More on Grace and Truth
I’ve been so busy working on my sister’s house that I hardly have time to put together a post. So here’s another email to a friend. Hopefully the reader of this post will be encouraged.
Dear G_____,
I would like to talk to you again about the “wounds of a friend.” (Prov. 27:6). I believe here the emphasis is on “friend.” Ellen White counseled parents to give their children both discipline and love, counsel which was based solidly on the justice and mercy of God. Yet, she also said, “Parents should keep the atmosphere of the home pure and fragrant with kind words, with tender sympathy and love; but at the same time they are to be firm and unyielding in principle. If you are firm with your children, they may think that you do not love them. This you may expect, but never manifest harshness. Justice and mercy must clasp hands; there must be no wavering or impulsive movements.” Adventist Home, p.435.
And in another place, “In this time of special danger for the young, temptations surround them on every hand; and while it is easy to drift, the strongest effort is required in order to press against the current. Every school [And G_____, in our case, every church] should be a ‘city of refuge’ for the tempted youth [and in our case, adults], a place where their follies shall be dealt with patiently and wisely. Teachers [and you will be a teacher when you give your sermon] who understand their responsibilities will separate from their own hearts and lives everything that would prevent them from dealing successfully with the willful and disobedient. Love and tenderness, patience and self-control, will at all times be the law of their speech. Mercy and compassion will be blended with justice. When it is necessary to give reproof, their language will not be exaggerated, but humble. In gentleness they will set before the wrongdoer his errors and help him to recover himself. Every true teacher will feel that should he err at all, it is better to err on the side of mercy than on the side of severity.
Many youth who are thought incorrigible are not at heart so hard as they appear. Many who are regarded as hopeless may be reclaimed by wise discipline. These are often the ones who most readily melt under kindness. Let the teacher gain the confidence of the tempted one, and by recognizing and developing the good in his character, he can, in many cases, correct the evil without calling attention to it.” Education, p.294.
G_____, those are very wise counsels. David said, “Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation: and Thy right hand hath holden me up, and Thy gentleness hath made me great.” (Ps. 18:35). He also rejoiced that “I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for He will speak peace unto His people, and to His saints: but let them not turn again to folly. Surely His salvation is nigh them that fear Him; that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness shall go before Him; and shall set us in the way of His steps.” (Ps. 85:8-13). Right in the middle of all the truth and mercy we see them kissing each other. Gross!? No beautiful! This is a concept most people don’t grasp. I have a hard time with practicing it. We need to remember that the work of the Holy Spirit is one primarily of mercy. His work is so full of mercy and humility that that is why to blaspheme Him is to cast insult at God’s abundant mercy and humility, and which eventually lands us outside the city of God with the devil. If we are to be co-workers with Christ and His Spirit, we must learn how to communicate mercy and humility.
Finally, here is a statement of a dear friend I knew from Shenandoah Valley Academy, whom I saw again last Sabbath at our 30 year class reunion. She obviously had a loving Christian home and was the sweetest, most godly person on campus, loving to everyone and greatly beloved and respected by every student and teacher.
“It is good for SDA’s, or for any organized religion to practice religious tolerance, and to teach it to their children and grandchildren. It steers them away from becoming religious terrorists, who feel that everyone should be like themselves and believe as they believe. I find many Christians extremely scary. Every bit as scary as outright criminals or sociopaths.
I know that I have a lot to learn in life, one way or the other.
You have a good heart, David. Don’t worry about me. Pray for me if it comforts you. I can always use it, and always will appreciate it.
Thank you,
M____”
She left the church and God many years ago. It still stuns and saddens me deeply. She writes like one whose loving heart was hurt so many times by extremist and legalistic religious people (I want to call them Christians, but I can’t) or by an SDA set of standards given without Jesus’ love and used by Satan as a slow, gradual bludgeon, that she subconsciously turned off her conscience to it all.
G_____, let’s be very careful how we present truth. Jesus reached hearts. He spoke to the hearts of the people. He worked and prayed for better and better ways to start a little fire going in the listening crowds, even a smoldering. If He ever spoke strong words, it was only for the purpose of getting to the person’s hardened heart and awakening love. Faithful are the wounds of our Friend who was sent down from heaven. Let’s make sure we do it His way. Let’s remember that if we want to ever be great in God’s eyes, it will be through His method of gentleness.
“Behold My Servant, whom I uphold; Mine Elect, in whom My soul delighteth; I have put My Spirit upon Him: He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench: He shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for His law.” (Is. 42:1-4).
I love you and appreciate your desire to obey God. Have a wonderful Sabbath.
David
In that email to my freind I neglected to say that whenever Jesus did speak strong words that His voice inflection and facial expression worked to soften the convicting words. And those strong words were designed to get to some of the people, not all of the people. Many people turned away from Christ, not because of the words He spoke, beautiful though they were, but multitudes rejected Jesus because the religious leaders turned away from Him. If not for the trust in man, multitudes would have continued with Christ to the very end and revelled in His grace and truth.
