoping that some will have listening ears. We are to be like Jesus, who gave himself to a wicked world in the hopes that some might hear and seek the righteousness offered in Christ.

Our job is not political. I know we live in America, where we choose our leaders every few years. I also know that these leaders seem to have nothing to do with the plan of God for a lost world. Will either candidate better prepare the world to hear of the mercy of Christ? We vote our conscience, but our clear duty is to become little Christs, offering the same thing that Jesus offered. He gave himself that we might live. There is no other message, not one, that is more important. Soon we will come to a point where mercy is no longer offered; just judgment.

Our job is to come out from the world, not to be immersed in being part of it. That involves taking the Word of God into our lives in unmeasured quantities. There is never too much for us to study. I knew John G. Mitchell, who was called the “Walking Bible” because he knew so much scripture that he was able to quote it seemingly endlessly. That is the life we are called to emulate—to become little lights filled with Christ’s wisdom, and sharing mercifully with a darkened world.

Throw yourself into study of the Word of God, and be prepared to become more like Jesus as God begins to change you. It is a lifelong process. Indeed, sometimes at 72 years of age, I find myself wishing for another life, that I might do better at putting the Word of God into my mind. You have a call. Have you read or studied the Word yet today?

 

The Book- Part Two

If there is one reason Christians are not the lights shining in the darkness, it is precisely their lack of centeredness in the very word of God. “My opinion” reigns supreme. We have professing Christians who are both far right and far left. Mostly they seem to be vouching for their opinions over the word of God. We have become a class of people who frequently value our opinions over the word of God.

Yet the scripture tells us that ALL scripture is inspired and is profitable (2 Tim. 3:16) for doctrine and reproof, for correction and instruction in righteousness. It used to be (I lament!) the go-to place for Christians to find answers to the problems they are facing. No longer! It is the conscience that is the first go-to place

What sounds reasonable and compassionate is what dictates “Christianity” to many. Left behind is serious consultation with the Word of God. It has been too long since Edwards reminded us that we are “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. People have become too proud over their ability to think, and their conclusions are often against the very principles that Christians purport to keep. A simple corrective would be to check the Bible and find out what God says.

He says that “all have sinned” and “come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). It is not difficult to figure out, and is one of the basic foundation verses of the Bible, yet today it is often ignored in favor of compassion. We face militant groups who proclaim to us their own righteousness, and ignore the Scripture. Often Christians fall into the trap of compassion, feeling (opinion) that that particular group is so hurting with all the hatred and hurtful dialogue. Yet, we would do well to remember that the Word of God is the same as always. Morals do not move. Sometimes our understanding of them moves—we do not pay attention as we ought—but the morals are absolute.

God is the same yesterday today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). What a mercy it is that we can know right and wrong! If we are going to be lights in the dark world God has called us to, we had better pay a lot more attention to what he is saying. Have you spent time reading the Word this day?

The Book- Part One

If there is one reason Christians are not the lights shining in the darkness, it is precisely their lack of centeredness in the very word of God. “My opinion” reigns supreme. We have professing Christians who are both far right and far left. Mostly they seem to be vouching for their opinions over the word of God. We have become a class of people who frequently value our opinions over the word of God.

Yet the scripture tells us that ALL scripture is inspired and is profitable (2 Tim. 3:16) for doctrine and reproof, for correction and instruction in righteousness. It used to be (I lament!) the go-to place for Christians to find answers to the problems they are facing. No longer! It is the conscience that is the first go-to place

What sounds reasonable and compassionate is what dictates “Christianity” to many. Left behind is serious consultation with the Word of God. It has been too long since Edwards reminded us that we are “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. People have become too proud over their ability to think, and their conclusions are often against the very principles that Christians purport to keep. A simple corrective would be to check the Bible and find out what God says.

He says that “all have sinned” and “come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). It is not difficult to figure out and is one of the basic foundation verses of the Bible, yet today it is often ignored in favor of compassion. We face militant groups who proclaim to us their own righteousness and ignore the Scripture. 

