Celebrating 30 yrs. of God's Grace and Mercy in My Life!

This week 30 years ago, the Lord changed my heart, adopted me as His very own, gave me the desire to follow Him, and the ability to obey Him! Believe me, if He hadn't initiated and completed this, I would never have given Him a second thought. Here's my full (long) testimony for those who care to read how the Lord graciously took hold of me, My Testimony May ALL the glory be His.

Celebrating God's Amazing Grace To Me

My life changed forever 29 years ago this month. I've posted my testimony HERE . To God be the glory!!!

For God or For Me?

What should be the Christian's motivation to obey God--fear of hell, desire for rewards, a "happy" life, financial security, avoidance of trials and suffering, increased blessings, anticipating seeing loved ones who have passed on?????? How 'bout a love for God? Sound too simple? To some it does, and that is exactly what I've been pondering for several weeks now.

This is something that has become more and more settled in my own mind during 25+ years as a professing believer. However, like many things that we Xians have "settled" in our minds, God has a way of reintroducing a matter to cause us to wrestle with it again. What I find amazingly wonderful and comforting is how God causes such thoughts and efforts to benefit us as we seek to serve and minister His truths to others!

To begin with, please go read Why Do You Do What You Do For God? over at "A Complete Thought". Now, focus on this portion of the quote, "It is because God has saved us by grace entirely apart from any merit in ourselves that we love and want to please Him." Keep that in your mind for a moment while we consider this:

"Regardless of your age when you trusted Christ, the Cross divides your whole life into two periods: you as an unbeliever and you as a believer...

...what one word describes the Bible message you most needed to hear as an unbeliever? I suggest that word is the gospel. It is the gospel that is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). We need to hear that Jesus died for sinners and that if we come to Him in faith, we will receive the forgiveness of our sins and the gift of eternal life...

We need to continue to hear the gospel every day of our Christian lives...

It is only gratitude and love to God that comes from knowing that He no longer counts our sins against us (Romans 4:8) that provides the proper motive for responding to the claims of discipleship...

The gospel is meaningful for us only to the extent that we realize and acknowledge that we are still sinful. Although we are new creatures in Christ, we still sin every day in thought, word, and deed, and perhaps even more importantly, in motives. To benefit from the gospel every day, then, we must acknowledge that we are still sinners. "

Clearly, it is the gospel--and only the gospel--that grants us joy or provides any "benefits". With me so far? Good! Because the gospel is often seen synergistically, "I did something to contribute to my salvation" (i.e. I prayed a prayer, I walked an aisle, etc.) as opposed to monergistically--many Christians live their lives believing their salvation and sanctification is dependent upon them in some way. Consider this:

"Without a continual reminder of the good news of the gospel, we can easily fall into one of two errors. The first is to focus on our external performance and become proud like the Pharisees. We may then begin to look down our spiritual noses at others who are not as disciplined, obedient, and committed as we are and in a very subtle way begin to feel spiritually superior to them.

The second error is the exact opposite of the first. It is the feeling of guilt. We have been exposed to the disciplines of the Christian life, to obedience, and to service, and in our hearts we have responded to those challenges. We haven't, however, been as successful as others around us appear to be. Or we find ourselves dealing with some of the sins of the heart such as anger, resentment, covetousness, and a judgmental attitude...impure thoughts or impatience, or a lack of faith and trust in God. Because we have put the gospel on the shelf as far as our own lives are concerned, we struggle with a sense of failure and guilt. We believe God is displeased with us, and we certainly wouldn't expect His blessing on our lives. After all, we don't deserve His favor. "

A Biblical view of the gospel relieves us of unnecessary uncertainty and frees us from a works oriented faith. How do we bring our thinking in line with Scripture on this? Read on:

"Because we are focusing on our performance, we forget the meaning of grace: God's unmerited favor to those who deserve only His wrath. Pharisee-type believers unconsciously think they have earned God's blessing through their behavior. Guilt-laden believers are quite sure they have forfeited God's blessing through their lack of discipline or their disobedience. Both have forgotten the meaning of grace because they have moved away from the gospel and have slipped into a performance relationship with God...

