Did My Generation Neglect the Grace of God?
Edward O. Bragwell, Sr.
I cannot understand how so many of the younger generation of preachers (sometimes encouraged by a few older ones) can talk about how woefully the generation before them neglected to tell people about the grace of God. They boldly speak about it as though it was a settled fact of history and that their generation is going to correct the matter by speaking more about grace and less about commandment keeping. As a qualified member of the preceding generation, as one man once said, “I deny the allegation and renounce the alligator.” They have apparently not read the writings nor listened to the sermons of their predecessors.
All of my generation and those of the generation before me that I know said lots about various aspects of God’s amazing grace. While they may not have specifically mentioned the word “grace” repeatedly in every lesson, they repeatedly preached in a way to convey the idea of grace. When they talked about God’s sending his son as the savior of mankind, they were talking about the grace of God. When they talked about Christ dying and shedding his blood for us, they were talking about the grace of God. When they talked about God’s eternal plan in saving all men (Jew and Gentile alike) in one body (the church), they were talking about the grace of God. When they talked about the gospel plan of salvation, they were talking about the grace of God. When they talked about how Christians are to live soberly, righteously, and godly, they were talking about that which the grace of God teaches. When they talked about God’s marvelously revealing his will for man through his chosen vessels, they were talking about the grace of God. When they even talked about keeping all the commandments of God, they were talking about the grace of God, because God has given all his commands for their good. (Cf. Deut. 10:13 – “and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good?”
Surely, these critics of the earlier generation do not think that those before them thought or implied that any of the above blessings came from themselves. Or, that God did them for man because he had earned or deserved them. I never heard anyone say or imply it. Surely, they do not think that when one responds to these actions of God by obeying him, they were claiming to be the author and finisher of their own salvation and were seeking to glorify themselves. My generation taught that it is essential that man respond to God’s acts of grace by believing and obeying his commands – that he is the Author of eternal salvation to all that obey him. In fact, were it not for the grace of God, we would have nothing to obey – no commandments to keep – no salvation to work out with fear and trembling.
Admittedly, my generation may not have mentioned the word “grace” in nearly every breath (though it was mentioned far more than we have been given credit for by these folks), but that does not mean that we did not teach or even emphasize that we are saved by grace. We did it by teaching the various things that God has done to give us salvation from sin and to give us hope of eternal salvation in the world to come. The hearers understood that none of these things come by man’s own efforts but by the grace or mercy of God.
By the way, when one sees believers “turning to the Lord,” he sees the grace of God (cf. Acts 11:21, 23). Yet believers are the ones who do the turning (1 Thess. 1:9). The Thessalonians had been active and not passive in the turning. The text says, “you turned,” not “you were turned.” When one sees people turn to God, by their obedience, they see both the grace of God and the faith of man at work (cf. James 2:18)
Yes, my generation did emphasize obedience and commandment keeping in our preaching. We may have even mentioned it more often than we did grace. Why? Because we knew our hearers already understood that they could not be saved without God’s grace. While we reminded them of this fact, they generally already believed it. It was obedience that many did not get and needed detailed teaching about.
We suspect that if these young critics had followed more closely what my generation said about God’s grace, they might not have become so fascinated with the brand of grace most of them think they have discovered by reading the writings and studying at the feet of theologians – especially Calvinists.
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Delighting in God’s Law
(Psalm 1:2)
Mike Johnson
Psalm 1:1 tells us that the person whom God will bless must not walk in the counsel of the ungodly; he must not stand in the path of sinners, and he must not sit in the seat of the scornful. Then, verse 2 positively describes a righteous person, showing what he does instead of what he does not do. The passage says, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” Instead of taking delight in the views and opinions of the scornful, mentioned earlier, he delights in the Law of God.
What we delight in will typically be the center of our thoughts; it will occupy our time and be what we talk about often. Many people talk about becoming wealthy, their favorite sports team, or a hobby they enjoy. Why do they do this? It is because they delight in these. In contrast, the godly, the blessed person delights in God’s Law, which is the primary focus of his life.
The concept of delighting in God’s Law is also alluded to in Psalm 19:9-10, which says, “…The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.” (The NASB says, “drippings of the honeycomb.”) People desire gold, and many will do almost anything to obtain it. Also, people typically like honey or at least something sweet. (We sometimes hear people say they have a sweet tooth.) Similarly, we must desire the law of God, like people want gold and honey! We are to crave it. In Job 23:12, Job said, “I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.”
We further see (2b) it is in God’s Law, “he meditates day and night.” To meditate means to think about, ponder over, focus on, and diligently seek to understand the meaning of something. The blessed person takes advantage of every opportunity, day and night, to spend time with God’s Law. When Moses died, as Joshua took over the leadership of the nation of Israel, God told him, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Josh. 1:8). In Ps 119:15, the Psalmist says, “I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways.” (Please also note Ps. 119:23 and 143:5-6.)
Do we delight in the law of the Lord? Do we take great pleasure in it? Do we meditate on it day and night? If not, we should!
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How to Praise God
(Ps. 103:1-2)
Mike Johnson
Psalm 103:1-2 exclaims, “Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.”
David most likely wrote Psalm 103, a well-known psalm of praise. It is a psalm of celebration, as the first and final verses indicate. Some refer to verses 1-2 as an outburst of praise.
In the text, David is reminding himself to bless the Lord. Typically, we ask for God’s blessings for ourselves or another person. When God blesses people, they receive divine favor, happiness, peace, and contentment. When we bless God, as one writer points out, “It means to praise, implying always a strong affection for him as well as a sense of gratitude” (Barnes Notes). Blessing God involves acknowledging what God has done and how much we owe Him. One translation (NIV) renders the word as “praise” instead of “bless.” Also, to bless “His holy name” means to bless Him. These verses teach us four truths about how to bless (or praise) God. Consider them now.
- Personally – He says “my” soul. He is not handing this act over to someone else; it is what he is doing.
- Spiritually – He speaks of his “soul.” In speaking of his soul, he means his mind or heart, i.e., that which is spiritual, as his praise will come from within. The phrase “all that is within me” explains the meaning of the word “soul.” One translation renders it as “all my innermost being.” All of the adoration, veneration, and praise, no matter how eloquently said, are of no value if it does not come from within (Mt. 15:8-9).
- Whole-heartedly – He says “all” that is within me. This word means nothing left out, i.e., “When I praise You, I will give it my all.”
- Purposefully – The Psalmist will “forget not all His benefits.” We try not to forget many things, e.g., a wedding anniversary. Even more importantly, we should not forget the benefits we receive from God, as praising God should remind us to be thankful (2 Pet. 2:9).
Blessing, or praising, God and being grateful to Him goes hand-in-hand. Thankful people are more motivated to praise the Lord, and as we do so, thinking about everything He has done reminds us of other great blessings.
Do you bless God? If not, you should. These two verses tell us how we are to do so.
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The Burning Hut
The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day, he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements and to store his few possessions. But then, one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. “God, how could you do this to me!” he cried.
Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. “How did you know I was here?” asked the weary man of his rescuers. “We saw your smoke signal,” they replied.
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Author Unknown
Giving Thanks for All Things
A thief broke into the modest dwelling of Matthew Henry, the celebrated Bible scholar, and stole his purse, but the busy, cheerful old gentleman, far from being downcast, turned to his diary and entered this cheerful observation; “Let me be thankful first, because he never robbed me before; second, because although he took my purse, he did not take my life; third, because although he took all I possessed, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.”
– via “The Old Hickory Bulletin,” February 2024
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Growing Older: Traits We Need
Sewell Hall
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Editor: Mike Johnson
www.seekingthingsabove.org