Tag Archives: Grace

Ticking Time Bomb

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You may remember the old television show M*A*S*H, the show about a group of doctors during the Korean War. One of my favorite episodes involves a bomb that falls into the camp and fails to detonate. As luck would have it, the bomb is an American bomb. The doctors take it on themselves to defuse the bomb, following instructions from a manual. Two doctors work on the bomb while their colonel reads the instructions from a safe distance. At one point the colonel reads, “Carefully cut the wires leading to the clockwork fuse at the head,” and the doctors do as instructed. The colonel continues reading: “But first remove the fuse,” and the doctors look at one another in shock, realizing that they have failed in their efforts to carefully follow the instructions. They quickly verify that the bomb has indeed been activated (don’t worry; it turned out to be a propaganda bomb and merely rained pamphlets on the compound).

Some people see God that way, don’t they? You can be trying to follow instructions, meticulously observing each detail, but you miss one item and KABOOM! Say the wrong words, make the wrong gesture, or fail to notice one small command and your salvation blows up in your face.

These people see God as a ticking bomb and the Scriptures are our manual for defusing that bomb. The Bible becomes “God’s little rule book” whose only purpose is to keep us from being blown up.

Is that our God? Is He a God who spends His time looking for reasons to punish or is He a God who looks for chances to save?

The overwhelming testimony of Scripture is that God is a gracious, forgiving God, slow to anger and quick to forgive (Exodus 34:6-7). He is a holy God in whose presence sin cannot enter. He is a just God, who will punish evil. But His overwhelming desire is that men be saved (1 Timothy 2:4).

We should respect God’s holiness, but we should also trust in His love, His mercy and His grace. “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18)

Rock of Ages

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(I’m finishing up a trip to the Northeast; let me post a bulletin article I wrote a few years ago)

When it comes to church music, I have to admit that I favor the old songs. Generally speaking, the older the better. These are the hymns that have endured, that have stood the test of time. I’m moved by today’s praise songs (like “Awesome Power” or “Highest Place”) and enjoy singing the toe tappers of the 20th century (like “Gloryland Way” or “Just A Little Talk With Jesus”) but the old hymns are the ones that tend to touch me deep inside with their elegant music and reflective words.

One such hymn was written in 1776 by Augustus M. Toplady. The words preach a sermon in and of themselves:

1. Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.

Toplady begins with the sacrifice of Jesus. This is the basis of all gospel preaching. We preach Jesus, not ourselves. We preach his sacrifice, not our works. Paul said, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Our preaching should imitate his.

2. Not the labors of my hands
can fulfill thy law’s commands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.

Here is a key thought that must be brought to the minds of all men, especially those of us who have come to know Jesus. In our zeal to obey Him, we can sometimes forget that our obedience does not work our salvation. We are saved by grace, not by works. Jesus’ words should ring in our ears: “So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”” (Luke 17:10)

The Christians of Galatia became confused about this. They began to think that salvation came through works and not through faith. Paul called this a “different gospel” and condemned it. He wrote: “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing — if it really was for nothing? Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?” (Galatians 3:1-5)

3. Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior, or I die.

How hard it is to put all of our trust in Jesus! Especially in a country which stresses independence and self-sufficiency. We are taught to believe in ourselves and our own accomplishments. Yet Jesus calls us to believe in Him and His accomplishments.

4. While I draw this fleeting breath,
when mine eyes shall close in death,
when I soar to worlds unknown,
see thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.

In the end, all that will matter is whether or not we are in Christ. If we have surrendered ourselves to Him, burying our old selves in the waters of baptism and rising to a life dedicated to Him, we need not fear those final moments. We will be able to approach God’s judgment with joy, knowing that our salvation depends not on ourselves but on Jesus and His blood.

If you find yourself feeling anxious as you think about that final judgment, it may be that you are trusting in your own works and not in Jesus’ all-sufficient work. Surrender yourself to the Rock of Ages. Only He can save your from sin and make you pure in His Father’s eyes.

A fence around the Law

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barbed wireThe Jewish Talmud is the record of rabbinic discussions concerning the Law. One of the stated aims of the Talmud was to “build a fence around the Torah.” One Jewish website describes that principle in this way:

For example, the Torah commands us not to work on Shabbat, but a gezeirah commands us not to even handle an implement that you would use to perform prohibited work (such as a pencil, money, a hammer), because someone holding the implement might forget that it was Shabbat and perform prohibited work. (http://www.jewfaq.org/halakhah.htm)

This fence consists of oral and written traditions, not part of the Law itself, but built around the Law. It was because of these traditions that Jesus and the Jewish leaders of his day often found themselves in conflict. Because the Pharisees and Jewish teachers often gave these traditions as much importance as the Law itself. (at least in practice) Jesus refused to follow their traditions, insisting instead on following God’s Law.

We have to be careful about creating a new fence around Scripture, creating traditions that become laws, laws which put us at odds with the teaching of the New Testament. God’s Word needs no fence; the concepts of freedom and grace tear down all manmade safety measures.

Salvation by faith

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viewI believe in salvation by grace through faith.

Yes, I believe in salvation by faith. I just think we need to know what we are talking about when we say faith.

Saving faith is not mental assent. It’s not something the same as what we typically call belief. We can see an example of that in John chapter 12: “Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.” (John 12:42-43) These people came to have faith in Jesus, they believed in him, but they weren’t willing to act on that faith. Faith that never goes into action is not saving faith.

In Romans 1:5, Paul can talk about “the obedience that comes from faith.” Saving faith moves us to do something, to respond to God in some way. Faith without obedience is dead.

That’s why I have no problem in believing that baptism is the normal way that people come to be in a saving relationship with God, yet can also say that I believe in salvation by faith. Obedience is part of saving faith. Mere intellectual assent is not saving faith. We do nothing to earn our own salvation; it’s an exercise in futility to try. But at the same time, we put our faith into action or we admit that we have no real faith.

Celebrities are people, too

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Mark CubanWhen we came back to the United States, I became a fan of the NBA. Well, of the San Antonio Spurs. It was hard not to, living near San Antonio. Over time, I developed a deep dislike for the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban. He’s loud. He’s profane. He’s a poor sport. I could go on and on.

The other day I was about to post on the Internet about what a jerk I think he is. That’s when I realized something else about him.

He’s made in the image of God. He’s someone for whom Jesus died.

I tend to see celebrities as if they were characters in a movie, fictional entities. They don’t have families. They don’t have feelings. They only exist for me to cheer and boo. I don’t see them as real people.

God does. Whether I do or not, God does. Celebrities are people, too. More than that, celebrities need God as much as anyone else does.

Mr. Cuban, I hope that you come to know God. If you already know him, I pray that you will allow him to guide and affect your life. My Savior died for you, just as he did for me. And I am in need of his grace, just as much as you are. I hope that I can always remember these things. Even when I get caught up in the passion of sports.