Grace Notes 2021-11-17

It is always a good spiritual exercise to pay particular attention to those elements of the faith, taught in Scripture, that cut against the grain of our own sensibilities. Otherwise, if we only are enthusiastic concerning those teachings that we already agree with, we have no way of knowing if we are humbly trusting God’s Word. It is when God’s word challenges our sensibilities that we have a chance to learn to trust God.

Keep in mind the very first temptation in the Garden of Eden. The serpent challenges our first mother, “You will not surely die [if and when you eat the forbidden fruit]. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen 3:4-5). Then Eve “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes…” (v. 6). There was nothing that she could see that indicated danger in the forbidden fruit. It was simply the reliability of God’s Word that she had to go on, but the serpent had successfully placed doubt of the same in her mind.

Lately I have been trying to discern some of the deceptions of the age we live in, especially some of the more subtle ones, ones to which I am susceptible. What good is it doing me to rail against the falsehoods I believe myself more immune to?

Two deceptions have come to the fore. The first is the excessive individualism of our age. Of course, it is good to avoid the socialism and collectivism that emphasizes an abstract group over actual persons. But created in God’s image we are meant to be a part of a community! And not a theoretical one, but an actual family, neighborhood, town, etc. Most importantly we are meant to be a functioning member of the body of Christ.

Next week I will speak of the deception of seeking comfort, convenience, and ease – a spiritually lethal mix.

Since You Asked…

What is the significance of Christ the King Sunday?

The Festival of Christ the King marks the end of the long season after Pentecost, and it anticipates the day when Christ will return and be revealed to everyone as the rightful ruler of the world. The appointed lessons for the day make it clear that at the end of the age Christ will come in power and great glory. Previous to this we have known his gentle rule. We have known King Jesus as the one who shed his blood to free us from the grips of sin and death. But when he comes again in glory he will come to judge the living and the dead. There will then be no doubt as to who the sovereign of the cosmos is!