In the previous post where I reviewed Challenging the Verdict by Earl Doherty, I promised that I would address the deep rooted and real problem that atheists have with the God of Christianity. Allow me to catch you back up to speed. In his book, Doherty unknowingly revealed the inability of evidential apologetics to answer his deep rooted and real problem with Christianity, namely, that the God of Christianity is unjust and His method of atonement is both illogical and immoral. Doherty said, “Should we not expect a just Deity to fashion a punishment fitting the crime? . . . What, after all, was Adam and Eve’s purported ‘sin’? Eating fruit, even a forbidden one, hardly sinks to the depth of depravity” (124). A few pages later Doherty said, “But why did he require such an ultimate sacrifice in order to forgive humanity its sins? Is there not, indeed, some logical if not moral contradiction in ‘redeeming’ men of sins like murder through an act of murder on their part? Why did he not embody the act of redemption in something more exemplary, perhaps by having Jesus perform a few thousand hours of community service? What a moral example that would have set” (126). No amount of external evidence (empirical facts) can give an answer to these objections. God’s revelation of the meaning of these facts is needed to answer Doherty’s deep rooted and real problem with Christianity.
Since God is being accused of injustice, immorality, and ignorance for both His stance toward sin and His method of atonement, we must allow Him to speak and justify His actions (Romans 3:4). So to understand and see the justice, morality, and wisdom of God in both His stance toward sin and His method of atonement, we will have to consider God’s revealed meaning of redemptive history as it specifically pertains to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
First, the resurrection of Jesus means that God is Creator and transcendent Lord. This means that naturalistic evolution is false, because the resurrection of Jesus is only possible in an open system in which God intervenes and miracles are possible. The resurrection of Jesus, since it means that God is Creator and transcendent Lord, also means that there are no “brute facts.” The facts do not speak for themselves but must be interpreted only by God’s revealed meaning for them. As Dan Phillips says of God as Creator and transcendent Lord, “He created all things in heaven and on earth, including heaven and earth themselves. In doing so, God created all facts. And thus God assigned meaning, value, and significance to everything. That means, then, that there are no “brute facts,” only created facts, with their meaning designed and assigned by God” (Dan Phillips, The World-Tilting Gospel: Embracing a Biblical Worldview and Hanging on Tight, Kindle Edition, 91).
Second, the resurrection of Jesus means that Adam was the first man created by God as both the progenitor of and representative for all people born through his seed. This means that theistic evolution is false because of the solidarity of all people with one man. To believe in the resurrection of Jesus as revealed by God as the means by which He saves sinners from among humanity is to believe in solidarity with an original, historical, first man. There could be no solidarity on the basis of theistic evolution because there would be no definite, definable place where the head of the human race, as its sole representative, plunged the race into sin. Therefore no one would be born with a sin nature traceable to an original ancestor.
There would be no solidarity under the system of either naturalistic or theistic evolution. Without solidarity, Jesus could represent no more than one person. The ratio, without solidarity, becomes a one for one ratio. Each individual sinner would have to have a different individual Savior or else Jesus would have to continually come and offer Himself over and over again for each individual sinner.
Third, the resurrection of Jesus means that God is covenant maker who promises life for obedience to and death for disobedience of His covenant. One of God’s assigned meanings of the resurrection of Jesus is that He keeps His promises. He is a covenant keeping God. He is truth and in Him there is no darkness at all. It is impossible for God to lie since to get anything out of something, it has to be in it. There is a reason one cannot get “blood out of a turnip.” Since God is truth there is no lie in Him. Therefore it is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18). God keeps His promises. He gives death for disobedience (Romans 6:23).
Adam, as the progenitor and representative of all men earned death for breaking God’s covenant and in order for God to remain true, death reigned from Adam on (Romans 5:12). On the other hand, Jesus, the progenitor and representative of all who have faith in Him earned life for keeping God’s covenant and in order for God to remain true, He raised Jesus from the dead (Acts 2:24) and will raise all who are in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:21-23). God keeps His promises. He gives life for obedience (Leviticus 18:5).
Fourth, the resurrection of Jesus means that Adam was a covenant breaker who earned death for himself and all his offspring through their solidarity with him. Adam transgressed and disobeyed God’s command and became a covenant breaker. Adam became a capital offender. One may question why disobedience to God’s covenant is a capital crime. The human mind, even among atheists, can determine that murder is a capital offense that deserves capital punishment. However, “lesser sins” that the laws of the land do not consider capital offenses are considered capital offenses in God’s kingdom. From this truth the unregenerate human mind recoils and objects.
Why is murder a capital offense? Is it because there is something so unloving about the act of murder that it is hideous? Is it because the murderer is so unloving that he is dangerous to society? Is murder a capital offense because there is no greater display of hatred toward humanity? Murder is the greatest crime that can be committed against humanity because it violates the greatest commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself” in the grossest manner and is therefore a capital offense deserving capital punishment.
What is the greatest crime one can commit? Logically, the greatest crime a man can commit is the violation of the greatest commandment. Is there a commandment greater than “love your neighbor as yourself”? Surely, and logically, the greatest crime that a man can commit is a violation of the greatest commandment against the greatest Being. What is the greatest commandment? Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment (Matthew 22:37-38).
Should the crime of murder, of not loving a fellow man, an equal being, be greater than any crime of not loving God, the greatest Being? Logic demands that there is no greater crime than not loving God and therefore any crime that violates love for God is a capital offense that deserves capital punishment. When Adam disobeyed God and ate of the forbidden fruit he committed a capital offense because of the nature of his crime. Adam failed to keep God’s commandment, violated God’s covenant, and earned death because not loving and obeying God is a capital offense that is greater than not loving and killing a fellow human being. All men who are born naturally into Adam’s race naturally have the same hatred for God and His commandments.
Fifth, the resurrection means that Jesus is the second Adam, born without the agency of a human father in order to bypass imputation of Adam’s sin nature. In order to accomplish obedience to God’s covenant and thereby confirm the covenant promises of God, Jesus would have to live in perfect obedience to the Law of God. However, if Jesus were a natural born descendant of Adam, He would also inherit Adam’s sin nature. Here the purpose of the virginal conception of Jesus is made clear by the redemptive- historical context of the resurrection.
The virginal conception of Jesus also implies the divinity of Jesus. Here the mystery of the hypostatic union or the two natures of Jesus is revealed as one of God’s meanings of the resurrection of Jesus. He is the Son of man and the Son of God in one person. He is fully God and fully man in the one person of Jesus Christ. In order to accomplish God’s covenant with man, the Son of God, with supreme love for God, would have to become the son of man, without a sin nature.
Sixth, the resurrection of Jesus means Jesus is the covenant keeper and redeemer who earned life for Himself and all his offspring by their solidarity with Him through faith. “In the fullness of time, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that he might redeem those who were under the Law” (Galatians 4:4-5). Jesus lived perfectly under the Law of God, kept His covenant, and earned life. Jesus lived in perfect obedience to God because of His perfect love for God doing what Adam did not do and what no natural born descendent of Adam could ever do. As Phillips says, “So we must recognize in Jesus the quality that every other human being since Adam has lacked: utter, comprehensive, all-consuming love for God that flowed from a sinless heart and issued in a flawlessly, perfectly holy life” (The World-Tilting Gospel, 117).
Adam failed to love God with all his heart and as a result he violated God’s command, became a capital offender, and earned death for himself and all his offspring. God’s covenant with Adam was that if he disobeyed he would die. The wages of sin is death. By implication, God’s covenant with Adam meant that if he obeyed he would live. The wages of obedience is life. This truth is expressed in God’s Law given to Israel before the time of Christ. “So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them” (Leviticus 18:5).
There is a one major problem though. Adam has already failed to love God and committed a capital offense. All of Adam’s offspring have inherited his sin nature to the point that none are able to obey God and therefore none can earn life (Romans 3:20, 28). All are doomed, unless God has a solution for the dilemma of how He can pardon capital offenders and give them life instead of death, while He remains true in the process.
Here is where the Gospel really becomes offensive and is viewed by those who are perishing as foolishness. God’s solution for the dilemma of how He can pardon capital offenders, giving them life instead of death, is through Penal Substitution. Someone would have to live a perfect life of loving loyalty to God and then suffer the penalty of capital punishment as a sacrifice for and a substitute of capital offenders.
Earl Doherty objects, “But why did he require such an ultimate sacrifice in order to forgive humanity its sins? Is there not, indeed, some logical if not moral contradiction in ‘redeeming’ men of sins like murder through an act of murder on their part? Why did he not embody the act of redemption in something more exemplary, perhaps by having Jesus perform a few thousand hours of community service? What a moral example that would have set” (126).
