Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, dear ones.

It is my opinion that the fulfillment speed of the Biblical prophetic timeline has just been increased. Selah. The speed is mind-boggling for my little bald head.

Lots more on the list for today…much of which are tasks that were on the list yesterday that didn’t get crossed off.

Be especially blessed with peace today…as you seek the Prince of Peace.

Love, Dad/Ray.

There’s nothing new about this controversy. It’s still very much with us today. People are still divided in their regard for Jesus. Is He the Christ or isn’t He? Is He worth listening to or is He a brilliant idiot?—or con artist? Does He speak truth or is it all a wild fabrication? Is he doing miracles by the power of God or by the power of the devil? Is He truly sent from God or is He a regular guy from Galilee? I suppose that the debate will go on and on till the end. Whatever the judgment is that people make concerning Jesus, one thing is for sure if the Biblical record is true: THIS JESUS OF NAZARETH/GALILEE DEMANDS A DECISION! A verdict (vote) must be made. No one can hear the things He said or the issues He raised or the claims about Him without drawing conclusions—even if some of those conclusions for a period of time may be imperfectly understood. In the final outcome, when we are called from the arena of debate and deliberation, there are only two answers to choose from on the voting form: YES or NO. And it is really the hand of omniscience that marks the final ballot FOR YOU—it is not marked BY YOU alone. During the course of the controversy one may carry around a verbal or tentative decision card that says YES, but one’s accompanying behavior is monitored and made to be the weightier factor in the final vote. Behavior really is the evidence of true belief. A verbal YES must be accompanied by a behavioral YES in order to count as a final YES.

Without doing a careful word study, let me add one more thought gleaned from this focus verse. Notice that the text says that they were “divided because of Jesus”—not “over” or “about” Jesus. I did check several translations and “because of Jesus” seems to be about the most accurate rendering. QUESTION: Is it valid to suggest that if there is no real Jesus, there is no real debate? Without Jesus, all that’s left is a huge quagmire of human opinion—“much to do about nothing.” There would be no sides to the SAVED and LOST issue. All would be condemned. All would perish. Based upon an overview of Biblical revelation, this Jesus really is the pivotal determiner of eternal destiny—“divided because of Jesus.”

“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart (indeed it is this vital combination of factors that controls behavior) that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved” (Romans 10:9-10).

“Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16).