God’s grace – Page 2

I’ve been re-reading Parables by John MacArthur, a book I’ve already reviewed here and elsewhere: and let me say again that, if you haven’t read it yet, you really ought to.

The chapter I read today examined the Parable of the Good Samaritan, and makes a powerful point: this is what God’s love is like. This is the love that we receive from God. And he quotes St. Paul, “When we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8).

“I am saved.” We have heard that so often, and so often said it ourselves, that it has become a cliche–which means we have to try to hear it now as if we’ve never heard it before. As if the good news of the Gospel really were news to us.

This is power. This is Jesus Christ, our Savior. There is no one, no institution, no public policy, no power in the world that can give this to us: only God’s grace alone, in the person of Jesus Christ. By grace we are saved. Not by anything we do, or ever can do. Because we can’t. But God can.And has done so.

It’s something to think about… a lot.

One of the ill effects of our public education system is that people can’t recognize piffle anymore when they hear it.

Our self-righteous jidrool in the White House visited Hiroshima last week and called upon the whole world to “morally evolve” so that nuclear weapons will never again be used ( http://www.telegram.com/article/20160527/NEWS/160529209 ). He wants “a moral revolution” to match our scientific and technological revolutions.

“Evolve”–what does he mean by that? Does he mean the kind of “evolution” he had, that convinced him that homosexual pseudo-marriage is A-OK, ticketty-boo morally, and the Bible has always been dead wrong about it? Or is it Supreme Court Justice Kennedy’s “evolving standards of decency” that make the indecent decent?

Where does he suppose this “moral evolution” will come from? Islam? Socialism? More money spent on more schools, more colleges, more teacher pensions? Or will it just develop naturally–like from walking fish to dinosaur to monkey to Social Justice Warrior?

God’s word teaches us that man is fallen, cursed. That’s why we needed a Savior. If we could save ourselves, or just “evolve” into morally upright beings, there would have been no need for the Son of God to die on the cross. Jesus Christ is the source of our moral regeneration. Jesus Christ, and Christ alone, is the Person who can make us better. We are all sinners, and we sin all the time: but we are also capable of repentance, and God will not turn away a contrite heart.

God’s word promises us that someday all of Creation will be regenerated, with sin and death banished from it forever. This is accomplished not by us, but by the irresistible grace and power of God.

In the meantime, humanity as a species is the same as in the days of Noah–DNA pretty much guarantees it–and we as individuals just as much in need of salvation–and just as capable of receiving it, in Christ–as ever.

“Evolution” does not enter the picture.

But it sounds so cool when the president says it.