What ought to be done? We need to throw ourselves on the mercy of God and dig deeply into his Word. Our days are here and gone before we know it, and wasted years are measured in the time when we are not becoming like Jesus. God is probably not going to be at all interested in how we voted; but he is intensely interested in what we did with his Son.  

Those groups of sinners who advocate for exempting their sinful behavior are not going to escape judgment. We Christians need to remember that truth is a vital component of love, and we need to seek gentle but firm ways to let people know how to escape the judgment of God. Only by accepting the sacrifice of his Son can any one of us escape judgment. There is no exception for “vulnerable” groups. For us to pretend otherwise becomes ultimate hypocrisy; for us to believe otherwise makes us grow in apostasy. Our outcome will not be good.

Have you studied the Word of God yet today? The Word of God is the source of truth. “And the Word was made flesh, and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” There remains for the Christian one source of truth—ignore it not, at your peril.

Principles of Grace to Ponder

1. Grace is freely given upon agreement or confession of what God did in sending Jesus to die for us.

a. It is immediate and eternal

b. John 1:12, But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

c. John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

2. There is nothing that we did other than belief to gain our salvation; there is nothing we can do to preserve it.

a. Ephesians 2:8,9; For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

b. Titus 3:5,6, 7; Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

3. Jesus asks the eleven to abide in John 15:4 (Abide in me, and I in you.)

There was a covenant of works for the Palestinian Covenant. Its formula was basically “do this and I will bless you.” Israel rather spectacularly failed at this. The command “abide in me and I in you” is a new statement, but largely is just a restatement of the covenant.

4. Therefore, Jesus was admonishing his apostles to abide in him, and looking on Judas, who had forsaken Jesus for money. The cross lay immediately ahead and can be looked at as the final rejection of the Son of God. Jesus knew that cross was before him, knew that the final rejection was at hand. The chief priests and Judas were all acting together against the very prophet Moses had long ago warned them to listen to. (Dt. 18:15, The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken.)

5. Many Christians have looked on this passage without the proper discernment. Jesus is very concerned about the radical change that is going to take place with respect to Israel’s position. He has forecast the destruction of the temple (Matthew 24:2, And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.) and his last lament on the way to the cross is for Jerusalem not abiding. (Mt. 24:37. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!) Israel is in the act of refusing their Savior and is going to be removed from their position for what is now over 2,000 years.

6. Specifically, when Jesus says he is the vine and the apostles are the branches he then goes on to tell about the care of the branches. Those that do not abide are worthless and cast into the fire. (John 15:6, If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.)

7. As Jesus looked with what he knew was his final look upon the apostles, he foresaw that they would desert him. Particularly Peter with his denials, but also the others would forsake Jesus and abandon him to the cross. Jesus declares that the vine would be pruned so that it might produce fruit. How can he be talking about anyone but Peter, who just strongly declared to the Lord that he would never deny him? Secondarily, he is referring to the rest of the apostles whom he has already declared would forsake him.

8. Grace is immeasurable. What is grace at first must remain grace forever, else it is not grace. Jesus is not declaring to Christians here that they have to “abide” or they are threatened with losing their salvation and being burned up. Instead, the Israelites in general, and the apostles in specific, are being told that they are losing their coveted place of having the God of Israel next to them.

9. Should Christians abide? Of course, but Jesus is not teaching about the church abiding here, before the cross has even taken place. Instead, he is talking about Israels’ abiding and their failure to listen to the prophet. John has some very powerful things to say to Christians about abiding in 1 John. (1 John 2:29) And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

10. Note the order. Grace first. Obedience follows. It should always follow, but the heart is deceptive and wicked, so sometimes it is very difficult for us to observe the obedience. But grace will not be denied, and so should the Christian never fear of “using up” all the grace of God. When Christ died on the cross, he died for every one of our sins, for “whosoever” shall believe. Grace indeed!

Pondering our Times

When politics are your main bedfellows, you will be irrationally exuberant or depressed every four years. God has given us a better path, one that is less traveled, but all the more comfortable in its narrowness. We all hope for a better world and vote our consciences every four years for that world, but some of us place too much hope in one side or the other. 

