Usually, during my teaching time on Sunday mornings, we encourage people to text in questions which arise from the teaching. Some time is devoted near the end to publicly respond to those which Jessica (my helper in this) receives on the iPad and tosses my way.
She did not toss this one. "Pastor, what about bikinis?"
Why would someone ask that question? Are you serious?
I think it was serious. It points to an obvious matter in American moral culture. The matter of modesty vs. immodesty. It also points to so much more.
THE HISTORY and DEFINITION OF THE BIKINI
We're told that the bikini was first introduced by a French engineer (an engineer? really?) named Louis Reard (a man who worked in his mother's lingerie shop and named his creation after a site where the atomic bomb was tested in 1946 - he thought a "bomb" would go off when he introduced it). At first, not even French models would wear them, so Reard hired a stripper to debut it. It was also separately unveiled by fashion designer Jacques Helm in Paris. Wikipedia notes that "many western countries declared it illegal and the Vatican declared it sinful. Popularized by filmstars like Brigitte Bardot and Ursula Andress, it became common in most western countries by the mid-1960's."
The sexual revolution in the 1960's changed many things, including the widespread acceptance of the bikini. Not surprisingly, Christian summer camps across the United States and Canada passed rules against bikinis.
The simplest definition of a bikini is that of a "two-piece" woman's swimsuit, revealing the mid-section (i.e., the navel) of her body. But bikinis are more accurately identified not by how many pieces there are in a particular swimsuit, but by how much they reveal of a woman's body when worn.
Bikinis reveal much. By covering less and less, they invite more and more attention to those parts of a woman's body which men find sexually attractive, indeed stimulating.
Interestingly, a man's brief swimsuit (according to Wikipedia) "may also be referred to as a bikini." The intent is to wear less. The result is to reveal or accentuate more.
THE REJECTON OF MODESTY
Jessica Ray has done some interesting research on the female bikini. She notes that a popular song's lyrics in the early 1960's went like this
She was afraid to come out of the locker
She was as nervous as she could be
She was afraid to come out of the locker
She was afraid that somebody would see
One, two, three four,
tell the people what she wore
It was an itsy-bitsy, yellow-polka dot bikini
that she wore for the first time...
Ray (www.orbiscatholicussendus.blogspot.come/2013/07/catholic-view-of-bikini.html) also notes that early on, some suggested that the acceptance of the bikini was a step which "empowered" women in their quest for equal treatment and rights. But she cites research that demonstrates that when men see a woman in a bikini, they are much more likely to view her as an "object to be used" rather than a "person to be empowered." Surprise, surprise. For her part, Jessica Ray decided to use her MBA to create a fashion female swimsuit line that is classy and modest...and one piece.
Here's the truth. Today, many women across generations foolishly reject modesty, both in swimwear and in personal daily wear. More driven to be fashionable, or to gain attention through over-drawing attention to their physical sexuality, they end up sending the wrong signals about themselves. Unfortunately, many Christian women across generations follow suit.
Clearly, throughout the revelation we have from our heavenly Father, the Spirit urges women to be beautiful, but to understand what beauty is, and how to put it on display. Not surprisingly, it has little-to-nothing to do with plunging necklines or just-below-the-crotch skirts or an itsy-bitsy bikini. Good sisters in Jesus, I invite your attention to 1 Timothy 2:9-10 and 1 Peter 3:3-4.
WHY THE QUESTION, "WHAT ABOUT BIKINIS?"
I suspect this question came from a male (though I'm not for sure. It could have come from a concerned mom). It came as I taught from Romans 14, about not "causing a brother (or sister) in Christ to stumble," that is, in love we do not "use our freedom in Christ to act or live in such a way that would ruin another's faith and walk with God."
Pornography today is a major destroyer of a man's walk with God. Any woman without a heightened sense of this problem, and how she dresses accordingly, has her head in the sand. "Walk through your local university campus dorms," one pastor said recently at a conference, "Pornography is everywhere."
The truth is that the modern bikini-type swimwear is too revealing to be modest. A bikini encourages more than one look to a female's body parts that are sexually stimulating for the male eye and mind, and thus in general public, to wear one represents a less-than-spiritually-mature or wise choice for a female Jesus follower.
Frankly, a wife should wear one...for her husband! Beyond that...
...well, how would you justify it, my sisters (in Christ)?
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Monday, May 19, 2014
What does it mean to MAKE A BROTHER STUMBLE (spiritually)? Romans 14:15-16
Trek through Paul's 14th chapter in Romans, and you can get tripped up.
