rough-hewn truth

The point to the following text, quoted in length from Spurgeon's Lectures To My Students, will be told afterward:
"A nose is an important feature in the human countenance, but to paint a man's nose alone is not a satisfactory method of taking his likeness: a doctrine may be very important, but an exaggerated estimate of it may be fatal to an harmonious and complete ministry. Do not make minor doctrines main points. Do not paint the details of the background of the gospel picture with the same heavy brush as the great objects in the foreground of it. For instance, the great problems of sublapsarianism and supralapsarianism, the trenchant debates concerning eternal filiation, the earnest dispute concerning the double procession, the pre or post millenarian schemes, however important some may deem them, are practically of very little concern to that godly widow woman, with seven children to support by her needle, who wants far more to hear of the loving-kindness of the God of providence than these mysteries profound; if you preach to her the faithfulness of God to his people, she will be cheered and helped in the battle of life; but difficult questions will perplex her or send her to sleep."

Yesterday I sat down with a brother who came to me with a comment about my teaching. For you who know me--I mean, really know me--I am do not take criticism or "comments" sitting down. In my head and on my tongue an infinite number of refined responses are being formed while I listen. As I sat there taking it all in I was praying the most submissive and holy prayer I could think of: "God, please help me shut-up and love." So I squeaked out a thank-you. For me that was a victory. I am the kind of guy who earns a score for being competitive on strength-finder tests (true story). Today as I drove to work God reminded me the Proverb, "wound of a friend can be trusted." (Proverbs 27) I go through crazy efforts to not be hurt. I elevate myself to levels of invincibility in peoples eyes so that I don't have to be portrayed just as I am--a brother to the exposed thief on the cross, gasping with all the effort left in my lungs, "Jesus, want to be with you." You see it is not the word justification that saves people, it is the truth won by Jesus that does. Do you get what I am saying? If the words we use make the Gospel out of reach or if our examples ostracize the listener then it is me that has failed, not the hearer. May we watch our lives and our doctrine closely so that the life of Christ be clearly seen in us. Please pray that the gospel may be clearly preached and readily received here in Bremerton.