Over at the Colley House right now (www.thecolleyhouse.org) we’re featuring a special on the Hannah’s Hundred series. It’s four CDs of memory verses set to music. That’s 4OO verses in all and your kids (and you) will be singing them in no time. A few minutes each day in the car or as they are falling asleep at night puts the Word in their hearts for a lifetime. This is how our kids memorized scripture and your kids can, too. Coincidentally, my daughter Hannah sent me a sample this week of some kids she baby-sits as they are learning the verses. They may be a bit fuzzy on the tune, but they’ve got the scripture down!
There is a fear of God that is counter-productive.
Obviously, the one talent man let his fear of the wrath of his lord inhibit his faithful service to him. While the scriptures clearly teach that our God is a God of wrath in the presence of rebellion, the scriptures plainly teach that He is longsuffering to those who obey him and not willing that any should perish (II Peter 3:9). (It’s interesting that this passage about God’s longsuffering nature is in the context of one of the descriptions of the last day.) I recently studied with a friend who obeyed the gospel with a tender penitence and a will to learn and grow. One night not long after her baptism she asked me this question: “What do I do when I sin? …I mean I am trying, but, truthfully, I mess up a lot. Do I need to be baptized again?”
I had unwittingly failed to teach her the important concept from I John 1:7 about the assurance of continual cleansing given to those who walk in the light. I’ll never forget how relieved she was when we studied this teaching from this and other passages. I’m so thankful that she asked the question when she did. Had she gone very long without knowing this assurance she, like the one talent man, would have just thrown in the towel, knowing that she could never attain the sinless perfection she thought was required. God was pleased with the five talent man and the two talent man, not because they were perfect, but because they were faithful. He was displeased with the one talent man, not because of a low-yielding investment of talent, but because he failed to invest the talent at all. In fact, the lord described him as wicked and slothful. We must strive to be perfectly holy in his sight (forgiven Christians walking in His holy light), for we can never be wholly perfect.