Others object and say that it is illogical and immoral to execute and innocent man and to set free a capital offender. How can God do this without committing two injustices? After all, God’s Word says, “He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord” (Proverbs 17:15). The answer is the resurrection! The resurrection not only makes Penal Substitution logical and moral, it is an absolute necessity for God who is truth. God promised life for the one who obeyed His Law. Jesus did obey God’s Law perfectly. The death of Christ was at the hands of sinful men. Men in violation of God’s Law were responsible for the execution of Jesus so that it was not the Law that promised life executing Jesus but godless men (Acts 2:23). Since Jesus was innocent and was dying by God’s plan as a substitute for sinners, His resurrection from the dead was an absolute necessity and certainty (Acts 2:24). The Law of God based on the Word of God owed Jesus life and since it is impossible for God to lie, it was impossible for death to hold its prey.
Penal Substitution is a logical and moral impossibility for any court system in this world. No human court can accomplish justice through Penal Substitution. In its attempt, any human court would become guilty of two injustices. Executing an innocent man is unjust even if the innocent man is willing. Setting free a guilty man on the basis that an innocent man has died in the place of the guilty man is unjust. Without the power to raise men from the dead, Penal Substitution cannot be a justice serving means of pardon. However, with the ability to raise men from the dead, Penal Substitution becomes the only means by which a righteous God can pardon sinners while He maintains justice in the process (Romans 3:23-26).
Doherty’s solution for maintaining justice while pardoning a capital offender is “having Jesus perform a few thousand hours of community service” (126). However, even atheists know that justice has not been served when the punishment does not equal the crime. Doherty’s question, “Should we not expect a just Deity to fashion a punishment fitting the crime?” now needs to be asked to Doherty instead of being asked by Doherty. Under Doherty’s scheme of atonement, God would allow capital offenders to go free without the penalty matching the crime as Doherty claims God should do.
Jesus lived a perfect life under God’s Law to fulfill its precepts, died a sacrificial death to pay the penalty of breaking God’s Law for sinners, and experienced a supernatural resurrection to fulfill the Law’s promise of life for the one who obeyed it. Jesus earned life for Himself and all who have solidarity with Him through faith.
Seventh, the resurrection of Jesus means that He is both Lord and Judge. No explanation needed! God is just, moral, wise, and loving!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Book Review: Challenging the Verdict
After opening the front cover of Challenging the Verdict, one finds an advanced review of the book written by Lee Salisbury, a former evangelical church pastor; now writer and speaker for atheist groups. In his advanced review, Salisbury claims that Strobel and his “expert witnesses” in The Case for Christ sacrifice intellectual integrity, speak half-truths and misrepresentations in defense of Christian doctrine. On the other hand, Doherty is praised by Salisbury for his reasoned refutation and maintenance of intellectual integrity. If Salisbury’s review is accurate then Doherty will have proved with reasoned refutations, truthful representations, and intellectual integrity that the Gospels are not history and that Christianity is a myth. Challenging the Verdict will have, as is claimed on the back cover, demonstrated the deficiencies, the fallacies, and the selective and misleading use of the evidence inherent in The Case for Christ.
Enough of the “atta boy” awards until the claim of Doherty’s superior reasoning powers are validated. Doherty has claimed that he will “expose the fallacy, distortion of evidence and extensive misinterpretation of the record inherent in the ‘case’ for Christian orthodoxy . . .” (2). He has claimed that Strobel’s “overall case has been marked by shallow argument and deficient reasoning; special pleading (meaning a selective adoption and interpretation of evidence); and techniques that can be said to be fundamentally misleading, in that a particular conclusion has been established ahead of time, and evidence and argumentation is often selected and applied in light of this desired conclusion” (6). It is only fair that the reader hold Doherty to the same standards of logic, honesty, and integrity that he claims Strobel violates.
Did Doherty achieve his purpose? No! Instead of reasoned refutations, truthful representations, and intellectual integrity, Doherty used shallow argument and deficient reasoning; special pleading; and techniques that are fundamentally misleading and violate intellectual integrity.
However, before establishing these failures of Doherty, his accomplishment in his book needs to be verbalized. Doherty unknowingly revealed the inability of evidential apologetics to answer his deep rooted and real problem with Christianity, namely, that the God of Christianity is unjust and His method of atonement is both illogical and immoral. Doherty said, “Should we not expect a just Deity to fashion a punishment fitting the crime? . . . What, after all, was Adam and Eve’s purported ‘sin’? Eating fruit, even a forbidden one, hardly sinks to the depth of depravity” (124). A few pages later Doherty said, “But why did he require such an ultimate sacrifice in order to forgive humanity its sins? Is there not, indeed, some logical if not moral contradiction in ‘redeeming’ men of sins like murder through an act of murder on their part? Why did he not embody the act of redemption in something more exemplary, perhaps by having Jesus perform a few thousand hours of community service? What a moral example that would have set” (126). No amount of external evidence can give an answer to these objections. God’s revelation of the meaning of these facts is needed to answer Doherty’s deep rooted and real problem with Christianity.
The failures of Doherty are threefold: (1) he failed to provide reasoned refutations, (2) he failed to provide truthful representations, and (3) he failed to provide intellectual integrity.
Instead of reasoned refutation, Doherty resorted to shallow argument and deficient reasoning. Doherty attempted to prove that changes have been made to the original text (also called by Doherty both original eyewitness accounts and source material) of which he admits we do not possess (7) through the postulated source document known as Q (12) of which he admits that we do not actually possess a copy of it (85). We do have copies of the Gospels; we do not have a copy of Q; and Doherty expects us to believe that he is demonstrating through reasoned refutation that the evangelists made wholesale changes to their source material (7). No thanks! I am not into myths.
Instead of truthful representations, Doherty resorted to special pleading. Here Doherty attempted to prove that the Scriptures are inconsistent and contradictory (145). Doherty presumed from the outset a fixed interpretation of the Gospels (146) to show them inconsistent and contradictory. He especially pitted the Gospel of John against the synoptic Gospels. Here is one of Doherty’s representations of inconsistency and contradiction in the Scriptures: the synoptic Gospels record that Jesus stumbled while carrying His cross to Calvary because of His weakened condition and had to receive help by Simon of Cyrene to carry His cross. Yet John’s Gospel says, “He went out, bearing his own cross” (John 19:17). Because of this Doherty said, “Yet another indicator, by the way, that John is fashioning his Jesus character the way he wants him, and not the way any tradition said” (151). ROFL – that means that I am “rolling on floor laughing.” Does “he went out bearing his own cross” contradict the other Gospels that record he began the journey carrying his own cross?
However, that is not the thrust of Doherty’s argument to truthfully represent the inconsistencies and contradictions in the Scriptures. To make his case, Doherty attempted to show that the Gospel of John is inconsistent with and contradicts the synoptic Gospels by claiming that the Gospel of John does not portray Jesus’ death as an atoning sacrifice for sin (17). Doherty’s argument rests on the assumption that the Lord’s Supper in John 13 is not the same as the Lord’s Supper in the synoptic Gospels because it lacks the Eucharist elements (229). But wait! The Gospel of John establishes that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament sacrificial system beginning with Him as the tabernacle (John 1:14), the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), and proceeds to Him making atonement on the Mercy Seat (John 20:12 compare to Exodus 25:18).
Doherty is under no illusion as to the significance of the Lord’s Supper (Eucharist). He knows that it portrays Jesus’ death as an atoning sacrifice for sin and that it declares him to be that very thing (p. 17). Doherty even went so far as to say, “In fact, there are elements within the Gospels that are decidedly un-Jewish, such as the Eucharist, which involves the eating and drinking of Jesus’ flesh and blood” (p. 169). One wonders how Doherty can then say, “The establishment of the Eucharist…is notably missing in John and elsewhere” (p. 233), since John 6:54 says, “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” This oversight by Doherty is so astonishing that one must conclude he is guilty of special pleading.
