Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, special ones.

Wow! I just went online to confirm the spelling of the name of Patrick Henry…since I quote him below. I was not prepared for being impacted with what I encountered. Out of curiosity, I clicked on a U-Tube link for a re-enactment of his speech that contains his famous quote. What a moving presentation! Let me recommend your viewing it. Here’s the link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=iEOets_L7vg

More challenges lay ahead for me today. I’d better take them on. Have a blessed day of your own.

Love, Dad/Ray.

Some words of Jesus are ringing bells in my little bald head this morning as I process this passage in Jeremiah. Listen—“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks (…and the mind thinks, and the choices are made, and the courses are set, and the rewards or consequences are determined). The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him” (Matthew 12:33-36).

We Americans traditionally make a big deal out of freedom. We idolize patriotic icons like Patrick Henry who uttered those famous words, “Give me liberty (freedom) or give me death!” That sounds so noble. And properly understood and managed, it is. But my Biblical worldview, plus my honest inspection of the fruit of our own history, force me to challenge, at least qualify, some of these ideals. How can we avoid judging the quality of our national tree when those of us with a Biblical orientation are appalled at the quality of its fruit?! How can we avoid seeing a cause-and-effect connection between America’s quality and her national security?—which computes to INSECURITY. If a group of humans, all wired at heart level with a NATURAL SIN NATURE, are given unrestrained freedom and liberty, what is likely to be the outcome? Answer: Just about like we have it in America today. It’s a matter of simple math—of natural logical sowing and reaping. It confirms the old quip—“Give a man (with a NATURAL SIN NATURE) enough rope and he’ll hang himself.” We’ve had too much freedom! We’ve abused freedom!—preparing the way for our “freedom” from God and His rules, “freedom” to illegalize prayer in schools and legalize “same-sex marriage” (which by definition cannot even be marriage—unless we usurp the “freedom” to redefine it), “freedom” to save frogs in wetlands and kill unborn babies, “freedom” to penalize hard work and creative enterprise and reward laziness, “freedom” to be “tolerant” of everything except Biblical Christianity—demonstrating the “freedom” to be STUPID!

We could get carried away on this track. But here’s the point as I see it: The Sovereign LORD has built into man a FREE WILL—a freedom to select and choose his course and corresponding destiny. So we can choose to accept God’s terms and go to heaven, or we can reject His terms and go to hell. It’s as simple as that. God clearly has no interest in forcing people into His heavenly presence while they’re kicking and screaming, “No! No!” So here’s the deal: If we seek Him here, we get Him hereafter. The converse is easy to figure out.

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other” (Galatians 5:13-15).