Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, dear ones.

It’s now so late I can’t say “Good morning.” It’s already been a full day.

Last evening I helped Thano do a transaction for buying a diesel Dodge pickup truck. Becki went with him this morning to do the detail work with title transfer, etc.—only to learn that DMV is closed today as part of the holiday weekend. Phooey. On their way home, the truck was seriously overheating. So I received a call while they were in the Safeway parking lot. I ran to meet them. We now have the rig in the care of a mechanic who may be able to get the problem resolved today. I could have done it—but I don’t wish to take the time. I even located a simple but important part for his truck at a wrecking yard that I’ll probably pick up this afternoon. Whew.

Independence Day. Now there’s an interesting idea. I don’t wish to knock our rich American history. But isn’t it amusing to examine the claim of independence through a Biblical filter. Suddenly a paradox looms. While achieving national freedom and independence from Britain, America at large is not yet free nor independent of slavery to a more serious form of oppression—slavery to THE NATURAL SIN NATURE. The evidence is glaring through that Biblical filter. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone, at least the majority, understood clearly that deliverance from that oppression is precisely what Jesus came to achieve? It would ignite a wonderful revolution!

Have a great day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

Concerning the practical details of living to please God and doing His will, you will never find a better passage of advice and instruction than this brief one between verses 1 and 12. That being the case, it could be a very positive pursuit for any serious disciple to commit this passage to memory. It has always been, and always will be, a vital standard of practical godliness to hide His Word in our hearts that we might not sin against His design (Psalm 119:11). Such a discipline helps us to prevent being infected by the dirty moral and spiritual bacteria of this world’s thinking and provide substantial ongoing victory over the universal infection of sin. It can also help us avoid being a “Christian heathen” (see verse 5) who has an outward “form of godliness” (2 Timothy 3:5) but produces a kind of fruit that is hardly different from that of an unbeliever. Paul is telling us here that the sure way to avoid this kind of condition is to NOT be coasting and satisfied with how we’ve been doing, but to continue to pay even more careful attention to the principles and precepts of godliness, stretching ourselves to DO THIS MORE AND MORE. I take that to mean that there is no safe room for leisure—that we should reach higher, dig deeper, and become increasingly more intense in our objective to please God—and nurture godly passion—at least don’t allow slacking off.

Paul stresses here that “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified” (verse 3. See also 5:23 and 1 Peter 1:2). Sanctification means to be made holy, to be separate from the world, to be free from any bondage to sin, and to gladly seek and serve God. Let us understand clearly that this is not a condition created only by God independent of man’s participation. Quite the contrary. God has designed that your sanctification be achieved only by means of a sacred partnership—me and you with Him. Oh, yes, “we are saved by grace.” But saving grace is an elusive mirage apart from the substance of good works. “Faith (i.e., saving grace) without works is dead” (James 2:26). (I suggest you use a concordance and do a listing of New Testament emphasis given to “good works.”)

I can absolutely guarantee that you will NEVER be a seriously-weakened believer if you can lay hold of a life (attitudes and actions) that prioritize pleasing God—and will DO THIS MORE AND MORE. Just be aware that this is also a guaranteed prescription in the other direction if you do this LESS AND LESS.