Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, dear people.

Nice morning, so far. Lots on the agenda. One thing surrounds an appointment with a dermatologist in Salem. I’ll be showing him the top of my little bald head. At least he won’t have to paw through a bunch of hair to inspect the “squamous cell carcinoma” that is growing there. I guess this may be some consequence from so many years in the tropical sun. I wish, since it has already been biopsied and diagnosed, he would simply look at it long enough to determine which chainsaw to use, and get ‘er done—rather than calling it a “consultation” and stringing the deal out for still another appointment. I suppose more money is gleaned from the string-out approach. And, of course, there’s not an ounce of cynicism in my suspicion.

Ah, but “the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials”—even from cynicism—and most definitely from sickness and suffering. And, as you should know by now, a very common strategy of rescue the Lord uses is in fact DEATH—which is essential for glorious transformation—absent from the body—present with the Lord—what an idea!

Have a blessed day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

I hope I don’t come across with critical arrogance when I say that I’m not so sure that Peter got things quite right in his judgment of Lot. I’m not convinced that Peter knows Lot any better than I do. Read Genesis 19 again and see what you think. Quite frankly, I can’t read that account without getting real disgusted with Lot. I think he was a jerk—definitely not a “righteous man” as described in the parenthetical note of verse 8. I mean, any father who would offer his daughters to depraved rapists—man!—here I am getting all irritated again. Anyway, my hunch is that Peter is speaking “evangelistically,” stretching the clear and reasonable facts of a situation, as some preachers like to do, to fit with a sermon illustration. I think that Lot’s main cause for being divinely rescued from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was only because of his connection to his uncle Abraham and his prayers of intercession, not because of his own squeaky-clean moral integrity and righteousness. (Note: I suppose there would be those who would judge me as bordering on heresy to even suggest the idea that Peter might have been a bit wrong. However, Paul nailed Peter at least once for being wrong. Remember Galatians 2?)

But I have no problem accepting the point Peter makes in his illustration of Lot: “The Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials.” A parallel thought is 1 Corinthians 10:13: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” Blending into this Peter’s assessment of the value of sufferings, trials, and temptations, it is not just a matter of squeaking by so as to stand up under the force of these pressures without falling, but understanding that we cannot truly be properly purged and developed in our faith by any other means. And may I also suggest this: The escape route that God so faithfully provides when you are being tried is almost always THE SPIRIT-INSPIRED WORD OF GOD (2 Timothy 3:16-17)—getting its principles and precepts mounted and installed into your dirty little heart so that you can become “transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then (and only then) you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).