Reading Song of Songs Without Snickering

This post is actually an email I sent in response to hearing a pastor discussing (and struggling through) Song of Songs on the radio.  Some people become embarrassed reading the book (especially aloud in church), while others snicker at the unusual compliments.  If you fit into one of those categories, hopefully reading this will give you a new perspective on this wonderful book.

When I was younger, reading Song of Songs would often make me snicker.  The comparisons seemed silly – teeth like flocks of sheep, breasts like fawns, etc.  But as I grew older (and perhaps better read), I began to approach those comparisons differently.  I don’t believe the author makes direct visual comparisons – he’s not saying, ”looked like.”  He doesn’t really mean, “your hair looks like wool” or “you have an extremely long neck like a tower of ivory”.  I believe that he is making a different kind of association – a much deeper association – one that involves memory and feelings more than just the superficial visual comparison.  Let me explain:

“Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Mount Gilead.” Song of Songs, 4:1

For a culture highly dependent on raising goats, seeing this is a very pleasant, soothing sight. To see the goats cascading down a hillside is a thing of pure, simple beauty, and evokes very strong inner feelings – much the way a herd of cows at the edge of Dallas can make a downtown high-paid manager remember his small town roots.  The author is saying, “Your hair reminds me of this beautiful scene that I’ve loved since my youth.”

“Your two breasts are like two fawns, like twin fawns of a gazelle that browse among the lilies.” Song of Songs, 4:5

A comparison like this is one of the most obvious indicators that he isn’t making visual comparisons.  He is comparing two things of beauty, with emotion attached.  To be a little frank, there may be certain visual comparisons, such as the color of fawns likely matching the color of her breasts, but the peaceful movement of fawns among lilies creates a striking visual that pleases by itself.  He’s saying, “You know how beautiful those gazelle fawns are – especially when they’re grazing among the flowers? Your breasts are like that.” It’s very beautiful, with not a snicker in sight.

“Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon looking toward Damascus.” Song of Songs, 7:4

He is not saying “You have a really big nose like a tower – but don’t worry, I find that sexy.”  I believe he’s instead saying, “You know that tower we saw in Lebanon – the one looking toward Damascus? Remember when we saw it, our breath was taken away? We just couldn’t believe people could make something so amazing… Well, your nose is like that. I look at your face and just gasp at your beauty.”

I think if you approach Song of Songs by looking at these things as indirect comparisons between two beautiful objects; and not direct visual, superficial comparisons, you’ll be able to read through it with new wonder and amazement.  There will be no need to get embarrassed over the breasts or legs, no laughing at seemingly absurd comparisons, but instead find what may be one of the most beautiful love poems ever written.

“Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.” Song of Songs, 8:6.

Wow!

The Nature Of Salvation

It’s vacation time, and you’ve decided to go on a hiking trip through a large national forest.  Many miles into your hike, your GPS goes out and it isn’t long before you realize you’re lost.  Then to make matters worse, you slip while walking along a hillside and take a nasty fall – breaking your leg. 

After serveral days of calling out and hoping for someone to find you, things get only worse.  Your leg is swollen and causing terrible pain, and you’re running low on supplies.  The reality that you are not going to get out of this on your own starts to set in.  If someone doesn’t come along, things are going to get really bad.

You run out of food and water.  Days pass and you drift in and out of consciousness.  You’re running a fever, and your throat is too dry to call out any more.  In your more lucid moments, you realize that you are dying.  This is the end.

Somewhere in a half-dream you hear someone talking to you.  Water is gently being poured down your dry throat.  You feel a new pain in your leg as someone sets the bone and wraps it in a splint.  You realize that at this moment you’ve been saved.  You are not going to die alone and lost in a forest.  And with that thought, you drift back to sleep.

You awaken to find yourself still lying on the forest floor, covered in a blanket.  The smell of food and fire stir new feelings of hunger.  Your leg is throbbing, but the fever is gone.  You manage to sit up, and you see your savior for the first time.  It’s a young man – a fellow hiker – stirring a pot of stew over a campfire.

“Ah, you’re up,” he says. “Feeling better?”

You nod.

“Stew’s ready.  Looks like you could use it.”  He hands you a bowl and you greedily dig in. “Not so fast,” he says. “You haven’t eaten in a while and you need to take it slow.”

The next few days bring major improvement for you.  Under his care, you regain your strength, and he fashions a crutch so that you can walk.

“It’s time to get going,” he says.  “I know the way out of here… just follow me and you’ll be fine.”

