Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, dear ones.

Taffy, our cat, is here on the floor next to me with her three babies nursing…then climbing mischievously all over her.

Soooo much to do—with more being added even this morning—unless I simply tell people NO. I wish I could just load up the camper onto the pickup truck and take off somewhere with Becki. Maybe some day. But I definitely enjoy the time I have with my “college sweetheart” even amidst the congestion. The blessing of being able to grow old together is one I highly value.

Blessings on your day—whatever that involves.

Love, Dad/Ray.

The implication contained in the comments made to Jesus about those Galileans who died an ugly death at the hand of Pilate was that they had to be pretty bad dudes, as confirmed by their abnormal horrible deaths. Jesus did not let them get away with the notion that bad things only happen to bad people. These guys with their “holier-than-them” judgment must have been taken by surprise when Jesus dropped on them this ultimatum—“But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” It is not necessary to picture Jesus making that statement with a stern face and the volume turned up. There could have even been a tear in His eye.

We have all seen and heard the mocking that goes on by people antagonistic toward Biblical revelation. They love to ridicule the “turn or burn” or “repent or perish” rhetoric of many Christian Bible believers. Granted, some may not communicate these ideas with sufficient grace and clarity. But as I carefully critique the main message of the Bible, as well as the specific words of Jesus as in the passage before us, I have no alternative but to conclude that this is exactly what our options are—“repent or perish.” So, like it or not, argue and get angry, defend and justify, excuse and reject, it just doesn’t change the clear facts according to the One Who knows—those options remain absolute.

Be reminded again that the big “P” word (“perish”) is embedded in probably the most well-known verse of the Bible—John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Let’s review this critical point and read on in John—“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 (to perish), but whoever does not believe stands condemned (to perish) already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:17-18).

How do I handle this? If all of this is as true as I am convinced it is, I’m faced with a big challenge—a need to adopt a form of deliberate schizophrenia. On one hand I am required to maintain “the joy of the Lord” (Nehemiah 8:10; Romans 14:17; Galatians 5:22-26). On the other hand I am required to bear the heart-wrenching awareness of what it means to “perish.” You face the same challenge. May the “Lord of the harvest” help us to grasp and communicate this theme as graciously and effectively as possible—this basic ultimatum of destiny—that we can choose to do life God’s way, and get “eternal life” included, or do life our own way—and perish. To be sure, any ideology in conflict with this fundamental thesis is simply not Biblical.