This election is peculiar to me, for I have met people who I would categorize as being too much on both sides. Let me remind you that we are to look to the Lord for our salvation, and that he himself has told us that “neither is there salvation in any other”. 

We forget so easily that He is the one in control of this world, and that all is unfolding just as it should. It does not mean that everything in this world is working for the best—it definitely does mean that God is in overall control, and that we need to trust Him even when our favorites are not elected.

We see so little of what is going on, and we often make mistakes when we look at that “little” and try to make bigger decisions. I am convinced that we would, if God allowed, vote ourselves into the Hell of our choice. We have no idea of how things are going to work out—except that we are supposed to trust in Him to work all things out.

If Christ were here today, living among us, would he be a liberal or a conservative? The answer should be so obvious to you as to cause scoffing, but surprisingly we often forget. He will one day rule correctly, and we will have an enduring peace on earth along with a new heaven and earth to look forward to.

In that day, there will be no conservatives, and no liberals. There will only be followers of Christ. I daresay my two friends, caught up in both ends of the political spectrum, will be united in Christ. Let us then follow the admonition, “forgetting those things which are behind, and pressing onward to those things which are before”.

If the words of our Lord are at all to be believed who won or lost will not matter much in eternity, but how you and I act toward each other will matter much. That is what we will appear before Christ to show. Let us therefore be found busy, loving one another. Perhaps today?

The Dominos Continue (Part Two)

 Wise wags have long observed that when we live together, there is no such thing as a private action. When someone decides something small like not brushing his teeth, the impact can be disparate and ring throughout the day. What I am thinking about can certainly be tied in with that idea- that nothing we do as individuals only affects individuals. I suspect many Americans are like me—and want fiercely their own independence, regardless of how it affects others. It is a hard lesson of life that indeed no man is an island unto himself.

Being older has changed my perspective; I would say has enlarged my perspective. I am able to look back over the decades and see connections to things that are not usually observed. In part one of the dominos, I was able to link the dirty rotten hippies, and the revival that happened as many found Christ, to the election of a president, who also won the cold war against Russia. All dominos in a row, if you learn to observe. And part of growing older is learning to observe. 

I would like to try to develop the string of dominos a bit further. Reagan brought in a breath of fresh air to our culture. He proclaimed it was morning in America all over again, something most of us were willing to suspend our skepticism about. But after Reagan, we had no more fresh air, and a new string of dominos has started to fall, not leading to good things.

Look at the string of presidents since Reagan and begin to get a feel for how the dominos are falling today.  From Bush to Trump, it has been quite a fall. Clinton taught us that personal behavior of a president has nothing whatsoever to do with his leadership, and Americans bought that false philosophy. Americans themselves, perhaps because they have that fierce spirit of independence that I wrote about myself experiencing in the opening paragraph, began denying others the right to correct their aberrant behavior, and morals began to suffer. 

Looking at the last three presidents and comparing them to our Founding Fathers should be a sobering exercise. In my mind, that is how they earned their appellation: the Three Stooges. I dubbed them Barry, Bump, and Not-so-Curly Joe.  Barry, our first black president was heralded to bring peace between Blacks and Whites. Not so much. Instead, his time in office stirred up racial animosities to new heights, and the dominos are now continuing to fall in new directions, boding ill effects for decades. Bump is a good nickname for Trump as we ride through history. I imagine that he is indeed a “bump” that we hit as we are careening down the highway of life. Biden presided over a country which no longer knew the difference between a man and a woman but proclaimed strongly that no one else could either.

I could go on and on, but the trail left is clear, if you will just look at it. In no way, in no particular, can you find a row of dominos leading to listening to God and following him. That apparently was over after Reagan, and we see hardly a whisper of it since then. Perhaps 9/11 brought back brief memories of who we were, but the memories did not linger. So where do the domino rows go?

