A re-test of the protein count I reported last week revealed an error. Instead of the level dropping from 1.3 to .5, it had actually increased to 1.8. After receiving so many words of encouragement and hearing so many praises lifted to our Father in Heaven, it is a little disappointing to send out bad news, but I know we would all rather deal with factual reports than false ones. No matter what report we receive from a doctor, these things I mentioned last week remain true: God is faithful, the prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective, and the Father is worthy of all praise. I’m in the middle of another round of chemo before our trip to Africa, so we treasure your prayers.
Our Namibian mission team went to see the movie AMAZING GRACE this past weekend. This is the powerful story of William Wilberforce and his battle to end the British slave trade. As a young lawmaker, William sometimes went to talk to an aging minister he respected as a man of God. This pastor, John Newton, had inside knowledge about the slave trade because of his own involvement before he was saved. One of the most famous hymns of all time was written by a “chief of sinners.” If you get to see the movie, you’ll be moved by the attitude of John Newton and you’ll be motivated by the perseverance of William Wilberforce.
The greatest explanation of the Gospel of Christ was written by another man who called himself “the chief of sinners.” Jesus rescued Saul of Tarsus and molded him into his own image. Paul, John Newton, William Wilberforce, you, and me are forever indebted to the One who gave his life that we might be reconciled to the Father. By grace we are saved, by grace we are called, by grace we learn to persevere, and by grace we finish the race.
We are foolish when we treat God’s grace haphazardly. We can never use such a gift as a license to sin. The German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer boldly disclaimed the idea of “cheap grace.” The wise know we are in need of God’s grace every day and in every season of life. As Saul entered the Kingdom of God, the Lord told his servant, Ananias, “This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” By grace he was saved, by grace he was chosen, and by grace he endured the suffering. By grace William Wilberforce was saved, by grace he was given an assignment to bring justice to the world, and by grace he endured criticism, setbacks, health struggles, and every temptation to quit. With joy, John Newton wrote, “I once was blind but now I see,” but what did he think when he lost his physical eyesight? What did he sing as he approached death’s door? Oh to hold to God’s solid word: “My grace is sufficient for you.”
Is it easier to receive a good report from the doctor or a bad one? When is grace most amazing? I was not most impressed that William Wilberforce passionately hated slavery. The Golden Rule should lead us all to despise injustice. What shines in the two hundred year old story of an English politician is the fact that he never gave up! What shines in the story of the ex-Pharisee who lost all for the Gospel is the fact that he seemed to grow stronger in faith the more hardships he endured. We sing the chorus: “Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er! Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more!” Amazing grace is how we stand.
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Romans 5:1-5