***

And this, my friends, is the nature of salvation from God.  You become saved the moment Jesus enters your life as your personal Lord and Savior.  But you can’t stay lost in the woods.  To get out of the mess you’re in, you need to follow Jesus sincerely and whole-heartedly.  If you’re that injured hiker, what if you said “no, I’m just going to stay right here” when you savior said “follow me – I know the way out”?  Your salvation starts to fall into jeopardy.  You may be feeling good again, but you’re still lost in the forest, you still have a broken leg, and you simply are not going to make it out on your own.  You need him to get you out of there.  It may take some effort on your part, but if you follow him, you will make it home.

Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. – Isaiah 45:22

Losing Your Religion

Can a Christian lose their faith?  Can they fall out of grace?  Can someone claim to love Jesus and accept him as their personal savior, and then stop believing?  When they die, will they go to Heaven or Hell?

Nothing I’ve read in the New Testament seems to guarantee a free irrevocable pass to people who walk away from God and do their own thing after claiming to be Christian.  Peter tells us quite the opposite:

If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.  It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. – 2 Peter 20, 21

From this, it seems exceedingly clear that a person CAN fall out of faith, with dire consequences.  For anyone saying, “no, no, I believe ‘once saved, always saved’ and I can do whatever I want and God will just forgive me for it.” I am warning that person that they are living their life on a very dangerous and incorrect premise. 

Don’t get me wrong – your own works are not going to save you.  You are saved by grace, but being saved does require that you genuinely accept that salvation and follow Him. 

For this reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed of his past sins.  Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure.  For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. – 2 Peter 5 – 11

If you haven’t read 1 Peter and 2 Peter lately, please do so.  These 2 short letters are rich with instructions on how to strengthen your walk with God.

Once Saved Always Saved?

The doctrine of “Once Saved, Always Saved” is simultaneously both the absolute truth and a complete lie.

THE LIE
If you’re one of those Christians who believes that you are “saved” simply because somewhere in your past you agreed when someone told you that Jesus Christ is Lord, and now that you’re “saved” you can do whatever you want – sin as much as you want – and still go to Heaven, then you’ve bought into one of Satan’s biggest lies:  That once, you’re saved, you’re always saved.  Paul writes about the folly of this thinking:

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? – Romans 6:1-2

THE TRUTH
However, if you became saved – really saved – where you truly love the Lord and put your trust in Him, the very real life-changing experience of salvation will permanently change you as a person.  Paul writes:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Your heart , soul, and mind are changed to the point where there is no turning back, and in that respect, once you are saved, you are always saved.  The doctrine becomes an absolute truth, and you are living for the glorification of God rather than living for sin:

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.  Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.  For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. – Romans 6:11-14

As a true Christian, with a real, heartfelt, sincere love for God, you may sometimes sin, but you will always return to Him, and know your salvation is secure because of the grace of God:

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. – Romans 3:22-24

FOR YOU, IS IT A LIE OR THE TRUTH?
The most important question when it comes to “Once Saved, Always Saved,” is simply this: 
Were you truly “once saved”?  Now is the time to search your heart, pray to God, and determine if you’ve bought into the lie or are walking in the truth.

WHAT NEXT!
If you beleive you’re saved, but haven’t really put into effort into your walk with God, please read 1 Peter & 2 Peter.  These are really short letters that Peter wrote, and give a solid straight-forward look at what a real Christian should be doing.  Here’s just a start to Peter’s wonderful direction:

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.  As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.  But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written, “Be holy, because I am holy.” – 1 Peter 13 – 16

The Real Heart Of The Matter

At the core of all these posts, there is one central theme (or there should be, if I am writing correctly).

Everything I am writing is about being real – being sincere – and not just going through the motions.

Jesus was concerned with matters of the heart.  He preached about repentenance, and about truly loving God:

“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
“‘The first,’ they answered.”
“Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.  For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.” – Matthew 21:28-32

Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.  Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” 
He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ 
“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’
“Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
“But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’
“There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.  People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.  Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.” – Luke 13:22-30

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. – Mark 12:30

You can’t be a lukewarm Christian and expect to go to Heaven.  Your love needs to be real.  Your repentance needs to be real.  Be sincere in following God.  Search your heart for the truth.  If you find that you haven’t been sincere, that you haven’t really been pursuing God, make every effort to do so immediately.  It’s time to get real for God.  Follow Jesus with all sincerity.

A Real Apology

“I’m sorry.  – There, I said it.  Now it’s up to you to forgive me.”

This is the typical scenario I’ve seen played out in my family for as long as I can remember.  The offender says or does something wrong, and then expects the person they hurt to just get over it and let it go.  Often there is no apology at all.  The expectation is that after some period of time, both the offender and the victim must pretend the event never happened, and go back to “normal”.

What a horrible way to live.  First, the offender isn’t sorry.  Not really.  Often, they don’t feel any remorse or regret for what they’ve done.  They might even think they were justified in their actions.  By saying “I’m sorry,” they aren’t really apologizing.  What they’re really saying is, “You’re going to just have to get over it and pretend like it didn’t happen.”