Instead of intellectual integrity, Doherty resorted to misleading techniques. Doherty completely ignores the literary genre of the epistles (that these are letters to churches or Christians) and treats them as though they should be the Gospels (Christological biography). This is a misleading technique that confuses categories for the sake of making arguments and marshalling evidence in ones favor. In so doing, Doherty is able to make the claim that the epistles do not speak of Jesus Christ as a historical, human figure but as a cosmic Son of God who shares in God’s nature. As an example, Doherty said, “The death and resurrection of their Christ is never placed in an historical, earthly setting. A crucifixion on Calvary and the empty tomb story, the rising from the grave outside Jerusalem, are not to be found outside the Gospels” (55). In this way, Doherty can postulate a mythical Christ in the epistles with a contradictory historical, human Christ in the Gospels as an “evolution in Christian traditions within the first few generations of the faith” (39).
Having conveniently confused categories, Doherty is then able to demand evidence from the epistles that does not belong in the epistles. The mantra in Challenging the Verdict becomes the Jesus of the Gospels is not the Jesus of the epistles because the epistles do not repeat the Christological biography of Christ (21, 24, 28, 29, 39, 55, 64, 66, 83, 94, 99, 101,103, 104, 105, 135, 139, 159, 162, 170, 171, 176, 200, 210, 218, 225, 231, 235).
Not only does Doherty violate intellectual integrity by conveniently confusing categories, treating the epistles as though they should be the Gospels, he also violates intellectual integrity by conveniently creating categories in which to put any opposing evidence so that it can be declared inadmissible. For instance, coherence becomes either reading the content of one set of documents into another (104) or “the evangelists constructed their story by drawing on scriptural elements in the process known as midrash” (134). Midrash is the practice of copying and reworking passages from the Old Testament in order to build up a new story based on old material (112).
Another conveniently created category by Doherty is close correspondences become plagiarisms. Speaking of the close correspondences between the Gospels, Doherty said, “Most scholars have concluded that the close correspondences between Mark and the later evangelists, overall and in many small ways, does indeed make them technically plagiarisms” (173). What happens when there seems to be no correspondences? No correspondences become radical revisions and contradictions (17).
Confusing categories by treating the epistles as though they should be the Gospels and creating categories by which to declare as inadmissible any evidence to the contrary, is an exercise in misleading techniques and is not intellectual integrity. Doherty has failed to provide reasoned refutations, truthful representations, and intellectual integrity. Naturalism will have to continue its search for its hero – Doherty has failed.
I have not forgotten Doherty’s deep rooted and real problem with Christianity. I will address that problem in the next post.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Build Up One Another (Romans 14:13-23)
The first principle for maintaining unity when Christians disagree (accept one another - Romans 14:1-12) has to do with our remembering that we are not the master of other Christians and that they are not our servants but the Lord’s servants. God is the head of the family and those whom He has accepted are His children. Since we are children in the family and not the head of the family we don’t try and tell the others what our Father’s will for them is in the gray areas. We accept those whom God has accepted because they are our brothers and sisters in Christ.
The second principle for maintaining unity when Christians disagree (build up one another - Romans 14:13-23) has to do with our remembering that we are brothers and sisters with other Christians. Not only do we accept one another, we build up one another. Here we discover five responsibilities to build up one another in the family.
First, don’t cause your brother to stumble (Romans 14:13). Instead of judging each other, Christians are to determine (judge) this – not to put an obstacle or stumbling block in a brother’s way.
Second, don’t hurt your brother (Romans 14:14-15). The apostle Paul was a strong Christian. He knew his liberties in Christ. He knew that he could enjoy anything the Lord hadn’t declared sinful. But he also knew that there were weak Christians who thought certain things were unclean and not permissible although the Lord had not declared it so. So the strong Christian is completely right in his conviction that he is at liberty to enjoy anything the Lord does not declare to be sinful. The weak Christian, on the other hand, is wrong in his understanding about some of those things. But he is not wrong in the sense of being heretical or immoral. He is wrong in the sense of not having complete and mature understanding of the Word of God in these areas, which causes him to believe that something is sinful when it isn’t really.
However, if he believes something to be sinful and then is enticed by a strong believer to partake in it, he violates his conscience and his submission to the Lordship of Christ, he stumbles and is hurt (see 1 Corinthians 8:7-13). The strong Christian, then, is no longer walking according to love. This is harmful and not helpful. It will seriously impair the spiritual growth of the weaker Christian (15b).
Third, don’t forfeit your witness (Romans 14:16-18). A strong Christian can lose his witness if he uses his liberties in a manner that puts an obstacle or stumbling block not only in a brother’s way but also in the way of men outside of the faith.
Fourth, don’t tear down the work of God (Romans 14:19-21). A strong Christian can also misuse his liberties to the point that his good thing can become an evil thing because he gives offense through it.
Fifth, don’t flaunt your liberties (Romans 14:22-23). The strong Christian who knows his liberties must be so concerned for his weaker brothers and his own witness that he keeps his conviction between him and God. The strong Christian then is to exercise his liberties in private. He is not to force his opinions on anyone else. That goes for the weak Christian also. The reason is that whatever is not from faith is sin. I can’t give another Christian permission to do something he thinks is wrong. His permission must come from his understanding of God’s Word because his obedience obedience must be to the Lord and not me.
The second principle for maintaining unity when Christians disagree (build up one another - Romans 14:13-23) has to do with our remembering that we are brothers and sisters with other Christians. Not only do we accept one another, we build up one another. Here we discover five responsibilities to build up one another in the family.
First, don’t cause your brother to stumble (Romans 14:13). Instead of judging each other, Christians are to determine (judge) this – not to put an obstacle or stumbling block in a brother’s way.
Second, don’t hurt your brother (Romans 14:14-15). The apostle Paul was a strong Christian. He knew his liberties in Christ. He knew that he could enjoy anything the Lord hadn’t declared sinful. But he also knew that there were weak Christians who thought certain things were unclean and not permissible although the Lord had not declared it so. So the strong Christian is completely right in his conviction that he is at liberty to enjoy anything the Lord does not declare to be sinful. The weak Christian, on the other hand, is wrong in his understanding about some of those things. But he is not wrong in the sense of being heretical or immoral. He is wrong in the sense of not having complete and mature understanding of the Word of God in these areas, which causes him to believe that something is sinful when it isn’t really.
However, if he believes something to be sinful and then is enticed by a strong believer to partake in it, he violates his conscience and his submission to the Lordship of Christ, he stumbles and is hurt (see 1 Corinthians 8:7-13). The strong Christian, then, is no longer walking according to love. This is harmful and not helpful. It will seriously impair the spiritual growth of the weaker Christian (15b).
Third, don’t forfeit your witness (Romans 14:16-18). A strong Christian can lose his witness if he uses his liberties in a manner that puts an obstacle or stumbling block not only in a brother’s way but also in the way of men outside of the faith.
Fourth, don’t tear down the work of God (Romans 14:19-21). A strong Christian can also misuse his liberties to the point that his good thing can become an evil thing because he gives offense through it.
Fifth, don’t flaunt your liberties (Romans 14:22-23). The strong Christian who knows his liberties must be so concerned for his weaker brothers and his own witness that he keeps his conviction between him and God. The strong Christian then is to exercise his liberties in private. He is not to force his opinions on anyone else. That goes for the weak Christian also. The reason is that whatever is not from faith is sin. I can’t give another Christian permission to do something he thinks is wrong. His permission must come from his understanding of God’s Word because his obedience obedience must be to the Lord and not me.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
When Christians Disagree: Accept One Another (Romans 14:1-12)
Romans 14:1 – 15:7 is dealing with what we could call the gray areas of the Christian life or the nonessentials. All Christians are to agree upon the essentials of the Gospel because we are saved by the knowledge of the truth of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Failure to agree upon the essentials of the Gospel means that there can be no union or partnership with those with whom we disagree (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). But there is to be liberty in the nonessentials and we are to maintain Christian unity with those who agree on the essentials but with whom we may disagree on the nonessentials. So this section of Scripture gives three principles of guidance to maintain unity when Christians disagree: (1) Accept one another (Romans 14:1-12); (2) Build up one another (Romans 14:13-23); and (3) Consider one another (Romans 15:1-7).
For now we will examine the first principle of guidance for maintaining unity when Christians disagree.
Accept one another (Romans 14:1-12). When Christians disagree over the nonessentials they are to accept one another. With those whom we agree on the essentials of the Gospel but disagree over the nonessentials we are to put out the welcome matt and not the wrestling matt. We do wrestle against the spiritual forces of wickedness that seek to corrupt the Gospel and cause us to compromise it (Ephesians 6:10-17). We do war against speculations and every lofty thing raised against the Gospel (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). We do separate from those with whom we disagree over the essentials of the Gospel (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). We do not wrestle with, war with, or separate from Christians with whom we agree in the essentials (a necessity for even being a Christian) but with whom we disagree in the nonessentials. Instead we accept one another. Romans 14:1-12 gives us three reasons for maintaining unity with other Christians when we disagree in the nonessentials.
