Posted on 01/28/2014 6:40:10 AM PST by Gamecock
What Difference Does it Make? And here I find myself, every single day, failing to trust the one who holds me. That fear never leaves me
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I’m at a point in my life, with career and family, where I simply don’t have the time I need to accomplish all of the things I’d like to do. I’m sure this sounds familiar to many of you. Some of these things are still important, they still matter, but they just get prioritized out. So, while I still attempt to blog as I’m able, I’ve found that direct interaction with folks through other social media is most often “more bang for the buck”.
As I deal with people who interact with others regarding matters of faith, I’m often fatigued by the tone and content. Sometimes it just seems like it’s just not worth it. I mean, what difference does it make?
It makes ALL the difference.
I’ve been thinking about a good friend of mine, lately. His name is Luis. Luis has a joy for life that only comes from someone who has seen the evil of the world in all its ugliness. In his case, it was through combat. He’s one of the most easy-going, carefree folks I’ve ever known. Until the day he took me rappelling.
As he started to uncoil the myriad ropes, pulleys, and other things-I-don’t-know-what-they’re-called, his mood changed dramatically. His words were direct. There was no chit-chat. Each phrase, each word had a sternness, and an immediacy that let me know that this was serious. And though this phrase is overused; Deadly serious.
Luis made it very clear, that although there were different styles, different views of climbing, different equipment, one thing was constant and non-negotiable. The rope is the only thing between you and death. The minute you believe that you can grab the rope and hold on, you’re in deep, deep trouble. You have to fight every instinct to grab the rope with both hand, he reminded me. The hand tucked behind you is a sort of unnatural surrender to the fact that the rope holds.
This reminds me of many of my recent theology discussions on social media. Does it really matter? If you love Jesus, and I love Jesus, isn’t it all the same without all the drama and theology?
In short; It matters…..tremendously….. to the point of being the difference between life and death.
You see, there are styles. And there are folks who are my, OUR brothers and sisters in Christ who do things a bit differently. And that’s OK. But the problem is, much of what I see in these differences makes it entirely too easy to begin to grab for the rope.
If I believe that it is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone that I am declared righteous before God, I haven’t left much room for me to trust my grip. But change one thing, *anything* in that sentence and I make it easy to trust my grip.
If I make it grace through merit, I’ve grabbed the rope and started to pull.
If I make it faith and works, I’ve grabbed the rope.
If I make it Christ and my decision, I’ve grabbed the rope.
If I trust my wicked heart of fleeting feelings, rather than trusting in Word and Sacrament, I’ve let go of the rope with both hands!
As some dear friends in Christ often say;
I must admit, as someone who is afraid of heights, and a bit of a control freak, I fought the rope through my first climb. Out of panic, I even attempted to climb on my own strength at one point and still have the scar on my leg, 20 years later, as a reminder. But when I began to trust that the rope would hold, it was incredibly freeing; I was able to enjoy the view. (I hear that there are folks who even sleep overnight on some of the most intense climbing locations like Half Dome.) Yet, even experienced climbers must fight the “natural” reaction to grab the rope with both hands. And here I find myself, every single day, failing to trust the one who holds me. That fear never leaves me.
So, my point is this. It matters. It matters tremendously. What seems overly technical, tedious, and often confrontational is often the small difference between life and death.
You’ll be called nitpicky, divisive, unloving, “sharp tongued”, or worse. You will, at some point, be called out as the very reason why people don’t “come to Jesus”.
Skubalon.
As my friend Luis told me, there are many kinds of styles, but some of them make it incredibly easy to make the fatal error of trusting your grip and grabbing for the rope. And it wouldn’t have been loving, or tolerant for him to watch me make that mistake, It was, rather, the most caring thing he could have done to point out that I was in danger.
So, it matters. It matters immensely. Because if your faith is in your grip, you will not be spared from the fall. And to tell those who are on the rock face of this life to stop trusting that grip is not unloving, or petty, but it is divisive. Because these are the words of life which divide those who are held, and those who fall.
Stay in the fight. It matters.
He’s one of the most easy-going, carefree folks I’ve ever known. Until the day he took me rappelling.
