Salvation

[Gregory Matthews]

See:

https://spectrummagazine.org/views/2020/5-things-i-wish-i-knew-when-i-was-baptized

3. Avoid the “Howard Hughes Approach” to spiritual growth and sanctification.

Howard Hughes was one of the wealthiest men in the world and also one of the most eccentric. He had a phobia about germs and spent his later years trying to remain healthy by avoiding germs at all costs. Toward the end, he barricaded himself in a penthouse apartment, closed off any possible access point for germs, and had his employees pass him food by means of a highly orchestrated sanitary ritual. He got thinner and more depleted by the day and eventually died like a shriveled up old prune.^[3]

Spiritual life can be like that by thinking that our main focus needs to be on avoiding sin. We wind up asking, “Is this thing a sin? Could that be a sin?” It eventually becomes a very dark, constricted, self-oriented path. For instance, when I started pastoring, I used to wear black suits, black shirts, black ties, black socks, and black shoes just to avoid the possibility of being ostentatious or prideful. (I couldn’t find any black underwear.) When I was finally liberated, I overcompensated and bought a plaid suit, pink shirt, and paisley tie.

My liberation came when I learned to adopt an entirely different approach to spiritual well-being. Howard Hughes could have been one of the healthiest people around if instead of avoiding germs he focused primarily on taking in all the positive things in life — fresh air, exercise, healthy foods, sunshine, laughter, plus generously giving of himself to help others. If he did that, no germ would have had a chance! So it is spiritually. Yes, we need to avoid sin, but the best way to do that is to take in all the wonders of redemption, relish all the good things each day offers, and reach out in service to those in need (2 Cor 3:18; Col 2:6).

Rejecting the Howard Hughes approach opens the door to an expansive, joyful, large-hearted view of Christian living. It is like the difference between black and white TV and color.

NOTE:  I did not write the above--GM.