First, we accept one another because God has accepted us (Romans 14:1-3). These verses make it plain that agreement in the nonessentials is not the basis of God’s acceptance of us and it should not be the basis or our accepting one another. Both the strong and the weak in the faith are in the faith and should accept one another because God has accepted them or else they would not be in the faith. In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty!
Second, we accept one another because Christ is Lord as we are not (Romans 14:4-9). The main point of these verses is that no Christian has the right to “play Lord” in another Christian’s life. How the Lordship of Christ works itself out in another Christian’s life is the Lord’s business and not ours (Romans 14:4). My business is to be sure that whatever I do, I do for the Lord’s sake, being fully convinced that this is what he wants me to do (Romans 14:5) and that He very well may want another Christian to serve Him in a different way (Romans 14:6-9). This truth is illustrated in John 21:15-25 where the Lord told Peter the kind of death he would die in order to glorify God and Peter turned around and saw John following them and Peter asked the Lord, “What about this man?” to which the Lord responded, “If I want him to remain until I come [live], what is that to you? You follow me!” So our concern is to be busy doing what we are convinced the Lord wants us to do and not worry about what he wants someone else to do.
We accept one another because Christ is Lord and we are not. In the essentials, unity; in the nonessentials, liberty. Another way of putting it is this: in the essentials, we must agree; in the nonessentials, we must allow Christ to be Lord. We accept one another because God has accepted us and we accept one another because Christ is Lord and we are not.
Third, we accept one another because God is Judge and we are not (Romans 14:10-12). Since we are not the Lord, then reason demands that we are not the Judge either. These verses quickly put us back in our places as servants of the Lord who are not God and who are not the Judge. Instead of standing in judgment over our brothers and sisters in Christ, we must all stand before the judgment seat of God. For Christians, the judgment seat of God will be a time when we will give an account of how well we lived under the Lordship of Christ. Faithfulness to the Lordship of Christ will result in praise from the Lord when He says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Lack of faithfulness to the Lordship of Christ for Christians will result in shame and loss of reward but they will be saved, yet so as through fire (1 Corinthians 3:13-15). The Lord will judge His servants and their service or lack there of to Him. As servants, we are not to judge the service of another.
We do not have the ability to accurately judge the service of another to the Lord because we are not God. That is why we are told, “Do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God” (1 Corinthians 4:5).
Notice that the Lord has the ability to bring to light the things hidden in the darkness. This is another good reason to wake up, lay aside the deeds of darkness, and behave properly as in the day (Romans 13:11-14). The Lord is not going to allow us to get away with hidden sin. You can hide your sin from me and I can hide mine from you but we none can hide it from the Lord.
Notice also that the Lord has the ability to disclose the motives of men’s hearts. Here the Lord will reveal the reason we do or do not do something. Whether our actions are because we love the Lord and are submitting to His Lordship, whether we were making provision for the flesh under the pretense of living for the Lord, or whether we were seeking the praise of men under the pretense of dying for the Lord.
The Lord will judge us and He has the perfect ability to do it. We will not judge each other because we are not God and do not have the ability to judge accurately. That is why we shouldn’t be doing it now. In the essentials, unity; in the nonessentials, liberty; in all things charity. When Christians disagree we accept one another because God has accepted us in Christ Jesus; we accept one another because Christ is Lord and we are not; we accept one another because God is Judge and we are not.
For now we will examine the first principle of guidance for maintaining unity when Christians disagree.
Accept one another (Romans 14:1-12). When Christians disagree over the nonessentials they are to accept one another. With those whom we agree on the essentials of the Gospel but disagree over the nonessentials we are to put out the welcome matt and not the wrestling matt. We do wrestle against the spiritual forces of wickedness that seek to corrupt the Gospel and cause us to compromise it (Ephesians 6:10-17). We do war against speculations and every lofty thing raised against the Gospel (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). We do separate from those with whom we disagree over the essentials of the Gospel (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). We do not wrestle with, war with, or separate from Christians with whom we agree in the essentials (a necessity for even being a Christian) but with whom we disagree in the nonessentials. Instead we accept one another. Romans 14:1-12 gives us three reasons for maintaining unity with other Christians when we disagree in the nonessentials.
First, we accept one another because God has accepted us (Romans 14:1-3). These verses make it plain that agreement in the nonessentials is not the basis of God’s acceptance of us and it should not be the basis or our accepting one another. Both the strong and the weak in the faith are in the faith and should accept one another because God has accepted them or else they would not be in the faith. In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty!
Second, we accept one another because Christ is Lord as we are not (Romans 14:4-9). The main point of these verses is that no Christian has the right to “play Lord” in another Christian’s life. How the Lordship of Christ works itself out in another Christian’s life is the Lord’s business and not ours (Romans 14:4). My business is to be sure that whatever I do, I do for the Lord’s sake, being fully convinced that this is what he wants me to do (Romans 14:5) and that He very well may want another Christian to serve Him in a different way (Romans 14:6-9). This truth is illustrated in John 21:15-25 where the Lord told Peter the kind of death he would die in order to glorify God and Peter turned around and saw John following them and Peter asked the Lord, “What about this man?” to which the Lord responded, “If I want him to remain until I come [live], what is that to you? You follow me!” So our concern is to be busy doing what we are convinced the Lord wants us to do and not worry about what he wants someone else to do.
We accept one another because Christ is Lord and we are not. In the essentials, unity; in the nonessentials, liberty. Another way of putting it is this: in the essentials, we must agree; in the nonessentials, we must allow Christ to be Lord. We accept one another because God has accepted us and we accept one another because Christ is Lord and we are not.
Third, we accept one another because God is Judge and we are not (Romans 14:10-12). Since we are not the Lord, then reason demands that we are not the Judge either. These verses quickly put us back in our places as servants of the Lord who are not God and who are not the Judge. Instead of standing in judgment over our brothers and sisters in Christ, we must all stand before the judgment seat of God. For Christians, the judgment seat of God will be a time when we will give an account of how well we lived under the Lordship of Christ. Faithfulness to the Lordship of Christ will result in praise from the Lord when He says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Lack of faithfulness to the Lordship of Christ for Christians will result in shame and loss of reward but they will be saved, yet so as through fire (1 Corinthians 3:13-15). The Lord will judge His servants and their service or lack there of to Him. As servants, we are not to judge the service of another.
We do not have the ability to accurately judge the service of another to the Lord because we are not God. That is why we are told, “Do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God” (1 Corinthians 4:5).
Notice that the Lord has the ability to bring to light the things hidden in the darkness. This is another good reason to wake up, lay aside the deeds of darkness, and behave properly as in the day (Romans 13:11-14). The Lord is not going to allow us to get away with hidden sin. You can hide your sin from me and I can hide mine from you but we none can hide it from the Lord.
Notice also that the Lord has the ability to disclose the motives of men’s hearts. Here the Lord will reveal the reason we do or do not do something. Whether our actions are because we love the Lord and are submitting to His Lordship, whether we were making provision for the flesh under the pretense of living for the Lord, or whether we were seeking the praise of men under the pretense of dying for the Lord.
The Lord will judge us and He has the perfect ability to do it. We will not judge each other because we are not God and do not have the ability to judge accurately. That is why we shouldn’t be doing it now. In the essentials, unity; in the nonessentials, liberty; in all things charity. When Christians disagree we accept one another because God has accepted us in Christ Jesus; we accept one another because Christ is Lord and we are not; we accept one another because God is Judge and we are not.
Friday, October 21, 2011
The Lordship of Christ in Gray Areas (Romans 14:1)
The Lordship of Christ in the life of the Christian is exactly the same in many areas for all Christians. In other words there are specific commands which apply to all Christians and the observance of those commands are clearly spelled out. For instance, all Christians are commanded to avoid fellowship with false teachers and their teachings (2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Second John 10); all Christians are commanded to abstain from sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7); and all Christians are commanded to lay aside falsehood, stealing, and unwholesome words (Ephesians 4:25-29) just to name a few.
However, there are also some areas in which the Lordship of Christ in the life of the Christian will not look the same as for other Christians. Here I am speaking of gray areas. These gray areas can be a cause for disagreement among Christians and even stumbling if not handled properly. The Bible classifies Christians as either strong or weak in faith and where a person is in his understanding of God’s Word will determine how he lives under the Lordship of Christ. This is what this section is about.
