Some Thoughts From Proverbs About Our Speech

Note: The following post is a teaching outline that I hope will be beneficial to the blog's readers.

Introduction: The June 15, 1992, entry of  Today in the Word asks:

Can it be that the average person spends one-fifth of his or her life talking? That's what the statistics say. If all of our words were put into print, the result would be this: a single day's words would fill a 50-page book, while in a year's time the average person's words would fill 132 books of 200 pages each! Among all those words there are bound to be some spoken in anger, carelessness, or haste.

Given how much the average person says in any given day, is it any wonder that the Book of Proverbs has so much to say about our patterns of speech? Today we will briefly highlight the teaching of Proverbs under four headings: 1) what we say, 2) how we say what we say, 3) when we say what we say, and 4) why we say what we say. We shall examine several proverbs under each heading.

I. We Need to Be Concerned About What We Say

NKJ  Proverbs 6:16-19 These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.

Note that three of the seven sins in this list of things the Lord hates involve speech in some way. Two have to do with some form of lying, while the third is the sowing of discord among the brethren, which almost certainly involves speech on most occasions.

NKJ  Proverbs 12:17 He who speaks [פּוּחַ, pûaḥ] truth declares righteousness, but a false witness, deceit.

The Hebrew word translated “speaks” literally means “to breath,” which is what we do when we speak. Thus here the word obviously refers to speech, doesn't it?

As Roland Murphy has declared in his commentary on this verse, “The verb 'tells' [speaks in the NKJV] is literally 'breathes'; truth is to be something as natural as breathing” (WBC, Vol. 22, p. 44)

The point of the verse appears to be that what we say reveals the kind of person we are. For example, the person who makes a habit of speaking truth is a person that can be trusted to promote righteousness. On the other hand, a wise person will not trust a habitual liar. Unfortunately, all too often in our culture people adopt an “ends justifies the means” mentality, assuming that a lie here and there is alright if it promotes what one believes to be a good end. Just think about the state of politics today!

But a wise person will recognize that what we say reflects who we really are, and that a person who does not habitually speak the truth is not really about promoting what is right, no matter how much he may try to rationalize his lying as a good or necessary thing.

NKJ  Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.

The “good word” here may be news that the cause for anxiety/depression is gone or, more likely, a word of encouragement to make it through one's struggle with depression. In other words, a “good word” – a word of encouragement from the Word of God – can really make a big difference in someone's whole outlook on life.

NKJ  Proverbs 15:2 The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.

Note that the difference between the wise and the foolish is not necessarily that one has more knowledge than the other, but that one uses it rightly and the other does not. The wise man knows how to speak what he knows such that wisdom rather than foolishness is the the result.

So we can see that knowing what to say is crucial. But that is not enough to make us wise in our use of words. We must learn other principles as well.

II. We Need to Be Concerned About How We Say What We Say

NKJ  Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Note that “a harsh word” is singular. It only takes one! Just think, for example, of the practice of name-calling, like the guy who sees someone cut in line at the store and mutters the word “Jerk!” just loud enough for others to hear.

This proverb reminds me of a modern saying:

I'm careful of the words I say to keep them soft and sweet.
I never know from day to day which ones I'll have to eat.

Of course, we often speak a harsh word when we have already become angry ourselves. No wonder the Apostle James later issues this warning to believers:

NKJ  James 1:19-20 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

We need to stop and think before we speak, don't we? This point is made quite clearly in Proverbs as well. For example:

NKJ  Proverbs 15:28 The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.

A wise person who truly cares about righteousness will also care about how he speaks to others. He knows the danger in speaking without thinking and even of speaking the right thing in the wrong way.

NKJ  Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

Few things make a person feel better that pleasant words in a time of distress or troubles. Pleasant words can even sometimes turn sorrow into joy.

III.  We Need to Be Concerned About When We Say What We Say

NKJ Proverbs 15:23 A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, and a word spoken in due season, how good it is!

The Reformation Study Bible notes observe concerning this verse that, “The wise receive great satisfaction from being able to give the proper word at the proper time.”

If you are looking for a new hobby, perhaps you could go to work on this!

NKJ  Proverbs 27:14 He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it will be counted a curse to him.

Of course, it is a great thing to bless your friend, but even such good speech must be done at a time when it can be heard with appreciation!

NKJ  Proverbs 26:4-5 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.

Here we have a great example of what some have termed the situational applicability of many proverbs, which follows from the nature of proverbs as generalizations. This means that in Proverbs we may sometimes find what appears to be contradictory advice, but any apparent contradiction disappears when we realize that the particular admonitions are intended to apply to diverse situations.

Thus with these two proverbs, one is encouraged to answer a fool according to his folly when there is hope of correcting him so that he will not be wise in his own eyes, so that he will no longer be self-deceived, thinking his foolishness is a good thing. But one is discouraged from answering a folly according to his folly when there is no hope of winning him over but only of ending up being more like him.

But how do we learn to discern which situation we are in? Well, that requires studying the rest of the Proverbs – as well as the rest of Scripture – and of putting what we learn into practice so that we may learn the kind of wisdom necessary in order to be more discerning. I this way we will become those who “by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Heb. 5:14). And we will become increasing adept at not only what to say and how to say it, but also when to say it.

IV.  We Need to Be Concerned About Why We Say What We Say

ESV Proverbs 10:11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

In other words, the speech of the wicked will only ultimately cause harm, but we can bring life – and a more fulfilling life at that – to those who hear us. Shouldn't we remember daily that the best purpose for speech is to use it to tell the truth to others and lead them to life in Christ? Jesus made a similar point when He prophesied of the work of the Holy Spirit:

NKJ  John 7:37-39 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Every day we should ask ourselves why we are here, and to what purpose we put our opportunities to speak with others. Is it to build up and not to tear down? Is it to encourage rather than to discourage? Is it to offer praise for God's blessings rather than to complain about our circumstances? Is it to communicate the Gospel to bring life in Christ? Is it to make the lives of those who already know Christ more pleasing to God and more fulfilling for them?

NKJ Proverbs 12:18 There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health.

NKJ Proverbs 15:4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

Note also 18:14: “The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, but who can bear a broken spirit?”

Do you think Solomon would agree with the old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never harm me”? I don't think so! Perhaps a better saying would be, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can break my spirit!”

Are we consciously focusing every day on speaking words that promote spiritual health and the edification of others?

Conclusion: I will conclude with another convicting reminder from Proverbs:

NKJ  Proverbs 10:19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.

But life lived for Christ requires us to speak – and to speak often – doesn't it? For how else can we witness for Him or be an encouragement to our brothers and sisters in the Lord? But we often need to be careful not to say more than we need to. Perhaps instead of the average Christian speaking enough words in a day to fill a 50 page book, he could set his sights on a 30 or 40 page book instead!