...God never intended that we relate to Him directly. Our own performance is never good enough to be acceptable to Him. The only way we can relate to God is through the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. It is only the blood of Jesus that will cleanse us from a guilty conscience and give us the confidence to enter into the presence of God (Hebrews 10:19-21).

The gospel, applied to our hearts every day, frees us to be brutally honest with ourselves and with God. The assurance of His total forgiveness of our sins through the blood of Christ means we don't have to play defensive games anymore..."

God does not merely accomplish salvation in His children and leave them to live it out, our obedience is nothing less than our expression of love and gratitude for the matchless grace He has showered upon us! This is particularly humbling when, through a clear understanding of the gospel, we see that we were hopelessly dead in our sins--enemies of God--when He sent His son to die in our place. What more could possibly motivate us to express our love to God?

As you evaluate your relationship with God, take courage or caution--according to your spiritual condition--in these words:

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. (2 Peter 1:5-9)

If you've been reading here for very long you KNOW that I rely heavily on the works of Godly men and women. In this case I owe thanks to Jerry Bridges and his book, "The Discipline of Grace--God's Role and Our Role in the Pursuit of Holiness".

Can/Do Christians "Lose" Their Faith While in College?

What do YOU think (I REALLY would like to hear from you!!) when you hear the following statement (or similar statements), "Soon after my own entrance into college I lost my faith..."?

I just read that in a book I bought recently at one of our favorite used bookstores (love, love, love those stores!). I bought the book for our oldest daughter because it does in fact have some helpful information, and it is published by NAVPRESS--a publisher that for the most part I have been able to trust over the years.

Tell me, college or no college, can you "lose" your faith--ever?

Our oldest daughter, whom the Lord saved in Jan. 2004, began taking college courses at a local community college this summer. This is a great program because not only is the tuition PAID, she is also earning college credit while concurrently completing her junior and senior years of high school (home school)! And, as if that wasn't enough, she is taking college level advanced Russian (her native language) classes taught by a native-speaking Russian!

She's had three college classes so far, and even though we are smack-dab in the middle of the "buckle of the Bible-belt" she's been "hit" from many sides already! Like the fellow-student (female) with an apparent anger problem who told Olga to "...shut up, just shut up..." after she asked Olga for help on the quiz they had been paired up to complete. And what about the instructor who for no apparent reason felt it necessary to point out that a student (who was absent that day) was a "protestant". Then there's the "cultural" differences like the really nice young man (I joined the class for dinner one evening) with more facial piercings that a pin-cushion (ouch!)! And the instructor whose lecture language is very "colorful"--not to mention the language of other students. What about all the "random" rabbit-trails students and instructors regularly go on in the areas of politics, social norms, sexuality, philosophy, and world religions?

All that to say this, should I be worried that she may "lose" her faith in college now or later? I don't think so, because such a concern is not Biblically or theologically sound. The fact is, according to Scripture her faith--if in fact genuine--is not "hers" to lose, it is reserved in heaven.

However, I should warn her about the challenges to her faith that she will encounter, and believe me I have--repeatedly!!!! I've told her about the instructors who will "eat her for lunch", I've told her about the other students who will chastise her for her values and standards, and I've told her about the textbooks that will present a worldview completely opposite of her Biblical worldview.

Here's where I'm going with all of this, if my daughter "loses" her faith in college, then I MUST conclude--and warn her--that she never had a genuine saving faith in the first place. If that turns out to be the case, I must not give her some false assurance that she merely "lost" her faith and can now, or someday, "reclaim" it. She must be made to see that a true saving faith is a faith that endures even when providentially tested. By God's grace and mercy we plan to be there for her during those tests!

A Final Thought: Perhaps I'm taking the author's words too literally and he merely intends to caution students to guard themselves from "falling away" or growing spiritually indifferent. But ,I would caution the author and many like him, that the message his statement sends is not a Biblically sound message--one CANNOT lose what God has secured through the sacrificial death and resurrection of His only Son.

Theology 101 - Adoption

(Clarification: This post addresses the Biblical doctrine of spiritual adoption--not human adoption. While I'm a great advocate of human adoption, this post is in keeping with my "Theology 101" series covering various aspects of Biblical theology.)

