Is This Righteousness To Be Seen Of Men?
How do you see this conversation between a husband and his wife?
Wife: Honey, do you know adultery has become very rampant now - even among believers?
Husband: Yes. That is one of the devil's weapon to devour the righteous
Wife: The tempter has been putting a lot of temptation in my way too - but I've always been rebuking him with the word of God.
Husband: That's the power of God's grace. Glory be to Him
Wife: You don't even appreciate me
Husband: What do you mean?
Wife: Should you not appreciate and thank me for not having affairs like the other women?
Husband: Oh, I see your point. Let me ask, "When you check for traffic on both sides of the road before crossing, do you ask me to appreciate you?
Wife: (puzzled) No,
Husband: That's because you don't want to die physically. When you became born again and started your glorious relation with Jesus Christ, did you ask me to thank you for doing that?
Wife: No. What are you driving at?
Husband: That was because you were rescued from spiritual death and you rightfully gave the appreciation to the Lord who saved you. What I did then was to thank God (and not you) for your salvation. It was not my position to either claim the credit or offer you the thanksgiving for what was between you and God.
Now, why do you ask me to thank you for avoiding landing in hell fire? By not committing adultery, you are merely, and properly so, engaging God's grace to avoid eternal death. The thanksgiving belongs to God who made it possible - and I always do that on your behalf in my devotions to Him.
And take heed, honey, the fact that you expect thanksgiving from a human being for obeying God may mean you are already sinning at heart.
Wife: You are twisting the issue and blowing it out of proportion!
Husband: On the contrary, I'm stating it exactly as it is which you somehow missed. By overcoming the temptation of adultery, you did not do anything for me as a person. Rather, you honoured God by engaging His grace to obey His word. Effectively avoiding eternal death. My role is to appreciate God on your behalf, pray for more grace for you and encourage you to keep standing. And finally THANK GOD for helping you stay pure.
Wife: I can now see that you don't love me. And you are a very wicked man.
Husband: Uuggh?? (looking bewildered)
== conversation ends abruptly ==
President at Precepts of Life Ministry, Inc.
6 年I somehow missed your comment and only saw it today while looking through my old articles. Sorry. I never intended to present God's grace as not covering, or sufficient, for any sinful act. In fact, a key purpose of the article is to stress that keeping God's commandment is by His grace for which we must be thankful. However, I hold that if anyone willfully rejects that divine grace, such a person would have shipwrecked his faith and can no longer benefit from the grace he trampled underfoot. So, it is not about our falling into sin or being overcome by temptations (even repeatedly) but whether we have despised God's grace. David committed horrible sins but God's grace still availed to Him because he never despised it nor take God lightly or for granted. I hope my position is a little clearer. I am happy to learn that you strive to keep the Lord's commandments but a bit uncomfortable by your equating them with the Torah. Do you mean just the ten commandments or the entire Pentateuch? Happy New Year!