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Boarding a plane is a lot of fun… ok, not really fun per se, but always interesting.

I’ve gone from being an “elite” flyer to “welcome to the cattle call”. Oh well, life goes on and really it means I travel less and I’m home more. Pretty grateful for the change.

Yesterday I boarded a plane and it’s fun to try and figure out what runs through peoples minds, who are these people?

The businessman, the athlete, the cowboy (I was on my way to Dallas after all), the next D.B. Cooper perhaps… Most folks are normal I suppose, but I think I’m normal and I’m not.

I’m not but not in the way you might think or even I think.  I’m different because of the work of another. It really had nothing to do with me. It’s a weird thing for the human mind to comprehend.

The doctrine of election says God chose you before time began (Ephesians 1:4) and that makes me unique.  Again, can I reiterate it was not my doing?  I take no credit for it, I played no part in it, but yet the gain is mine.  It is quite humiliating and that really is the point of election.  You were dead one day and then one day you were alive.

We are talking about the spiritual reality of life and death (Ephesians 2:1).  God uses this precious doctrine to teach us something.  Mainly, God is in control and we are not.  He teaches the vessels of mercy, a rich understanding of their reliance upon Him.

Election may very well be the most hated doctrine in all of Christianity and it is because it takes away human autonomy.  It says to our sinful selves…  “you can’t.”  “But I can.  Therefore, stop trying.  Believe in Me and be saved.”

At the bottom of all of the supposed controversy about the doctrine of election, there is this simple reality.  Lay down your arms.  Turn back to God and receive His forgiveness and grace.

The parallel reality to God’s sovereign choice is that nothing keeps you from Him but your hard and impenitent heart.  Like an unsolvable mystery; sometimes there are truths we must accept and they are reserved only for the mind of God.  The Bible teaches God is sovereign in salvation and man is accountable.  Don’t miss this.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Kevin

What is it that is offensive about Muzak?  It’s easy to listen to, it doesn’t raise the heart-rate, and it’s soothing but there is something about it that rubs me the wrong way.

It’s an imitation of the real thing, and in a sense, that feels a little greasy to me.

It wasn’t too long ago and I was in Arizona cruising around with my dad doing his golf cart thing.  He’s found a little niche and, can best be described, as a golf cart flipper.  He loves it.  He’s good at it and I enjoy an opportunity to hang with him.

But the Muzak…  Yikes…

Floyd Cramer cranking out Proud Mary just doesn’t work for me.

Un-authentic Christianity can have a similar vibe.  It brings things to mind but doesn’t quite satisfy the soul.  It’s like a cheap suit on an otherwise well-dressed man.  Not what you want to see or hear.

While you can tolerate Muzak for a time, it’s not what you really want to hear and in a sense hypocrites and imposters will be tolerated for a time.

Don’t be one.  Be hot or be cold, but don’t be luke-warm.  You know, it has to do with vomit.

Jesus was no fan of this either.

So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.  Matthew 23:28

The tell-tale sign is hypocrisy and lawlessness.  Cheap imitations of Christ’s calling.

Be careful how you walk if you are an authentic Christian.  Others are watching.

 

Kevin

 

But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.  Psalm 103:17-18

God keeps covenant.  Period.  Plain and simple.

What is a covenant you might ask?  The simple answer from the Catechism: it is an agreement between two or more people.

I’ve been in Arizona for work but stayed a few extra days to visit my mother and father.  I came to see that the covenant promises of God have been very true for me and more importantly I play a role in fulfilling those for the future.

These are generational promises or a multi-generational vision for the family as Voddie Baucham has written in his book What He Must Be.

Where am I going with this?

I’m a Christian.  My Mother and Father are Christians.  My Grandmother was a Christian and my great Grandfather was, guess what?  Yes, he was a Christian.

Well, of course, anyone can “claim” to be a Christian.  I meet them all the time when engaging in evangelism, but what makes me believe this?  A life well lived, through a life that emulates Christian living.  It’s not a perfect gauge of a truly regenerate person, but it sure does give us good indications.

