Our TBC communications editor, Bill Jones (he is amazing and makes my columns about 50% better from my first drafts), mentioned via email last week that this week’s Rumblings would be my 100th so I should make it very special. Gee, thanks for the pressure, Bill.
So here goes.
It is very special, because I can announce that my son Lance (Baylor grad, UT law school, soon to be with the Carrington and Coleman law firm in Dallas) and his wife Rebecca (whose mother is a Presbyterian minister) are expecting their first child next February. Another Currie is on the way – if a boy, he will be named David, carrying on a tradition that began with my great‑grandfather David Blont Currie; if a girl, she will be raised like Shannon and Delaine Strickland (Phil’s girls) to hunt with me. Lance and Rebecca won’t have much chance to change that, lol.
Well, that is special enough – don’t you think? But let me add that I already have seven grandchildren on Loretta’s side, all of whom are very special to me. In fact, last Sunday night, we had every member of her family out to swim and eat, making 19 of us, including her 84‑ and 85‑year‑old parents. I can’t imagine my life without these very special people being a part of it. God takes the circumstances of our lives – even if we have made a mess of them – and brings good things out of them.
But that’s the grace of God, which is beyond our understanding. And that brings me to my theme for my 100th Rumblings – The Grace of God.
It’s not a new theme for me. In fact, if you were to go back and read the other 99 Rumblings (and many of you have read all of them since I began them in 2007), you’ll find that – although I’ve written them from a lot of different angles on a number of subjects – the grace of God is the one thread that ties them all together. That’s because, for me, the Gospel always – ALWAYS – comes back to the grace of God. As Paul wrote, “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) (NIV)
The Gospel of Christ is not about condemning homosexuals or abortion or divorce or adultery or alcohol or even about defending the inerrancy of the Bible – no, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is about the unconditional love of God.
To be blunt (umm, when have I not?) – that is the Gospel. And I do what I do for a simple reason – I want my yet‑to-be-born grandchild to grow up among Baptists who understand that, cherish that, and share God’s grace with others.
I got a call last week, asking me to explain the difference between the Southern Baptist Convention and the Baptist General Convention of Texas. For me, that’s an easy question with a simple answer. As I shared with the caller, “The difference is how we understand the grace and love of God.” As traditional Baptists, we believe in the unconditional love of God; on the other hand, Fundamentalist Baptists believe in the conditional love of God. Think about it.
If you agree with me and want to continue our great tradition as Baptists, please join and support Texas Baptists Committed financially. The Gospel is all Grace, and I hope all of you will join us in helping all Baptists understand that. God bless you.
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