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I spent the past week at Charity’s biennial Leadership Seminar. I attended all the preaching sessions other than two on Tuesday morning, but did not participate in the afternoon prayer group sessions during which I went back to my motel room and worked on the online courses I am taking from Taylor University.

The week brought back memories of Charity Bible School, which I attended three years between 1997-1999. Denny Kenaston’s preaching in particular hasn’t changed much since then. I especially enjoyed Mose Stoltzfus’ series on the subject of sanctification, which fit very well with the subject matter of a current lesson I am doing in a course called Historic Christian Belief. Mose paid tribute to the Anabaptists and to John Wesley as being the primary inspiration for his theology of sanctification. He clearly stated his disagreement with the extreme Wesleyan view of “total sactification” or sinless perfection while at the same time embracing the concept of a Christian entering into a place of rest (Hebrews) or maturity in which there is a large measure of victory over sin. In my experience this is true in certain areas in which I don’t struggle with certain sins the way I once did; however in other areas I still struggle every day to do what I know is right.

I would highly recommend Mose’s sermons which are available for download as mp3 files here. It doesn’t look like mp3s of all sermons are up yet, but I would expect will be soon. Other excellent sermons were Dean Taylor’s message on Soul Idolaltry and Abner Kauffman’s two sermons on the Christian home. It had been awhile since I last heard Abner preach and it certainly was good to hear many of his old stories again. Read the rest of this entry »

What is submission?

Submission is to yield to the control of another, to yield to another’s wish or opinion, to accept or undergo some difficulty; it is patient humility. I believe that the concept of submission as taught in the gospels and as demonstrated by the life of Christ is closely related to that of suffering love. I thought again of the comment of Melvin Lehman’s I referenced in an earlier post. It was the idea that suffering love is the mechanism that is the forward motion of the universe.

1 Pet. 2:1 ¶ Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
4 ¶ To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

The concept of submission is clearly directed to believers in Christ. In fact, a person who does not accept Jesus Christ as Lord will find this subject to be absolutely ludicrous and unreasonable. “…unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.” Read the rest of this entry »