With the passing of my dad halfway through his 94^th year of life, I have found myself remembering him in a way that is bad theologically and yet very true. I could never preach this as it could and should be immediately challenged but still I believe buried deep in its wrong interpretation of grace is the truth. If there is anyone I have known in my life that I would say will, without a doubt, be in heaven, my dad is that person. Based purely on the life he lived (bad theology), he will be there!

There is a problem…

…not only theologically but practically with my statement. By saying what I have said you would easily come to the conclusion that my dad was as close to perfect as anyone could be. This is not true. As a matter of fact, my dad was a flawed man by his own admission. He didn’t always do the right thing and he didn’t always stay on the narrow path. I am not implying that he continually walked away from God or purposely lived in sin relying on the grace of God to rescue him. He was not a man who contemplated the distance he could travel from holiness before he had gone too far or the shades of grey in which he could dwell without excluding himself from eternal life. He was not the perfect example of how to live and yet he was the best example of what it is to follow Jesus.

My dad desired to be everything…

…he could be, to be holy as God is holy. He often became emotional that he had fallen short and yet never questioned God’s grace and love. He had a repentant heart that desired to honour God not because it earned him salvation but because he recognized he had salvation because God first loved him.

“God is love… 

…Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:16b-19

Note: It is good to blog again. With my job and family obligations I have not had the time to post and read blogs in a while. I miss it! I will be blogging as God allows which I pray is often!