'WWJD?' is an excellent question for those of us who follow Christ. To answer that question in broad strokes I'd defer to Matthew 5:38-42:
"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you."
The eye for an eye reference is to the Old Testament and the nation of Israel where personal rights were protected by a divinely established system of retribution. The purpose of God's appointment of "retribution politics" to the community was to eradicate evil among the chosen nation.
What Jesus now establishes is a freedom for those who follow Him. A freedom from such personal rights and trying to cleave to both the Cross and ideologies that hope for what is in this life. In this saying of Christ we see that the commitment of the Church is not within the sphere of politics and law, but rather a community of believers who must submit to and honor the evil authorities of this world (1 Peter 2:17), willing to suffer and endure evil for the sake of the Cross. For Christ showed us that evil is not conquered with legislation but rather living out the Gospel. To suffer in actively loving our enemies is perhaps the most visible distinction between a true follower of Jesus and the broadly religious types. If we are to be despised by the world let it not be because we wave a conservative political banner, rather let us be hated by our clear representation of Christ who gave up every right and entitlement unto death for the love of those who hated Him.
We simply cannot legislate people into the body of Christ nor can we legislate away evil. Or as Pastor Dan might say, "Politics cannot fill a Gospel shaped hole." (Pastor Dan's political views may not necessarily fit my own.)
"If Christ is our hope in this life only, we deserve more pity than any other people." 1 Cor. 15:19
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Adherence to the Law
Matt.5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."
"There is no fulfillment of the law apart from communion with God, and no communion with God apart from fulfilment of the law. To forget the first condition was the mistake of the Jews, and to forget the second the temptation of the disciples...
But the disciple had the advantage over the Pharisee in that his doing of the law is in fact perfect. How is that possible? Because between the disciples and the law stands one who has perfectly fulfilled it, one with whom they live in communion. They are faced not with a law which has never yet been fulfilled, but with one whose demands have already been satisfied. The righteousness it demands is already there, the righteousness of Jesus which submits to the cross because that is what the law demands. This righteousness is therefore not a duty owed, but a perfect and truly personal communion with God, and Jesus not only possesses this righteousness, but is himself the personal embodiment of it. He is the righteousness of the disciples. By calling them he has admitted them to partnership with himself, and made them partakers of his righteousness in its fullness...
This is where the righteousness of the disciple exceeds that of the Pharisees; it is grounded solely upon the call to fellowship with him alone who fulfils the law. Their righteousness is righteousness indeed, for from henceforth they do the will of God and fulfil the law themselves." ~D. Bonhoeffer, Ch.8 - The Righteousness of Christ, The Cost of Discipleship
“… the secret of the gospel is that we actually do more when we hear less about all we need to do for God and hear more about all that God has already done for us.” ~ Kevin DeYoung, DeYoung, Restless, and Reformed
"There is no fulfillment of the law apart from communion with God, and no communion with God apart from fulfilment of the law. To forget the first condition was the mistake of the Jews, and to forget the second the temptation of the disciples...
But the disciple had the advantage over the Pharisee in that his doing of the law is in fact perfect. How is that possible? Because between the disciples and the law stands one who has perfectly fulfilled it, one with whom they live in communion. They are faced not with a law which has never yet been fulfilled, but with one whose demands have already been satisfied. The righteousness it demands is already there, the righteousness of Jesus which submits to the cross because that is what the law demands. This righteousness is therefore not a duty owed, but a perfect and truly personal communion with God, and Jesus not only possesses this righteousness, but is himself the personal embodiment of it. He is the righteousness of the disciples. By calling them he has admitted them to partnership with himself, and made them partakers of his righteousness in its fullness...
This is where the righteousness of the disciple exceeds that of the Pharisees; it is grounded solely upon the call to fellowship with him alone who fulfils the law. Their righteousness is righteousness indeed, for from henceforth they do the will of God and fulfil the law themselves." ~D. Bonhoeffer, Ch.8 - The Righteousness of Christ, The Cost of Discipleship
“… the secret of the gospel is that we actually do more when we hear less about all we need to do for God and hear more about all that God has already done for us.” ~ Kevin DeYoung, DeYoung, Restless, and Reformed
Monday, April 19, 2010
The Secret of Joyful Giving (notes)
Matthew 13:44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." ~Jim Elliot
To what future are we investing the money that God has given stewardship over? Are we hording up material things in this life, weighing ourselves down with excess; or are we liberating ourselves from the worries of care and maintenance of things that do not last "where moth and rust destroys" by investing in our eternal rewards? Why play the fool and invest in things that do not last?
Proverbs 23:5 "Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle."
In Randy Alcorn's book, The Treasure Principle, Randy Alcorn illuminates the signifigance of the joy of giving that is a constant topic throughout scripture.
