Dave White

In our history, and in the history of any great event, the patriots and founders often spoke of the “Cause” to remind each other of what they were fighting for.  In our American situation, the Cause was seeking liberty from tyranny.  So, what is our Cause, as followers of Jesus?

For the Christian, our Cause is the Gospel.  (“Gospel” is a tricked-out word that means “good news” [but not just any good news, the Good News].)  The Gospel is incredibly simple and, at the same time, immeasurably deep.  The Gospel motivates us and makes our work more effective by the power of its message.

God Almighty is holy, eternal, sovereign, and good.  Out of His magnificent character and power, He created us to glorify and delight in Him.  But we have all rebelled against His good orders to honor and enjoy Him.  We have all sinned.  There are deadly consequences of sin: temporal pain and eternal judgment.  But Jesus, the Anointed Savior, came to us, in fullness of deity.  He bought us reconciliation to the Father through His sinless life, substitutionary sacrifice, and victorious resurrection and ascension!  If we will repent and believe in God’s work through Jesus, we can be liberated from the slavery of sin.  Through the active work of the Holy Spirit, we get to live an abundant life now and an eternal life to come!

That is the Gospel!  That is the Good News!  That is our Cause and Constitution.  We rejoice in the grace of God, poured out on us by Jesus’ work and washing us clean by the regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit!  Volumes have been written and will be written flowing from the joy of this Good News.  I hope that you are able to join with the throngs of worshipers rejoicing in what God has done!

Dave White

Well, not really. Anyways…

I had a wonderful time early this month spending time with great friends out of state. I did a lot of driving, and, by the time I returned home, my car was filthy. So, Thursday evening after work, I took my car through the wash. I even splurged and got the $8 wash with the special foam and dry. I felt pretty good about myself as I drove home in my shiny car.

On Friday, I awoke to snowfall, and I drove to work through the snow. By the time I got to work… my car was filthy again. Far better than being grumpy about this, God used this to remind me of His forgiveness. Through the blood of Jesus, we are washed clean of our sins. Though we sin again and again, the Father welcomes us back into His arms and washes us clean through the regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.

Thesis #1 of Martin Luther’s 95 theses was this: “When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said “Repent”, He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”

It’s shameful how often I cover myself with filthy sin, but God’s love and grace is greater than my tendency toward depravity. More than I dislike the dirt on my car, God hates our sin. He is good and cannot stand evil. Nevertheless, far more than I enjoy my ‘95 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, God delights in, rejoices over, and adores His children!

My car gets dirty again and again, and I need to keep washing it. Our lives get mucked up again and again, and we need to continue repenting of our sins before God- turning from our wrong deeds, words, thoughts, and feelings and turning to Jesus, who washes us clean again and again by His Spirit.

“For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” – Titus 3:3-7