I solicited a comment from Bubba regarding what he meant by “Would it matter if I concentrated on things that really made a differnce[sic]?” and asked him if I could post it. The comment was in response to “Would It Matter?“. Bubba and I don’t always see eye to eye, but I count him as a friend such as I have not had in a very long time, if ever. Following is his response, unedited.
Mark,
First things first….
In my Calvinistic background, choice is not something I believe individuals have shown to be reliable to make “non” corrupted “God” choices. Anything clouded by the individuals sin will be twisted to God’s purpose outside of the individuals choice of the decision. Once the individual believes (after God sovereignly calls them) it’s the responsibility of the individual to be obedient to the movement of the Holy Spirit… our sin however teaches us to be spiritually deaf.
If people would…
1. Read their bible and actually study it…
2. Work on their relationship with Christ and be obedient to His work
3. Use church for what it is … a place where the pastor is preparing them for the ministry of the church (i.e living out ones life and being obedient to Christ’s call)
4. Stop viewing “the church” as being a social organization they happen to attend on Sundays (if you don’t feel stretched when you get done you have not been to real church)
Church is not a place to come and feel good…. it’s a place to come a and get convicted enough to do something about it. I don’t for a minute believe that most of the folks in the pews think they carry the Holy Spirit around with them… If they did they would live their lives much differently and Paul would not have to remind even Timothy of this fact. There are no perfect churches, no perfect people and no prefect teaching. We are tasked though to share God’s Word of His Son to all we meet and touch. Individuals are responsible to “know” and be able to “discern” and it is not the Holy Spirits job… we all have the same Word…. conviction is the HS’s tool and He uses it to stretch and grow us to be His workers to the world… Not the Church…. The church is / are the ones the God has called out, not ones that have “chose” God. Perhaps if we taught what Scripture teaches on God’s choice we would appreciate God’s gift of grace even more…
Eph 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us every blessing of the Spirit in the heavens in Christ:
Eph 1:4 Even as he made selection of us in him from the first, so that we might be holy and free from all evil before him in love:
Eph 1:5 As we were designed before by him for the position of sons to himself, through Jesus Christ, in the good pleasure of his purpose,
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely gave to us in the Loved One:
Eph 1:7 In whom we have salvation through his blood, the forgiveness of our sins, through the wealth of his grace,
Eph 1:8 Which he gave us in full measure in all wisdom and care;
Eph 1:9 Having made clear to us the secret of his purpose, in agreement with the design which he had in mind, to put into his hands
Eph 1:10 The ordering of the times when they are complete, so that all things might come to a head in Christ, the things in heaven and the things on the earth; in him, I say,
Eph 1:11 In whom we have a heritage, being marked out from the first in his purpose who does all things in agreement with his designs;
Eph 1:12 So that his glory might have praise through us who first had hope in Christ:
Eph 1:13 In whom you, having been given the true word, the good news of your salvation, and through your faith in him, were given the sign of the Holy Spirit of hope,
Eph 1:14 Which is the first-fruit of our heritage, till God gets back that which is his, to the praise of his glory.
