Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Hello, dear ones.

Beautiful warm summer morning here. Both Becki and I only wore t-shirts (on top) during our earlier walk/jog. Bimbo did the excursion again in the nude…and wasn’t a bit ashamed. I really like the new running shoes I just bought…yielding to a wild color…bright florescent glow-in-the-light yellow. I nearly have to use sunglasses to tie my shoes now. No doubt some passersby who see me fairly regularly on the road were commenting to themselves as they zipped by on their way to work, “Wow! That guy definitely has new shoes!”

Becki is off to take her sister to a doctor’s appointment. I need to get on with my list. Blessings on your day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

Do you see the dangerous ideological problems that can flow from the notion that men can build a “House of God” on earth?—a building or place where God dwells in concentrated measure? I don’t wish to mess up some of our nice choruses that sound and feel good, but is it not possible that a song like the following could allow for some theological contamination?—that can fuel a flimsy feely faith? “Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place—I can feel His mighty power and His grace—I can hear the rush of angel’s wings—I see glory on each face. Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.” If the “presence of the Lord” is here in this place, doesn’t that mean that I can leave this place and His presence? In the same way, if I can enter the “House of God” and so place myself in His presence, wouldn’t that imply that I can also exit that house and His presence? An accompanying notion can also reason, “When I am in the presence of God, I had better apply my best effort to be as good and holy as I possibly can. But when I am not in that place I can relax.” Another way to state this corrupted thinking could go like this: “If I can go into the presence of God where I am closely monitored, I can also go out of it and thereby escape being closely monitored.” Here’s the general warning that I believe applies: The deceitfulness of my natural dirty heart is a lousy and unreliable standard for formulating a sound Biblical theology. My NATURAL SIN NATURE is expert at finding loopholes to justify my bent toward sin—and skirting God’s rules. I am wise to work it all out with careful “fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12. Consider also Psalm 139.) (PS: It’s not adequate to just say, “I believe the Bible!” or, “I believe everything R. C. Sproul teaches!”)

The whole of Biblical revelation certainly dispels any such dangerous notions. Jesus offered clarification to the matter when He said, “The kingdom of God (or the “House of God”) does not come with your careful observation (or determined by subjective feelings), nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20-21). And, of course, we can add the perspective of Paul—“Do you not know that your body is a temple (“House of God”) of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

I didn’t really intend to get in your face and hassle you. But this is important—so perhaps I’ll do so indirectly by getting in my own face. DOES MY PSYCHOLOGY PERFORM DIFFERENTLY IN CHURCH THAN IT DOES IN PRIVATE? If so, I have to believe that I have a serious problem that can get me into serious trouble if unchecked. I have to believe that the omnipresent omniscient monitoring presence of Sovereign God is just as active in private as it is in church—both when I “feel” His presence and when I don’t (Hebrews 4:13).

You will not be surprised at my returning to the same bottom-line conclusion: My safest and most Biblical orientation is to do everything I can to maintain a HEART AFTER GOD—24/7—365 days per year. That orientation is described just two verses ahead of the FOCUS VERSE—“My soul yearns even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God” (84:2). It only stands to reason that a person who continually resides in His presence will be “ever praising you.”