Abraham Or The Pope

I am often in awe of how God fathers us in His own kind, providential, way. If you are disposed to watch and to listen, the Lord will teach you unexpected lessons in unexpected ways. This has become especially clear to me in the area of tradition and “convictions”.

I have been conditioned by my spiritual upbringing. That means that many of the traditions and “convictions” that I hold to have been handed to me by parents, pastors, evangelists, Sunday school teachers, etc. Some of these things I hold to because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are true. I know this because the whole counsel of Scripture makes it clear. Then, there are other things that I practice, defend, and even shame others into believing. Such things God, like He did with Abraham, reveals to me that are my conclusions and not His. Through the years, the list of things in that former category become dearer and dearer and the things in the latter category grow frivolous and almost embarrassing. An attempt to list all these things would be a waste of time, but a few that come to mind are styles of worship, fixation on numbers, drop-off youth ministry, and a crusade to preserve the truth of God’s Word single-handedly.

Today a good word came to me from Brother Oswald Chambers (an unexpected lesson in an unexpected way) on this very subject. In his own words he states,

“Abraham interpreted God’s command that he had to kill his son, and that he could only leave this tradition behind by the pain of a tremendous ordeal. God could purify his faith in no other way…He was there to obey God, no matter to what belief he went contrary. Abraham was not a devotee of his convictions, or he would have slain Isaac and said that the voice of the angel was the voice of the devil. That is the attitude of a fanatic. If you will remain true to God, God will lead you straight through every barrier into the inner chamber of the knowledge of Himself; but there is always this point of giving up convictions and traditional beliefs.”

Well, God has led me to the mountain of sacrifice many times over the years. I count it as evidence of His continued grace and mercy, and desire to refine my faith. The decision that I face when I am there is the decision that I humbly lay at your feet just now. When God leads you to this mountain will you come down as Abraham having sacrificed what God asked or will you come down as a papist clinging to your tradition or “conviction” as if it were your means of attaining heaven. Abraham or the Pope, the choice is up to you.