And remember, it is not just the presidents. Rather, since we have a democratic republic, we choose our leaders. And in choosing, we also choose our direction. I can clearly see a direction, and that direction is only away from God.

What a mess that makes for Christians! Christians see the need for loving, but confuse the loving part with acceptance of sin. The acceptance, like a rank camcer grows until it totally poisons the Christian’s testimony that he so nobly tried to give. We have many groups of unfortunate Christian souls living in disobedience today, suppressing the very word of God in their effort to live an “enlightened” life. Yet, they discern not that the row of dominos they have put themselves in only falls away from the very God they love.

What is the outcome of dominos only falling in rows going away from God? In history, the lesson is sharp. Nations forgetting God are disciplined, and sometimes even extinguished. In times like these, we would do well to fall on our knees in abject repentance. Too often, I see people snarling their disobedience to God, pretending that he is not even there.

Today, we are rapidly moving toward a society which is rejecting Israel, neglecting the promise of God made so many years ago to Abraham. “I will bless those who bless thee, and I will curse those who curse thee.” Any student of history would quickly see mistreatment of Israel has caused this cursing over and again. Today, one party is nearly paralyzed in being able to give support to Israel. If the hatred continues to grow, the opposition to Isreal will increase, and with it will come the judgment of God.

There remains but one remedy, repentance. But it looks unlikely that the nation will go there, and so the domino rows will continue to fall further and further away from the very God who blessed us in the first place. So democracy dies? So dies the biggest Christian witness in the world?

Domino Theory

 

Domino Theory

Last night my wife and I treated ourselves to a delightful movie that made us both walk down memory lane.  Reagan is available for purchase, albeit a bit expensive for us who are looking toward cheaper prices. Still, I was able to rationalize to myself that I might have had to take my wife (who loves popcorn) to the movies and there it would have been more expensive.

I enjoyed the movie much and will not say much about it, lest I diminish its impact. Except to say it was masterfully done and evoked memories, some of which I had correctly remembered, and many of which I remembered only snatches. For instance, I remembered incorrectly that Squeaky Fromme was the assassin, and John Hinckley had disappeared down a memory hole. I did enjoy the ride back through the seventies and eighties. My wife and I began our marriage in 1972, and together we watched those historical events unfold.

But what I liked best about the film was that it included the faith of Reagan, a faith that he had gotten from his mother in his early years. That faith did not diminish in his later years. Perhaps the opposite occurred, for we were reminded of his faith much in his final speeches to the country.

At any rate, I found myself thinking about the ramifications of a little remembered event: the Fourth Great Awakening. I wrote a book on the awakenings of America, and I found myself ecstatic when I started thinking about all the ramifications of those initial 300,000 hippies that were gloriously saved. Which brings me to the title: domino theory.

The hippies, saved in the sixties, led to many events in the seventies. Jimmy Carter, who boldly told all America of his faith was probably a result of the Awakening. Faith was again a central theme of our government. All kinds of Christian activity moved to the forefront in the seventies. There was a deep renewal throughout America. Churches renewed and flourished during this period; the church, freshly awakened to its mission call, started bus ministries to reach untold masses of young people. Time magazine declared the “year of the evangelical”.

Were all of these events like dominos placed next to each other, with one falling and thus the next? And the next, for a long chain? Was Reagan, himself a believer, part of that very long chain. I suspect it is so; proving it might be another matter.

But those of us who are spiritual in nature might see the chain reaction of falling dominos. In a manner of speaking the dirty rotten hippies of the sixties most likely led to the election of one of the strongest presidents we have ever seen.

And that’s not a bad thing.

 

Part two: the dominos continue

 

Surely God will not everlastingly punish sinners?

I know a great many well meaning Christians who wrestle with this all the time. They think: God is merciful and kind and loving. Surely he will find another way to deal with sinners. Many churches struggle fundamentally with this idea of judgment. Diversity is a badge of honor among these folks, who feel strongly that God must echo their viewpoint.

