From BLESSAY, Number 210, December 6, 2008
Denial is setting in like concrete in the minds of millions who are sick and tired of . . . they don't know what. I believe it is because world events that affect our lives are happening so fast that it is confusing and frightening. The world is out of control and there is no force of a gyrocompass to keep it on course. And . . . I need a hug!
Denial is a “cop out.” It is a naive cover-up for issues that won't go away. Denial cannot stop the spread of cancer or killer stress build-up. The most dangerous result of denial is refusal to prepare sensibly to fight . . . whatever it is that's bothersome. The initial sting of bad news is useful in making one take action to prevent more killer stress, and to keep a clear head to find reasonable remedies.
The world does not know what it means to be “connected” to the God of all creation and to feel the warmth of His love, the guidance of the Holy Spirit and to receive His mercy and grace. I cannot imagine a world without Almighty God looking down on the sons of men and hearing our pleas.
I come from a railroad family and when I think of connection I look back at the images of long freight trains standing in the yards ready to take their load of materials to Texas. I see the conductor at the back wave his lantern to the engineer and off they go . . . that is, just the engine and the first ten cars. The last 75 cars don't move an inch while the front end goes speedily away. Whoops! The brakeman assumed every car was connected.
There are many gods men worship, but there is only one God, the Lord God, and Jesus is His name, who is connected in a personal way in the hearts of believers. Men make assumptions in regard to their eternal state, but an assumption is a form of denial. It keeps them from having God in all their thoughts so that they cannot visualize the truth of the Bible in regard to eternal life. Without God in his thoughts and the Holy Spirit of Christ in his heart, man cannot think beyond his Day Planner.
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not (1John 3:1).”
Who can describe the love of God that exists in the hearts of believers? Does "joy unspeakable" or "peace that passes all understanding" do it? Well, it is adequate for right now until we see Him face to face.
It is a love the world does not have nor does it know how to get, because it comes by faith through grace and it cannot be manufactured by our own efforts. Yet the Bible says “For God so loved the world . . . just think of the price He paid to redeem us to Himself.
Whoever assumes the love of God without accepting it is not connected and when the promise that we will be caught up to meet Him in the air occurs, they will be left behind on the tracks. Better check those lynch pins. Assumption is without knowledge and brings on denial.
There is a remnant of the world's population that the Bible calls "sons of God", and sets us apart from "the sons of men." The “sons of men” find deep faith in the one true God, whose name is Jesus, to be revolting. They resent believers for what we have that that they say they have. They have faith, they say. But to what and to whom is their faith aimed? A positive outlook assumes faith, but there is no connection through grace by faith, and they are left standing on the tracks.
"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort." Herm Albright (Illustrator, 1876-1944)
What they do not have is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, His death on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead. They see no reason for their atonement. The Christian faith is the only belief system that is based on grace through faith, not of works of righteousness. All other religions are require some form of works for purification and atonement. But faith is a gift from God and it comes by hearing the gospel and the gospel comes by the word of God. "Aye, there's the rub."
The sons of God live by faith in and from God (Romans 1:17), but the sons of men live by their faith (works, Titus 3:5), which is self-righteousness, not the righteousness of God. They live in denial with no connection.
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure" (1John 3:2).”
.JPG)