I think we can do better if we just heed what the Proverbs teach us and, by God's enabling grace, be very careful about what we say, how we say what we say, when we say what we say, and why we say what we say.

Lots of Free Modules for e-Sword

Many of the blog's readers already know about my fondness for e-Sword. I have been a long time user of this free Bible study software program (alongside BibleWorks) and cannot recommend it highly enough. In my opinion, the program -- currently in version 10.1.0 -- rivals many that you would have to pay for and is better than most. It makes basic word studies a breeze and has been of great use to those in my congregation to whom I have recommended it. In fact, they often tell me that they love the layout and how user-friendly the program is. In addition, there is not a very steep learning curve with this program, so most anyone can catch on to it quickly.

But there is also a very active user community creating many quality modules for use with e-Sword. You can check them out at the BibleSupport website, where you can find an assortment of free books, commentaries, dictionaries, and Bible versions. Here is a list of some resources that this blog's readers might be interested in:

- A collection of writings by John Calvin, including his Institutes of the Christian Religion and his complete commentary

- The complete Commentary on the Old Testament and Commentary on the New Testament by the Puritan scholar John Trapp

- A Body of Divinity by John Gill (his complete commentary is already available for free through the e-Sword program)

- An Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews by John Owen

- A collection of writings by J.C. Ryle, including his Expository Thoughts on the Gospels

- A collection of writings by Jonathon Edwards including Notes on The Scriptures with a Commentary on Hebrews edited by John H. Gerstner

- A collection of writings by Charles Spurgeon, including Treasury of David and Verse Expositions of the Bible

- A collection of writings by Horatius Bonar

- The complete 49 volume set of The Expositor's Bible, edited by William Robertson Nicoll

- The complete 56 volume Biblical Illustrator commentary edited and compiled by Joseph S. Exell

- The complete Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by John Peter Lange

- The complete Pulpit Commentary edited by Joseph S. Exell and Henry Donald Maurice Spence-Jones

- Heinrich Meyer's Commentary on the New Testament: Critical and Exegetical

- William Burkitt's Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament

- Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae Commentary

- Henry Alford's Greek Testament: An Exegetical and Critical Commentary

- John Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament

- William Robertson Nicoll's The Expositor's Greek Testament

- F.B. Meyer's Through the Bible Commentary

- The Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges

- G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

- Louis Berkhof's Introduction to the New Testament

- Charles Hodge's Systematic Theology

Of course one has to use such resources with discernment, and there are many modules at the site that I would stay far away from (such as those by the Pelagian heretic Charles Finney!), but there are also many worthwhile modules that are helpful for Bible exposition.

P.S. However, the site also thankfully has a review of Finney's Lectures on Systematic Theology written by Charles Hodge.

Jeff Johnson and Michael Horton Debate Covenant Theology

This video contains the audio of the debate between Jeff Johnson (author of The Fatal Flaw and a valued contributor to this blog) and Michael Horton concerning the Credobaptist versus the Paedobaptist view of Covenant Theology. The debate took place at the 2012 Semper Reformanda Conference at Grace Family Baptist Church.

It is a very interesting and helpful discussion between two men who hold to the idea that the Mosaic Covenant is a republication of the Covenant of Works. And I would just add here my special appreciation for Jeff, who has been more to helpful to me in properly understanding Covenant Theology than perhaps any other single person.

James White Interacts With N.T. Wright on Justification

The above video contains a recent moderated radio discussion between James White and N.T. Wright concerning the Scriptural doctrine of justification. As always, James White does a good job of being fair and direct -- and above all Scriptural -- in discussing this important issue, which is at the heart of the debate over the so-called New Perspective on Paul.

Blog Update

As the regular readers of this blog know, I have always tried to post something at least once a week. However, as I explained in a December 14 update, this past year I have been battling recurrent bouts with diverticulitis, so I have not able to keep up with the blog as I normally would have.

Well, after nine attacks of diverticulitis in the past three years -- five of which have occurred in the last 7-8 months -- my doctors were able to find a window in which I was healthy enough to go through a colonoscopy followed by surgery (a laparoscopic colectomy) to remove about 12 inches of my colon. Today makes exactly one month since the surgery, and, although I am still dealing with some postoperative pain and discomfort that limits me, I am recovering well and hope to get back to regular posting again in the coming week.

I want to thank all who have prayed for me and who have been supportive of this blog. Please continue to pray that I will heal without complications and that I will have no future problems with diverticulitis. Thanks again! And may God bless you!

James White on "The Battle for Grace"

John MacArthur Predicts a Reversal of the Reformed Revival

In this two part video interview, John MacArthur discusses the way some prominent pastors claim to be Calvinistic in their view of soteriolgy but operate in their ministries as though they are actually Arminian. He correctly questions how fully committed they really are to a Scriptural Reformed theology. Whether or not you agree with every point he has to make, his criticisms and warnings are definitely worth considering. Frankly, he raises some crucial issues that have bothered the writers of this blog for some time. Let us know what you think.

Biblical Ethics and Medical Perceptions Pertaining to the Home Birth Practice

Note: The following article was written by two men (a father and son) who are members of Immanuel Baptist Church, where I am privileged to serve as the primary teaching elder. If you are considering home birthing, I hope you will also consider their thoughts about this important matter.

Biblical Ethics and Medical Perceptions Pertaining to the Home Birth Practice

(An Appeal to Fathers to Apply Wisdom)

By Mike Brewer and Matthew Brewer, RN, PHRN

Abstract

For a variety of reasons women are choosing to give birth at home even though there may be competent labor and delivery facilities in their communities. One of the results of the Reformation was to view all aspects of life in light of the Scriptures in obedience to Christ. Great advances were made in science, commerce and industry as Christians applied a Biblical ethic to all enterprises. If the presupposition that all Scripture is sufficient for living a godly life is accepted, the trend toward home birth in the Christian community should be examined to determine if there is a sound theological basis for this health care choice. The Scriptures declare that though man is prohibited from murdering or maliciously injuring his neighbor, he also has a duty to act to avoid or minimize the risk of death and injury from probable and knowable risk. Men applying wisdom in medicine have developed equipment, procedures and treatments to repair patient injury, reduce disease infection and improve infant survivability. Several of the complications of delivery which historically have taken the lives of many mothers and infants are treatable with a high probability of survival when interventions can be promptly administered such as are available in the labor and delivery ward of a hospital. As some of these complications result in large blood loss or oxygen deprivation, successful intervention requires rapid recognition and treatment. The speed of needed intervention is on the order of minutes, which can be a challenge for a hospital and is an even more difficult, if not impossible, feat for a location outside of a medical facility. As fathers are called to be the providers and protectors of their families, it is incumbent on them to seek the Lord in His Word and to apply the wisdom of the Scriptures to their particular circumstance in faith and reverence. Given that an ethically operated hospital with proper infection control, trained staff and maintained equipment is available in the community, it would seem difficult to justify avoiding the use of such a facility in favor of intentional delivery of a newborn in a location without prompt access to life saving interventions.

