Insightful Musings on theScriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, dear ones.

I didn’t do a jog. But I did break out my bow this morning that I haven’t fired for months, and shot a decent 6” group of 9 arrows at 20 yards. My motive behind that little exercise was to be a little bit ready to hang out with some Royal Ranger (a Bible-based scouting program) leaders this weekend at a camp in the hills west of Corvalis. I’ve been asked to speak to that group. I wish Becki could join me, but she’ll be busy with two little boys that will spend this weekend at our place. Getting ready to get myself to that camp late this afternoon is going to consume much of today. So I guess I’ll be off line till Tuesday.

Happy trails to you today.

Love, Dad/Ray.

There is a very obvious natural law in the world around us that says “LIKE BEGETS LIKE.” Anyone can see that elephants beget elephants, turkeys beget turkeys, monkeys beget monkeys, dogs beget dogs, fish beget fish, frogs beget frogs, and humans beget humans. Few would argue this point. Is it any wonder that the same principle would apply to the moral, spiritual, and philosophical realms of mankind?

Understanding something of this revelation of God to man that identifies the sinful nature of man, I believe we can formulate a substantial spiritual law as well: SINNERS BEGET SINNERS. But it is not a valid spiritual law to say that saved and righteous people beget saved and righteous people. This change in nature is non-natural. That’s why Jesus called it being BORN AGAIN. For every person born naturally is automatically a sinner by nature. And every person who becomes saved and righteous must be saved or rescued from that status—from being a sinner. Furthermore, the only one who can possibly do the rescuing is one who holds greater power than the sinful nature of man. The Bible clearly presents the rescuer to be the Almighty God Himself through the atoning work of Himself in human flesh—the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, saved and righteous parents may birth children to whom they lend influence and encouragement to also become saved and righteous people, but the general rule is that every human being must come to a point where they make a personal commitment to both the Rescuer and the rescue efforts of the Rescuer. There are no exceptions or options for those with normal psycho-spiritual abilities. The wonderful benefits of this wonderful provision are GRACE and PEACE—pretty valuable qualities in this chaotic sin-bound world of ours.

Those who seek and find by means of being illuminated to accept and understand this Biblical concept will find it a “no brainer” to receive this gift option, be saved, and transformed. Those who reject or misunderstand this concept can only face varying shades and versions of sin, but the core nature and ultimate consequence is clearly the same.

Let’s have a good look at the context for our thoughts in Galatians 1:3-5. “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

I think it would also be good to review a couple of the most famous passages in the Bible on the theme of Salvation from Sin:

John 3:16-19. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”

Romans 6:23. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”