From Psalm 63:8My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
Throughout the story of our faith, a partnership with God. Though God remains the “senior partner” (the Presbyterian, or Calvinist, side of the story), we, too, have a genuine role to play (the Methodist, or Arminian, side of the story).
God’s right hand – the ruling, governing, caring and comforting, hand of God upholds us – through thick and thin, sick and sin. “I will never let you go” (Romans 8:37-39) is the love of God for us, in life and in death, now and forevermore.
God’s hand upholds … our soul clings – our follow-through.
Daily I learn that my faith in Christ, my walk with God, my journey through life, is enriched when I’m following through.
The follow-through of faith: in some ways, simple: prayer, Bible reading, devotional/theological reading, faithful in worship, fellowship with believers, striving with all our might to love one another as Jesus loves us.
But then the follow-through grows a bit more complex: being a witness to others, in word and deed. Striving for justice and the wellbeing of our neighbor. As a Christian recently put it – “I’m tired of feeding and clothing the poor; I want to do something about the conditions that produce hungry and ill-clothed people.”
Yet even as I strive to fulfill my part of the bargain, I realize time and again “how far short of the glory of God I fall” (Romans 3:32).
So I’m glad to be a Presbyterian, because this much of it, I believe, we have right – a solid and unyielding reliance on grace … and it’s Biblical to boot – So it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who shows mercy (Romans 9:16).
See ya’ in God’s House tomorrow, and we’ll hear a little more about Romans and the Apostle Paul – a man passionate for God!
