SLOW ME DOWN, LORD, THAT I MAY SIMPLY LIVE TO PLEASE YOU
When our grand-daughter was four, we took her to the airport to see the planes and to ride the very fast underground Plane Train. Sitting at the very front of the lead car of the train, looking through the humongous glass front-end at the lighted track ahead of us, with the walls of the tunnel swiftly passing bay, Lauren whirled around, grabbed me and asked in a panicky voice, “Granddaddy, who’s driving this train?”
When I told her nobody was driving the train because it was computer-operated, she blurted out for all to hear, “I want to get off! Granddaddy! I want to get off NOW!” Have you ever felt that you wanted the earth to stop spinning so you could get off? A better idea: “Slow me down, Lord, that I may simply live to please you.” (Poem: Slow Me Down, Lord)
Previously I shared with you that one of my wife’s favorite things to do is to meet fellow retirees and spend a couple of hours working together at a Butterfly Garden sponsored by the CSU Retirees Association, and, in connection with our study about our Lord’s invitation to come apart and rest awhile, I shared a lesson to be learned by studying one of God’s most beautiful creations: A butterfly, when pursued, always seems to be just beyond your grasp, but if you sit down in a quiet place, and be still, a butterfly may very well alight upon you.
God’s Word tells us: “Be still and know that I am God” - more than just a beautiful poetic thought spoken by the Lord to the psalmist, but rather a spiritual principle for mature Christians to live by, simply to allow God’s Spirit to alight upon you and give you peace. Slow down . . . know that He is God . . . simply live to please Him.
In his first letter to the Church at Thessalonica, Paul cautioned Christians there to slow down in their rush to deal with troublemakers who had come to their city to incite violence (so intense that Paul had to be secretly ushered out of the city for his safety).
Despite hostility toward Christians by Jews who had gone to Thessalonica to disrupt Paul’s preaching of the gospel, and to incite violence by accusing Paul of acting against Caesar, the Church withstood attempts to demoralize them, became strong in the Faith under the leadership of Timothy whose encouraging report to Paul is the basis for this lesson on living to please God --- I Thessalonians 4:3-8 . . .
Aside from all that Paul had to say about sexual immorality – which he had no choice but to deal with, due to the godless culture out of which Gentile converts to Christianity had come – the main point that Paul strives to get across to those who came out of paganism was (is) this: “It is God’s Will that you should be sanctified.”
The issue before early Christians was basically no different from the issue we face in the twenty-first century: The purity of a new life in Christ versus the impurity of a pagan lifestyle. Only via sanctification can that issue be resolved!
Sanctification is one of three major components of the Christian Doctrine of Salvation: Redemption --- Sanctification --- Glorification.
“I have been saved. I am being saved. I shall be saved.”
“I have been redeemed. I am being sanctified. I shall be glorified.”
Dr. Herschel Hobbs, long-time pastor of the First Baptist Church of Oklahoma City and author of Fundamentals of Our Faith, describes “the threefold nature of salvation”:
(1) Instantaneous salvation – Redemption from the penalty of sin, based on:
Acts 2:21 . . . 16:31 . . . Romans 10:10 . . .
Deliverance from the penalty of sin occurs as soon as a sinner repents of the sin of unbelief and truly believes in (accepts) Christ as Savior and Lord. This is a fixed condition. All who are truly saved persevere - “endure to the end”.
Instantaneous salvation is synonymous with being born again (John 3:3-7) . . . enrolling in Jesus’ school (Matthew 11:29) . . . adoption into the family of God (Romans 8:15-23).
(2) Continuing salvation – Sanctification – growing in grace, knowledge and Christian service, based on: 2 Peter 3:18 . . . Philippians 2:12-13 . . . 2 Corinthians 1:6 . . .
By grace through faith our souls have been saved from the penalty of sin. Yet, God has ordained that believers in Christ should walk in good works for the salvation of their Christian lives - Ephesians 2:10 . . . Philippians 2:12-13 . . . This continuing salvation is sanctification – growing and developing into the likeness of Christ our Lord!
(3) Ultimate salvation – Glorification – the full realization of our salvation, based on: Romans 13:11 . . . Hebrews 9:28 . . . Revelation 12:10 . . .
These verses refer to the final culmination of the saving process – the total of benefits and blessings reserved in Heaven for all the redeemed --- in proportion to our faithfulness to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
All Christians will be saved, but there will be differences in our experiences of the wonders of it all! “As it is written, ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who truly love Him’ - but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit” (I Corinthians 2:9) . Folks:
When mature Christians slow down and let the truth of God’s Word sink in – take root in our minds and hearts – cultivate mindsets of devotion to God as our Father, Christ as our Lord, the Holy Spirit as our companion – there is no question but that we are living as saints doing the will of God.
Profess Christ as Savior and Lord – yes! Surrender our lives to simply live for Him – yes! Set ourselves apart from the world of immorality – yes! Adopt a style of living that brings glory to God – yes!
Paul commends the Thessalonian Christians for their strong profession and practice of their faith in Christ as they have been led and taught by the Holy Spirit - I Thessalonians 4:9-12 . . .
Just as Paul commended Thessalonian Christians, let me commend you the saints who make up this Sunday morning Bible Study – “About brotherly love, we need not dwell on the subject with you, for you love each other. As a matter of fact, evidence shows that you spread your love around to all who are among you.”
Now, folks: Since you have attained God’s goal of godliness and have gained genuine contentment which allows you to rest in the Lord, about all that is left for me to advise you is:
Lead a quiet life . . . minding your own business, doing whatever you can, whenever you can, as best you can, as long as you can, to take care of yourself and anyone else for whom you are a caregiver, as you await (prepare for) the coming of the Lord!
Objection: What am I supposed to do now that my life has been interrupted by sickness, the death of loved ones close to me, not to mention my failing health and the prospect of more of the same old health problems, aggravated by the depression that goes with all of this!
Let me tell you a story:
Thomas Dorsey was music director at Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago from 1932 until the late 1970’s. Born In Villa Rica, Georgia, his father was a minister and his mother was a piano teacher. Known as “Georgia Tom” he combined Christian praise with jazz and the blues.
Dorsey began recording gospel music, and he became so successful that he was asked to perform at the National Baptist Convention in 1930, after which he became band leader for two churches.
His career was well on its way toward becoming known as “the father of black gospel music” when suddenly his beloved wife Nettie died in 1932 - and not long after, their son died of a mysterious illness.
Grief-stricken and sidelined for several years, Dorsey wrestled with mental anguish over the loss of the two loved ones dearest to him . . . he suffered several nervous breakdowns and, during one of those episodes, he contemplated suicide.
Eventually Dorsey worked through his grief - not that he got over it, but that he decided to deal with it by committing himself to be the best musician he could possibly be --- in honor of his beloved wife and son!
Having faced the fact that life goes on and that, from that point on, his trust in the Lord would lead him on, and the Lord would use his music to bless others, Thomas Dorsey wrote one of the most famous gospel songs of all time: “Precious Lord, Take my Hand”.
Rather than thinking about leaving planet earth – which we will do soon enough – why not be still and get to know the Lord your God better by communing with Him and going about the rest of your days doing the best you can to make the most of your time by asking the Lord to take your hand and lead you on to the promised land.
You won’t have to do it alone because Jesus died for your sins to atone, and though the darkness we’ll see, Lord Jesus will be waiting for you and me. What a glorious day that will be! Amen!