(Key words: Home birth, Reformed Theology, Infant Mortality, Homeschool, Fatherhood, Pregnancy Complications, Natural Medicine )

Biblical Ethics

Many women are choosing to give birth to their children at their own home instead of at a hospital for a variety of reasons. This trend seems to be associated with displeasure with the institutional medical infrastructure and with an affection for natural medical practices. The home birth movement seems to have some following among homeschoolers who have eschewed governmental, institutional education for a home based, tutorial methodology. For those families that homeschool for religious reasons, we suggest that the theological basis for the discipleship of their children should also be applied to their medical decisions in the care of their children.  Our premise is that the Christian should seek the wisdom of God’s Scriptures first as a foundation toward exercising judgement in the various circumstances of life. If a person rejects this Christian ethic as foundational, our essay on this issue will seem as nonsense to their perspective.

Our presupposition is that all Scripture is sufficient and that the moral law of God endures. Obedience of the law generates no saving righteousness for the soul, but all souls have a duty to obey God. A soul is only made righteous by repentance of sin and faith in the saving life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In the realm of medical ethics the summary command is to love our neighbor as ourselves (Leviticus 19:18, Mark 10:31). The particular commands in the ten commandments are “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13) and “Thou shalt not steal” (Exodus 20:15). It is inferred that if you harm another person you have stolen that person’s health, time and/or ability to work. So all men are commanded to not subject themselves or their families (a neighbor) to procedures that have the intent to kill or maliciously harm. The Scriptures record that God declared this moral law enduring and incumbent upon all men, not just the Hebrews or Christians. “And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; and at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man” (Genesis 9:5,6). The Jew, the Christian, the Atheist, the Marxist, the Muslim and the pagan are all commanded to obey the moral law of God.

The case law in the Scriptures expands on the moral principle to not harm another soul so as to include a burden to protect others from potential harm that has a known probable risk. Consider the laws regarding a goring ox in Exodus 21:28-29: “If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit (i.e. acquitted). But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.” There are more nuances to this case law but the clear moral principle is revealed that if there is knowledge of a credible risk of injury to others and no prudent action is taken, there is more culpability for the harm than if the risk was unknown or unsuspected.

The case law also discloses that the prenatal infant is due the protection of the law (Exodus 21:22-25). The plain reading of Exodus 21:23, “And if any mischief follow [to a fetus born prematurely due to an injury to the mother], then thou shalt give life for life,” suggests  that the infant is due the same legal status of an adult that was murdered. The phrase “life for life” would seem to refer to capital punishment for the death of the infant. Regarding pregnancy and childbirth, it can be inferred that the same standard of care due an adult to protect him/her from credible risk would be due to an infant as well. In addition, due to God’s teaching on His special anger for evil done to the helpless and voiceless, since infants are not able to give consent or defend themselves, the caregiver should afford a level of care even more cautious than that due an adult. 

Furthermore, the authority of the parent is not absolute in adjudicating what is life-saving care of an infant or child. If we read Psalms 82 as a rebuke against civil authorities (the judges of Israel), we see that God holds the judges culpable for not defending the case of the powerless. Being that the gestating infant is an extremely defenseless person, it is reasonable to infer that the state has a duty to protect the infant from the evil harm intended by an infant’s parents. Psalms 82:4 says to “... deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.” Also we have the noble example of the Hebrew midwives who protected the Hebrew infants from the malice of Pharaoh (Exodus 1:15-22). In verse 17 we read, “But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.”  

So, in summary, it seems the Scriptures declare that there is a standard of care for infants that is at least equal to adults and that there may actually be an even higher standard of care in taking measures to avoid doing harm to infants. Those in responsibility such as fathers and civil authorities have some level of accountability for what happens in their jurisdictions. In the instance of life threatening circumstances, there is some overlap and both authorities have a duty to God to protect life even if it means to disobey the evil intent of another governing authority.

So why are professing Christians declining the use of competent medical facilities in regards to the birth of their children? Perhaps it is from a misconception of the risks and benefits of the medical facility. We are called to be diligent to understand consequences. “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished. By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honor, and life” (Proverbs 22:3,4). We are called to be humble and learn. We are called to be perceptive and take action. Regarding the birth of children at home, we are making the case to be wise. If a family is living where the hospital is filled with infection, incompetence and malice, it would be wise to give birth at home. Additionally, a family may live in a location where the distance to travel to a competent facility would be more hazardous than delivering the child at home. It would seem wise to not travel and provide the best care available in that remote location.

Medical Perceptions

If some of the motivation for declining medical care is due to a lack of medical information, this paper is to help highlight some of those risks. The paper will also attempt to provide a rebuttal to some of the proponents of intentionally having a child born at home. One of the benefits of competent medical care is the ability to promptly address delivery complications. Note, we are only mentioning some unforeseen complications. Many other complications such as placenta previa or structural abnormalities would be identified with standard United States prenatal care and may be accounted for in perinatal care planning.

Common Complications:

Abruptio Placentae is a sudden partial or complete separation of a normally implanted placenta before the infant is born. Vaginal bleeding may be present in marginal abruptions, but concealed abruptions do not have external bleeding; thus the clot continues to grow further separating the placenta from the uterine wall. 0.5% to 1% of pregnancies have placental abruption, and it accounts for 10-15% of perinatal (closely associated with child birth) deaths. Multigravida status (multiple pregnancies), abdominal trauma, falls or maternal age are known associated factors. Besides bleeding or known trauma, tenderness, uterine irritability (mild contractions), drops in blood pressure and poor fetal heart rate can indicate the possibility of abruptio placentae. Diagnosis is by emergent ultrasonography. If it is clearly mild, bed rest, steroids and tocolytics to prevent labor would be given. Signs of fetal compromise can develop rapidly and “intensive monitoring” of mother and baby is essential. Large bore intravenous treatments (IV’s) are recommended for administration of fluids and blood products should that become necessary. If there are signs of fetal or maternal compromise, immediate delivery via cesarean section is necessary.

