Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread":
Some little thing happened just recently that has encouraged me. Ever since I discovered the new covenant “truth of the gospel” in Galatians (cf. 2:5, 14), I have longed to be able to encourage my church to come out of old covenant thinking into the sunshine of the new.
One overlooked place where old covenant ideas sometimes find lodging in our hearts is the songs we sing in worship. We think they don’t affect our spiritual experience, that it doesn’t matter what we “say” as we sing because we sing mindlessly—it’s just our custom to “have a song,” as it’s our custom to “have a little prayer before we start our meeting.” But our singing is as much prayer as is our so-called “praying” (often sadly, mere formality).
Well, a young man was leading the singing of “I Would Draw Nearer to Jesus, In His sweet presence abide ...” Very good, nice song; lovely tune; congregation singing enthusiastically. Then: “Constantly trying to serve Him, ...” The young man suddenly stopped. “Wait a moment! That’s old covenant! ... Let’s make that new covenant! ‘Constantly choosing to serve Him ... !’”
I was in the congregation; I had not intruded with a word. But I rejoiced that at last a young man had himself become alert to the reality that “Truth Matters” (the title of a powerful and excellent new book from Pacific Press Publishing Association). What we sing becomes a part of us even if we think our minds are inert; the old covenant ideas still get lodged deep within and affect our “Christian experience.” A “lukewarm” relation to our beloved “Faithful and True Witness” (Christ) becomes inevitable (cf. Rev. 3:14-19).
As we near the glorious finishing of God’s work in the world and the coming of Jesus, all the cobwebs and junk of legalistic, egocentric thinking will be swept out. Then when the Lord has a world church truly reconciled to Him, the world can be lightened with His final message (18:1-4).
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
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