"There Goes a Man Who Loves Your Soul"

As has been the case most of this crazy Blogathon month, this is not the post I'd planned for today. I said yesterday that I wasn't sure if I was going to post on the Supreme Court decision or not, then decided overnight that I was and had a post planned for today.

Today, however, has been long and exhausting, with the pain from yesterday a bit less intense, for which I'm immensely thankful, but still a constant companion during the many demands of the day. So that post will wait until another day, and today I will share a few quotes from tonight's Bible study.

Despite the length and intensity, today has been a day full of blessing: a wonderful worship service this morning with a much-needed sermon I'll say more about another day, friends visiting our little congregation this morning which was a delight to all of us, good time with family and friends and great discussion in the van on the way home, and an excellent Bible study tonight.

Last time we did the Behold Your God study, I missed the week 6 video. I was blown away by it tonight! I may have more to say about it later, but in the meantime, I want to share a few quotes. I love God's perfect timing...we've been very on-again, off-again with this study due to various interruptions, and yet tonight's video was exactly what I needed this week in response to several things on which I've been pondering and about which I've been praying.

I've heard about Robert Murray M'Cheyne for years, but never really known much about him. M'Cheyne was a great Scottish pastor of the 1800s who died at the age of 29, but who left a great mark on Scottish evangelicalism and on the Church as a whole. Here are a few things that stuck out to me from tonight's study, in which M'Cheyne was used as an example of true Biblical holiness:

It was said of M'Cheyne that "His main anxiety was to know the mind of Christ." Wow.

"Despite M'Cheyne's reputation for holiness, he never allowed it to be the type of cleanliness that despised sinners." What a thought, particularly this week. M'Cheyne was known for hating sin and having no tolerance for it. He was known for preaching the truth of Scripture. And yet he was also known for not "despising sinners". It can be done. M'Cheyne did it. We can too. I think it all goes back to that last point. Is our main anxiety to know the mind of Christ, as revealed in His Word?

I think this point says the rest: "He spent his nights and days in ceaseless breathings after holiness and the salvation of sinners." He prayed, continually, for his own holiness, and for the salvation of the lost around him.

It was also said of M'Cheyne, "There goes a man who loves your soul." M'Cheyne didn't condone sin, and yet those around him knew that he loved their soul regardless.

What a testimony! I'm looking forward to learning more about this great man of God, and praying that God will give me that same passion for holiness and love for the souls of those around me. "

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