The Match

Hey ya'll,

I hope you'll forgive my lack of posting. How busy am I? I have not even read any of the blog comments about the recently concluded Wimbledon tourney. I've made the time to read a couple professional articles about it, and this is the best.

Real Men Don't Dance

The author has a heart of Gold, and a heart for God. With this piece, he made me cry - again. He writes the things that matter about the things that don't.

A lot has been made of Nadal's injury. I just finished my ironing and watching the match at the same time. Nadal's injury was not of the sort that took away from his ability to play. The match was pure gold from beginning to end. It will be remembered until their very next big one.

Of course, one might ask why I didn't see the match live. It would be a good question. Simple, really. I stirred the hornets' nest too thoroughly in Sunday School last week, and there was no way I was going to miss the "rebuttal."

Sure enough, attendance was up, and everyone was ready to pick up where we left off.

Have I mentioned that in every college course I ever took, every professor said at least once to the class, "Does anyone agree with Mr. Knox?" I have no clue how I always manage to end up being the only person on my side, but it never changes.

In this case, the discussion was on Heb 4:12. We are going through Hebrews, and I would not be budged on one point. Hebrews 4 does not tell us to work to please God. It tells us to rest in Him. It tells us to strive to rest in Him, but for nothing else. When we enter into Christ, we enter into our Sabbath rest forever.

So, when we got to Heb 4:12, I commented that this verse is about resting, too. That was too much. I maintain that the word of God separates soul from spirit in order to learn who is resting and who is trying to please God. Everyone else in the room contested that the whole testimony of scripture is that we must work to please God. I read the book of Galatians at length to everyone last week, so I didn't feel the need to reiterate.

Anyway, it was pretty wonderful. I distinguished between works that please God and works that flow from love. Someone else distinguished between earning salvation and working as someone saved. Then we all kissed and made up.

Roger played what may have been the match of a career, and the burst of emotion that flowed out of him when he laid down on the court would have had me bawling. But I'd skip it again and again and again to press forward with brothers and sisters into the kingdom.

I love being with saints.