This is a letter from Francis A. Schaeffer to Eleanore, she was a radical student in the 1960′s. She has moved from drugs, to free sex, to terrorist politics, to Eastern religion. She tried everything before coming to Christ, and now her past ideas and actions are giving her a sense of grief and guilt. This is a beautiful reminder of a) the application of the cleansing blood of Christ, and b) how to lovingly write a letter!
January, 1975.
Dear Eleanore:
Thank you for your recent letter. I am glad that my previous letter was helpful to you. I cannot write a long letter this time as i just got back from the State and I am drowning in correspondence, but I did want to to write to you without too long a gap.
I do want you to know that I read your letter with much interest, and I was touched by it. I am so glad that the Lord has led you along as He has. You are so right that when we get started in non-Christian framework, whether it is in our thought form or in our life form, we rapidly get into very deep waters.
The sixties was a hard time, and of course we here at L’Abri have seen so many who have been wiped out through drugs, through Easter religious thought forms, and through the promiscuous sex life. Yet we have seen many here whom the Lord has touched and healed, and we can only be thankful.
On the other hand, it seems to me that with many young people it is even worse now, with apathy ruling everywhere and then not even having the hope of answers.
Coming back to your letter, I do want to say again that it deeply touched me, and I am glad that you felt like writing your history to me. The Lord really is so gentle to us. He certainly makes His promise more than true – that when we ask Him, He is gracious in putting His hand upon us.
Do not be afraid because these things regurgitate in your mind. (I wonder if you have read my book True Spirituality? If you have not, I would urge you to do so.) Each time these things come into your mind, bring the specific thing under the blood of Christ and know that, because His death has infinite value, you have a new beginning and can begin again. I too understand your sentence about “willing that you have faith.” I really understand that, and I would just say, do not be afraid. On the othe hand, be sure to do what I have said – and this is in each case to bring these things udner the work of Christ that, on the basis of His finished work, He might forgive you for what is wrong. Then you can have a quiet mind, knowing that whatever [temptation] is left over is a matter of weakness, and by claiming the Lord’s promise that He understands because Christ was tempted in every point like as we are, yet without sin.
You are totally right that the greatest test of faith is not the acceptance of Christ for justification, but living like this moment by moment throughout our lives (As I say, if you have not read True Spirituality, please get hold of a copy and read it.) . . .
I am glad you do feel free to write as you did, and would especially say that I will be glad if you would pray for me and for Edith in the midst of our work.
With warm personal greetings in the Lamb,
Francis A. Schaeffer.