There is only one place to go for reliable information about how God thinks and judges. That is, of course, the Bible. And we must come to it literally, for if we come to it any other way the Bible will begin to change to reflect our image rather than the image of the living and true God. How we mourn the churches that “go off” mission, getting themselves involved deeply in the mire, and forgetting the very purpose of the church: to proclaim the living Christ to a lost world. In their involvement in the quagmire, they forget the love they are supposed to always have for their God, and the love that requires a setting in truth which they are commanded to show to their neighbor.

The problem for churches is not easy. In their efforts to love others, they compromise their Christian values, even while trying so desperately to reach out. They tend to reach so hard that it becomes easy for them to forget who they are. In their choices they are just becoming tolerant, they think, not realizing that they have compromised the very beings God has made them to be. They have neglected their basic calling.

But this piece is written about the idea that God, being merciful, will not cause sinners to be in everlasting torment. It is a pervasive notion among Christians and even many conservative Christians find themselves wondering if God really does give eternal punishment to sinners. So let us look at what the Bible says, literally.

Why look at the Bible? I am amazed at the fact that I feel it necessary to defend the Bible to Christians of all people, but there it is. There are a great many believers today who are not being built up with the correct teaching. They may know God, but they do not seem to know his person at all. In other words, they may recognize Christ as the son of God, dying on the cross for their sins, but they seem to know little else about the God they purport to serve.

It is to the Bible that we must go if we are to understand the God who has revealed himself to mankind. All scripture is given by the inspiration of God, says Paul, and it is with the confines of scripture that we find God defining himself. Literally, God defines himself in the scripture. It might do us well to pay attention.

Psalm 11 gives us clues about what God does with sorting out mankind (NIV):

The Lord is in his holy temple;
    the Lord is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth;
    his eyes examine them.
⁵ The Lord examines the righteous,
    but the wicked, those who love violence,
    he hates with a passion.
⁶ On the wicked he will rain
    fiery coals and burning sulfur;
    a scorching wind will be their lot.

⁷ For the Lord is righteous,
    he loves justice;
    the upright will see his face.

Let’s look at the passage literally. In context, the Psalmest is complaining about the strength of the wicked, that they even seem to be able to destroy the very foundations of society. The quoted passage of the Psalm deals with the evident success of the wicked. All people are subject to judgment, and all are observed by the Lord, who sees the righteous as well as the wicked. The Psalm tells us that the Lord will judge with burning coals and sulfur, but the upright will see his face.

In this very short Psalm, we are given the promise that God sees and God judges. But we are left with many questions. Who, then, are the wicked? Is there no end to their judgment? Will they forever be out of the presence of God? (Implied in verse 7, I think).

Indeed, as the years unwind and the New Testament came to be, we see the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, who did not mince words about the judgment of the wicked. Isaiah famously repeats the refrain of the judgment of the wicked, “their worm does not die, nor is their fire quenched.” Mark famously quotes Jesus, who uses this passage from Isaiah three times: their worm does not die, not is the fire quenched.

Just a couple more quotes. We are, after all, looking at the literal passages. Psalm 53 has a most interesting passage:

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.² God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.³ Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

There are several passages that Paul the apostle might be referring to and this is one of them. He says in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Literal interpretation says that scripture should be first taken as its evident meaning, changed only as we see symbolic language, or language meant to be taken less than literally, such as obvious metaphors.  What is Paul saying? All means all. All have sinned. All have come short of the glory of God. All people need the grace of God.

Fortunately, that grace was given for all. All have sinned. Therefore all are caught in wickedness. All have need for a solution. Fortunately, Christ has given the solution, exactly as needed, for all. Romans five tells us that: ¹⁹ For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Adam led in disobedience, a fault man was never able to correct. But Christ came that many shall be made righteous.

Even nature itself declares God, says Paul, in Romans 1, verse 20: For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse. This, a truth from God, is a verse declaring that the world itself manifests the glory of God, so that all people are responsible for seeing the real and true God. There is no excuse.

