As summer comes to a close, apple season is upon us. One of the Georgia traditions we will miss this fall, is going up to the mountains to pick our own apples. (BTW, I’m currently lamenting the seeming absence of fall so far, since we just received 4 inches of snow and Buckeye football has been indefinitely delayed!) Picking apples had been a fun pastime. Dismounting the hayride and then hunting through the orchard to see who can find the most delectable specimens turned into an exciting competition for us. The fun was not necessarily in the apples. We are not huge apple fanatics. The fun was in the fact that the best fruit was further from the tractor and we had to be willing to go further away and explore to get to the best fruit. Most everyone else liked staying close to the tractor. Even though, close to the tractor, the fruit was more sparse, picked over and harder to find. More pickers gathered where there was less fruit!
I used this analogy recently at a devo we hosted at our home for Bear Valley students interested in foreign missions. The analogy was related to the greater need for workers in foreign mission fields compared to domestic work. It was to illustrate that while these students looking to get in ministry will have a lot of incentive to stay close to the tractor, they should consider venturing out for the abundant fruit further from the comfort and security of their home country.
That evening we had a very educational and inspirational group discussion about the importance of taking the gospel to other countries. Those with missions experience shared how they were able to make an impact, and they were able to answer questions for those without experience. Perhaps the best illustration of the night was the story from one of our international students, Erdenedavaa from Mongolia. He told the group that the only way he could find out the truth from the Bible was by learning English. He could not find anyone to teach him in his native language! It was stories like this that really encouraged those considering foreign missions as their area of ministry after graduation.
Romans and the Gift of Justification
Sadly, Erdenedavaa’s story represents most of the rest of the world, outside the United States. Billions of people, especially in Asia, have not heard the gospel and literally have no easy access to the truth. In other parts of the world, Catholicism and denominations dominate. In the church, in the USA, we are in a truly privileged position.
My resolve and eagerness to preach the Gospel in other countries has grown even greater this semester as we have studied the book of Romans. It is such a blessing to dwell on the truths of this book. For example, consider the fact that you, yes you, are a sinner who is justified by the grace of God (3:23, 24). Just pause there for a while…
Sometimes we move on too quick from there to consider our obedience and works (which is certainly important). If you’re like me, you don't think enough about the grace of God. I usually want to focus on what I need to do better to be righteous. But let us not forget that a key message of Romans is that it is God who made us righteous, not ourselves! The more I have dwelt on that recently, the more eager I am to share that good news with those in the world who don’t know Jesus and with those who have a perverted sense of how to be right before God.
Another observation from Romans is that chapter 2 has much to say about the attitude of the Jews of the day. They considered themselves to be in a special position. They felt they could condemn others. They were confident that they were “a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth…” Yet Paul had to point out that even the Jews were still sinners, like the rest of the world, and just as much in need of grace from God. We should take care today that we don’t develop a similar attitude of self-worth. It is very tempting, especially as a Bible student gaining more knowledge, to feel a sense of arrogance because I am armed with the truth, and now I can go show others how they’re wrong. However, it is humbling to realize that no matter how much truth we have, we are still sinners in need of grace. And anyone we share that good news with who submits to God will have the same gift! When you receive an unmerited and valuable gift, don’t you want to do the same for someone else? Now that’s the best motivation for sharing the gospel with the lost of the world and for building the church up with the truth in love!
Garrison – Future World Traveler
Training young missionaries is what we do, and we like to start them young. Which is why we recently applied for Garrison’s first
passport! This is a blessing and milestone since one year ago he was in the hospital and we didn’t even know if he would even be with us to fulfill this ministry. Now we’re planning for our first trip to Asia as a family, hopefully for one month during our break in December, if travel opens back up. Please pray for us in this effort. We are very anxious to meet with some of the Chinese speaking congregations we’ll potentially be working with. We appreciate your continued love, prayers and support.
Love,
-The Ihle Crew
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