The Problem (Romans 14:1) – two opposing opinions. There are two opposing opinions among Christians because there are strong and weak Christians. The Bible says that the weak are weak in faith – literally “weak in the faith.” The weak are saved but not convinced of Christian liberty. Christ is his Lord so his motive for not doing something is loving loyalty to Christ and not legalism.
The strong in the faith are convinced of Christian liberty (Romans 14:14). Their motive for doing something is loving gratitude to Christ, knowing that what they are doing is not forbidden, and therefore they are not guilty of libertinism.
The problem is that with weak and strong Christians we have two opposing opinions or convictions. The weak genuinely believe that it is wrong to do certain things that the strong know and understand are perfectly acceptable. This may lead the weak to judge the strong as libertines and the strong to judge the weak as legalists. The text specifically says that the weak will judge the strong and that the strong will regard with contempt the weak (Romans 14:3).
The Solution (Romans 14:1). The strong are to put out the welcome matt and not the wrestling matt. The strong are not to accept or receive the weak for the purpose of passing judgment on their opinions. While the strong will want to build up the weak in the faith (Romans 14:19), he is not to attempt to do it by accepting or receiving him to straighten out his misconceptions in gray areas. Since the weak do what they do “for the Lord” (Romans 14:6-9) they are acceptable to God (Romans 14:3, 18). The strong are to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and build them up (Romans 15:1-21).
This is how the strong are to disciple the weak – “please his neighbor for his good, to his edification” (Romans 15:2). This means that the strong are not to abuse their liberty and attempt to push it down the throats of the weak. The strong are to set aside their liberties to not cause a weaker brother to stumble – not passing judgment on his opinions or deliberately indulging in liberties to try to convince the weak of Christian liberty.
The rule for both parties but especially for the strong is to walk according to love (Romans 14:15). In both cases, the weak and the strong are living under the Lordship of Christ. None of us are the Lord of another Christian and therefore we should be careful to not play God in the life of another Christian (Romans 14:4).
We should all seek to live under the Lordship of Christ remembering that each one of us will give an individual account of our lives to the Lord (Romans 14:10-12).
However, there are also some areas in which the Lordship of Christ in the life of the Christian will not look the same as for other Christians. Here I am speaking of gray areas. These gray areas can be a cause for disagreement among Christians and even stumbling if not handled properly. The Bible classifies Christians as either strong or weak in faith and where a person is in his understanding of God’s Word will determine how he lives under the Lordship of Christ. This is what this section is about.
The Problem (Romans 14:1) – two opposing opinions. There are two opposing opinions among Christians because there are strong and weak Christians. The Bible says that the weak are weak in faith – literally “weak in the faith.” The weak are saved but not convinced of Christian liberty. Christ is his Lord so his motive for not doing something is loving loyalty to Christ and not legalism.
The strong in the faith are convinced of Christian liberty (Romans 14:14). Their motive for doing something is loving gratitude to Christ, knowing that what they are doing is not forbidden, and therefore they are not guilty of libertinism.
The problem is that with weak and strong Christians we have two opposing opinions or convictions. The weak genuinely believe that it is wrong to do certain things that the strong know and understand are perfectly acceptable. This may lead the weak to judge the strong as libertines and the strong to judge the weak as legalists. The text specifically says that the weak will judge the strong and that the strong will regard with contempt the weak (Romans 14:3).
The Solution (Romans 14:1). The strong are to put out the welcome matt and not the wrestling matt. The strong are not to accept or receive the weak for the purpose of passing judgment on their opinions. While the strong will want to build up the weak in the faith (Romans 14:19), he is not to attempt to do it by accepting or receiving him to straighten out his misconceptions in gray areas. Since the weak do what they do “for the Lord” (Romans 14:6-9) they are acceptable to God (Romans 14:3, 18). The strong are to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and build them up (Romans 15:1-21).
This is how the strong are to disciple the weak – “please his neighbor for his good, to his edification” (Romans 15:2). This means that the strong are not to abuse their liberty and attempt to push it down the throats of the weak. The strong are to set aside their liberties to not cause a weaker brother to stumble – not passing judgment on his opinions or deliberately indulging in liberties to try to convince the weak of Christian liberty.
The rule for both parties but especially for the strong is to walk according to love (Romans 14:15). In both cases, the weak and the strong are living under the Lordship of Christ. None of us are the Lord of another Christian and therefore we should be careful to not play God in the life of another Christian (Romans 14:4).
We should all seek to live under the Lordship of Christ remembering that each one of us will give an individual account of our lives to the Lord (Romans 14:10-12).
Thursday, October 20, 2011
In Non-Essentials, Liberty! (Romans 14:1-12)
“In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity!” This quote is often attributed to the great theologian Augustine, of the fourth century, but it actually came from a lesser known German Lutheran theologian, Rupertus Meldenius, of the early seventeenth century. The phrase occurs in a tract on Christian unity written (circa 1627) during the Thirty Years War (1618 – 1648), a bloody time in European history that initially began over religious differences. Although this statement is a slogan, it captures the guiding principle of Romans 14 and 15.
However, some explanation of the slogan is needed for balance and clarity so that we can see that its principle is indeed scriptural and fits our text.
“In essentials, unity...” means that there are certain doctrines and convictions upon which there can be no disagreement among genuine Christians. Specifically, this applies to the Gospel and the saving work of Christ. There must be agreement on the exclusivity of the Gospel – that there is no other way for God to forgive sinners and remain just in the process except through faith in Jesus Christ – which means that God is not saving anyone any other way. There must be agreement on the work of Christ as all-sufficient for our salvation including His sinless life, sacrificial death, and supernatural resurrection so that nothing is either added to or taken away from the Gospel. There must be agreement on the power of the Gospel – that it changes everyone who believes into a new creature and that one cannot be saved and remain unchanged. Disagreement in the essentials is grounds for separation and commanded in Scripture (for examples see Romans 16:17-18; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Galatians 1:6-8; Philippians 3:2; 2 Timothy 3:1-5). “In essentials, unity!”
“In nonessentials, liberty...” means that there are certain convictions genuine Christians have and disagree on but these are not essential for salvation. Genuine Christians can disagree on a variety of convictions that are nonessential for salvation and still be Christian; still love the Lord; and still love each other. When we say that a conviction is nonessential we are not saying that it is not important. What we are saying is that if a conviction is not essential for salvation then there is room for disagreement and liberty in those beliefs while we maintain unity over the essentials. For example, as long as someone believes in the exclusivity of the Gospel, the sufficiency of the Gospel, and the power of the Gospel, then I can disagree with him over what we believe about the end-times; which version of the Bible should be used; whether or not to eat meat; whether or not to drink wine; and whether or not one day is more important than another while still being in unity over the essentials and yet disagreeing on the nonessentials.
Disagreement over the nonessentials only means that there will be diversity among Christians in how the Lordship of Christ over their lives works itself out. We are not to play Lord in another’s life by demanding that their convictions be the same as ours in the nonessentials. There are two dangers we are to avoid: (1) we are not to make an essential into a nonessential or else we will have sinfully compromised the Gospel. (2) We are not to make a nonessential into an essential or else we will have sinfully corrupted the Gospel. Remember, in the essentials unity; in the nonessentials, liberty. We are to agree on the essentials but we are to allow disagreement in the nonessentials.
Notice how if you read Romans 14:1-12 with the principle, “In nonessentials, liberty” in mind, that the principle is crystal clear and captures the essence of the text. We are not to be divided or separated over nonessentials. Division or separation is only to occur from disagreement over the essentials. Therefore we must know the difference between essentials and nonessentials. In essentials, agreement is necessary; in nonessentials, disagreement is allowable.
“In all things, charity...” means that if we do not agree on the essentials we are not going to fellowship, partnership or be in harmony with infidels but neither are we going on a crusade to kill them. We will protest against reprobates but we will not persecute them. We will not give in to the spirit of our age which wants fellowship between light and darkness by attempting to reverse the principle and get us to give liberty in the essentials while we unite with lawlessness over the nonessentials. Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6). We will not reverse the principle for to do so would be unloving by rejoicing in unrighteousness while not rejoicing with the truth.
Not only are we to not harm reprobates who do not agree on the essentials but we are not to hurt our brothers and sisters in Christ who do agree on the essentials but disagree on some of the nonessentials (Romans 14:15). We are to walk according to love (Romans 14:15) and build up our brothers and sisters in Christ by not only giving them liberty in the nonessentials but by setting aside our liberties for their good (Romans 15:1-2). “In all things, charity.”
