Decisional Regeneration

For the 3 of you who read this blog,my take on the Ergun Caner debacle...

Sometimes,being in the SBC entails dealing with extreme levels of frustration with the powers to be within the conference. I am fortunate to be in an outstanding SBC church, with great pastoral care and a tremendous fellowship. I am blessed with the opportunity to serve in various capacities, and I love doing so.However, within my denomination I do carry a bit of a stigma.

I am divorced. There are a multitude of reasons my first marriage ended in divorce, but the bottom line is, according to Scripture it was a sin. It is a sin that I have repented of, and thanks to the grace of God I have been restored in the body of Christ. However, some of my SBC brethren are not so gracious. In some of our churches I am "disqualified" to serve in a multitude of capacities because of my divorce. The SBC doesn't want me on the mission field,and to get into a Baptist college requires appearing before the inquisition. Evidently, there are unforgivable sins other than blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

Now, I do not aspire to be a pastor or to serve as a deacon, but here is the rub. How is it that the same folks who hold me accountable for a sin I committed in my twenties refuse to hold Ergun Caner accountable for his? I cannot serve as a missionary, but blatant personal "embellishments" go unpunished? Huh? The man stood in the pulpit and claimed, among other things, to have been trained in the youth jihad and his supporters turn a blind eye. The difference is that I am anonymous, while he has attained the ranks of celebrity within the convention. I have repented, will they?

Just for Fun......

A little soteriology test.....take this brief exam.

The Unfathomable Love of Christ

As a Christian, do you ever feel lost and undone? Like you have been abandoned and instead of seeking the arms of Christ for shelter, you just continue to wander aimlessly? Have you ever wailed the inevitable cries of self-pity, “Oh God why am I this way” and “Why am I so weak Lord “? There are times in my life, more than I care to mention, that I fall into this trap. There are times in my life that I ask tell myself, “Do you really believe what you say you believe, and if it is true why would such a God redeem someone who too often treats His grace with such blatant frivolity?” I am not a great theologian, heck I have a hard time pronouncing supralapsarianism, however I do know enough scripture to know why I fall into this trap.

1. There is a degree of self-satisfaction in donning the proverbial sack cloth and ashes and parading around in faux humility. It is simple maneuver to sob woe is me and let my defeat keep me from Kingdom service. Such an attitude makes it easy for me to take myself out of service and ease my conscience in the process. I mean come on, how can a wretch like me bear witness to the glories of Christ?

2. The longer I am a Christian, the more I become aware of my sin. I understand what it cost Christ to pay for those sins, and I hate that sometimes I enjoy them all the same. I try to work a little harder to make up for my shortcomings, and I flame out. I find myself here a lot, and at this point I can either crawl back to point one or I can remember that I have an intermediate with God the Father who loves me and has already forgiven me. I can tell myself lies, agree with Satan’s lies, or I can remember what Jesus Christ says about me.

Failure in my Christian life is always; I repeat always, traced to a slothful approach to spiritual disciplines. When I am not worshipping and communing with Jesus in the adoration He deserves, I find myself readily committing and entertaining besetting sins. Am I a sinner? Yes. Will I continue to sin? Yes, until I stand at the feet of Christ. However Peter reminds me of how God sees me when he writes, “But you are a CHOSEN RACE, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” ( 1 Peter 2:9) Get that ? In spite of myself, God chose me, sanctified me, and took possession of me. I am His and He is mine, not matter what my emotions may indicate.

When I waver, Jesus does not. When I am unsure, Jesus is not. When I sin, Jesus has paid that penalty. What a beautiful Sovereign we serve! That is why Peter implores us to “proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
Soli Deo Gloria !

Just Awesome....

A Little Something For My Pal REP.........