In This We Exercise; Yes, to Love One Another

“And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised.” Ecc. 1:13

Yes, even so we accept this burdensome task that God has given to us. Yes, we accept it delightfully and passionately, but unfortunately we face the burden of bearing up under disagreements between brethren. Whether it is discussion on the existence or cessation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit today, or whether we live in a young or old universe, we daily suffer the temptation of conflict, which divides us, and I suspect the Devil celebrates such animas. In a way, we are all like the blood platelets, which coagulate at the point of our wounds; up-bringing or understanding. Rather than flowing freely through the body of Christ, we gather and possibly think that we worship as one body but do we pass again through the heart of our Lord; thus, refilling the oxygen of the Spirit… refreshed and ready to do battle; not with each other, but in resisting the Devil, continuing our search for wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven?

Let me first tell you now that many have come to like and read my page… I am inclined today towards the reform teachings; which center on God’s covenant of grace. I believe that the Bible is the only authoritative and God-breathed word; as given to the prophets, spoken by His only begotten Son, and the apostles upon which Christ is the cornerstone and the church established. I believe that salvation is by faith through grace alone; not of works. I have last read Dr. Lloyd Jones’ commentary on Ephesians, and plan to work through Romans later this year. I have a collection of extra-Biblical tomes, which includes the writings of Jonathan Edwards and a number of puritan ministers. My 12th great grandfather, Myles Standish, had a copy of Jeremiah Burroughs’ “Gospel Conversation,” listed in his will. What a joy to know that he read the Bible, believed in Christ and had the same book by Burroughs in my study. I have a special fondness for Christopher Love, who wrote numerous books and was beheaded by Cromwell at the base of the London tower. He had been wrongfully charged for treason.

Many of my ancestors were abolitionist, which included my 5th great grandmother who was one of few within the church to show compassion and love for a young black woman. That young woman later married a minister who carried the Gospel in the 1850s to Monrovia in the West African country of Liberia. I have a copy of the letter that she wrote of my grandmother, which was read at her memorial service. Don’t you tell me that our blood runs shallow. If that is true, then it is due to our low affections for our Lord and our willingness to abide in Him.

Yes, we have considerable and varied blood carried in our veins, but the most important is the blood of Christ, which was shed abroad in our hearts. For those who continue to read my posts at either www.millpondink.com (In the Grind) or the FB page, we are called to press on; to love one and another first… the most excellent way. We should humbly gather together before the Master; seek His wisdom; empty ourselves of our pride and stiff-neckedness. Most importantly, we must remember that we meet and are called to love individuals; not institutions.  If you disagree with a point that I make, accept it graciously; even as I approach you. I must say that I have a hard time keeping up with the contemporary language and terms that exist. I don’t always know what people mean when they say something that is strange to me. I need to remain silent at those times, until invited to ask a question. You do know that most poor communications come about because of mistrust; even as I would expect some to mistrust me. However, no judgments should be made of where we think the other guy is doctrinally; not as long as we have agreement in the testimony of our salvation, which is: Christ alone, faith alone, Scripture alone…

All I can say in summary is that I hope and pray that I’m not alone in this exercise.