Pre-Eclampsia / Eclampsia: Pre-eclampsia is a high blood pressure condition >139 Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) or > 89 Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) after 20 weeks of pregnancy accompanied by protein in the urine. Pre-eclampsia often occurs in 1st pregnancies, and is also associated with women over 35 years old, obesity, and chronic high blood pressure. Pre-eclampsia is a generalized vasospasm (blood vessel constricting) affecting 5-10% of all pregnancies. Maternal and fetal morbidity can be decreased with early detection and management while it remains mild pre-eclampsia. Severe pre-eclampsia is when the high blood pressure is to a point that it is causing significant reduction in the amount of blood flowing to the baby. Anti seizure medicines and blood pressure medications are necessary to prevent seizures and injury or death to the baby. Even at 33 and 34 weeks gestation, delivery is usual due to the severe risk. Eclampsia is when the seizures begin. This can present life threats to the mother and the baby.

Dysfunctional Labor: Multiple causes and issues, but in short, the mother’s uterus may not be able to effectively contract which can result in stresses on the baby or lack of oxygen for extended periods. Neurological damage can result.

Malpresentations: Delayed or difficult birth due to shoulder impaction above the mothers symphysis pubis bone, or other malpresentation such as breech or transverse. There is no true correlation to risk factors. Malpresentation is not predictable, unless there is known macrosomia (excessive infant birth weight). An urgent situation can develop with the umbilical cord being compressed between the baby and the pelvis. Time is essential. In the hospital, immediate preparations for surgical delivery begin while steps are taken to manipulate the baby to allow delivery before further impaction. This is often unforeseen as the baby can move at the last minute and become wedged.

Placenta Accreta: An abnormality with the placental adhesion to the mothers uterus. It can cause some bleeding and complications similar to placenta previa during the pregnancy, however it may not be diagnosed and hemorrhage may occur from the mother after the birth as the placenta does not separate, or separates incompletely allowing continuous bleeding. Such hemorrhage would require intrauterine surgery.

Prolapsed Cord: The presenting part (usually the head) of the baby does not always fit like a puzzle into the shape of the mothers pelvis. A prolapsed cord can slip down at the last minute, or with a simple movement of the baby, or with the water breaking. It may or may not be visible, but can be strongly suspected based on the changes in the decelerations of the baby’s heart rate. The pressure must immediately be taken off the cord to prevent the baby’s death. Unless birth is imminent and the cord can be protected manually by keeping the baby off of the cord, cesarean delivery is done to prevent death or brain damage to the baby. Every seconds counts with this complication.

Postpartum Hemorrhage: This can be caused by multiple factors, uterine atony (loss of uterine muscle tone), a partially retained placenta, or by blood coagulation abnormalities brought on by pregnancy such as DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulation). This is one of the leading causes of maternal death and it occurs in 4-6% of all deliveries. It is manageable but can progress rapidly apart from the hospital environment. The brain, heart and kidneys are vulnerable to hypoxia with the low blood pressure (shock) and the associated failure of the body’s compensating mechanisms. Lactic acidosis begins which dilates the blood vessels sending the mother into cardiac arrest. This is treatable but it requires constant monitoring, fundal massage, and possibly oxytocin to stop the bleeding, if it is persistent.

Endometritis / Puerperal Infection: A treatable infection after birth, a common cause of death if it goes untreated, especially in third world countries. Women with long labor and rupture of membranes that occur a longer time before delivery have an increased risk of up to 30% in those who don’t receive antibiotics ahead of time as compared to those who do receive antibiotics ahead of time. It is treated with IV antibiotics if diagnosed. If not treated, it can spread to abdominal cavity and cause major damage, sepsis and death.

Newborn Needs: There are a myriad of conditions that could be found on a fragile newborn at birth and some require urgent interventions. There are too many to list. One never knows what health problems the newborn may have. Additionally, 10% of newborns require basic neonatal resuscitation, and 1% of births require extensive resuscitation measures. As an aggregate number, 9% of all newborns require intensive care. Conditions such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, meconium aspiration syndrome, unidentified fistulas, cardiac shunting issues, retained lung fluid, or other congenital anomalies require immediate treatment, endotracheal intubation and other urgent treatments. There are many conditions in which you do have enough time to call the paramedics and get transport to a hospital for an intervention.

Some Common Objections Answered

To answer the proponents of home birth when there is access to a competent facility, my initial thoughts are on the burden of proof. Why would a person not use a trained obstetrician and and equipped hospital to provide safe care for the mother and fragile newborn? The following is a list of some commonly disclosed motivations for having a home birth.

Reason: I would like to have control of the experience.

Rebuttal: Beware that the drive to control the birth experience has its roots in the feminist movement in the 1960s. Although all women may not have the feminist perspective, the pioneers in the movement are not ashamed of that philosophical motivation.

Reason: I do not like the loss of privacy in a hospital environment.

Rebuttal: Perhaps there is an unbiblical view of modesty in the treatment of disease and injury of the human body. Competent medical personnel are trained to respect the patient’s need for privacy as much as possible as well as give prompt care in dangerous conditions. Furthermore, many hospitals are continually working to improve the labor and delivery environment to respect the wide variety of cultural and religious preferences in our society.

Reason: Hospital deliveries are very expensive.

Rebuttal: People will spend their money on what they value. What about life? If there are no complications a delivery can cost $7000-10,000 without insurance at most Midwest hospitals. That’s is not an unreasonable expense compared to many other common expenses such as transportation. Families will spend that much or more on a good used car.

Reason: We don’t want interventions. Childbirth is a natural process.

Rebuttal: The patient’s definition of “natural” is important to clarify. Heart attacks, strokes, maternal death and infant death are natural process as well and are more common where medical interventions are not available. Is it possible the definition of “natural” is centered on avoiding the pain or discomfort of an institutional setting to be in more familiar and comfortable surroundings? Perhaps this stems from a misunderstanding of the speed of response required to manage the many potential complications needing immediate intervention.

Reason: Home birth is safe as midwives are trained professionals.

Rebuttal: They are trained professionals, but incapable of providing many of the lifesaving interventions necessary for complications. Let us be direct — if there are no complications, almost anyone can catch a baby. Even in deliveries where midwives recognize that they are in a situation outside of their capabilities and lives are at risk, the time necessary to transport the patient to appropriate care can cause further damage.

Reason: I do not want my newborn to be subjected to so many vaccinations so soon after being born.

Rebuttal: As far as I know, Hepatitis B is the only immunization recommended to be given at birth. There is no substitute for having a good relationship with your family doctor. Your doctor is a powerful advocate for your health needs and desires. Discuss it with your doctor if you are that concerned about it, or want to refuse or delay immunization until the child is older. Planning ahead and making your doctor aware of your requests is the best way to deal with these situations.

Reason: Home birth is safe as long as it is a low-risk pregnancy.

