Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, dear ones.

I am here at the Selig’s place in Columbia Falls, Montana. Sure a lot of gorgeous scenery around here. Just a short distance from their home, a mountain rises feet above the flat floor of the valley. Majestic.

We’re having some difficulties with internet connections…so I can’t be sure how successful I will be with getting this message out. Here goes. When/if I send it, I will be going up to the senior camp meeting event at Glacier Bible Camp nearby.

Blessings.

Love, Dad/Ray.

It would be well worth our effort to commit this doxology passage to memory (vv. 33-36). It touches the root of man’s most typical problem in his relationship with God. I think it would be safe to say that almost all spiritual and moral failure among humans stems from a kind of pride and self-centeredness that militates against God and His glory. Man persistently says with his attitudes and actions, “I want some glory for myself.”

As I carefully read chapter 11, I notice 3 particular words that help to identify this root problem: (1) “…do not boast over those branches” (v. 18). Boastfulness is unbecoming to believers when it involves the blessings and benefits of God that are received by grace. What do we have that is not received? (2) “Do not be arrogant but be afraid” (v. 20). Arrogance is that distorted attitude that presumes that God exists for me. He is there to bless me, to help me, to answer my prayers, to heal my body, and to meet my needs. Me, me, me, and my, my, my. Too often that becomes the basis of a man’s theology. So much so that a man will deceive himself into thinking that he is actually doing God some kind of favor to call on Him. Paul puts it this way, “You do not support the root, but the root supports you” (v. 18). That is, God does not exist for you, but you exist for God. (3) “…so that you may not be conceited” (v. 25). Conceit is defined as “a vain and exaggerated opinion of oneself.” When a person or group of persons begins to think that they are the special privileged and exclusive people of God, there we find the makings of cultism and general imbalance. It is a wandering from the path of humility. It generates a spiritual pride that is destructive to the glory of God. It is simply impossible to read this passage with understanding and walk away with attitudes of boastfulness, arrogance, and conceit. “TO HIM BE GLORY forever! Amen.”