As he started to uncoil the myriad ropes, pulleys, and other things-I-don’t-know-what-they’re-called, his mood changed dramatically. His words were direct. There was no chit-chat. Each phrase, each word had a sternness, and an immediacy that let me know that this was serious. And though this phrase is overused; Deadly serious.
Luis made it very clear, that although there were different styles, different views of climbing, different equipment, one thing was constant and non-negotiable. The rope is the only thing between you and death. The minute you believe that you can grab the rope and hold on, you’re in deep, deep trouble. You have to fight every instinct to grab the rope with both hand, he reminded me. The hand tucked behind you is a sort of unnatural surrender to the fact that the rope holds.
This story realy hits home for me. In the early 1980s I was a member of a high level, technical rescue team and taught high level techniques at the State Fire Academy.
Faith in the techniques was unnatural, but once I accepted it the results were so liberating. Faith in the finished work of Jesus is unnatural, but the joy I now have!
As he started to uncoil the myriad ropes, pulleys, and other things-I-don’t-know-what-they’re-called, his mood changed dramatically. His words were direct. There was no chit-chat. Each phrase, each word had a sternness, and an immediacy that let me know that this was serious. And though this phrase is overused; Deadly serious.
Luis made it very clear, that although there were different styles, different views of climbing, different equipment, one thing was constant and non-negotiable. The rope is the only thing between you and death. The minute you believe that you can grab the rope and hold on, you’re in deep, deep trouble. You have to fight every instinct to grab the rope with both hand, he reminded me. The hand tucked behind you is a sort of unnatural surrender to the fact that the rope holds.
Great thread (sorry - no pun intended).
I was given the opportunity to share The Gospel this weekend at a dinner with some friends. The gentleman I was talking with professed he was not a Christian even though his wife and grown sons are. He pointed out how he was as good, or better than, a lot of Christians he had met.
I explained that a lot of people who look from the outside in see our hypocrisy and legalistic attitudes, but never hear The Gospel. We are saved by the willing sacrifice of Jesus Christ. All we have to do is have faith in Him, that His death paid the price for us and He proved it by being resurrected from the dead.
He protested that he is happy who he is and doesn't want to change. Rather than fight with him about this I told him the positive change you see in Christians is not because they have to do something, but because they want to do something. We left the conversation there. We've known each other for years and the next time we go out for dinner we will pick it up again.
We not only see how "Christians" cling to ropes, but these "bitter clingers" are also how Christians are perceived by non believers.
We Love because He first loved us.
I just saw your “”Hall of Amazing FRoman Catholic Quotes”” for the first time.
Whoa.
God was gracious to me, absolutely, for saving me out of that snakepit of the rcc....
Amen, Amen, Amen! A thousand Amen’s.
Amen!
The understanding of how the Holy Spirit guides us is one of the great insights that the Reformed bring to the table. As an Evangelical Christian I am often confronted with the attitude by my brethren that I must push hard for the non believer to get on their knees and ask Jesus to save them. When we "get it" that it is God who opens our ears and hearts and the Holy Spirit that guides us I'm just happy to have the chance to share The Gospel.
The non believer will share that they want to be a believer.
Yup. Pressure them, close the deal, they may die tonight!
If they are predestined they will not die until the Holy Spirit had regenerated them, or in common language, made them born again.
It's surreal, isn't it?
And just when you think you've seen it all, another RC comes along and tops those.
Problem is some churches foster a Holier-Than-Thou attitude. Nonbelievers see this and think it is the norm for Christianity.
Exactly!
As a nonbeliever he's thinking that Christians have to work to be saved and must live very good lives. I did tell him that the only difference between the unsaved and myself is I've been forgiven. We really didn't talk a lot about how you're desires change. I think that's a discussion for someone who is down the road and sees how they are different.
-— As a nonbeliever he’s thinking that Christians have to work to be saved and must live very good lives -—
“But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.” —Jesus
Don’t confuse justification with sanctification.
Wonderful post. Thanks. It is very encouraging.
-— Don’t confuse justification with sanctification -—
Catholics don’t really distinguish the two. We would call “justification,” “initial sanctification.”
Amen
Well said.
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