[Originally posted April 11, 2018]
I have the privilege of attending the Together For the Gospel (T4G) Bible Conference in Louisville this week. The theme is “Distinct From the World.”
Our fallen world has never been friendly to God’s way and God’s will. For some of us, this ever-present truth has become even clearer in recent years. The academy calls Christian morality bigoted. The courts choose the sexual revolution over religious liberty. Hollywood alters a nation’s moral sympathies from one season to the next. And racial animosity continues to rear its ugly head.
In my daily bible reading this morning a passage that spoke to me was 1 Sam. 17:40 as David prepared to run out to meet Goliath in an epic battle between God’s people and the Champion of the Philistines — the godless world system that was reviling the name of the one True God:
“He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.”
Why smooth stones? David understood the importance of precision and accuracy — he needed stones that would fly straight. Since God was the one actually defeating Goliath, David only needed one stone. But that smooth stone would fly straight to its intended target and bury itself in the forehead of the uncircumcised pagan giant. The weapon with which the Commander of the Lord’s army has equipped us is the all powerful Word of God, the Sword of the Spirit. This week as we hear exegetical preaching from some of the larger names in conference speakers — may the Word of God go forth in precision and accuracy that we might be able to attack and defeat the godless world system that would like to undermine our holiness and remove all distinctions between God’s redeemed elect and the unsaved world.