Treasure Principle #1: God owns everything. I'm His money manager. (Psalm 24:1, Haggai 2:8, Deuteronomy 8:18, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Treasure Principle #2: My heart always goes where I put God's money. (Revelation 21:1-6, Matthew 6:21, Luke 16:9, Philippians 4:17, Luke 14:12-14)
Treasure Principle #3: Heaven not earth, is my home. (luke 12:15, Hebrews 11:13, Philippians 3:20)
Randy Alcorn relates our time on earth to a short stay in a hotel room. We're just visiting and we can't take anything back with us. So why should we invest much in the hotel room? Who decks out their temporary stay at a hotel room with expensive furniture, artwork, and exotic sculptures?
Our time on earth is but a dot, but our time in heaven is a continuos line. Are we investing more in the "dot" than the "line"?
There is a modern day plague of materialism that a PBS television program covered with the titled Affluenza. The program claims:
- The average American shops 6 hours a week while spending 40 minutes playing with children.
- By age twenty, we've seen one million commercials.
- Recently, more Americans declared bankruptcythan graduated from college.
- In 90 percent of divorce cases, arguments about money played a prominent role.
Now listen to some of the wealthiest people of their day:
- The care of $2 million is enough to kill anyone. There is no pleasure in it. ~W.H. Vanderbilt
- I am the most miserable man on earth. ~John Jacob Astor
- I have made millions, but they have brought me no happiness. ~Rockefeller
- Millionaires seldom smile. ~Andrew Carnegie
"The less I spent on myself and the more I gave to others, the fuller of happiness and blessing did my soul become." ~Hudson Taylor (missionary)
"I have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all. But whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess." ~Martin Luther
"Money never stays with me. It would burn me if it did. I throw it out of my hands as soon as possible, lest it should find its way into my heart." ~John Wesley
Edison's favorite piece of poetry was stanza nine from Thomas Gray's Elegy To A Country-Churchyard:
"The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power,
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,
Awaits alike the inevitable hour:
The paths of glory lead but to the grave."
So where does one start? A tithe is a good starting block to the race of giving. To those who start with less, God is being robbed. If we commit to give 5% we are still robbing God of half. If Christ is our joy then our wallets will prove that out. It's one of the fundamental evidences of a person's faith.
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." ~Jim Elliot
To what future are we investing the money that God has given stewardship over? Are we hording up material things in this life, weighing ourselves down with excess; or are we liberating ourselves from the worries of care and maintenance of things that do not last "where moth and rust destroys" by investing in our eternal rewards? Why play the fool and invest in things that do not last?
Proverbs 23:5 "Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle."
In Randy Alcorn's book, The Treasure Principle, Randy Alcorn illuminates the signifigance of the joy of giving that is a constant topic throughout scripture.
Treasure Principle #1: God owns everything. I'm His money manager. (Psalm 24:1, Haggai 2:8, Deuteronomy 8:18, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Treasure Principle #2: My heart always goes where I put God's money. (Revelation 21:1-6, Matthew 6:21, Luke 16:9, Philippians 4:17, Luke 14:12-14)
Treasure Principle #3: Heaven not earth, is my home. (luke 12:15, Hebrews 11:13, Philippians 3:20)
Randy Alcorn relates our time on earth to a short stay in a hotel room. We're just visiting and we can't take anything back with us. So why should we invest much in the hotel room? Who decks out their temporary stay at a hotel room with expensive furniture, artwork, and exotic sculptures?
Our time on earth is but a dot, but our time in heaven is a continuos line. Are we investing more in the "dot" than the "line"?
There is a modern day plague of materialism that a PBS television program covered with the titled Affluenza. The program claims:
- The average American shops 6 hours a week while spending 40 minutes playing with children.
- By age twenty, we've seen one million commercials.
- Recently, more Americans declared bankruptcythan graduated from college.
- In 90 percent of divorce cases, arguments about money played a prominent role.
Now listen to some of the wealthiest people of their day:
- The care of $2 million is enough to kill anyone. There is no pleasure in it. ~W.H. Vanderbilt
- I am the most miserable man on earth. ~John Jacob Astor
- I have made millions, but they have brought me no happiness. ~Rockefeller
- Millionaires seldom smile. ~Andrew Carnegie
"The less I spent on myself and the more I gave to others, the fuller of happiness and blessing did my soul become." ~Hudson Taylor (missionary)
"I have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all. But whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess." ~Martin Luther
"Money never stays with me. It would burn me if it did. I throw it out of my hands as soon as possible, lest it should find its way into my heart." ~John Wesley
Edison's favorite piece of poetry was stanza nine from Thomas Gray's Elegy To A Country-Churchyard:
"The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power,
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,
Awaits alike the inevitable hour:
The paths of glory lead but to the grave."
So where does one start? A tithe is a good starting block to the race of giving. To those who start with less, God is being robbed. If we commit to give 5% we are still robbing God of half. If Christ is our joy then our wallets will prove that out. It's one of the fundamental evidences of a person's faith.
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