I realize that while adoption is a very familiar concept in our family (for obvious reasons), it may be a very unfamiliar topic to many others. However, for the believer it should become a very familiar and beloved topic!

I've understood the concept of adoption since I was very young, my aunt and uncle adopted my cousin in the early 70's. I grew up knowing that my cousin was adopted and so did he--there was no "whispering" about him being adopted. But he had such a deep and healthy sense of being part of his family--truly belonging--that he came home from school one day eager to share about a lab experiment. That day during the lab, the class tested and identified blood types. After questioning his parents regarding their blood types, "J" was puzzled that his blood type did not follow theirs like it should. At that point my aunt gently reminded J. that his blood type did not follow the pattern because he was not born to my aunt and uncle. THAT is how deep the sense of belonging should be in our heavenly family! And, it is exactly how God has designed it to be. Consider what J. I. Packer has to say about the doctrine of Adoption:

"Paul teaches that the gift of justification (i.e., present acceptance by God as the world's Judge) brings with it the status of sonship by adoption (i.e., permanent intimacy with God as one's heavenly Father, Gal. 3:26; 4:4-7). In Paul's world, adoption was ordinarily of young adult males of good character to become heirs and maintain the family name of the childless rich. Paul, however, proclaims God's gracious adoption of persons of bad character to become "heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8:17).

Justification is the basic blessing, on which adoption is founded; adoption is the crowning blessing, to which justification clears the way. Adopted status belongs to all who receive Christ (John 1:12). The adopted status of believers means that in and through Christ God loves them as he loves his only-begotten Son and will share with them all the glory that is Christ's now (Rom. 8:17, 38-39). Here and now believers are under God's fatherly care and discipline (Matt. 6:26; Heb. 12:5-11) and are directed, especially by Jesus, to live their whole lives in light of the knowledge that God is their Father in heaven. They are to pray to him as such (Matt. 6:5-13), imitate him as such (Matt. 5:44-48; 6:12, 14-15; 18:21-35; Eph. 4:32-5:2), and trust him as such (Matt. 6:25-34), thus expressing the filial instinct that the Holy Spirit has implanted in them (Rom. 8:15-17; Gal. 4:6).

Adoption and regeneration accompany each other as two aspects of the salvation that Christ brings (John 1:12-13), but they are to be distinguished. Adoption is the bestowal of a relationship, while regeneration is the transformation of our moral nature. Yet the link is evident; God wants his children, whom he loves, to bear his character, and takes action accordingly. "

Isn't it interesting--and very telling--that God does not make it a practice in Scripture of frequently calling us "adopted children", "adopted son/daughter", but He primarily calls us "HIS children", "HIS son/daughter". The fact that we have been adopted is no secret, but our being adopted is not a matter that he focuses on--because He has MADE us His very own, we are no longer strangers!

This of course, is a facet of Biblical truth that has become very noticeable to me because I am an adoptive mom. I/we do not call our daughters, "our adopted daughters", we do not introduce them as such, because they ARE our daughters. We have set our affection upon them and they are entitled to everything that a biological child would be entitled to. The fact or principle is known, but instead of weakening or "qualifying" the relationship, it merely sets the stage for the relationship.

May you, by God's grace and mercy, rejoice in the fact that such a wonderful loving Father adopts us into His family--as His son or daughter!

Theology 101 - Soteriology

Hold on ladies, this is gonna be a lengthy post! :-)

"Christian! the only thing that makes you differ from the vilest being that pollutes the earth, or from the darkest fiend that gnaws his chains in hell, is the free grace of God!" - Octavious Winslow

Soteriology is the theological doctrine of salvation as effected by Jesus. A summary of the reformed view of soteriology is this, "salvation is accomplished by the almighty power of the triune God. The Father chose a people, the Son died for them, the Holy Spirit makes Christ's death effective by bringing the elect to faith and repentance, thereby causing them to willingly obey the Gospel. The entire process (election, redemption, regeneration) is the work of God and is by grace alone.

