Casual About Grace?
2010-03-20

Father, as I sit here listening to the rain outside my window, I am reminded of your provision in our lives. I must admit that I wish it weren't raining today, though. I pray for safety as we help Rachel and Justin move to a new apartment. Perhaps the rain could let up for a while this afternoon?


Psalm 36:10

Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart!

David casts out a desperate prayer after examining the lives of the wicked and the righteous. Comments from A Musician Looks At the Psalms: "My life should be totally different from the person who has 'no fear of God before his eyes.' I don't want to be flippant about the holiness of God, casual about the grace of God, or unduly wise about evil. As Vance Havner so aptly said, 'I don't want to be guilty of playing marbles with diamonds.'"

Well stated. Our lives should be drastically different from those who do not fear God. I'm not sure they are any more. I think we need to truly examine our lives to see if we are, indeed, being "flippant about the holiness of God" or "casual about the grace of God." I don't want to get caught up in what John MacArthur once called "easy-believism."



In a reading called "Train in the Right Direction," Jerry Bridges says this: "God wants us to train ourselves in the right direction through making right choices. Frankly, this is where the going gets tough. We'll agree with Scripture's teaching about some particular sin and even make a commitment of sorts to put it out of our lives. Then the temptation to indulge that sin comes once again, and we're unwilling to make the tough choice. We would like to be rid of that sin, and even pray to God to take it away, but are we willing to say no to it?
"Every day we're training ourselves in one direction or the other: toward lying ro truthfulness; selfishness or unselfishness; anger or forgiveness; impurity or purity; irritability or patience; covetousness or generosity; pride or humility; materialism or simplicity.
"Only through making the right choice to obey God's Word will we break the habits of sin and develop habits of holiness. This is where we desperately need the Holy Spirit's power to enable us to make the right choices. So cry out to God every day for His help; cry out each time you are confronted with the choice to sin or to obey."

Well, now. This puts the burden right back on us, doesn't it? And, what?? Irritability is a sin? Dang. Gonna have to work on that one.

Seriously, though...what good does it do us to pray to God to remove a particular sin from us if we aren't willing to do the hard part and say "No!" to the temptation? It's kind of like having this strong desire to lose weight, but not wanting to make the hard choices at dinner time. (I can say that, because that's right where I am...)

Once again, we are looking at being flippant about God's holiness or casual about his grace. We want his blessings, but want to live the way we please. It just doesn't work that way.



Father, help me to exhibit a difference between me and someone who has no fear of you. I pray that I am not guilty of being flippant about your holiness. I need to be more aware of your holiness in my life and the strength of the Holy Spirit that you have given me to make right choices. As a friend of my wife's is know to say, "Always do the right thing." That should be one of our mantras. Always do the right thing. And to find out what the right thing is, I need to be looking to you, seeking your face, and obeying your words that you have given us to live by.

I pray that today will go smoothly, as Rachel and Justin move. The weather is rather foul at the moment. I pray for some better weather as trucks are being driven and stuff is being loaded/unloaded. I pray that tempers will not flare or that none of us will be irritable.

I pray for LaRue, Lord...I have not heard of any results from her biopsy this week.

And I pray for a smooth week next week, as Stephanie starts back to school after spring break.



PRAY FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA AND HIS ADMINISTRATION

Christina Romer, Chairman of the President�s Council of Economic Advisers, testified to the House Appropriations Committee that the White House does not see much of a change in unemployment figures for the balance of 2010.

President Obama outlined a new blueprint for overhauling federal education policies that would encourage states to raise academic standards after a period of �dumbing down� during the last decade.

Pray about the impact of the decisions made by the President and his many advisers.



I like that statement..."Always do the right thing." How much better would this world be...?

Grace and peace, friends.



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