But what can account for man sinning? If we have fallen, where have we fallen from? God created man in his image, better and higher than all the rest of creation. Man had been created to occupy a noble height and, in his fall, fell periously far into unmeasured depths. This became the divine dilemma. How could God restore man to have fellowship with him again? The answer, of course, lies in the cross. God made provisions so that every man might be restored fully to the level of Adam, before his sin.

Thus, sin becomes a signal, not just of rebellion, but of a relationship broken with the Creator God. To heal that relationship, to restore man, God had to come himself in the form of man and suffer the consequences of our rebellion against him. God because of his love toward men, sent his Son to do that which we could not; he restored man by punishing his own son in man’s place. This act is perfectly stated in John 3:16: For God so loved the world that he gave us his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

What more can the God of the universe do? He gave himself freely to men, to be despised and rejected, hung on a cross, and put to death with our sins. The sacrifice is complete and covers everyone who will simply believe. What more can the God of the universe do?

There remains nothing left to be done, except that which Jesus has left to the church. We are to act as heralds, announcing the good news, in the hopes that some might hear and turn from their error toward the living and true God. For in creating man, God gave them an autonomy to choose to receive his sacrifice, or to reject it. If man was to retain his created autonomy, God could not choose for man; he had to choose for himself.

Even the benign and seemingly almost innocent people of society are rejecting God when they hear the good news, or even when they see his wonderful creation. His imprint is all over his creation, so that man is without excuse. But not just without excuse—in the deepest rebellion against God himself. For in hearing the good news and rejecting it, they spurn the very grace that would redeem them. There is no other sacrifice for sins.

It seems as if Lewis is right. We, as Christians either say thy will be done, or in the end God says to us, thy will be done. God says if you are determined to spurn and hate me, thy will be done. I will allow you to hate me. The consequences are simply awful, the chief one being a separation from the very God who loves you and would have you believe.

So yes, God is perfectly justified in punishing those who refuse his sacrifice. The alternative we see in the world about us. An unmitigated evil, growing like a runaway cancer, obliviating the world around us, and seeking to erase every vestige of goodness left. Such a people in heaven? Could God possibly allow such men in his heaven? Having given himself for mankind there remains nothing left to give, for he took all of his power, and redeemed us in love. But it is our refusal to believe that locks the door on our fate.

Yes, God will allow sinners who refuse him to suffer an everlasting fate. There is nothing else to be done. Literally true.

Background scriptures:

John 3:16
¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans 8:5
⁸ But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 8:15
¹⁵ But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

Matthew 23:15
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.

Matthew 12:36
³⁶ But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

John 16:8
When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:

Matthew 18:9
 ⁹ And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

Mark 9:42-48
⁴² And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.⁴³ And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:⁴⁴ Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.⁴⁵ And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:⁴⁶ Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.⁴⁷ And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:⁴⁸ Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Isaiah 66:24
And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

Grace Plus Nothing Part Four of Four

 The parable of the sower:

Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Matthew 13:3-9

 

In our local church, I fear the church regularly over-estimates the possible Christian response. Often I hear that “all Christians ought to make disciples”.  Or worse, I hear that Christians must follow Jesus before they are truly saved. Recently I read one claim that now defined “making disciples” as a fruit of the Spirit. Not to be found in my Bible, but when Christians wax esoteric apparently the impossible becomes possible.

 

It seems to come often when we are over-estimating the good in our fellow Christians—not such a bad thing, I guess. But it is nowhere accurate. As I have tried to show in these brief sections, Christians are a lot more broken than is often measured. I have hoped in the illustrations of just my parents to show that, indeed, grace remains the theme of all salvation.

 

It was the theme in the last hours of my father’s life—that he might be saved by believing. It was true in my mother’s life, though she spent decades without building any discipleship skills. It is true of each and every person that believes. They encounter the pure grace of God.