While looking through his closet my Dad came across an old Bible from his Grandfather.  It was loaded with notes and studies of the Scriptures that made me think, Wow…

My Dad said to me, “yeah, Grandpa studied the bible all the time.  He was always reading it.”  As I spent time gazing upon words that were written in the 1940s and earlier, I stood in awe of the God that keeps covenant.

Exodus 20:6
but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

The role I play now is to teach this to my children, that they will teach to their children because they are not born Christians, nor are those born into Christian families always Christians.  It requires repentance and faith to come to Christ.  It requires the new birth, but if I may say, the odds are better.  Better simply because if your children hear the gospel in the home, or have the Bible read and see a Christian life, without hypocrisy, lived out, then it has an impact.

Today is a new day.  It’s a day to either continue or to start a multi-generational vision.  God is faithful.  Pray for His grace and mercy, and plead for the souls of your children.

Kevin

“What if we train them and they don’t stay? What if they stay and we don’t train them?”

This little statement I learned a lifetime ago while at a training conference for the business in which I was working.

20 years later and a completely different business reminded me of the importance of this little adage.  How can we possibly think that “good” customer service or professionalism can be accomplished without a thorough training process?

This is behind everything in life.  The military has something called basic training after all, seriously, can you imagine sending men to a battle without training?

How much more should this be in Christian life?  In the training of our children?  How about the training of the nations?

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…  Matthew 28:19

or look at how King James says it, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations… 

Let’s teach them, let’s teach our children, let’s teach our friends, let’s teach our neighbors and let’s teach all those that will listen.

Why?  Is it because we are concerned about our customers?  Well, yes, perhaps…  We are certainly concerned about lost souls and we need to have a concern that others must know the way of truth and the path which leads to it.

And teaching not only begins with others, but it also concerns ourselves.   We are taught by God and that teaching results in teaching others.

Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. Psalm 27:11

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.  Psalm 51:13

Oh, the benefits of instruction are for us all and especially for our own souls.  Let us not forget that learning, teaching, and training should never end.   It should never end for us, for our children, for the church and for those around us.

Kevin

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14

Without holiness NO ONE will see the Lord…  this is a frightening thought for a Christian.  If a true believer is truly in Christ they will desire to see Christ and obey Christ.

I want to see Christ.  I trust you want to see Christ.  And the pursuit of holiness in Christian life should never be a doubt.  The concept of antinomian living (without law) should never be a consideration.  After all, Paul wrote Romans 6.  He made it clear.

If a professing Christian pursues sinful desires and has no conviction there is a problem.

The question really becomes how does a Christian strive for and pursue holiness?   It can easily become imbalanced.  In an effort to swing the pendulum away from antinomianism guess where it ends up landing?

It becomes legalism.

It’s important to understand, as Sinclair Ferguson wrote in his book The Whole Christ, that antinomianism and legalism are not opposites but they are twins.  Neither position is right. Mankind has a natural proclivity to run toward either position and this is a grievous mistake.

Lawlessness might feel good for the one that says since I have grace I can do what I want and not worry about it, but the legalist feels accomplishment in his rule following.

If the goal is to stay as far away from the line as possible it ends up pushing you in the other direction.  Notice the speed limit sign.  The speed limit is 70.  But hello McFly, there is also a lower limit of 40.  If you stay as far away from the sin of breaking the law by going 71 that sends you toward 39 and you are still in sin.

Now what?  Do you reach a happy medium and drive 55?  Sammy Hagar couldn’t do it, why do you think you can?  Is that the right answer?  No, and a thousand times no…

The ditches on both sides are steep and difficult.  An antinomian life is no better than a legal life.  They are both slaveries.

Are you exhausted?  I am.  But there is great hope.

His name is Jesus.

He accomplished on the cross the legal demands of the law.  He crushed sin and death and He has given us sweet freedom in Him.  In fact, and this is a BIG deal.  He is the source of our holiness.  Will we strive, but not in your own efforts because you can’t, you won’t, and it will be defeating and debilitating.  It will crush your hope and destroy your spirit of joy.

If you lack joy and hope in the Christian life perhaps you are burdened with the thought of your own sin and your lack of ability to move forward in holiness.  If that is where you live, then stop trying to be holy, and approach the throne of grace, where Christ promises to be your great high priest.  He will intercede for you.  He will be your hope.

Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.  1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

Kevin