Communication
About six years ago, our son moved away for his job. I offered to help him move.
Besides a moving service taking his big furniture, we drove two cars packed with stuff, as well as my truck and trailer. We arrived very early on a Sunday morning and he reported to his new job the next Morning. They asked me to hang around a week to help his wife with the moving details (getting Internet set up, etc.). Mostly, I believe, she felt more comfortable having someone she knew being in a brand-new town.
After a couple days, I started feeling like a fifth wheel so I borrowed my son’s motorcycle and decided to ride a couple days through the mountains. One of the luxuries that I use while riding is attaching my phone to the handlebars so that I can use the GPS to ride a predefined route. His bike didn’t have a power cord attached to the motorcycle (if you have ever used your mapping app without your phone being plugged in, you will know that it is a battery sucker), so I stopped by the motorcycle dealer to have them install a power dangle.
They weren’t busy so I decided to wait for them to install my dangle. They had a customer picnic table and since it was a nice day, I sat out there trying to figure out my route so I could program it into the GPS. There were a couple of local riders waiting for their bike to be worked on and so I solicited advice on a route. They rattled off a route before I realized it was more complicated than getting on a specified highway so I asked them to repeat their suggestion. This time, I diligently took notes and started to figure out how I was going to program this into my GPS.
They saw I was struggling and said they were thinking about riding this route anyway and asked me if I’d like to join them the next morning. I said sure! We had a great time.
This morning (I’ll bet you’re wondering where this story is going), I had to take our dog to be groomed. While I was driving, the song “The Truth” by Megan Woods came on the radio. Part of the refrain is, “I know who I am because I know who you are”. Every time I’ve heard that, it has always emotionally touched me, but I didn’t know why.
Even earlier this morning, I got and read a Crossway devotion entitled “The ‘Nowism’ of the Gospell” by Pastor Tripp. This devotion starts by suggesting that it is important to understand the work of grace not only in the past and the future but also in the here and now.
“But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” - Titus 2:1-14 ESV
Pastor Tripp suggests that a lot of people have a fair understanding of grace in the past when you were saved and an understanding of grace in the second coming of Christ. His question is whether we are are working in understanding grace here and now. Transforming our minds to be more like Christ.
If that wasn’t enough, another part of my quiet time of devotion is a deep dive into Romans by Pastor Sproul. Today’s lesson on Romans 7 was talking about the danger of not growing in your faith walk. He referred to them as carnal Christians and questioned whether they had a true profession of faith.
“For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” - Romans 7:14-20
Now all the pieces started to come together. I have to give up my own sinful desires and follow Christ. By doing that, I transform myself from a carnal Christian, slowly, ever so slowly, to understand God’s grace for me in the past, the future and now. In other words, I know who I am because I know who you (God) are.
The Holy Spirit wants to work in your life. All you have to do is to let Him.
