Insightful Musings on theScriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, dear ones.

While driving to pick up Nicholas at 6:15am for his regular Tuesday/Wednesday visit, I listened for awhile to R.C. Sproul—who pointed out that if Jesus taught anything in the course of His ministry, He taught that every human being is personally held accountable to the Sovereign Manager of the Universe—every behavior, every word, and every thought has been perfectly recorded and will be brought into judgment—and that judgment will also be to determine the destiny of every person to either unspeakably-wonderful eternal relationship with this Sovereign Manager, or unspeakably terrible separation. Those were not so much his words, but represent the main idea. In view of the seriousness and severity of this basic truth, do we have work to do or what? Is there not a huge amount of ignorance surrounding us regarding this fundamental Biblical truth? Is there any place for ho-hum indifference?

It’s not just a matter of taking the easy way out, or evidence of running out of time, I quite like my 2010 entry and am passing it along…for whatever it’s worth.

Even since beginning the above, the clouds seem to have moved off and the entire view is ablaze with the beautiful morning sun. I was expecting rain. I’ll sure take this.

Moving right along…into a new episode of adventure…be blessed in your believing.

Love, Dad/Ray.

If you have carefully read the Gospels that contain the teaching of Christ, and if your resulting perspective is basically compatible with mine, you will agree with my conclusion that there is nothing more repulsive, putrid, perverse, and ugly to Jesus than EMPTY DEAD RELIGION. By that I mean the appearance of godliness without spiritual wisdom, understanding, true worship, or life-changing power (2 Tim. 3:1-5; Col. 1:9-14). I think we are faced with the same conclusion again with Jesus’ response to the challenge from the Sadducees who present their hypothetical question about marriage in the resurrection (resurrection being something they deny). Here they are, posing as people who know God and His Word, people who appear to be highly committed and disciplined in their faith. But their whole package of belief and behavior is just a bunch of #^@&%$!!!…or whatever you want to call it. Jesus clearly rebukes them by saying, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?” They are not just a little bit off course—“You are badly mistaken” (12:27). Can you imagine a more scalding judgment against people who claim to represent the Truth of God?!

I love the line Jesus uses in the first part of verse 27: “He (God) is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” And I think it applies to this matter of RELIGION as well. He does not wish to claim any authorship to DEAD RELIGION. But living faith and relationship with Him that engages a person in life-changing power, that’s a completely different matter—as different as darkness is from light, or death is from life.

Jesus ends up this section with a strong warning to avoid DEAD RELIGION and those who push and represent it. “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely” (12:38-40).

Please pay attention. Do everything you can to avoid the trap and trappings of DEAD RELIGION.