Saddam's Death is a Big Deal

Despite what the MSM will report today, I think that Saddam's execution is a big deal.

The fact that he was brought to justice so swiftly by the Iraqi government is testiment to the fact that they are stepping up to rule their own country. I think this sends a strong message to the world. It shows that this new democracy is starting to make a difference in Iraq.

President Bush explains why Saddam's death is important:

Today, Saddam Hussein was executed after receiving a fair trial -- the kind of justice he denied the victims of his brutal regime.

Fair trials were unimaginable under Saddam Hussein's tyrannical rule. It is a testament to the Iraqi people's resolve to move forward after decades of oppression that, despite his terrible crimes against his own people, Saddam Hussein received a fair trial. This would not have been possible without the Iraqi people's determination to create a society governed by the rule of law.

Saddam Hussein's execution comes at the end of a difficult year for the Iraqi people and for our troops. Bringing Saddam Hussein to justice will not end the violence in Iraq, but it is an important milestone on Iraq's course to becoming a democracy that can govern, sustain, and defend itself, and be an ally in the War on Terror.

James S. Robbins over at the NRO states that:

Likewise the prevalent non-opinion in the media that this event is not a turning point, that it does not change anything, is hard to take seriously.

Saddam’s fate was more than just a loose end that was tied up. It was one of those rare occasions on which we are given the opportunity to witness an act of unqualified righteousness. It was justice made manifest. And it was about time.

Yes, a tyrant who killed millions of his own people has been held accountable for his crimes against humanity. Good indeed has triumphed over evil.

Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing

I'm reading a fantastic book by C.J. Mahaney called "Living the Cross Centered Life" and I highly recommend it. In fact, I saw that Professor J. Alan Groves of Westminter Seminary has it on his list of recommendations too.

As a Christian it is very easy to move away from the cross of Christ. It is possible to lose sight of the gospel in our every day lives. I know it sounds ridiculous but for many it is a reality.

Consider these quotes from John Stott:

"All around us we see Christians and churches relaxing their grasp of the gospel, fumbling it, and in danger of letting it drop from their hands altogether".

"The cross is the blazing fire at which the flame of our love is kindled, but we have to get near enough for its sparks to fall on us" .

This book has caused me to think deeply about my relationship with God. I am brave enough to admit this, I sometimes think more deeply about Christians around me and their relationship with God and pointing out their sin than I do about my own self. All the while, it is my heart that has grown cold. You're probably thinking "see, just another hypocrite" but you see that is the point of the gospel, it takes the focus off myself and puts it back onto the Savior.

God has not left me to pull up my spiritual boot-straps on my own or told me to try harder, no, He has brought me back to the cross of Christ and his gospel.

Mahaney outlines three things that attempt to draw the heart and hands from the gospel:
1. Subjectivism-basing my view of God on my changing feelings and emotions.
2. Legalism-basing my relationship with God on my performance.
3. Condemnation-which means being more focused on my sin than on God's grace.

The rest of the book elaborates on these temptations and brings you back to the gospel. It is grounded in scripture and "he explains why the good news of the cross is so infinitely good, and how you can know the grace of God through the message of the cross" (Mohler 10).

It would make a great gift to give someone for Christmas (provided you get a copy for yourself too).

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