Lessons from the Laps #2

If you believe that you must make additional laps around the desert of doubt before you can enter into the “promised land” of assurance and peace, you will make them. But I must tell you that the Christian life is a life of faith and freedom In Christ. ‘The righteous man shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:17.

In response to my essay, “Lessons from the Laps,” I received the following statement from a good brother: “It gives me concern as to the number of laps I have already made and how many more I must make to be pleasing to our Lord (emphasis added).” Meaning no offence but only encouragement, I want my brother, along with the rest of you, to know that no Christian who trusts the Word of God is in a desert making laps. This experience is for the weak and indifferent, the stubborn and rebellious—those who do not rely on the grace of God for salvation and assurance. You my brother, and all Christians who doubt, should have left the wilderness years ago when you gave your life to Christ and accepted His forgiveness. Were you ever more sincere and contrite in your life than then? Do you suppose penitence will accomplish something for you in the future that it could not accomplish for you in the past? Millions of people spin a prayer wheel as they pray, supposing that the spinning wheels will somehow transport their prayers to God. Is making useless laps around the barren desert of doubt any different? The whirling dervish spins himself round and round until he enters an altered state of consciousness, which he calls a religious experience. Is making useless laps around the barren desert of doubt any different? One is neither saved nor kept saved by spinning wheels, whirling or making futile laps around a desert; he is saved and kept saved by the incomparable grace of God. Why do so many Christians feel that they must spend their lives working for an elusive peace, as if the Prince of Peace has not paid the full price for their sins?

Laps around the desert in our analogy result from doubt. If you had had sufficient faith when you were saved, you would not have gone into the desert in the first place. If at any time you had developed sufficient faith, you would have gone free. If you have faith today this will be your day of deliverance. If you do not have faith today, how can you be sure you ever will? Something must be done about this today! It is high time, after all these years of service, that you confess your faith in Christ, renew your commitment to Him, deny your doubts and accepted your deliverance once and for all. Trusting Christ in freedom, you will be able to help others find freedom and peace. You could not serve others in a better way than to assure them that, “it was for freedom that Christ set us free” (Gal. 5:1). And then tell them that freedom is for freeing so they can help others find deliverance from doubt.

An elephant got too old to pull the ropes that raised the big circus tent, so they tethered him to a stake in the field where he would go round and round until the circus was ready to move on. One day they let him go free, hoping that he would stay in the field. He was so habituated that he still went around in circles. Likewise, churches have become so fixated by their private interpretations of scripture, church doctrines, and routine “patterns” of worship that they esteem these more highly than grace and freedom. Keeping members caroled by guilt is an old sectarian tactic. They, like the old elephant, go around in circles not realizing that they have been freed from the tether of sin and guilt. Circles around the desert of doubt merit nothing, they only reinforce habits. “The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking (spinning prayer wheels or whirling, private interpretations of Scripture or church doctrines, routine patterns of worship or making useless laps around a desert), but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 13:17. How could it be otherwise; this is the Christian life!

I believe it was President Lincoln who said, “Most folk are as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Likewise, most Christians are as free as they make up their minds to be. Why all these unnecessary laps? God has no provision for you, nor will He ever have, other than what He has already given.