Too Busy To Pray: Part Two

The following is a quote from R.C. Sproul's book, "Following Christ." This has several excellent chapters on prayer that I would suggest anyone to read.

"Looking at the issue from another perspective, however, we ought to be surprised every time we experience forgiveness. We ought never to take God’s mercy and forgiveness for granted, even though we live in a culture that does. It is terrifying to consider the ease with which we take God’s grace for granted. I occasionally ask collegians, seminarians, seminary professors, and ministers the questions, “Is God obligated to be loving? Is he bound to forgiveness and grace?” Again and again their answers are in the affirmative: “Yes, of course, it’s God’s nature to be loving. He’s essentially a God of love. If he didn’t show love, he wouldn’t be God. If God is God, then he must be merciful!”
He must be merciful? If God must be merciful, then his mercy is no longer free or voluntary. It has become obligatory; if so, then it is no longer mercy, but justice. God is never required to be merciful. As soon as we think God is obligated to be merciful, a red light should flash in our brains, indicating that we are no longer thinking about mercy, but about justice. We need to do more than sing “Amazing Grace”—we need to be repeatedly amazed by grace."

R.C. Sproul, Following Christ (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1996, c1991).

Matthew 5 Study Guide PT 3

This Wednesday, May 16, we will continue with our study of the "sermon on the mount." Last week we left off our discussion at the end of Matthew 5:6, so this Wednesday we will begin our study with Matthew 5:7. Here are some initial thoughts/observations/comments.

1. Matthew 5:7 says, "blessed are the merciful..." What does "merciful" mean? What is the difference between being "gracious" and "merciful?"

2. Matthew 5:8 says, "blessed are the pure in heart..." We see and read "heart" all the time in Scripture yet I wonder how many of us have stopped and pondered over what is meant by this word. Does it mean ones feelings, ones emotions, ones actual physical heart, or ones whole inner state, etc?

3. Matthew 5:8 says, "blessed are the peacemakers..." Notice it does not say, "blessed are the peaceful..." This verse, and several others in the "sermon on the mount," have been used to support the doctrine of pacifism. What are your thoughts regarding "pacifism" and using this verse in its defense?

Andrew