However, some explanation of the slogan is needed for balance and clarity so that we can see that its principle is indeed scriptural and fits our text.
“In essentials, unity...” means that there are certain doctrines and convictions upon which there can be no disagreement among genuine Christians. Specifically, this applies to the Gospel and the saving work of Christ. There must be agreement on the exclusivity of the Gospel – that there is no other way for God to forgive sinners and remain just in the process except through faith in Jesus Christ – which means that God is not saving anyone any other way. There must be agreement on the work of Christ as all-sufficient for our salvation including His sinless life, sacrificial death, and supernatural resurrection so that nothing is either added to or taken away from the Gospel. There must be agreement on the power of the Gospel – that it changes everyone who believes into a new creature and that one cannot be saved and remain unchanged. Disagreement in the essentials is grounds for separation and commanded in Scripture (for examples see Romans 16:17-18; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Galatians 1:6-8; Philippians 3:2; 2 Timothy 3:1-5). “In essentials, unity!”
“In nonessentials, liberty...” means that there are certain convictions genuine Christians have and disagree on but these are not essential for salvation. Genuine Christians can disagree on a variety of convictions that are nonessential for salvation and still be Christian; still love the Lord; and still love each other. When we say that a conviction is nonessential we are not saying that it is not important. What we are saying is that if a conviction is not essential for salvation then there is room for disagreement and liberty in those beliefs while we maintain unity over the essentials. For example, as long as someone believes in the exclusivity of the Gospel, the sufficiency of the Gospel, and the power of the Gospel, then I can disagree with him over what we believe about the end-times; which version of the Bible should be used; whether or not to eat meat; whether or not to drink wine; and whether or not one day is more important than another while still being in unity over the essentials and yet disagreeing on the nonessentials.
Disagreement over the nonessentials only means that there will be diversity among Christians in how the Lordship of Christ over their lives works itself out. We are not to play Lord in another’s life by demanding that their convictions be the same as ours in the nonessentials. There are two dangers we are to avoid: (1) we are not to make an essential into a nonessential or else we will have sinfully compromised the Gospel. (2) We are not to make a nonessential into an essential or else we will have sinfully corrupted the Gospel. Remember, in the essentials unity; in the nonessentials, liberty. We are to agree on the essentials but we are to allow disagreement in the nonessentials.
Notice how if you read Romans 14:1-12 with the principle, “In nonessentials, liberty” in mind, that the principle is crystal clear and captures the essence of the text. We are not to be divided or separated over nonessentials. Division or separation is only to occur from disagreement over the essentials. Therefore we must know the difference between essentials and nonessentials. In essentials, agreement is necessary; in nonessentials, disagreement is allowable.
“In all things, charity...” means that if we do not agree on the essentials we are not going to fellowship, partnership or be in harmony with infidels but neither are we going on a crusade to kill them. We will protest against reprobates but we will not persecute them. We will not give in to the spirit of our age which wants fellowship between light and darkness by attempting to reverse the principle and get us to give liberty in the essentials while we unite with lawlessness over the nonessentials. Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6). We will not reverse the principle for to do so would be unloving by rejoicing in unrighteousness while not rejoicing with the truth.
Not only are we to not harm reprobates who do not agree on the essentials but we are not to hurt our brothers and sisters in Christ who do agree on the essentials but disagree on some of the nonessentials (Romans 14:15). We are to walk according to love (Romans 14:15) and build up our brothers and sisters in Christ by not only giving them liberty in the nonessentials but by setting aside our liberties for their good (Romans 15:1-2). “In all things, charity.”
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Wake up; Clean up; Dress up! (Romans 13:11-14)
Over and over in the Bible, Christians are exhorted to be on the alert, to wake up and warned against apathy, drowsiness and being unprepared. Christians are to live in light of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our love for our Lord and certainty of His return is to motivate our faithfulness to Him so that we are ready for His coming. Our readiness for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ will affect how we live in this world. If we are awake and ready for the return of the Lord we will not be like the poor deceived and deranged souls who believed the lies of Harold Camping about the day and hour of Christ’s return and many of them sold their belongings, emptied their bank accounts, quit their jobs, and got rid of their pets. No dear friends, instead we will be disciplined in our lives and diligent in the Lord’s work.
In Romans 13:11-14, the apostle Paul exhorted the Christians in Rome to wake up, clean up, and dress up because of the certainty of the return of Christ and their love for Him for saving them. We are to wake up, clean up, and dress up because of the return of Christ and our love for Him for saving us.
First, we are to wake up because the return of the Lord is nearer than when we first believed (Romans 13:11). God the Father has set the date for the return of Christ and He is the only one who knows when that day is. But this one thing is for sure – since the return of Christ is a certainty set on God’s calendar, each passing day brings us one day closer to that day. Just as our text says, “Salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.” The opportunity for us to express our love for our Lord through our faithfulness to Him is passing away with each passing day.
So what should we do to express our love for our Lord? The Bible says, “Do this....” Do what? Do Romans 12:1 – 13:10 which is summed up in loving the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength by presenting your bodies to Him as living sacrifices and loving your neighbor as yourselves by loving the brethren, loving others, loving your enemies, and by being the very best citizens this world has ever seen.
Why should we “do this”? We should do this, “knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep, for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.” We should love God and love others because the return of the Lord is closer now than ever. Because His return is drawing nearer and nearer we are to awaken from sleep. We are to wake up! Those who are asleep are not alert, they are not expectant, and they are not ready for the return of the Lord. It is our love for the Lord Jesus Christ and His coming that will wake us up. When we are excited about and anticipating the Lord’s coming we will wake up.
Second, we are to clean up because the return of the Lord is nearer than when we first believed (Romans 13:12-13). Romans 13:11 is speaking of our need to wake up because of the Lord’s certain return. Romans 13:12-13 are speaking of our need to clean up because of the Lord’s certain return so that we are prepared when He gets here. Have you ever noticed that getting out of bed before daybreak and getting ready for something or someone you are excited about is much easier than waking up and getting ready for something or someone you don’t really care about? We are to wake up and clean up because we are excited about the Lord’s coming and we do not want to disappoint Him. Jesus said that we are to be alert (awake) and ready for His coming (see Matthew 24:42 – 25:13).
Part of our cleaning up is taking off the garments in which we were sleeping – “Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness...” (Romans 13:12-13). Before we dress up we are to clean up because dressing up without cleaning up is disgusting. We are not to put on clean clothes over dirty clothes. We’ll talk more about dressing up in just a moment but for now we must understand that the logical order for dressing up is to clean up first. We get prepared for the Lord’s return by waking up and taking off the deeds of darkness. The deeds of darkness (garments of the night) are improper behavior such as carousing and drunkenness, sexual promiscuity and sensuality, and strife and jealousy.
To attempt to cover up the garments of darkness with the armor of light is to be like the devil who disguises himself as an angel of light. To still be wearing the garments of darkness means that the Christian still hasn’t woke up because he still hasn’t seen his need to clean up. We are to wake up and then clean up by laying aside the deeds of darkness.
Third, we are to dress up because the return of the Lord is nearer than when we first believed (Romans 13:14). We wake up, we clean up by taking off the deeds of darkness, and then we dress up by putting on the armor of light (Romans 13:12) or to put it another way, by putting on the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14). To put on the Lord Jesus Christ means to become more like Him. To put on the Lord Jesus Christ means that we walk in truth and love and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lust.
We are not to provide our sinful natures with what it needs to succeed.
In Romans 13:11-14, the apostle Paul exhorted the Christians in Rome to wake up, clean up, and dress up because of the certainty of the return of Christ and their love for Him for saving them. We are to wake up, clean up, and dress up because of the return of Christ and our love for Him for saving us.
First, we are to wake up because the return of the Lord is nearer than when we first believed (Romans 13:11). God the Father has set the date for the return of Christ and He is the only one who knows when that day is. But this one thing is for sure – since the return of Christ is a certainty set on God’s calendar, each passing day brings us one day closer to that day. Just as our text says, “Salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.” The opportunity for us to express our love for our Lord through our faithfulness to Him is passing away with each passing day.
So what should we do to express our love for our Lord? The Bible says, “Do this....” Do what? Do Romans 12:1 – 13:10 which is summed up in loving the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength by presenting your bodies to Him as living sacrifices and loving your neighbor as yourselves by loving the brethren, loving others, loving your enemies, and by being the very best citizens this world has ever seen.
