June 1997 New Horizons

The Fear of Man: When People Are Big and God Is Small

by Edward Welch

For a long time, I didn't have any self-esteem," said William, a 240-pound high school football player. "I had self-esteem only when I wore $100 basketball shoes and $60 sweatshirts. If I didn't have them, I didn't want to go to school." Who would have thought that beneath William's tough, cool image was an ego that could be crushed simply by having to wear ordinary shoes or an inexpensive sweatshirt? His enemies could have won a number of fights with him, if they had only known that he was a modern-day Samson: his strength was in his shoes. Steal his shoes and you have conquered the man. Of course, William's shoes weren't exactly the problem. His problem was what other people thought about his shoes—and thus about him. Call it what you like—reputation, peer pressure, people pleasing, codependency—William's life was controlled by other people, and in that he was no different from most everyone else. He struggled with an epidemic of the soul called, in biblical language, the fear of man. ... Read more

Sanctification

by Alan D. Strange

A friend of mine, along with several other Orthodox Presbyterians, attended a revival meeting at a local Baptist church some years ago. During the service, each person was requested to stand up on the day of the week when he was "saved," while the congregation sang, "Saved on Monday, saved on Tuesday...." The perplexed Presbyterians glanced nervously at one another, not knowing when to stand. (I later remarked that they could have stood on each day, since believers are saved all the time.) Presumably, the Baptists equated conversion with salvation. Full Salvation Many of us are unable to say when we were converted. But that should not trouble us, for we do not equate salvation in its fullness merely with conversion. Salvation is the comprehensive work of God, whereby the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit bring a chosen people from death in sin to life in glory (Eph. 1:3-14). The Father predestines us in Christ according to his good pleasure. The Son accomplishes salvation entirely by his active ... Read more

Home Run

by Nancy Wilson

What if I wrote a column about the spiritual value of scrubbing your floors twice a day and all the health benefits for your family associated with the practice? And suppose it was all backed up with verses in Leviticus? What if I then went on to point out that such hard work, commitment, dedication, and sacrifice would reap for you great satisfaction here and a reward in heaven? And suppose further I followed it up with testimonies from women whose families were changed as a result of the practice? I hope you would think I was out to lunch. But unfortunately, some women would probably either begin to implement my suggestions, or begin to feel guilty because they hadn't. Rules for Everything Today there is no lack of innocent-looking Christian books with friendly titles making the rounds among Christian women which go far, far beyond my floor scrubbing example. They set down absolute rules for Christian households on everything—infant feeding, potty training, television ownership, homeschooling, ... Read more