Rebuttal: While certainly high-risk pregnancies make necessary even further monitoring and interventions, most of the immediately life threatening complications for the mother or the newborn are not able to be foreseen, and can develop without warning. Without the preparedness or resources to appropriately respond to the condition, life, limb or brain function may be lost.

It is a challenge to compare the raw statistics of the deaths of infants in a home birth environment versus the deaths of infants in a hospital. Recent studies suggest the home birth mortality rate is at least 2-3 times higher than hospital infant mortality. The actual rate may be higher as some home birth fatalities are reported as hospital deaths as that was where the death was recorded. Some links to postings are at the end of the paper.

Conclusion

In closing, I offer an example of some Christians who have strong convictions but saw the need to change their perception on home birth. In our local region the Amish community reversed its preference for home birth after realizing their preference was resulting in loss of life and health. But, not wanting to compromise their convictions, they put their resources to work to bless their families who would need to be at the hospital for deliveries as well as be a blessing to the wider community. To accommodate their families the Amish community donated all their labor for the construction of a hospitality house adjacent to the hospital so that there would be a private place for their families using the hospital as well as other families who had loved ones hospitalized. There are no guarantees that a baby or mother will not die giving birth even with a competent facility. But the Scriptures call us to be reverent and teachable. Let us be faithful to examine all of life in the light of God’s word and redeem our time on earth.

Some thoughts on the risks associated with home birth and midwife-assisted birth:

http://www.midwiveswashington.com/research-3/

http://www.midwiveswashington.com/additional-info/

http://hurtbyhomebirth.blogspot.com/p/homebirth-deaths-and-injuries-in-news.html

http://www.thetimesherald.com/article/20120603/NEWS/306030033/Lawsuit-brings-homebirth-movement-into-spotlight

Update 7 February 2013

After receiving some feedback from the blog's readers, Mike and Matthew Brewer have offered the following clarifications:

1) Theological Basis - We wanted to point to the Scriptures first to lay out the moral principles involved. The particular application will be different for different circumstances. We acknowledge that home birth may be wise where you have poor hospitals or a hostile medical community. Our brothers in some communist and third world countries may need to avoid the government health system.

2) Data - As we mentioned, the amount of research data is not large. The data we found, even cited by midwifery associations, disclosed an increased infant mortality rate with identifiable home births when compared with hospital births. We avoided using anecdotal knowledge for the paper.

3) Risks - We disclosed what are medical risks of an urgent nature that are difficult to manage even in a hospital. Our desire was to help non-medically trained fathers be aware of the medical conditions that their doctor is trying to manage in the treatment of their wives and children.

3) Relationships - We recommended a good relationship with your doctor to seek accommodation for your concerns and convictions. This is so helpful in the event there is a death of an infant regardless of where the birth occurs. The civil authorities have a duty to investigate the deaths of children. Your doctor can advocate on your behalf that you have acted with integrity in the care of your wife and child should death occur. Although we did not quote John Frame, we found his book "Medical Ethics" very helpful. He exhorts Christians to seek the assistance of their elders/pastors in navigating difficult medical situations. We think this is a theological sound recommendation. There is a perception in the homeschool community that we have a hard time listening to the counsel of others.

Thank you to all for taking to time to read a lengthy document for a blog. Keep seeking the things above in your service to God and others.

Thank you for you kind attention to our blog.  

A Shout Out to Housewives

I am pastor who is happily married to a beautiful housewife. And, the more I learn about her job the more I am amazed at her high calling in life. I am beginning to think that it may be a housewife that God has ordained to sit on the right side of the Lord in glory. At least I wouldn’t be surprised, nor would I object.

A housewife is typically overworked, underappreciated, poorly paid, and often despised. Her work is never done, but she is treated by our culture as if she does not work at all. Sadly, success is not measured by dirty diapers and loads of laundry but by income, social status, degrees, and yearly promotions. It is a shame that the world has turned family values upside-down. Although the world does not value housewives, here are a few reasons why we should value them.

1. They are Servants

Cook, clean, laundry and back to back to cooking is just a small portion of the job description of a homemaker. In other words, serve, serve, and serve is what housewives do. Cleaning bottoms and toilets does not seem noble at all. In fact, this is one the lowest of all the positions in the eyes of the world. Low it may seem, but not in the eyes of our Lord. Christ Himself, as King of Glory, did not come into this world to be served but to serve others. The Lord instructs us that if we desire to be first in the kingdom, we must be willing to be last, and if we want to be great, we must be willing to be made small. Therefore, whenever we see someone serve, we should never despise that high calling, because God sure doesn’t.

2. They are Underappreciated

Sadly, housewives are not viewed as valuable and beneficial contributors to society. Amazingly, housewives are often viewed as if they waste their lives sitting at home—as if they do nothing. However, it could be argued that one of the major reasons that society is so dysfunctional is because institutions now raise our children rather than mothers. Unless you are making money, then you are not contributing, so society seems to think.

Yet, it is the lack of appreciation that makes this calling even more beautiful in God’s eyes. It is honorable to work hard when no one notices, but even more honorable to work hard when your labor is despised. God sees all those little hurtful looks and awkward comments, which you receive when you tell others what you do and, don’t worry, God will make sure that your position will be publically praised on the Day of Judgment. Those of you who have denied yourself a career to stay at home with your children and have put the wellbeing of your family above personal aspiration for approval, financial gain, and some false sense of self-worth will be richly rewarded when you hear the praises of God saying, “well done my good and faithful servant”. So don’t grow weary in well doing—your day of praise is coming.

3. They Are Overworked

It is right, ‘a woman’s job is never done’—especially if she is raising a house full of munchkins. Multitasking is not a good thing, it’s a must. A baby in one hand and a spatula in the other hand is common practice for a housewife. The structure and discipline that it takes to order the day’s work around meals, children taking naps and husbands coming home from work are not easy when babies have no regard to time. Husbands come home from work, but wives must continue to work. Not working from 8 to 5, but twenty-four seven is the hours she works each day. Well, at least she has Sundays off? No, not even Sundays are off, and that can be the most difficult of all days of the week because the children have to be clean and tidy by 9:00 am to make it in time for church. Also, training the children to sit still and listen can be an utter nightmare.

But, as with all work comes reward, there is a reward for being a housewife—an excellent relationship with your family. First, there is joy that comes with raising your children. Many women wonder why they are so miserable when they drop off their joy(s) at daycare. Second, there is great reward in changing diapers for a living. What is a more important job than to love, spank, teach, spank some more, and feed the ones that you love the most? Being a professional doctor, cook, or teacher is great—very noble callings indeed. But what could be more rewarding than doctoring your child when he or she falls down, or cooking for the family and teaching your little toddlers how to walk? When your children are raised and out of the home, you will never regret all the long hours spent in the home. In short, life is too short to waste it outside the home.