Why should we “do this”? We should do this, “knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep, for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.” We should love God and love others because the return of the Lord is closer now than ever. Because His return is drawing nearer and nearer we are to awaken from sleep. We are to wake up! Those who are asleep are not alert, they are not expectant, and they are not ready for the return of the Lord. It is our love for the Lord Jesus Christ and His coming that will wake us up. When we are excited about and anticipating the Lord’s coming we will wake up.
Second, we are to clean up because the return of the Lord is nearer than when we first believed (Romans 13:12-13). Romans 13:11 is speaking of our need to wake up because of the Lord’s certain return. Romans 13:12-13 are speaking of our need to clean up because of the Lord’s certain return so that we are prepared when He gets here. Have you ever noticed that getting out of bed before daybreak and getting ready for something or someone you are excited about is much easier than waking up and getting ready for something or someone you don’t really care about? We are to wake up and clean up because we are excited about the Lord’s coming and we do not want to disappoint Him. Jesus said that we are to be alert (awake) and ready for His coming (see Matthew 24:42 – 25:13).
Part of our cleaning up is taking off the garments in which we were sleeping – “Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness...” (Romans 13:12-13). Before we dress up we are to clean up because dressing up without cleaning up is disgusting. We are not to put on clean clothes over dirty clothes. We’ll talk more about dressing up in just a moment but for now we must understand that the logical order for dressing up is to clean up first. We get prepared for the Lord’s return by waking up and taking off the deeds of darkness. The deeds of darkness (garments of the night) are improper behavior such as carousing and drunkenness, sexual promiscuity and sensuality, and strife and jealousy.
To attempt to cover up the garments of darkness with the armor of light is to be like the devil who disguises himself as an angel of light. To still be wearing the garments of darkness means that the Christian still hasn’t woke up because he still hasn’t seen his need to clean up. We are to wake up and then clean up by laying aside the deeds of darkness.
Third, we are to dress up because the return of the Lord is nearer than when we first believed (Romans 13:14). We wake up, we clean up by taking off the deeds of darkness, and then we dress up by putting on the armor of light (Romans 13:12) or to put it another way, by putting on the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14). To put on the Lord Jesus Christ means to become more like Him. To put on the Lord Jesus Christ means that we walk in truth and love and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lust.
We are not to provide our sinful natures with what it needs to succeed.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Love Fulfills the Law (Romans 13:8-10)
At the root of all sin is an unloving attitude of the heart that may or may not express itself outwardly. Regardless of whether or not an unloving attitude is expressed outwardly, it is still sin (Matthew 5:27-29). The Law of God is actually an expression of love. It is designed to reveal just how unloving we sinners are. For instance, murder is a capital crime because it is a violation of the obligation to love one's fellow man or men. At the root of murder is an unloving attitude that turns into an unloving act. This expresses the truth that the violation of any of God's Laws is a violation of the moral obligation to love. Love therefore fulfills the Law. This is what Romans 13:8-10 is all about.
The debt of love (Romans 13:8)
Owe nothing to anyone – Paul has just been speaking of paying taxes so the focus is still on the Christian’s financial obligation. However, neither the Old nor New Testament categorically forbids borrowing money. There are verses throughout the Bible that deal with lending and borrowing. But the principle set forth in Scripture is that the borrower is a slave to the lender and that the debt must be repaid as agreed upon both promptly and fully. The Scripture does not justify borrowing for the purpose of purchasing unnecessary things, especially luxuries that cannot be afforded. The ideal however would to be completely out of debt and live within your means. So the financial principle here is to pay what you owe to whomever you owe so that you do not owe.
Except to love one another – is a constant obligation. It is a debt we are constantly paying and constantly owing. We are to pay this debt everyday and forever owe it because of the love given to us by God through Jesus Christ. Our love for God because of His love for us is to motivate our love for others whether they are brothers or sisters in Christ or unbelievers or government workers or enemies. Our ability to love one another only comes through our presenting ourselves to God as living sacrifices because of His love for us. We can give ourselves to every humanitarian and social cause and still not love one another (see 1 Corinthians 13:3). To fulfill Romans 13:8 we must fulfill Romans 12:1-2. Stanza four of At the Cross says, “But drops of grief can ne’er repay the debt of love I owe. Here, Lord, I give myself away, ‘tis all that I can do” (157).
For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law – will be further developed in the next two verses. Just before we move into these next two verses let me say that when we practice love, there is no need for any other laws. As believers, we do not live under the Law; we live under grace. Our motive for obeying God and helping others is the love of Christ in our hearts. As we love others because we love God we fulfill the law.
The discharge of love (Romans 13:9)
Love is discharged not only by what we do for others but also by what we don’t do. Love is discharged when we don’t commit adultery (this includes looking on another person with lust). Love is discharged when we don’t commit murder (this includes being angry with your brother). Love is discharged when you don’t steal (this includes not paying taxes or debts and being a free-loader). Love is discharged when you don’t covet. Love is discharged when we love our neighbor as ourselves.
There are many other ways to demonstrate godly love. Of supreme importance is to teach and live God’s truth (1 John 5:2). Godly love never turns its freedom into an opportunity for the flesh (Galatians 5:13). Love never rejoices in anything that is false or unrighteous (1 Corinthians 13:6). Love refuses to do anything, even things that are not sinful in themselves, that might offend a brother’s conscience and cause him to stumble (Romans 14:21). Love is kind and forgiving (Ephesians 4:32). Love is patient, kind, not jealous, does not brag, is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly, does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, rejoices with the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, and never fails (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).
The definition of love (Romans 13:10)
Love does not wrong to a neighbor and therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. When Jesus was asked by a lawyer (one skilled in the interpretation of God’ Law) what commandment was the foremost of all He answered, “The foremost is Hear O Israel! The Lord Our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:28-31).
The first and greatest law is to love God.
The debt of love (Romans 13:8)
Owe nothing to anyone – Paul has just been speaking of paying taxes so the focus is still on the Christian’s financial obligation. However, neither the Old nor New Testament categorically forbids borrowing money. There are verses throughout the Bible that deal with lending and borrowing. But the principle set forth in Scripture is that the borrower is a slave to the lender and that the debt must be repaid as agreed upon both promptly and fully. The Scripture does not justify borrowing for the purpose of purchasing unnecessary things, especially luxuries that cannot be afforded. The ideal however would to be completely out of debt and live within your means. So the financial principle here is to pay what you owe to whomever you owe so that you do not owe.
Except to love one another – is a constant obligation. It is a debt we are constantly paying and constantly owing. We are to pay this debt everyday and forever owe it because of the love given to us by God through Jesus Christ. Our love for God because of His love for us is to motivate our love for others whether they are brothers or sisters in Christ or unbelievers or government workers or enemies. Our ability to love one another only comes through our presenting ourselves to God as living sacrifices because of His love for us. We can give ourselves to every humanitarian and social cause and still not love one another (see 1 Corinthians 13:3). To fulfill Romans 13:8 we must fulfill Romans 12:1-2. Stanza four of At the Cross says, “But drops of grief can ne’er repay the debt of love I owe. Here, Lord, I give myself away, ‘tis all that I can do” (157).
For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law – will be further developed in the next two verses. Just before we move into these next two verses let me say that when we practice love, there is no need for any other laws. As believers, we do not live under the Law; we live under grace. Our motive for obeying God and helping others is the love of Christ in our hearts. As we love others because we love God we fulfill the law.
The discharge of love (Romans 13:9)
Love is discharged not only by what we do for others but also by what we don’t do. Love is discharged when we don’t commit adultery (this includes looking on another person with lust). Love is discharged when we don’t commit murder (this includes being angry with your brother). Love is discharged when you don’t steal (this includes not paying taxes or debts and being a free-loader). Love is discharged when you don’t covet. Love is discharged when we love our neighbor as ourselves.
There are many other ways to demonstrate godly love. Of supreme importance is to teach and live God’s truth (1 John 5:2). Godly love never turns its freedom into an opportunity for the flesh (Galatians 5:13). Love never rejoices in anything that is false or unrighteous (1 Corinthians 13:6). Love refuses to do anything, even things that are not sinful in themselves, that might offend a brother’s conscience and cause him to stumble (Romans 14:21). Love is kind and forgiving (Ephesians 4:32). Love is patient, kind, not jealous, does not brag, is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly, does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, rejoices with the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, and never fails (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).
The definition of love (Romans 13:10)
Love does not wrong to a neighbor and therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. When Jesus was asked by a lawyer (one skilled in the interpretation of God’ Law) what commandment was the foremost of all He answered, “The foremost is Hear O Israel! The Lord Our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:28-31).
