Letters From Grandpa #355
LETTERS FROM GRANDPA
- 355
Dearest grandchild,
Today’s letter will deal with this Scripture that has a special meaning for me. Please consider: “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Pet. 1:3-4 KJV). Indulge me this background as I review things familiar to most in our family:
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On Dec. 24, 1974 Mike Pratt and two companions were killed in a tragic plane crash. •
As you know, Mike lived with us while working with our church and was like part of our family. I taught him how to fly and helped him select the airplane in which he was killed. •
When Mike disappeared Bob Sheldon and I took off in his Cessna 140 in search for him, but were forced to return to Carthage by freezing rain. (FYI - Bob and his wife Ellen were wonderful Christian friends that were both murdered by a 20 year old robber on Oct. 11, 2008) •
On Dec. 27th, the wreckage was discovered north of Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo. (cousin Lt. Sophie Mouton Martindale received some training there). I immediately drove to the crash site. •
Preacher Price Flannery allowed me to stay with him in the parsonage at Waynesville, Mo. We stayed up late into the night washing clothes and other items found in the wreckage. As he was a photographer for the local newspaper, we also developed three rolls of film he took of the crash site. I was able to give these priceless pictures to Mike’s family.
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A picture of the wreckage can be found on the next to the last page of Meditations for Mother - https://boycemouton.com/downloads/Meditations_For_Mother.pdf
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Early in January 1975 I put the personal possessions of all three victims in our 1963 Dodge pickup and headed for Mike’s home in Whiting, Iowa. (the odometer turned over 100,000 miles on that trip). As you may know, this truck was given to me in 1965 by my father. I still drive it. •
Leaving Whiting I drove to South Bend, Indiana where I was scheduled to conduct a series of meetings with the River Park Congregation. Rolland Steever was their minister at the time. •
In an afternoon class I quoted the above text, 2 Pet. 1:3-4, from memory. My point was to encourage everyone to escape from lust and partake of the divine nature of Christ.
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At that time, however, I saw something in the passage I had never seen before. I asked the indulgence of the class to quote the Scripture again for myself! While I still have much to learn, a better understanding of that passage has created a seismic change in my life and ministry.
Up to that point in time I had tried to coerce people be like Christ by giving them “commandments”. Don’t drink! Don’t smoke! Don’t do drugs!, Don’t commit adultery! Don’t lie! Don’t steal! Etc. It doesn’t work! Commandments like “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch . . . indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, BUT THEY LACK ANY VALUE IN RESTRAINING SENSUAL INDULGENCE” (Col. 2:21-23).
It now is clear to me that commandments do not eliminate lust! For example, if I “command” you “don’t think about lemon pie”, all of a sudden that’s what you are thinking about. The more I command you to not think about lemon pie, the more you think about it. Paul explained: “I would not have know what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said ‘Do not covet’. But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the
commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. FOR APART FROM LAW SIN IS DEAD” (Rom. 7:7-8).
So Peter explained in our text that the way to avoid lust is not by commandments, but by HIS EXCEEDING GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES. How obvious! If you are on a 40 day fast, 40 sermons against food would be counter productive. Imagine trying to avoid lusting for food when some preacher is commanding you not to eat filet mignon, your favorite vegetables, and a lemon meringue pie that just came out of the oven. This leads us to consider God’s purpose in giving the Law!
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The purpose of the law is to make us realize that we are guilty (Rom. 3:19).
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In fact, “The law was added that the trespass might increase” (Rom. 5:20). •
In reality our sinful passion are aroused by the law (Rom. 7:5).
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It is a fact that “apart from the law sin is dead” (Rom. 7:8).
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Remember! “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law” (1 Cor. 15:56). •
Only when we realize that we are helpless sinners do we turn to Christ that we might be justified by faith (Gal. 3:24). That’s why the law was given!
Consider this contrast, the law provided constant reminders of sin (Heb. 10:3), but in Christ our sins and iniquities are remembered no more (Heb. 8:12; 10:17; Is. 43:25; Jer. 31:34) What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God accomplished by sending Jesus (Rom. 8:3). In Christ our sins are forgotten and we need not remember them any more. In Christ we don’t have anything to worry about! In Christ God has given us “all things that pertain to life and godliness”. This confidence in Christ comes “through the knowledge of him who has called us to glory and virtue”. The Jews only had confidence one day of the year on the Day of Atonement. On that day they didn’t need to worry, because on that day their high priest was in the holy of holies making intercession for them. Now, we can have that same confidence every day for Christ, our great High Priest, is constantly in the presence of God ministering on our behalf (Heb. 9:24). “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come unto God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them” (Heb. 7:25).
I pray that this precious Scripture will also have a special meaning for you! “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Pet. 1:3-4 KJV). DON’T EVER LOSE YOUR FOCUS ON THE EXCEEDING GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES OF GOD!
I love you,
Grandpa Boyce