4. They Have the Greatest Impact upon Those Who Mean the Most—Our Children

What is often overlooked about housewives is the heavy emotional taxation they face on a daily basis. Cabin fever is one thing, but hearing the Devil constantly whispering in your ear that you do not have much of a ministry is overwhelming at times.

Godly women desire a spiritual ministry as much as godly men and we are all prone to judge the value and worth of our lives and ministries by the volume of people we influence. The more people we touch and impact, the better, so it seems. The more people who know and appreciate us, the greater the value we feel we can place upon our lives.

It is not uncommon for a housewife to feel as if very few people outside their homes knows much more than their name. But as the wise pastor understands, it is not serving the universal church at large by writing books and getting a lot of hits on sermon audio that is rewarding, but counseling the new widow as he is about to preach her husband’s funeral. The real ministry is caring for souls that you love and that love you. In other words, the rewarding ministry is not found in a non-personal and emotionally detached service to people we do not know, but ministering and serving those whom we love the most. And although your ministry as a housewife may not expand much further than the walls of your home, your ministry penetrates deeper and often makes a more lasting impact upon people than if you would have written a bestselling book that reached thousands of strangers that was a hit one day and forgotten the next. It is not the amount of people who know you that makes your calling so great, it is who knows you.

On that great day, your children and husband will rise up and call you blessed. Most importantly, God will give more honor to the simple housewife who serves the Lord in fear than He will a thousand preachers who are full of pride due to the praises that he may have received in this world.

What do the ancient Mayans and Harold Camping have in common?

Neither are any good at predicting the end of the world. Perhaps this is a good time to remember what Jesus said to His disciples just before His ascension, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority" (Acts 1:7 NKJ).

Blog Update

I just wanted to let the blog's readers know what has been going on lately, especially since my posting has been so sparse. I have been battling recurrent bouts with diverticulitis, so I have not been keeping up with things as I normally would have. Soon, however, I should be able to begin posting again at least once a week, as I have tried to do over the years.

I appreciate the loyalty this blog's readers have shown over the years, and I want to thank you for your patience. May God bless you!

Keith

Robert Gagnon on Homosexuality and the Bible

Dr. Robert Gagnon - What Does the Bible Teach About Homosexuality? from Pure Passion on Vimeo.

Some of the blog's readers may be familiar with Robert Gagnon as the author of The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics, which is an in-depth defense of the traditional Biblical view over against modern objections. In the above video he deals with some of the common objections or questions about the Biblical teaching.

"Gay Christianity" Refuted by James White

Matthew Vines has been gaining quite a following with his video entitled "The Gay Debate - The Bible and Homosexuality," in which he tries to argue that homosexuality is not actually sin according to the Bible. But James White has offered a thorough response to his arguments, and he has made the audio available for download free of charge at the Alpha & Omega Ministries website. Here is a brief description of Dr. White's response from his website:

The complete response to Matthew Vines is now available as a single program. Yes its five hours and nine minutes long, (72meg in size), but the world needs to hear this message. We believe this so much that we have decided to make this publicly available to be distributed for free. Share it with your friends and relatives. We've titled it "Gay Christianity" Refuted and only ask that you not change it or sell it. All fair use rules apply for criticism too.

I strongly encourage the blog's readers to take this opportunity to listen to Dr. White's defense of the Scriptural view and to tell your friends about it as well. Dr. White plays and responds to the entirety of Matthew Vines' presentation. Again, you can download the audio at the Alpha & Omega Ministries website here.

Bob Gonzales on the Well-Meant Offer of the Gospel

If you aren't already familiar with Dr. Gonzales' series of posts regarding the "well-meant offer" of the Gospel, I encourage you to check them out. The first article suggests an update to the Baptist Confession of 1689, followed by a series of articles explaining the issue, the objections to the doctrine, and a defense of the doctrine. For you convenience, here are links to the articles in the order in which they were written:

Updating and Refining the 1689 Baptist Confession: Affirming Common Grace and the Sincere Offer

The Well-Meant Offer: Defining the Debate

The Well-Meant Offer: Listening to the Detractors

The Well-Meant Offer: Its Logical Consistency

A Defense of the Well-Meant Offer: Will the Real “Will of God” Please Stand Up!

A Defense of the Well-Meant Offer: God “Can’t Get No Satisfaction”?

You can also find the articles listed on one page at Dr. Gonzales' blog here. You will see them listed with the most recent at the top and the oldest at the bottom of the page.

I continue to find Dr. Gonzales' writings some of the most helpful and readable offerings on important theological subjects that are available on the internet. Let me know what you think.

Ronald Nash on Reformed Epistemology

I think Dr. Nash does a good job of explaining Reformed Epistemology, especially over against Evidentialism. What do you think?

James White on the Reality and Blessing of Apostasy

I'm sure none of this blog's readers would be surprised to see a message posted here entitled "The Reality of Apostasy," but you may be surprised to see a message entitled "The Blessing Apostasy." Well, I encourage you to listen to both of these messages from Dr. White, who offers both strong warning and great encouragement to God's people regarding the issue of apostasy. And, if you are not already familiar with Dr. White's ministry, I urge you to check out Alpha and Omega Ministries, where he writes an excellent blog, as well as his YouTube channel.

The Intolerance of Those Who Preach Tolerance

Why is the gay and lesbian community so proactive in preaching tolerance for their homosexual lifestyle? Why do they seem so easily offended by those who do not agree with them? Why do they preach love and acceptance, but many of them seem to get so hateful and angry with those who are committed to traditional values? Why do they preach tolerance, but often seem so intolerant and hateful to those who disagree with them?

The gay community is seeking ‘equal rights.’ Homosexuals only want to live open and peaceful lives unashamedly in a community without fear of rejection or discrimination. This I am sure is true, but I do not believe that this is all they want. The reason that they are so easily offended is because deep down they know that their lifestyle is unnatural. They know better, and are constantly looking for justification and affirmation for their unnatural desires. They have inward guilt, yet they desire to free themselves from this guilt by having others tell them that they shouldn’t feel bad for feeding and indulging in their unnatural passions. Equal rights are not all they want. What they really desire is for others to reassure them that it is okay to be homosexual.

