Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, dear ones.

Beautiful summer morning. Lots on the list.

I mention below some conversation with a sawmill customer. I had some interesting dialogue with my sawmill customer yesterday as well. He was clearly nervous over talking about anything even close to faith. He expressed how happy he was in his present marriage relationship (he’s had two previous failed marriages) where a rule they apparently live by is to never discuss “religion or politics.” Really? Why deprive yourselves of full “fellowship?” I’m quick, on the other hand, to express how happy I am with a marriage where we discuss anything and everything—no topic or thought forbidden—no secrets. I can hardly imagine a marriage of being so “unequally yoked” and privately individual that certain themes are off-limits. I guess it’s a common reality nonetheless. Whatever.

Two little boys are here now. They will fit in and around everything else going on. Now the garbage needs to be placed by the road for collection. And I “need” to knock out a jog.

Blessings. Love, Dad/Ray.

During a lunch break while doing a portable sawmill job a while ago, conversation between myself and the landowner turned to the topic of faith. That’s typical. In fact, I think it’s important. Since we are called to be light in a dark world, how can we be comfortable with allowing a lost world to remain comfortable with their narrow thinking and ignorance—allowing them to surrender their entire eternity to their own flimsy customized opinions? While we can’t win everyone over, we can at least plant seeds of doubt concerning their rigid views and provoke some thought outside their comfort boxes. Anyway, this person attempted to wrap up the uncomfortable conversation by stating, “No one can really know.” In other words, for him the whole idea of God, whether or not there is one, and how one believes and behaves even if that question is satisfactorily answered, is so abstract and intangible that it all plays out to be a chaotic and confusing mess—as demonstrated by all the conflict, diverse doctrine, and debate that goes on between churches and religions. A good question back at him could be, “Do you really know that—that no one can really know? How do you know?”

Paul is emphatic here with what he and his peers claim to know. “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you.” How does he know? The source of that knowledge is indicated in the rest of that sentence—“…because our gospel came to you not simply with words, (and opinions) but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction” (v. 5). That’s it! Without the supernatural revelation influence of the Holy Spirit, we can reason that nobody knows nothin’!

Consider what it is that Paul claims to know—that God “has chosen you.” The evidence to support Paul’s confidence is drawn from the fact of their dramatic conversion experience—“you turned to God from idols (which can be equated with personal opinions) to serve the living and true God” (v. 9). My Bible-based opinion is that if you have chosen Him, and turned from your flimsy opinions to serve the living and true God, then He has chosen you too. Choice is huge!