These insincere apologies only worsen the problem:

1. It puts all of the work of forgiveness and reconciliation – all of the “getting over it” – on the person who was hurt.  The offender gets the easy part – saying two words.  The victim has the difficult job of overcoming the hurt.
2. The offender is not really sorry and therefore is NOT going to change their behavior - making future recurrences likely.  The offender makes no effort to improve.
3. The victim has to “pretend” thinks are OK, which does not solve the issue, improve the relationship, or heal the wound. 

A REAL apology comes from the heart, and has some meaningful, live-improving characteristics:

1. The offender feels remorse for the wrong they have done.  It’s not just knowing they did wrong – they feel bad about doing wrong.
2. The offender will work to improve and not repeat their wrongdoings in the future.  If they truly feel bad about what they’ve done, they’ll make a serious effort not to do it again.
3. The offender sincerely apologizes.  Not just “I’m sorry, now get over it.”  It is a heartfelt apology from a person who sincerely wants to reconcile.
4. The offender understands that the hurt they’ve caused may take time to heal.  Pretending everything is fine will not work.  The offender needs to cultivate a real, meaningful, improved relationship with the person they hurt.

When we sin, we should repent sincerely, with a REAL apology.  We should feel bad about what we’ve done, and resolve ourselves to do better.  We must work to resist sin in the future and not repeat our folly.  If we are truly sincere when we ask God for forgiveness, we can set our minds at ease, knowing we are truly forgiven:

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” – Acts 3:19

Are You Really Saved?

If you claim to be a Christian, but live your daily life in the same sinful way as the rest of the world, willfully repeating your favorite sins, I’ve got some bad news for you:  You’re not really saved.

Salvation is a gift from God, given out of His grace - but if you truly love God, you are going to follow His commands:

“If you love me, you will obey what I command.” – John 14:15

“Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” – John 14:21

“Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.” – 1 John 3:24

“This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.  This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world.” – 1 John 5:2-4

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” – John 10:27-28

I want to be especially clear: salvation comes from God – not from your own works.  But your love for God needs to be REAL.  If you really love God you will WANT to pursue Him.  You will WANT to flee from sin.  You will WANT to draw closer to Him.  You will make an EFFORT to better yourself.  You will “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” – Ephesians 6:11 

Sure, we are not perfect.  We are going to sin.  But there is a big difference between someone who earnestly loves God and pursues righteousness (and sometimes fails while trying their best) – and someone who claims to be a Christian but does not really put forth any effort to follow God.

Your actions are evidence of your love (or lack thereof).  So if you continue to sin day after day, occasionally asking God for forgiveness, but returning right back to your sin after you’re done praying, then you must not actually love God.  You actions show that you love sin.  Which takes me back to my original point:  You’re not really saved.

The good news is that it’s never too late to turn from sin and cultivate a meaningful, real, solid, personal love for God:

“Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is.” – Amos 5:14

“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.  Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.” – Isaiah 55:6-7

“The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.” – Lamentations 3:25-26

“Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you.” – Hosea 10:12

Pursue God with all of your strength.  Ask Him to forgive you of your sins – and mean it.  Be truly sorry for the wrong you’ve done, make a serious effort to change your ways, and devote yourselves, as Paul says, to doing good:

“Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.  But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,  he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,  whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,  so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.  This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.” – Titus 3:1-8

Abusing God’s Grace

Real love requires real action.

Many of today’s Christians have heard “Saved By Grace” sermons so many times that they incorrectly believe that absolutely nothing is required of them for salvation beyond believing that Jesus Christ is Lord.  Paul is often quoted:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9

Rarely does someone stressing salvation through grace continue with the very next verse that Paul writes:

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Ephesians 2:10

Rather than muddy the waters by bringing the role of works into the sermon, they’d rather wrap things up neatly by quoting from Romans:

“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” – Romans 3:22-23

Typical Christians walk away with the fatal idea that all they need to do is believe that Jesus really did die on the cross, and that he is really is God, and as long as they believe that, they can go on living their regular sinful life (since we “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”), and get a free pass into Heaven when they die.

But it’s just not true.  You can’t go on living a sinful life, following earthly desires and lusts, and expect to have a place in Heaven:

“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?  Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.” – James 2:19-24

When you willfully repeat your sin over and over and expect God to forgive you, you are ABUSING GRACE.  Salvation is going to require a bit more of you than just believing that Jesus is Lord.  You are required to:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” – Mark 12:30

And this, my friend, is going to take more than just believing.  You’re going to have to feel it.  You’re going to have to pursue God – and work to do what is right.  It’s going to take some effort on your part.  But it will be the greatest pursuit of your life.

And it’s what this blog is all about.