The first and greatest law is to love God.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Christian Civic Duty (Romans 13:1-7)
Romans chapter twelve begins the practical section of the book of Romans which is based upon the doctrinal section of the first eleven chapters. Understanding and experiencing the love and mercy of God through faith in Jesus Christ changes our relationships. God’s mercy motivates us to love Him and offer ourselves to Him as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2). God’s mercy motivates us to love our neighbors as ourselves beginning with our brothers and sisters in Christ (Romans 12:3-16). We have received mercy and so we show mercy. We are sinners saved by grace and not by our own good deeds or superiority so we do not think too highly of ourselves nor look down on others. God’s mercy also motivates us to love non-Christians and even our enemies (Romans 12:17-21) even as God loved us while we were sinners and His enemies.
After dealing with how God’s mercy affects those relationships, the apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, focused on how God’s mercy is to affect the Christian’s relationship to civil government (Romans 13:1-7). As Christians, the effect of God’s mercy on us is to affect our citizenship in this world – we are to be the best citizens in whatever nation God has planted us. Whether one lives in the United States of America under a system of democracy or in China under a system of communism; no matter where one lives, as a Christian, he or she is to be the best citizen of that nation.
We must not forget that Romans 13:1-7 are universal in their application regardless of the form of government in which one lives. We must also remember that God in His sovereignty determines where men will live – there are no accidents. “He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:25-27). So the application of these verses is universal regardless of the form of government one lives under. Following God’s guidelines for civic duties Christians can maintain both their witness and their conscience.
What, then, are the Christian’s duties to civil government? Primarily there are two civic duties for Christians found in this text. It is the Christians civic duty to submit to government authority (Romans 13:1-5) and it is the Christians civic duty to support government authority (Romans 13:6-7).
First, it is the Christian’s civic duty to submit to government authority (Romans 13:1-5). There are two main reasons that Christians are to submit to government authority: One, because it has a divinely appointed position (Romans 13:1-2); two, because it has a divinely appointed purpose – to praise or punish (Romans 13:3-5).
Christians submit to government authority because it has a divinely appointed position (Romans 13:1-2). Government is ordained by God – it is divinely appointed – it is instituted by God (Romans 13:1). The word “subjection” means to submit to the absolute authority of a superior officer. Paul gave no qualification or condition for this command to be obeyed. Every civil authority is to be submitted to willingly. Submission is not based on the personality or performance of those in authority but on love for and trust in God – He is sovereign and in control. We submit to government because it is from God and established by God.
Resisting government is equivalent to resisting God (Romans 13:2). Since all authority comes from God and those which exist are established by God, government is His institution and rebellion against government is rebellion against God. Opposing the laws of the government will bring condemnation upon the law-breaker and if the person is a professing Christian it harms his or her witness and conscience. Christians can and should submit to government without condoning whatever evil it may be guilty of perpetuating. God will deal with the evil of governments – Christians are to be the best citizens of their government through their submission.
Christians submit to government authority because it has a divinely appointed purpose (Romans 13:3-5). God established government and gave it authority for the purpose of maintaining order and justice in this world of fallen mankind. Government is to praise its citizens of good behavior (Romans 13:3). Government is intended by God for your good and is His minister whether it knows it or not and whether we believe it or not (Romans 13:4a). But government is also to punish its citizens of evil behavior (Romans 13:4b-5). Government is to execute wrath upon evil-doers (Romans 13:4). Since it bears the sword, government is a tool in the hand of God and has the authority to carry out capital punishment as a minister of God and His vengeance. Government has the divine right to punish through fines, imprisonment and even execution. We submit to government because of its right to punish and for the sake of our consciences (Romans 13:5). To resist government is to defile the conscience.
As Christians it is our civic duty to submit to government authority because of its divinely appointed position and divinely appointed purpose.
Second, it is the Christian’s civic duty to support government authority (Romans 13:6-7). There are two main ways that we support the authority of our government: One, we support it with our resources (Romans 13:6-7c); two, we support it with our respect (Romans 13:7d).
Christians support government authority with their resources (Romans 13:6-7c). Because government has a divinely appointed position and purpose, it is God’s servant and we pay taxes (Romans 13:6). We support government with our resources understanding that God is using it as a minister for our good. With our resources, we render to all what is due them (Romans 13:7a): tax to whom tax is due (Romans 13:7b); custom to whom custom (Romans 13:7c). We support government with our resources.
Christians support government authority with their respect (Romans 13:7d). Since government is God’s servant we support it with our respect. Not only are our minds to be renewed concerning the church, they are also to be renewed concerning the state. It is our civic duty to submit to government authority and support government authority for the Lord’s sake.
After dealing with how God’s mercy affects those relationships, the apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, focused on how God’s mercy is to affect the Christian’s relationship to civil government (Romans 13:1-7). As Christians, the effect of God’s mercy on us is to affect our citizenship in this world – we are to be the best citizens in whatever nation God has planted us. Whether one lives in the United States of America under a system of democracy or in China under a system of communism; no matter where one lives, as a Christian, he or she is to be the best citizen of that nation.
We must not forget that Romans 13:1-7 are universal in their application regardless of the form of government in which one lives. We must also remember that God in His sovereignty determines where men will live – there are no accidents. “He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:25-27). So the application of these verses is universal regardless of the form of government one lives under. Following God’s guidelines for civic duties Christians can maintain both their witness and their conscience.
What, then, are the Christian’s duties to civil government? Primarily there are two civic duties for Christians found in this text. It is the Christians civic duty to submit to government authority (Romans 13:1-5) and it is the Christians civic duty to support government authority (Romans 13:6-7).
First, it is the Christian’s civic duty to submit to government authority (Romans 13:1-5). There are two main reasons that Christians are to submit to government authority: One, because it has a divinely appointed position (Romans 13:1-2); two, because it has a divinely appointed purpose – to praise or punish (Romans 13:3-5).
Christians submit to government authority because it has a divinely appointed position (Romans 13:1-2). Government is ordained by God – it is divinely appointed – it is instituted by God (Romans 13:1). The word “subjection” means to submit to the absolute authority of a superior officer. Paul gave no qualification or condition for this command to be obeyed. Every civil authority is to be submitted to willingly. Submission is not based on the personality or performance of those in authority but on love for and trust in God – He is sovereign and in control. We submit to government because it is from God and established by God.
Resisting government is equivalent to resisting God (Romans 13:2). Since all authority comes from God and those which exist are established by God, government is His institution and rebellion against government is rebellion against God. Opposing the laws of the government will bring condemnation upon the law-breaker and if the person is a professing Christian it harms his or her witness and conscience. Christians can and should submit to government without condoning whatever evil it may be guilty of perpetuating. God will deal with the evil of governments – Christians are to be the best citizens of their government through their submission.
Christians submit to government authority because it has a divinely appointed purpose (Romans 13:3-5). God established government and gave it authority for the purpose of maintaining order and justice in this world of fallen mankind. Government is to praise its citizens of good behavior (Romans 13:3). Government is intended by God for your good and is His minister whether it knows it or not and whether we believe it or not (Romans 13:4a). But government is also to punish its citizens of evil behavior (Romans 13:4b-5). Government is to execute wrath upon evil-doers (Romans 13:4). Since it bears the sword, government is a tool in the hand of God and has the authority to carry out capital punishment as a minister of God and His vengeance. Government has the divine right to punish through fines, imprisonment and even execution. We submit to government because of its right to punish and for the sake of our consciences (Romans 13:5). To resist government is to defile the conscience.
As Christians it is our civic duty to submit to government authority because of its divinely appointed position and divinely appointed purpose.
Second, it is the Christian’s civic duty to support government authority (Romans 13:6-7). There are two main ways that we support the authority of our government: One, we support it with our resources (Romans 13:6-7c); two, we support it with our respect (Romans 13:7d).
Christians support government authority with their resources (Romans 13:6-7c). Because government has a divinely appointed position and purpose, it is God’s servant and we pay taxes (Romans 13:6). We support government with our resources understanding that God is using it as a minister for our good. With our resources, we render to all what is due them (Romans 13:7a): tax to whom tax is due (Romans 13:7b); custom to whom custom (Romans 13:7c). We support government with our resources.
Christians support government authority with their respect (Romans 13:7d). Since government is God’s servant we support it with our respect. Not only are our minds to be renewed concerning the church, they are also to be renewed concerning the state. It is our civic duty to submit to government authority and support government authority for the Lord’s sake.
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