Most mainline evangelicals would not argue with what I've presented above, where the debate typically begins is when we consider the part man plays, or doesn't play, in the order salvation. Consider what Louis Berkhof wrote on this matter,

"We begin the discussion of the order of salvation, that is, of the order in which the Holy Spirit applies the work of redemption to the hearts and lives of man...we take our starting-point in those redemptive acts of God in which man does not co-operate, and in which redemption stands out most prominently as a work of God. By doing this we clearly recognize the fact that God and not man begins the redemptive process, and that salvation is altogether a work of divine grace, a work of which we become partakers only in union with Jesus Christ...by the work of regeneration. Many...take their starting-point in man and begin their treatment of the order of salvation with a discussion of saving faith, considered more particularly as an act of man, by which he takes unto himself the blessings of salvation wrought by Christ. They do not speak of the application of the work of redemption by the Holy Spirit, but of its appropriation by man. And in this appropriation everything is made dependent on man's act of faith. It is even by faith that man is regenerated. This representation clearly fits in with their conception of the free will of man. While we honour God as the author of our salavation, and as the primary cause of every redemptive act, we do not lose sight of the fact that, after regeneration, man apppropriates the blessings of salvation by faith, and co-operates with the Spirit of God in some of the redemptive acts, such as conversion and sanctification."

While agreeing on the order of salvation is not a test of ones salvation, it is a very good indicator of one's theology--whether it is man-centered, or whether it is God-centered. By that I mean, is man saved because of what man has done, or is man saved soley because of what God has done? To answer that, let's take this a bit further.

As we saw last week in Biblical anthropology, man's condition apart from God--before salvation--is hopeless. Man without God falls short (Rom. 1:23), is filled with all unrighteousness, evil, haters of God, inventors of evil, disobedient, without understanding (Rom. 1:29-32), does not understand, does not seek after God, (Rom. 3:9-12), is hostile to God (Rom. 8:7), and is spiritually DEAD (Eph. 2:1).

If we deal honestly with Scripture regarding man's condition, then we will understand that man is not simply figuratively hopeless, but literally hopeless. If we are to be rescued from our hopeless situation, we are completely dependent upon God--and it is ALL of God. This brings us to Eph. 2:8-10

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that (faith) not of ourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

If it were not for God giving us the gift of faith, being DEAD we would not--COULD not--respond to the gospel. If we have done anything to contribute to our salvation, then we contradict Scripture and have reason to "boast".

If you've been a Xian for very long, hopefully you know and understand that our "experience(s)" must be measured and weighed first and foremost by Scripture. This seems to be the greatest source of contention in the area of soteriology. The only reason I gave any notice to the gospel or to God's calling on my life is because He FIRST made me alive spiritually--He gave me eyes to see, ears to hear. Prior to that, I was as dead and "stinking" as Lazarus in his tomb. This is a fitting illustration! When Jesus arrived at Lazarus' tomb and commanded Lazarus to come forth, Lazarus had to FIRST be made alive in order to respond to Jesus' command--dead men DON'T walk.

Many believers are confused regarding their part in salvation because they rely on their experience to guide their understanding, rather than rely on Scripture to guide and define their experience. We must bring our experience into line with Scripture and remain under it's authority. Scripture tells me that I was dead in my sin, God made me alive and gave me faith (and the desire) to obey Him. My salvation was NOT initiated by me, my salvation was initiated and completed by God--I merely responded in agreement with the new life God gave me.

The order of salvation, and man's part in it, is found throughout Scripture, but is especially clear in Ephesians 2:

1) Prior to God doing a work in us, we are dead, "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked...", Eph. 2:1-2

2) God made the first move by making us alive, "But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive...", Eph. 2:4-5

3) God justified us (this is another topic for a future "Theology 101" post), "...raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus", Eph. 2:6

4) By God's grace He worked in us the faith necessary to please Him, "...you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.", Eph. 2:8-9

THIS is the "good news"!!! God rescued me, He didn't "meet me halfway". I have absolutely nothing to contribute to my salvation, and I am deeply humbled that for His own good pleasure He saved me--little o' worthless, ungrateful me. I have NO reason to boast, except in Him and His marvelous matchless mercy and grace.