Missing The Point

A short while ago in family worship, we came upon a verse (Titus 2:12a) on mortification. I know what you just thought, and it might make you feel better to read that my two year old son also does not know the term for the doctrine that genuine believers put their sins to death.

That’s why I was explaining it by pointing at my own chest, talking about when my heart wanted to sin, and telling them that whenever that happens, we must tell ourselves a loud “No!” to sin. Emmet, especially seemed to catch on, repeating “Nope!” in between my examples. I thought that he had caught the point, and I was beginning to swell with confidence in my teaching abilities. After all, if you can teach mortification to a two year old, God has gifted you for teaching.

However, a little ‘cross’-examination deflated any delusion that human teaching skills were responsible for the little “Nope!”s passing from Emmet’s lips. I wanted to make sure that he was really comprehending, so I asked him, “Nope what?” And he responded with, “Nope! Emmet’s not gonna die!”

Now I was certain that he had not learned the lesson on mortification for the evening; furthermore, I was a little concerned, so I proceeded with a follow-up. “Well, I certainly hope that Emmet’s not going to die, but why would Emmet die?” You know how parents who send their children to a school with four first grades hope, weasel, and bribe their way to getting that one really great teacher for their children? Emmet’s answer bore the mark of the Teacher that each of us hopes to get for our children for life. I quote:

“Emmet’s not gonna die! Jesus died on the cross, so Emmet’s not gonna die any more!”

Of course, like every good Christian parent, I’ve explained double imputation to my toddler on several occasions—that glorious exchange where Jesus gets our sin, death, and hell; and we get His righteousness, life, and glory.

While I had been working with Emmet on mortification, another Teacher had been working with Him on double imputation. I don’t know whether the boy is converted yet or not, but for the first time in his short life, I had some reason for hope that he might be. And that hope made his young father’s heart swell with joy. I couldn’t have been more delighted that Emmet did such a good job of

missing the point.

A Good Morning

Ok, so I haven't posted here in ages. Frankly, no one reads this, so it doesn't matter. Yesterday, I had a very hard day. From 3 weeks' notice of our upcoming financial destitution, to the pizza dough being ruined; from my two year old having a relapse into some defiant practices I thought he had put behind him to my three year old putting a rock the size of her eyeball completely inside her right nostril; from an hour on the phone having customer "service" representatives being rude to me to an hour's wild goose chase trying to find a place that would sell some nice food and beverage for me to have a date with my wife... it was full of minor and major difficulties.

So how do you respond to a rough day? With a good morning. I wasn't here by 3, but I was back in the office again. Finally. May God bless it, and may I find myself back here early and often.