I became a Christian when I was 15, through a Young Life Bible study called Campaigners. There was a gaggle of girls in our group who stuck together all through high school, and our mentor was a dear, classy, single, older lady named Mary G. Every Wednesday we met at Mary’s cool condo and studied the Bible, sang songs, prayed, and ate. She was a warm-hearted and welcoming woman who loved us and faithfully watched over us for three years.
Our Bible studies were a good introduction to basic theology, but much of it was superficial and pietistic. There wasn’t a lot that was practical application to help young ladies deal with the issues of that confusing time of life. I do remember one significant moment, though, of my Young Life days, when a light bulb went on regarding my walk with the Lord.
We went to a camp near the Oregon coast over Christmas vacation where there was a special speaker whose name I can’t remember. But I do remember him saying that all the Bible is written for everyone to believe and obey, not just for the “spiritual” people. DING! That may be obvious to most of you, but to me it was an eye opener. I actually believed that beyond praying a prayer for salvation and living a nominally moral life, the commands in Scripture were only for the super saints to obey.
After many years around reformed people (and people who don’t call themselves reformed but who think like they are), I don’t run across this attitude much any more. Most Christians I know would at least say, “Of course, the Bible’s precepts are for all Christians to obey.” The hard-nosed Calvinists (like me) would say “…for all people to obey.”
But do they really believe it? Do they really live like it’s true?
I am speaking to the lady behind the lapbook right now. When it comes down to brass tacks, how often do we make excuses because of our infirmities for why we can’t live up to the righteous standard God requires? Hard-nosed Calvinists (like me) know that apart from God, we can do nothing, so we can never perfectly attain that righteous standard, but we also know that we are never to stop aiming for it. So why are we so lazy?
Excuses, excuses. Those ubiquitous excuses stem from many sources: a lack of trust in God’s promises, a self-centered indulgence in our own problems, feeling sorry for ourselves. Of course, the underlying cause of it all, for those presuppositionalists (like me), is S-I-N.
Which brings me to another addition for the Manifesto: 46) A Prairie Muffin knows that excuses are unbecoming and low. She is able to take responsibility for her actions, and she doesn’t cover up her sin when she stumbles. She wholeheartedly embraces the entirety of God’s Word and lives in obedience to it all to the best of her ability, with His help, grateful that “His mercies are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:23). She may be an ordinary woman whose faith is sometimes halting, but she serves an extraordinary God whose faithfulness is great and who will enable her to do great things in His service.
