Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Biblical Principles for Cultural Decision-Making
A few weeks ago, I was listening to my favorite minister, Matt Chandler, while driving to work. I always appreciate what he has to say, as it is very insightful, and as far as I have seen, in step with scriptural teaching. I wish I could share everything I have learned from him, but alas, my memory is poor. That particular day, though, he made a reference that caught my attention: "The Radical Reformission" by Mark Driscoll, which I read last fall. The next time I was at home (and had put some change in the parking meter also known as my memory), I looked the reference up in my copy of "The Radical Reformission", and thought it had some good guidelines that seem to be founded on scripture. I was recently reminded that I had wanted to share this by some questions posed by a friend. Without further ado, here are 12 Biblical Principles for Cultural Decision-Making:
1. Is it beneficial to me personally and to the gospel generally?
'"All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything.' -I Corinthians 6:12
2. Will I lose self-control and be mastered by what I participate in?
'"All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything.' -I Corinthians 6:12
3. Will I be doing this in the presence of someone who I know will fall into sin as a result?
'But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols?' -I Corinthians 8:9-10
(Keep in mind, with the above principle, that we ought to be sensitive to the truly weaker brother, but make no allocations for a Pharisee [legalist or moralist, defined as someone who likes to create mandates for themselves as well as everyone else, that are not given in scripture, making themselves feel that they are somehow 'better' or closer to God]. I heard something to this effect on The White Horse Inn, but I'm not sure if I'm repeating it correctly.)
4. Is it a violation of the laws of my city, state or nation?
"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed." -Romans 13:1-7
5. If I fail to do this, will I lose opportunities to share the gospel?
"If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. But if someone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?" -I Corinthians 10:27-30
(I am not sure whether the one doing the informing is a non-Christian, or a weaker brother. If anyone has insight on this, I would love to hear it.)
6. Can I do this with a clear conscience?
"So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man." -Acts 24:16
7. Will this cause me to sin by feeding sinful desires?
"Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." -Romans 13:13-14
8. Am I convinced that this is what God desires for me to do?
"Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience."
-Romans 13:5
9. Does my participation proceed from my faith in Jesus Christ?
"But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin."
Thought: How much of conscience is built into our nature, and how much of it is a result of the environment we are brought up in, and is the latter of any consequence?
10. Am I doing this to help other people, or am I just being selfish?
"Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor." -I Corinthians 10:24
11. Can I do this in a way that glorifies God?
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved." -I Corinthians 10:31-33
12. Am I following the example of Jesus Christ to help save sinners?
"Just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ." -I Corinthians 10:33-11:1
As a final commentary, our chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever, the two being intertwined. You cannot enjoy God without glorifying Him, and you cannot glorify Him without enjoying Him (I stole this, inadvertently, from John Piper).
1. Is it beneficial to me personally and to the gospel generally?
'"All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything.' -I Corinthians 6:12
2. Will I lose self-control and be mastered by what I participate in?
'"All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything.' -I Corinthians 6:12
3. Will I be doing this in the presence of someone who I know will fall into sin as a result?
'But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols?' -I Corinthians 8:9-10
(Keep in mind, with the above principle, that we ought to be sensitive to the truly weaker brother, but make no allocations for a Pharisee [legalist or moralist, defined as someone who likes to create mandates for themselves as well as everyone else, that are not given in scripture, making themselves feel that they are somehow 'better' or closer to God]. I heard something to this effect on The White Horse Inn, but I'm not sure if I'm repeating it correctly.)
4. Is it a violation of the laws of my city, state or nation?
"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed." -Romans 13:1-7
5. If I fail to do this, will I lose opportunities to share the gospel?
"If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. But if someone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?" -I Corinthians 10:27-30
(I am not sure whether the one doing the informing is a non-Christian, or a weaker brother. If anyone has insight on this, I would love to hear it.)
6. Can I do this with a clear conscience?
"So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man." -Acts 24:16
7. Will this cause me to sin by feeding sinful desires?
"Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." -Romans 13:13-14
8. Am I convinced that this is what God desires for me to do?
"Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience."
-Romans 13:5
9. Does my participation proceed from my faith in Jesus Christ?
"But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin."
Thought: How much of conscience is built into our nature, and how much of it is a result of the environment we are brought up in, and is the latter of any consequence?
10. Am I doing this to help other people, or am I just being selfish?
"Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor." -I Corinthians 10:24
11. Can I do this in a way that glorifies God?
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved." -I Corinthians 10:31-33
12. Am I following the example of Jesus Christ to help save sinners?
"Just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ." -I Corinthians 10:33-11:1
As a final commentary, our chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever, the two being intertwined. You cannot enjoy God without glorifying Him, and you cannot glorify Him without enjoying Him (I stole this, inadvertently, from John Piper).
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Love: The True Saviour
I know I haven't continued in my exploration of the subject of love, and I had fully intended to take it up where I left off, but I must confess, it's been awhile since I read C.S. Lewis's work on the subject, and I may have to review it once more before I'm able to do so (since my memory is pretty awful). I have been considering an aspect of the topic, though, and planning on writing about it since before my last written entry. I had planned on waiting until my full exegesis on "The Four Loves", but since I feel like writing, and since I've contemplated a bit on this particular facet lately, I think I'll go ahead and share my thoughts.