Dear G_____,
I would like to talk to you again about the “wounds of a friend.” (Prov. 27:6). I believe here the emphasis is on “friend.” Ellen White counseled parents to give their children both discipline and love, counsel which was based solidly on the justice and mercy of God. Yet, she also said, “Parents should keep the atmosphere of the home pure and fragrant with kind words, with tender sympathy and love; but at the same time they are to be firm and unyielding in principle. If you are firm with your children, they may think that you do not love them. This you may expect, but never manifest harshness. Justice and mercy must clasp hands; there must be no wavering or impulsive movements.” Adventist Home, p.435.
And in another place, “In this time of special danger for the young, temptations surround them on every hand; and while it is easy to drift, the strongest effort is required in order to press against the current. Every school [And G_____, in our case, every church] should be a ‘city of refuge’ for the tempted youth [and in our case, adults], a place where their follies shall be dealt with patiently and wisely. Teachers [and you will be a teacher when you give your sermon] who understand their responsibilities will separate from their own hearts and lives everything that would prevent them from dealing successfully with the willful and disobedient. Love and tenderness, patience and self-control, will at all times be the law of their speech. Mercy and compassion will be blended with justice. When it is necessary to give reproof, their language will not be exaggerated, but humble. In gentleness they will set before the wrongdoer his errors and help him to recover himself. Every true teacher will feel that should he err at all, it is better to err on the side of mercy than on the side of severity.
Many youth who are thought incorrigible are not at heart so hard as they appear. Many who are regarded as hopeless may be reclaimed by wise discipline. These are often the ones who most readily melt under kindness. Let the teacher gain the confidence of the tempted one, and by recognizing and developing the good in his character, he can, in many cases, correct the evil without calling attention to it.” Education, p.294.
G_____, those are very wise counsels. David said, “Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation: and Thy right hand hath holden me up, and Thy gentleness hath made me great.” (Ps. 18:35). He also rejoiced that “I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for He will speak peace unto His people, and to His saints: but let them not turn again to folly. Surely His salvation is nigh them that fear Him; that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness shall go before Him; and shall set us in the way of His steps.” (Ps. 85:8-13). Right in the middle of all the truth and mercy we see them kissing each other. Gross!? No beautiful! This is a concept most people don’t grasp. I have a hard time with practicing it. We need to remember that the work of the Holy Spirit is one primarily of mercy. His work is so full of mercy and humility that that is why to blaspheme Him is to cast insult at God’s abundant mercy and humility, and which eventually lands us outside the city of God with the devil. If we are to be co-workers with Christ and His Spirit, we must learn how to communicate mercy and humility.
Finally, here is a statement of a dear friend I knew from Shenandoah Valley Academy, whom I saw again last Sabbath at our 30 year class reunion. She obviously had a loving Christian home and was the sweetest, most godly person on campus, loving to everyone and greatly beloved and respected by every student and teacher.
“It is good for SDA’s, or for any organized religion to practice religious tolerance, and to teach it to their children and grandchildren. It steers them away from becoming religious terrorists, who feel that everyone should be like themselves and believe as they believe. I find many Christians extremely scary. Every bit as scary as outright criminals or sociopaths.
I know that I have a lot to learn in life, one way or the other.
You have a good heart, David. Don’t worry about me. Pray for me if it comforts you. I can always use it, and always will appreciate it.
Thank you,
M____”
She left the church and God many years ago. It still stuns and saddens me deeply. She writes like one whose loving heart was hurt so many times by extremist and legalistic religious people (I want to call them Christians, but I can’t) or by an SDA set of standards given without Jesus’ love and used by Satan as a slow, gradual bludgeon, that she subconsciously turned off her conscience to it all.
G_____, let’s be very careful how we present truth. Jesus reached hearts. He spoke to the hearts of the people. He worked and prayed for better and better ways to start a little fire going in the listening crowds, even a smoldering. If He ever spoke strong words, it was only for the purpose of getting to the person’s hardened heart and awakening love. Faithful are the wounds of our Friend who was sent down from heaven. Let’s make sure we do it His way. Let’s remember that if we want to ever be great in God’s eyes, it will be through His method of gentleness.
“Behold My Servant, whom I uphold; Mine Elect, in whom My soul delighteth; I have put My Spirit upon Him: He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench: He shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for His law.” (Is. 42:1-4).
I love you and appreciate your desire to obey God. Have a wonderful Sabbath.
David
In that email to my freind I neglected to say that whenever Jesus did speak strong words that His voice inflection and facial expression worked to soften the convicting words. And those strong words were designed to get to some of the people, not all of the people. Many people turned away from Christ, not because of the words He spoke, beautiful though they were, but multitudes rejected Jesus because the religious leaders turned away from Him. If not for the trust in man, multitudes would have continued with Christ to the very end and revelled in His grace and truth.
posted by David | 8:03 PM
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