Oh Where Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?

I confess! I am delinquent in following up on our delightful Evangelism Class held two weeks ago. Folks, I ask for your forgiveness. In part, it is because we had to cancel class due to scheduling conflicts and in part, I have just been plain busy--but as my dear father always says, "Kim, excuses are like belly buttons, everybody's got 'em." So with that fatherly advice in mind, I stop making my excuses and start with this post.

Two weeks ago, the class was awesome! No really!! Dave, our godly trainer, was back and better than ever. We covered The Work of Christ for the last class, which was a continuation of what Dave had started about a month ago. Grace evangelism was infused with such a glorious session on Christ and His amazing, beautiful and complete work.

Our godly trainer had us review Ephesians 1:3-14 and study what the passages meant to be "in Christ." These verses have such an intimate draw for me as they are one of the first verses that opened up my eyes toward sovereign grace. I'll have to save that for a later post, as this post is about The Work of Christ bent toward evangelism--focus, Kim--focus. We went through, verse by verse. It was such a rich time of discussion. I remember thinking during the discussion that I wish I could audiotape some of the comments. Some of them were so heartfelt and having a typical out-of-body experience when I'm in large groups like that, I found myself watching precious souls being reminded of that wonderful gift of grace--all under the humble and treasured leadership of Dave.

Verse 3 talks about being blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Verse 4 states very clearly who is the author of our faith--"predestined for salvation." Verse 5 talks about adoption. I want to camp here just for a minute.

If you know me...even a little bit...you know that I'm adopted. I used to hate being adopted. It was different and odd and not a lot of Korean adoptees in the good ol' plains of Iowa growing up. I used to hate being different, I could sense it. Everything about me was different--my hair, my eyes, my face, my height, my birth. In a world where conformity is expected and exalted and anything else outside of that was laughed at--it was difficult at times.

But now I am so thankful I could burst. I was so short-sighted as a child. First, I was adopted by people who loved me and wanted to see a poverty-stricken child have a better life. I was brought to America--and while America is not the perfect land as so many believe it is--I know that I am still privileged to call this place home. I was adopted into a Christian home, where the love of Christ was taught. I was given a good home, a good education, a good family. How could I have resented that for mere looks, mere popularity--a mere shallow focus that ended up driving me to a spiritual ruin of sorts. I look back now and have such an amazing appreciation for adoption. I think of so many children who are in need of adoption and while I wouldn't want to "deny" anyone "their own" child, I also would love to see more families adopt. I can not understand why people go through such trials and angsts to have their "own" when there are so many out in the world who are needing to be adopted. Talk to anyone from a poorer country and they can tell you what an orphanage is like (and the ones who end up in an orphanage are the "blessed" ones.) Besides, adoption is no cakewalk and talk to my Mom who has both adopted and given birth; she'll tell you that in some ways, you need much more fortified strength--spiritually, mentally and emotionally--to adopt than to have "your own."

So each time this topic of adoption comes up now, I am fully bursting with such joy and emotion...and now I am adopted again into the family of God--having brothers and sisters in Christ whom I would not trade for the most popular, beautiful station in life that the world could offer. Praise the Lord!

Talk to anyone who is adopted or has adopted and they can give you the clearest view of the adoption process and those who have never gone through it, I believe, have a slightly less understanding of adoption than those who have really gone through it. Want to know what it is like to be "grafted into the family of God?" (Romans 11) Do you want to know about adoption? How it feels to be an outsider and then to have a seamless transition into the kingdom of God? Do you want to know what it's like for the Heavenly Father to love someone so much that He does not distinguish between who are His "real" children and who are His adopted children. Talk to someone who has adopted or was adopted. If they are truthful and grateful, they will be able to tell you what it's like. While words limit the feeling, it is truly a gift to be able to share the immense gratitude you have inside.

In verse 6, we moved into "His grace." Grace, grace, marvelous grace. Is there any wonder why this was an excellent class? It is only by His grace that we can come into His family and yet it His grace this is lavished on us. I was thinking about this for a little bit. His grace is lavished on us. Lavished in such a way that speaks to the depravity of our sin. You see, we're so sinful that a slight bit, or a tiny bit of grace wouldn't do. Our depravity has to be washed by lavished grace so as to wash us thoroughly down into the depths of a mangled and perverse heart, soul and mind. And yet, I do believe that lavished grace, in sum total, speaks to the heights of our God and not the depths of our sin. IMHO, God's motive was not that His hand was forced, in quantity or quality, because of the depths of our sin; rather He who is an always good and loving God, lavished us because of His great love.

We talked of redemption through Christ's blood which was described as "paying of a price to get something." I found myself talking about it in such technical terms that as I now review, I am convicted at my lack of sensitivity toward the topic and must openly confess that I looked at this topic as one that needed to get a good grade and pass--not one that was immensely grateful and thankful for the work of Christ, which I believe, should be at the heart of every discussion and study of scripture. So I openly repent and move on.

The mystery of His will was bounced around. What was it? What did it refer to? A number of suggestions were brought forth, but Dave mentioned that he would do more work on it and get back to us on this subject. Admittedly, I have not worked on this myself, so I'm anxious to hear other people's comments.

Verse 11 talks about "obtaining an inheritance." So lavished grace includes an inheritance in Christ. An inheritance so valuable and immense, that there is no possible way to describe all of the untold and unknown waiting for us when we get to heaven, but let me try and name a few:

*Eternal life with God
*Singing and praising God forever
*No more tears or sadness
*No more sin
*Perfect minds, bodies and souls
*Perfect knowledge
*Perfect ambiance
*Continual presence of sisters and brothers in Christ
*Saints of old telling triumphs and victories
*The results of your seeding and watering
*And so much more

Finally, in verse 13, it was wrapped up with our promise of being sealed with the Holy Spirit. Our inheritance is secure because of the Holy Spirit. Our eternal lives are secure because we are sealed in Him--never to be plucked or grabbed, as some doctrines would teach.

We ended with the security of our salvation because of the calling, genuine repentance, regeneration, redemption, justification, adoption, sanctification and glorification. While we couldn't detail many of those beautiful doctrines, our godly trainer, Dave, provided us with a list of excellent scripture references to review.

I am excited about going to class tonight, and I truly hope and pray that those who are leading it are gaining as much from it as we students are. May God be praised and may I be more faithful to His word moment by moment.

I leave you with this beautiful hymn:

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Refrain

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.

Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.

Refrain

Dark is the stain that we cannot hide.
What can avail to wash it away?
Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,
Brighter than snow you may be today.

Refrain

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe!
You that are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive?

Words by Julia H. Johnston
Music by Daniel B. Towner