As many of us know, marriage (the love between a man and a woman) is a picture of Christ's relationship with the church. Christ showed his love for the church in the ultimate act of self-sacrifice. The church, in response, demonstrates her love in obedience to Christ, as He graciously sustains her. In the same way, husbands are to "love their wives as their own bodies" (Ephesians 5:28); a self-sacrificial love. And wives are to "be subject to their own husbands in everything" (Ephesians 5:24). Though this is not a perfect picture, because our love is so often tainted by sin, it does help us to better understand God's perfect love.
Unfortunately, though, this image is often glorified on its own, rather than pointing toward something better. I often hear love songs on the radio (or on my ipod) that could almost be mistaken for worship songs (many times worship songs, I think, are also mistaken for secular love songs). The lyrics to such music are often surprisingly accurate in what the songwriter seems to be seeking. I suppose it could be generalized that they're looking to their lover for a perfect, fulfilling, sanctifying love that will never fail and never end. Unfortunately, they're looking to the wrong person. That's why you also hear bitter love songs about how the one whose love was never-ending has failed you. Newsflash: People will ALWAYS fail you. People break promises. People are selfish. People die, and people leave you. People will break your heart. Even the one you commit to in marriage will fail you, in some way and at some time. As is so aptly sung in "Just a Man" by The Classic Crime, "I'm not your saviour". The only love that is perfect comes from the true Saviour, the only sinless One, who will never leave you and cannot fail you.
My intention is not to beat down on human love. The love between a man and a woman, when it is built on the correct foundation, is a beautiful thing. It's an incredible gift, and a glorious opportunity to give while at the same time receiving; a mystery. Much of what a man is to be to a woman is what Christ is to the church. I thank God for the joy He offers to be able to share life's journey and my pursuit of Him with someone else, and to be able to better understand His love through that. I am certainly not advocating withholding a part of yourself from your spouse, because of fear of them failing you. That would be wrong, and not fair to him/her. "The two shall become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). You and your spouse belong to one another; don't hold your heart back from him/her. I must admit, I'm a sucker for love songs. The lyrics may not all be true (in light of sin), but I do believe that God fully intended for us to be able to revel in our love for that special person, and tell them in beautiful words (hopefully with consistently beautiful actions, since love really is a verb) how dear he/she is to our heart. That is a gift. But we must remain careful not to lose sight of the One to whom that love points, and we must not put our ultimate hope in the wrong place.
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand
In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
No guilt of life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand
As many of us know, marriage (the love between a man and a woman) is a picture of Christ's relationship with the church. Christ showed his love for the church in the ultimate act of self-sacrifice. The church, in response, demonstrates her love in obedience to Christ, as He graciously sustains her. In the same way, husbands are to "love their wives as their own bodies" (Ephesians 5:28); a self-sacrificial love. And wives are to "be subject to their own husbands in everything" (Ephesians 5:24). Though this is not a perfect picture, because our love is so often tainted by sin, it does help us to better understand God's perfect love.
Unfortunately, though, this image is often glorified on its own, rather than pointing toward something better. I often hear love songs on the radio (or on my ipod) that could almost be mistaken for worship songs (many times worship songs, I think, are also mistaken for secular love songs). The lyrics to such music are often surprisingly accurate in what the songwriter seems to be seeking. I suppose it could be generalized that they're looking to their lover for a perfect, fulfilling, sanctifying love that will never fail and never end. Unfortunately, they're looking to the wrong person. That's why you also hear bitter love songs about how the one whose love was never-ending has failed you. Newsflash: People will ALWAYS fail you. People break promises. People are selfish. People die, and people leave you. People will break your heart. Even the one you commit to in marriage will fail you, in some way and at some time. As is so aptly sung in "Just a Man" by The Classic Crime, "I'm not your saviour". The only love that is perfect comes from the true Saviour, the only sinless One, who will never leave you and cannot fail you.
My intention is not to beat down on human love. The love between a man and a woman, when it is built on the correct foundation, is a beautiful thing. It's an incredible gift, and a glorious opportunity to give while at the same time receiving; a mystery. Much of what a man is to be to a woman is what Christ is to the church. I thank God for the joy He offers to be able to share life's journey and my pursuit of Him with someone else, and to be able to better understand His love through that. I am certainly not advocating withholding a part of yourself from your spouse, because of fear of them failing you. That would be wrong, and not fair to him/her. "The two shall become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). You and your spouse belong to one another; don't hold your heart back from him/her. I must admit, I'm a sucker for love songs. The lyrics may not all be true (in light of sin), but I do believe that God fully intended for us to be able to revel in our love for that special person, and tell them in beautiful words (hopefully with consistently beautiful actions, since love really is a verb) how dear he/she is to our heart. That is a gift. But we must remain careful not to lose sight of the One to whom that love points, and we must not put our ultimate hope in the wrong place.
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand
In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
No guilt of life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand
Friday, December 10, 2010
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