 

Jesus explains this to Nicodemus in John 3. He says that as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the son of man be lifted up. The serpent, in the midst of a rapidly spreading plague, was lifted up on a pole in the center of Israel’s camp. If they had become infected, there remained one sure cure—they were to look upon the serpent, and in their looking they would be healed. Jesus went on to explain to Nicodemus, that as it was with the serpent, so must the son of man be lifted up, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

 

I do not know how Jesus could have been more plain. There is nothing else to be added to salvation. It is good as James suggests, that others should show us their faith by their works, but there is not any suggestion that this is the basis that God judges us. God only asks that we believe—much else ought to come from that belief. But it is never guaranteed to come—it just ought to. The seed is planted with every hope that it will reproduce many times, but casual observation ought to show that in many cases, it just is not so. As those who looked in faith on the serpent, so we are commanded to look and believe that God sent his only Son that we might have eternal life.

 

I can almost hear some teachers object that that lets people off of the hook. They no longer have to do anything for salvation. Exactly! God in Christ either did everything for us, or else we have no hope. There is no middle ground.

 

I remember when Luther first started to pull away from the Catholics. It was over this very issue. The leaders looked at Luther’s doctrine of salvation and objected that Luther had made salvation free. They argued that they would no longer be able to urge the people to earn their favor with God, now that Luther had taught that grace was free. Exactly! Grace comes without cost to us of any kind. The least suggestion that we must do such and such puts us in the same boat as Luther’s critics: that salvation must have a cost or we will never be able to force people to follow us.

 

I would carry the boat analogy a bit further. Imagine that our lives are that boat, and if it capsizes all is lost, for we are way out in the sea. In our belief, God offers us the bucket of salvation, Jesus, that quickly saves us from capsizing. Now imagine that some of us pull out our thimbles and begin emptying the boat with them. Then we claim that without our help, we would have been lost totally! That analogy, imperfect though it is, is exactly what we do when we bring our “thimbles” before God, pretending that we have helped God in our own salvation. How insulting that must be to God! He gave us Jesus freely to save and rescue us from everything. But we insist our thimbles are essential. How great is our folly!

 

Eternal life is given to us, not by works, but by grace. The mathematical formula for this would be eternal life = belief in Jesus + nothing. To add our thimbles, whatever they may be, is only to show our lack of belief in what God has already and completely done. To those who are still skeptical about this plan of God not working—I would just point out that it has worked very well for two thousand years. Involving sinful man in effecting salvation only ruins what God has done.

 

¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:14,15

 

 Chafer’s Corner: 

God cannot propose to do less in grace for one who is sinful than He would have done had that one been less sinful. Grace is never exercised by Him in making up what may be lacking in the life and character of a sinner. In such a case, much sinfulness would call for much grace, and little sinfulness would call for little grace. The sin question has been set aside forever, and equal exercise of grace is extended to all who believe.
Chafer, Lewis Sperry. Grace (p. 7). Biblos Project. Kindle Edition.

 

 

Grace Plus Nothing Part Three of Four

Grace Plus Nothing 

Part Three of Four

It was 1949 and I think my mother was about 23 years old. She had married my father in 1947. Her grandmother decided to go to see the new evangelist everyone was talking about. Grandmother invited her granddaughter to go with her, and that is how my ancestors ended up going to the absolutely epic beginning of Billy Graham’s career. The service must have been moving, for my grandmother (of whom I have no memory) and my mother prayed to receive Christ.

Going back to my father and explaining her decision must have been difficult for her. My father was fairly strong in his unbelief, but after talking it over they decided they would raise all their children to “decide for themselves”. Mom made peace with this decision. After all, children seemed to be denied her. Had they not been married for two years? Indeed, it was not until 1952 that the first boy (me) was born.

Looking back in her many notes that she made, mostly later in life, I find that she sort of cheated in their agreement. Outwardly, she did what they had agreed to; inwardly she held all of her four boys up to God in prayer and asked God to save them. All four boys grew up and eventually came to peace with Christ, most becoming fine disciples of Christ.

Dad was pretty comfortable with his unbelief though he had several memories of things he could not explain. He pointed out the obvious hypocrisy of many people that they knew going to church. Mom sort of decided his view was correct and did not go to church at all. But her prayers must have been the deciding factor, for all four boys chose to believe in Christ. Three of them became leaders in the church, even to the point of speaking often. From her notes, this must have provided her with a great deal of comfort in her older years, before a sudden cancer took her.