In an attempt to ease their inward guilt, they seek to obtain the outward confirmation and approval of their friends, peers and society. To obtain the approval of society the homosexual community is attempting to carry out these seven steps below:

1. Seeking to Convince Themselves that their Unnatural Desires are Natural

First, they desire to convince themselves that they were “born this way.”  By a simple observation of the design of the male and female body, it is easy and natural to see that men and women are designed for each other. This is easy to learn, and even children do not need any external instruction to come to this conclusion. Furthermore, the world would not continue past the next generation without men and women procreating. Men and women are made for each other and everybody knows it. God’s Word forbids homosexuality, but even if it didn’t, nature itself teaches us that homosexuality is unnatural (Rom. 1:26-27). In fact, even straight people who support homosexuality cannot deny that homosexual acts are something that they find inwardly disturbing. Homosexuals, I believe, know that their desires are unnatural, and therefore they feel the need to convince themselves otherwise. Otherwise, why would it even matter if they were “born that way” or if they simply chose to live that way? I do not feel the need to justify to myself or to others that I prefer Dr. Pepper over Pepsi. Why do they feel the need to justify their desires for the same sex (as if they can’t help how they feel), if their desires are natural? One of my gay friends admitted to me that he had to work past the shame that he felt the first few times he engaged in a sexual relationship. His partner told him that his feelings of shame were a natural experience, and the key to move past this feeling of shame was to dwell upon the fun and excitement rather than upon the shame. "To not think about it", was the counsel. The point is that homosexuals know that their lifestyle is shameful (at least for those who are not completely hardened), and it is because of their guilt that they feel the need to blame their passions upon something other than their choice.

2. Create Support Groups to Ease Their Conscience

Those who practice any sin seek to find others who do the same to provide some level of comfort (Rom. 1:32). These support groups are designed to suppress guilt by the group reassuring its members that they are not alone. There is comfort in numbers. The larger the support group the better. Thus, it is natural for homosexuals to group together to find comfort in a network of peers that does not pass out judgment, but rather helps smooth over their guilty conscience.

3. Blame their Inward Guilt upon External Norms

If homosexual desires are natural, and if homosexuals cannot help the way they feel, then where does the guilt come from? The third step for the gay community is to blame their guilt upon something outside of themselves—such as the traditional norms that have been shaped by Christian values. They claim that their inward guilt stems from the external social norms that have been imposed upon their conscience. ‘I wouldn’t feel guilty if my conscience wouldn’t have been shaped by society’s unwritten rules,’ so they think. ‘Christianity and traditional values are to blame for my inward shame.’ Thus, they seek to blame their guilt upon man-made external norms rather than upon their own innate knowledge of what is right and natural.

4. Attempt to Change Public Perception

Therefore, the goal is to change the values and norms of society. This is the fourth step. In an attempt to deliver themselves from their guilty conscience, rather than repenting before God, they seek to change social perception and create new and more tolerant social norms. It is not sufficient, for many of them, that they convince themselves that homosexuality is natural; they feel that they must convince the rest of society. If they can change public perception, then they can change the social norms of society. If they can change social norms, then they believe that then they can live out their desires without any sense of guilt or inward condemnation. This is why they are so proactive.

5. Condemn and Hatefully Judge the Opposition

To justify themselves and speed up the process of changing the norms of society, the gay community will condemn those who disagree with them as haters and bigots. They have effectively done this by labeling and grouping all opposition as ‘homophobes.’  Some would even consider this article as propagating ‘hate speech.’ But why? Why do they want to call this hate? I do not hate homosexuals, and I do not want anything bad to happen to my homosexual friends. In fact, whatever I could do to help them I would seek to do. Even with my love for them, I believe homosexuality is unnatural. Why would they condemn me as being full of hate because I disagree with their lifestyle? Why are they so ready to call those who disagree with their lifestyle haters? I believe it is because they desire to hush their own conscience. They feel that the only way to do this is by hushing and censoring those who disagree with them. Therefore, they are attempting to turn the table around and blame those who publicly condemn homosexuality as the guilty and hateful party. If they can make it politically correct to support homosexuality, then heterosexuals will not only feel pressure to support gay marriage, they will be scared not to because they do not want to be labeled as a homophobe. In essence, they want to throw their own guilt upon those who oppose them.

6. Seek to Place God on Their Side

For the homosexuals who remain religious, they realize that they will never have a clear conscience until they are convinced that God sanctions their lifestyle. It amazes me how many professing Christians are seeking to condone homosexuality by only focusing upon the doctrine of the love of God—as if the Bible had nothing to say about homosexuality. If I said, "For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error", these professing Christians would call me hateful. But this is what God has said in Romans 1:26-27. In response, some say that the Bible has human error, but if that was the case why do these same professing Christians use the Bible to convince themselves that God accepts their lifestyle. How any homosexual can say that he or she believes in the God of the Bible and at the same time hold to a Christianity that sanctions unnatural sexual passions is beyond me, but this is exactly what many have sought to do. Even worse, some churches, who are willing to tickle people's ears to gain a larger following, openly tell homosexuals what they want to hear. Regardless, making homosexuality acceptable within Christianity is another means of artificially easing one’s guilty conscious.

7. Censor the Opposition

Last of all, because of the inward guilt that comes from their unnatural passions, it only takes one person to oppose their lifestyle for some of them to be offended. The problem, when they are honest with themselves, is that their conscience agrees with those who disagree with their lifestyle. Therefore, the gay community will not be content with merely obtaining equal rights, but will forcefully push their agenda until they obtain universal acceptance, and legally censor all opposing voices. It’s their guilty conscience that is the problem, and they will do anything to suppress the truth—even to the point of suppressing others who oppose their lifestyle. Let’s not fool ourselves, the censorship of free speech is where this battle ends. Canada is proof of this, and America seems to be following right behind.

To answer the question of why the gay community seems so intolerant towards those who disagree with them, it is because they so desperately desire to live their unnatural lifestyles without experiencing the inward guilt. And it seems that the gay community will go to any length to remove their guilt while hanging onto their sins.

Thankfully, God has provided all of us a real answer to our guilty conscious—repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Christ died for sins, even the sin of homosexuality. Homosexuals, along with liars and adulterers, can have a guilt free conscious because of Christ—but only if they are willing to acknowledge their sins and seek forgiveness and deliverance from their sins by trusting in the full atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Conviction & Peace

I was honored to be the camp pastor of the Sovereign Grace Youth Camp in Conway, Missouri this past week. What happened over those few days will be something I will never forget—God graciously brought conviction of sins, and then forgiveness and peace upon several young souls. These campers came as sinners and under the wrath of God, but happily went back home forgiven and justified in the sight of God.

