Tag Archives: confession

The “Roman Road” – there is more than one.

There are any number of mnemonic devices for remembering Bible verses, and for remembering and communicating the central points of Christianity. The “Apostles’ Creed” is about the earliest, and I think still about the best. “The Four Spiritual Laws” is one I remember from my teens and early twenties.

Many of us, perhaps most of us who seriously entered an Evangelical understanding of Christianity 40 or 50 years ago will remember  “The Roman Road” as it lays out the work of God in Jesus through six verses in the Epistle to the Romans.

Romans 3:10  “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one…’ “

Romans 3:23  “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”

Romans 5:8  “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 6:23  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 10:9  “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Romans 10:13,  “for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ “

I think, though, that there is another “Roman Road” spelled out. I have often seen the journey described as the road humanity takes/has taken when we refuse to look to God. But I have discovered that here, as in most warnings, they are not only for “those OTHER people” … Christians, too, are vulnerable. This “Roman Road” leads to deception, self-deception. I know very closely at least two, who think themselves devout Christians yet have fallen into this road.  I am one of them. Continue reading

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Thinking about Dirt

Over the last several weeks I have run into what is often called “The Parable of the Sower” from the Gospel According to Mark (It’s also in Matthew and Luke, but this month, it always seemed to come up in Mark). If you ever had any exposure at all to stories from the Bible, you probably remember this one; on its simplest level, it tells of a man sowing seed, somewhat randomly. The seed falls on four different kinds of dirt, and the story explores what happens to that seed in each. The link to the story is here: Mark 4:2-9. But what does it all mean? And why did Jesus say it that way at all? Well, as our good fortune would have it, Jesus’ followers asked those questions too, and He told them. We can read it right there in Mark. No need for fancy interpretation, “…move along, nothing to see here, it’s all been explained….”
However some of us can’t leave well enough alone. Here’s my addition… Continue reading

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Bring to the Light …

I have mentioned the persistent presence in my thought of Ephesians 5:13

“But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.”

-That even those things that bring shame can bring the light of God if exposed to the light.

But in this, as in so many things, I must confess that my thoughts are more persistent than my deeds.

There is an area that I have been reluctant to bring to the light. But a fellow blogger, whose comments I have greatly valued both here and on her site, has inspired me to make real this idea, which I so often profess.

I bring it up now only on trust that it might do someone some good; either to know that someone else has walked this path and come out the other side, or to know what I learned about my own dis-ordered thoughts, or just that they are not alone. Continue reading

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Postscript and explanation

I have said that I started these writings so that my errors could be made more obvious, by being exposed to light. And I often see my sloppy thinking just by writing it down. Sometimes, I see my errors through comments made by others.  Concerning my recent post, “The Last Post of This Story ” it has happened again.

I have spoken with several people concerning this post. Some, but not all, were happy with it. However even those who expressed support and appreciation were somewhat unsure as to my point.  I have been accused before of being sometimes obtuse. I have to take that seriously. So here is my remedial effort, and my attempt to clarify what is on my heart by opening it fully. ======= Continue reading

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Postscript: it’s OK

Well, I am smarting a bit, but I have discovered another of the benefits of really embracing a doctrine of depravity – the idea contained in one of the earlier prayer books of my tradition that “…there is no health in (me).”   I have re-discovered the comfort in this idea. There are of course many benefits to owning this –certainly the fact that Jesus came to save and heal such is at the heart of all. But specifically today I have in view the fact that it makes me darn hard to insult. Continue reading

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On the closing of The Church of the Redeemer

“My place in Redeemer & vice versa, ”compare and contrast “ with life in general and personal history, with particular emphasis on the themes of plans and expectation (see subtext “Judas”)…”

OK, yesterday eve (well, late afternoon!) when I finally got to bed after staying up like I was half my age, I couldn’t write what I wanted. But I was too full to properly resist, so I at least assigned a theme for myself, noted above. Upon reading my “assignment,” today, I am dismayed, and thankful on behalf of my non-existent class, that I do not teach High School English, nor do I assign term papers.

I have been dodging this topic all morning, and my available time is near an end. Some would say I have been dodging this topic for 20 years, maybe 25. Time to get to it… Continue reading

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And now…, the other shoe.

I’ve got to take care of a little unwelcome personal business.

As you may have picked up through these scattered threads lying about here are a number that try to make some connection between the themes of Christianity,  of Christian theology, and the way the world seems to actually work in observation. Sometimes, as in “Simul Justes et Peccator” that connection is revealed by failure. Failure to act in accordance with what one knows to be true involves, if not a willful blindness, a willful “dimming of the eye,” a choosing not to see, a choosing to not know what one knows. Continue reading

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Simul justes et peccator (and how it relates to me and my marriage)

One of my “soap-box” points, on which I am continually harping, is the importance of the pastoral implications and applicability of doctrine, and of theology. If there is a particular point about the nature of God and of our relationship with Him that is intellectually stimulating and recreationally pleasing to fondle, but has no true impact on my life, then I think that is a pretty fair description of what it means to “take the Lord’s name in vane” (No, it doesn’t mean saying “OMG!” as tiresome as that is). Continue reading

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