Magic Motion Mondays takes a back seat when we don't have the kiddos. Tasha and I head out tomorrow for Weaverville, NC at the Young Life camp out there. We'll be ministering to a group of high school students from Gaston Christian School - should be an awesome week. Pray for us if you get the chance. All that to say that the kids are in Virginia with my parents this week terrorizing the Via house. Thanks for taking care of them, Mom. I suppose Tasha and I could video us sitting around staring at their toys lying deathly still, but how truly sad that would be indeed!
On another note. I'm currently reading the journals of Jim Elliot (Dad, I stole it off your shelf while you were out preaching last night).
I love his comments on 2 Timothy 2.
"And those who are arguing about foreknowledge, election, and such - read those verses 14-26 and then look how the apostle is willing to leave it a paradox (vv. 25, 26). 'God gives repentance' and 'they recover themselves.' Yes, yes, I'm naive and glad to be so in such a case" (January 19, 1948).
I stand naive with Jim. I'd rather be out telling people about Christ than joining in endless theological debate at Showmars. Or worse, wondering who the elect are and whether it would be a waste of my time to tell, seeing as Mr. so-and-so couldn't possibly be one of them anyway - another form of debate - a debate of the mind that I always lose when the debate begins. Forget the debate. Be naive.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Toys Lie Still and What about Election?
Labels: currently reading, devotional thoughts, family
Posted by Josh Via at 11:41 PM
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1 comments:
Hey Josh
I take comfort in these verses:
"that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." -John 3:15
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Matthew 11:28
And I examine myself and and I say,
"Griff, are you believing the gospel? Are you trusting that Christ died in your place to redeem you from all your sins? Have you come after Christ like he said? Are you trusting him alone?" and the answer is a resounding,
"Yes!"
But then I'm perplexed and I say, "Why do I believe the gospel, yet people I love and care about who've heard the same good news..., reject it?" "Am I smarter than them?"
Nope!
"Am I just a tinny bit more righteous?"
Nope!
"Am I just a smidgen more holy?"
No way!"
Then I run across verses like this:
"For it has been GRANTED to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only BELIEVE in him but also suffer for his sake,"-Philippians 1:29
"Okay, so that's a little clearer to me now... Faith is a gift from God. But are you sure?"
Yep, Griff, dontcha' remember Ephesians 2:8-9? "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And THIS IS NOT YOUR OWN DOING; it is the GIFT of God, not a result of works, so that no one may BOAST."
"All right, I'm getting it now...If I am somehow smarter, humbler, holier than so and so, then I can boast about it. So what the Bible says is, God grants the ability to BELIEVE. But that would mean that it was TOTALLY out of my hands and I can't do anything to save myself...??
Yep.
"Oh no! That's scary!"
Yep.
"All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out." -John 6:37
"So, I'm a gift from the Father to the Son. But that's saying that my salvation is not so much about me, but about God and His glory. Wow! And I always thought the main reason for sharing the gospel was for getting people out of hell. But how does that give me any comfort? Why am I here? What is my chief end?"
Answer: Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.
No one CAN come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.- John 6:44
(Josh, I will not get offened if you don't publish this comment, but I think a man's got to wrestle with some of these things.)
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