More Grace?

An interesting question was raised at last night's Bible study (Hebrew 11).  We were talking about how all of the saints of the Old Covenant had lived by faith, as we do today, and that our faith is a response to the grace of God.  If God did not offer us grace, we would not be able to respond in faith {What would we respond to without God's offer of forgiveness?}.  The question was asked, if some people don't respond, why doesn't God just give them more grace until they do?  The question gets to the heart of the relationship between a holy omnipotent God and his fallen freewill creation.
How much grace is enough?  Do we have the right to ask God for more grace? {Grace being an undeserved gift, it seems rather cheeky of us to ask God for more, but when those who refuse God's call are our own relatives or friends our desperation is certainly understandable}
I'm not a full T.U.L.I.P. Calvinist (you can look it up if you want) because I don't believe in Irresistible Grace (or Limited Atonement).  When reading the Bible I see a lot of people to whom God holds out his hands in hope only to see them refuse to accept him.  As God says of his chosen people in Isaiah, "All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people" (Isaiah 65:2a).  Time and time again the Lord pleads with his people to repent and return to him.  He sends them prophets to warn them, he shows them miracles as proof, he tries tough love by judging their sins; often to no avail.  It seems clear that God wants everyone to repent and be saved but it blocked by our willful rebellion which refuses to admit our own wrongs or seek help from above.
In the end, God will decide who receives one chance at salvation, and who receives many.  It is not for me to say that anyone is beyond redemption or that it is too late for anyone on this side of the grave.  I simply know that God wants us to receive Jesus Christ, to be cleansed of our sins, and to once again have fellowship with our heavenly father.  Peter wrote about God's patience (he would certainly know having needed it on many occasions), "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (II Peter 3:9).
Any Bible study that leads us to contemplate the depth of God's love and mercy is time well spent.

"the world was not worthy of them" - Hebrews 11:38a

That was the conclusion of the writer of the book of Hebrews after listing all of the persecution faced by the servants of God.  It raises an interesting point.  We know that this world remains very much in God's interest, he created it, he sent his Son to redeem humanity, and he intends to renew this world (Rev. 21:1) at the culmination of history.  Certainly, God has gone to a lot of trouble for this world despite the clear fact that the people who inhabit it have often proven themselves to be anything but God-like.  There have been times when optimism for our civilization has overshadowed the darkness lying underneath, but just as it does in Lord of the Flies the Beast within always rises up with another massacre in mockery.
Does this world deserve the saints who have bled and wept for it?  The writer of Hebrews is correct that it does not.  Just as we were in no way deserving of the blood that Jesus Christ poured out for us at Calvary, so too the mercy and love shown by those who follow him.  Then why does God commend it, encourage us to give more to this world?  For the same reason that God rescued Noah despite the utter evil of the world in his day, the same reason that God sent Jonah to Ninevah, the same reason that God saved a murderous Saul on the road to Damascus or John Newton after a life of slave running:  In Newton's own words, Amazing Grace.  Grace, undeserved mercy and love, is the basis for our relationship with God.  If not for God's willingness to stoop down and rescue humanity, the darkness that threatens our world each day would reign supreme.  You see, the world may not be worthy of them, but it still needs them desperately.

Sermon Video: Peter's Message, Part 1 - Acts 2:14-24

In response to the Pentecost miracle, which brought together a large crowd, Peter gives in sermon form the Gospel message.  Beginning with the words of the prophet Joel the story of Jesus is related to the Jewish crowd as a fulfillment of God's will.

To watch the video, click on the link below:
Sermon Video

The Bible in the language of the people

This past Sunday's sermon on Pentecost touched on the need for the Gospel to be preached (and Bibles made available) in the language of the people.  It may seem obvious today, but it was not always the case.  From 1567 to 1773 there was not a single Bible printed in Italian for the people of Italy to read.  Why such a lack?  Because Pope Paul V had banned its use by the laity in Italy.  He went so far in his zeal against the Bible to proclaim, "Do you not know that so much reading of Scripture ruins the Catholic religion?"  The Roman Inquisition went to to confiscate and BURN publicly copies of the Bible in Italian.  Regular readers of my blog know of my commitment to ecumenical unity and my wife's Catholicism, you also know that all denominations have skeletons in the closet we'd rather forget.  That being said, for a Pope, the shepherd of his flock, the deny his people the Word of God because he was afraid of what they might do with it goes beyond stupidity to cowardice and negligence.  I continue to pray that my Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ will feel the Holy Spirit burning within them and encouraging them to read the Word of God.  In my sermon on Sunday I reminded my congregation that they have a duty to always compare what I preach/teach to the Word of God.  As the body of Christ, we all have an obligation to study God's Word ourselves and determine if those who tell us what it says are accurate or not.
In the end, the Bible has triumphed over all those in history (and the world today) who have tried to silence it.  Wycliffe Bible Translators are working on 1500 translation projects at this moment in hopes of finishing the last needed translations so that all of the world's 6000+ languages will have at least some of God's Word in their own tongue by 2025.  Likewise, Gideons International distributed about 70,000,000 Scriptures last year (about 1.6 Billion total in their 100+ year history).  The text of our Bible study for this coming Wed. morning is appropriate - "For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God." (I Peter 1:23)

Memorial Day in PA

For the past five years I had led the service for Memorial Day at the little cemetery across the street from my church in Palo.  It was a privilege and an honor to do so each time.  This year, I wasn't there (as you know from our move to PA); I missed being there and seeing more than 100 people show up in that tiny town to pay their respects.  This past Memorial Day I was in Franklin, watching the parade with its thousands lining the streets, an impressive sight to be sure.  Then Nicole and I walked over and sat down at the bandstand to await the service expecting the whole park to be full of people (if only 1/2 those who had watched the parade came over, it would have been full of people).  I was saddened to see that only about 100 people stayed for the extra hour to listen to Mother Holly's prayers, watch the wreaths being laid, hear the list of those veterans who had died this past year, and the always moving 21 gun salute with taps.  I've been impressed with Franklin thus far; the town has great civic pride and does so much together, perhaps that was why I was disappointed to see so few linger to pay their respects.  I know that different towns had different traditions, but my hometown of Saranac always filled the cemetery at the end of the parade route for the service, the people of Palo more than represented their town by having more people at the cemetery than lived in the town; I guess I just expected more.  One thing I know, I'll be there next year.