As I look back on her life, I find many questions. Oh, there is no doubt in my mind that I will see her in heaven, along with a grandmother I have no memory of, and probably many others that I do not see. What a delight that will be! According to what I think, the Bible speaks of seven years that we will spend in heaven together. For Jesus told the apostles right before he left that where I am, there you may be also. Part of that time will be the glorious Marriage Supper of the Lamb, but I expect a great deal will be coming to a realization of just how inter-related we all really are. Certainly, all will be our brothers and sisters by our decision for Christ, but many of us will discover an ancestry that goes back in Christ for generations.

But, as I said, I have many questions, not about the future, of which I have been told, but about the place my mother found herself in after accepting Christ. She was a seed which had germinated. Her faith was important to her, but she had absolutely no discipleship. Yet, at the age of seventy, as she was about to pass away, my wife asked her whether she needed to make anything right with God. Mom replied, “I gave it all to Him a long time ago, and if that is not enough, I am done.”

So, no matter how I twist it, Mother trusted Christ for her salvation. Completely. But never grew in doctrine or discipleship. Had no church habit. But loved and trusted what she knew of Christ. Yet, today I have many non-thinking speakers in church declaring that every Christian must show their decision. They quote James, which talks about showing my faith by my works.

Yet, I might point out that we must all appear before God. James did not suggest that we would demonstrate our faith to God by our works, rather he practically pointed out that Christians tend to reveal themselves by their works; God, who sees the hearts will know those who are his. He will have no need to check over our works. Commendable works Christ has promised to look over at the bema seat of judgment for believers. Condemnable works will be judged harshly by our Father in heaven.

I am driven back to think of the parable of the sower. What if God was really pointing out there are different degrees of seed with types of believers? Some would be his vessels in the way that he wanted and would go on to reproduce many times. Others would germinate, but not ever be successful plants. Could not a great many of us be in this category? Jesus reminded us that blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

As a part of my early ministry, I was called to serve for years with the homeless in a rescue mission. I saw broken people which many of us do not even think about. I saw men and women of a very low intellect, that had hard times and more hard times. Often, they would make a decision for Christ, which I saw signs of conversion afterward, but I discerned that they had a really difficult time in growing. I saw alcoholics and drug addicts that lost their entire families convert to Christ. A few made it back to their families after conversion; most did not.

I ask the question. No, I do not ask the question. Rather, I am driven to contemplate the problem. If Christ did not die for these, who am I to think he died for me? I see only one answer; it is never on the basis of what we have done. It is always on the basis of what Christ has done. There is no cost except the cost of choosing to believe. Jesus told us plainly of this cost when they asked him, What shall we do that we might work the works of God? Jesus replied, This is the work of God, that you believe in him who he hath sent.

I think we will find a whole host of believers in heaven which we did not anticipate. It is not our job to judge whether someone believes or not. It can only be in the province of God. Ephesians 2: 8 says, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. Either God is truthful or he is not. As for me and my house, we will trust in him.

On the other side, I do not doubt we will miss some whom we misjudge as brothers or sisters. Do we not discover “Christians” who do not really believe? John tells us that they went out from us because they were really not of us. Who has not worked next to someone who appears to be a brother, only to find them straying away? Who himself has not strayed?

I call it the Great Sortout. It is God alone who shall judge on that day. But I fully expect to see my mother and greet my grandmother when we finally get there, to see Him as He really is.

James 2:18
Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Matthew 5:3
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Ephesians 2:8&9
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

John 6:28, 29
Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Chafer’s Corner

Grace ceases to be grace if God is compelled to withdraw it in the presence of human failure and sin. In fact, grace cannot be exercised where there is the slightest degree of human merit to be recognized.
Chafer, Lewis Sperry. Grace (p. 7). Biblos Project. Kindle Edition.

Chafer, Lewis Sperry. Grace (p. 7). Biblos Project. Kindle Edition.