It seems that many of them were under a measure of conviction at the beginning of the week, but came under heavy conviction at the Wednesday evening service. After the sermon, there was quietness and weeping throughout the assembly. For fifteen minutes, no one moved or said anything. The common cry of those who were broken, when asked what was wrong, was: “I am so guilty.” When the service was dismissed, some under conviction remained for counsel, while others left the building only to return for prayer and counsel. Some found secluded places to pray alone, while others remained weeping in their seats. Some cries turned to tears of rejoicing as professions of faith followed. Two young ladies, feeling physically sick, left to go to the dorms and refused to come out the next morning. After one broke down in repentance, the other young girl soon broke down as well—which after receiving a clear conscious before God they realized that they no longer felt sick. One young man, who traveled to the camp with my wife and I, came to faith, with his burden of sin removed, the following night. Still others were seeking God and praying for God to save their souls even as the camp ended. Many people made public professions of faith, while other campers would leave camp to go back to their homes under conviction. Only time will tell if these professions are a result of true conversions, but the counselors and I have good reason to believe that they were a byproduct of not mere human emotions or manipulation, but a result of God’s supernatural and sovereign grace.

As I reflect upon what took place, here are a few of my thoughts.

1. It is important to have a burden for our lost children and to pray for them daily 

Their parents and church family had faithfully prayed for each of these young people prior to their conversions. Nine of the young ladies who were converted were mentioned by name that very morning in the counselors prayer meeting. The young man who traveled to the camp with my wife and I, was placed on our church’s prayer list because a month earlier I had asked him if he was a Christian—he responded by saying, “No sir, but I want to be.” Immediately I was burdened for his soul, and would have our church (Grace Bible Church in Conway, AR) pray specifically for this young man’s salvation at this youth camp. A prayer that was graciously answered. I also learned after returning that my father’s church (Grace Baptist Church in Batesville, AR) had prayed Wednesday night for God to move mightily upon the service. This prayer too was answered. The ladies prayer group from Bible Baptist Church (St. Louis, MO) prayed for the youth camp, the pastor’s wife of Bridgetown Baptist Church (Nesbit, MS) held an impromptu prayer meeting and sent out a list of all the campers and counselors to so that every person at the camp would be lifted up to God by name. Only the Lord knows how many prayers were ushered up to God on the behalf of these young people—and not a single prayer went unheard by our Lord. Thus, we should never grow weary of praying for lost souls and for God to move upon our services. God works through prayer—may we continue to pray without ceasing.

2. The Messenger is only a Vessel—and the Work and Glory is to God Alone

Evangelists who use emotional pressure and tactics to talk people into making a public profession have room to boast in their accomplishment—they, and not God, produced an outward profession. Yet, those who simply preach the Word and see people converted afterwards know that they did absolutely nothing. Every sermon that I preached this last week was a repeat. No conversions followed the first go around. Yet, it pleased God to use these messages, at least in part, to convict lost souls. God alone is responsible for bringing true repentance and faith. I felt like an empty vessel. I felt like a spectator. I was given the privilege, along with the other counselors, to be an eyewitness of God’s power and grace that night. It was as if God showed up mightily and all that we did was watch the grace and power of God at work. To God alone be the glory is not just a nice thing to say, but for those who eyewitness the grace of God know that it is the only thing that can be said.

With this in mind, those, who like Spurgeon, are used by God to bring many souls out of darkness by their preaching, are not necessarily any more important or godly than those who faithfully preach week after week with no conversions. Although one sermon alone by Peter was used by God to convert five-thousand souls, Peter was no more able to impart saving faith than Jeremiah who saw no conversions under his whole ministry. Although we all desire to be used by God for the salvation of many, the important thing for all of us is to remain faithful.

3. The Importance of the Objective Truth

After counseling with those under conviction, I have come to a higher appreciation of the objective truth and certainty of the gospel message. Salvation is not based upon feelings. Thank the Lord for that. Some under conviction seem to complicate faith. It seems that some think that they need to experience conversion before they can place their faith in Christ. They have a hard time believing God’s promise of salvation, and thus they think that they need to experience God’s forgiveness, as evidenced by some form of conversion experience, before they can trust God. This seems to be based upon a false notion that our emotional and spiritual experience is what brings us peace with God, rather than peace being obtained by faith in God’s Word. It is not a matter of how we feel, but a matter of if we believe and trust God. In essence, putting too much stock in our feelings is placing our faith in our faith, rather than placing our faith in Christ. Christ has said in His Word that all who believe shall be saved—it comes down to if we believe this or not. This promise is given to us, and faith in the promise should be enough to give us the assurance that our sins are forgiven. It is not faith in our faith that saves us, but it is faith in the promise of God. This is why the objective word is so important. Faith looks to Christ, and not to itself, and understanding this truth is vital when counseling lost and broken souls who are seeking God’s forgiveness.

4. The Importance of the Subjective Emotions of Guilt and Peace

Without contradicting my last point, I have come to appreciate the subjective and emotional side of conversions better as well. Our emotions or experiences are not what save us, but it is impossible to be saved without a measure of guilt and then a measure of peace to follow. Experiencing the feeling of guilt is vital because there is no salvation without repentance of sins. And, is there such a thing as repentance without feeling guilty, sorry and remorseful for our sins? How can sinners desire a salvation from sin if they do not inwardly feel guilty and sorry for their transgressions against God? They can’t. Conviction and guilt is a part of the conversion experience. Not only guilt, but also assurance is important in our conversion experience. As we noted above, faith in God’s promise, at least in part, brings some measure of assurance and peace within the heart. How do we have faith in Christ for forgiveness of sins if we do not truly believe that Christ has forgiven us from our sins? Not all Christians are blessed with the same degree of assurance, but all Christians at least have enough assurance in God’s promise for them to cast themselves upon the mercies of Christ. Otherwise, if they had no assurance or confidence in the gospel promise they would not believe it. So, although guilt and assurance do not save us, they are common feelings for those who repent and believe the gospel.

With all this in mind, I believe that it is very dangerous to seek to give troubled souls an artificial assurance that does not come by their own inward faith in Christ. It is dangerous to tell those under heavy conviction and guilt to find relief in any other thing than looking to Christ in faith. Some churches tell those battling with guilt and doubt to look to their baptism, others churches tell them to look at their past or present experiences, and still others seek to bring assurance to troubled souls by pronouncing absolution upon them. Guilt and assurance are both subjective experiences and are a part of the common conversion experience. Only present faith in God’s word should bring those under conviction the assurance that they need. Man cannot do this—only God can impart saving faith and the assurance of salvation from their sins. So we must be careful not to rush those under conviction to the waters of baptism until they themselves have apprehended the peace which comes from believing in Christ for themselves.

In conclusion I am just thankful for the mercies of God who is able to draw sinners, even young sinners, to Himself by granting them repentance and faith towards God. My prayer now is for those who left the camp still under conviction that God may grant them faith in Christ Jesus and the peace that follows.