A guy I knew from our Hardin-Simmons years is at the house for a couple of days. He, Laura and I had a fascinating conversation last night about our lives. This guy has changed in his view of Christian salvation since I knew him in college. He did formerly hold a very man-centered, works-driven view of salvation, which left him with a handful of undesirable options:
(1) pride in his own good works and contempt of others, (2) legalistic drive that locates holiness mostly in procedures and abstinence from many "pagan" traditions, (3) lowering God's definition of sin so that sinless living is possible, and/or (4) restless anxiety that somehow his efforts to please God would prove condemnable and he would receive God's fury and judgment.
God has changed this guy's mind. He has found that the Bible unequivocally teaches that Jesus died as his substitute - a payment for sin that satisfies God's justice and wrath eternally. God does not receive piously driven men; he receives humble, penitent sinners who lean on Jesus alone. In short, my friend has become fully Protestant - believing that God saves people by Christ's work alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, by means of the gospel message alone.
This is a God-centered faith that can rest in God's welcome given in Christ Jesus.
Wesley knows Hazel well, but sometimes he likes to push back and get a good look.
Shirley is always good at getting the little guy to smile and laugh.
Maybe its a girl thing - Courtney enjoys Wesley so much she has shown him off to her friends.
Watch Jane's hand - it's going in for a tickle.
Who can resist a Hawaiian-garbed family with such a cute kid?