In "the family," that is, within the relationships of the Body of Christ, we often size each other up. And, we often impact, influence, and effect one another. Just as children take their cues from older adults, so younger disciples of Jesus Christ often take their cues from older (and hopefully, more mature) disciples of Jesus.
When this happens, the example set by the older can advance, or ruin, the faith of the younger. Paul puts it this way, "Decide never to put a stumbling block or a hindrance in the way of a brother."
WHAT'S A STUMBLING BLOCK?
Have you ever tripped over something? Someone left their shoes on the staircase? That uneven pavement along the walk way? Step on your shoelace?
These annoying, common trips are usually not of much consequence. Our sense of balance in most cases keeps us from getting seriously injured.
Paul's reference is to something much more consequential. You may remember that he used this language when speaking about what happened to ethnic Israel. On the whole (although not every individual), the nation "stumbled" over the "rock of offense" (cf. Romans 9:32-33) which was Jesus God's Messiah. Rather than accepting Him as Messiah and believing in Jesus' death for their sins -- so as to build their lives UPON the Rock -- in stubborn disbelief they stumbled OVER the rock and fell away from God.
Now Paul uses similar language to describe the stumble of a "weaker" brother or sister in Christ. A "stumbling block" is thus something a weaker brother/sister in Christ feels free or compelled to do because of the example of an older Christian (who has freedom in Christ to do something)...but for that weaker Christian, engaging in that same action results in their spiritual ruin or falling away.
MORE SPECIFIC, PLEASE?
In the Roman church, the issue often was one which does not face us today. Back then, food was offered to pagan, Roman gods and idols as part of a sacrifice for favor, Since the food was not consumed (invisible gods and dead idols don't eat), entrepreneurs would reclaim the food (after the ceremony) and resell it at a cheaper price in the market. If your budget was low, you could still get quality food at a lesser price. Christians would often get in on the deal.
But other fellow believers, who used to passionately participate in those ceremonies, had trouble eating "meats that had been offered to idols." To now be encouraged to eat such meat represented for their new faith in Christ a severe compromise. So, in the church, some felt free to eat such discounted meat, while others could not merge their old practices with their new faith. Paul thus called for Christians to act in love toward one another.
A "spiritual stumble" then, results when a younger-in-faith believer feels compelled to mix "the old with the new," but whose faith really can't handle it.
A younger-in-faith recovering-alcoholic Christian might have his/her faith ruined by seeing an older Christian he looks up to drink freely in public, and is prompted to drink again, to his falling.
A younger-in-faith son sees his busy Christian father leave the spiritual mentoring of the family to his wife, and decide that "men don't have to bother much with spiritual stuff," to the son's spiritual ruin.
A younger-in-faith 20-something, saved from a rather lurid, personal sexual history and seeking to establish some purity in her new walk with God, looks up to the new friends she has found in her church family. Oddly, they often dress with rather revealing lower necklines or higher hemlines without giving it much thought. Following their example, the younger believer's faith finds itself in serious confusion as her dress invites the "old attention" she used to foolishly invite from men.
A younger-in-faith Christian struggles with indebtedness. Yet his mentor often unthinkingly invites him to participate in an expensive recreational habit. He goes along, wanting to spend time with his mentor, but quickly gets re-entangled in debt, and his fervor for Christ evaporates.
The apostle's description of the "stumble" suggests severity.
CALLED TO LOVE-THINKING, NOT JUDGING
Paul urges that we do look sideways at one another, but not to judge. Rather, to lovingly assess where (especially) younger-in-faith believers are, and when necessary, restrict the use of our liberty in Christ so as not to lead-by-example a weaker family member into a serious spiritual fall.
Let's remember that Paul is not merely talking about doing something someone else doesn't like. Such matters are merely preferences.
However, the Apostle is addressing the examples that older believers set for younger believers, and to "walk" (or live) in love rather than simply in personal freedom.
We are, don't you know, helping each other grow into His likeness.
In "the family," that is, within the relationships of the Body of Christ, we often size each other up. And, we often impact, influence, and effect one another. Just as children take their cues from older adults, so younger disciples of Jesus Christ often take their cues from older (and hopefully, more mature) disciples of Jesus.
When this happens, the example set by the older can advance, or ruin, the faith of the younger. Paul puts it this way, "Decide never to put a stumbling block or a hindrance in the way of a brother."
WHAT'S A STUMBLING BLOCK?
Have you ever tripped over something? Someone left their shoes on the staircase? That uneven pavement along the walk way? Step on your shoelace?
These annoying, common trips are usually not of much consequence. Our sense of balance in most cases keeps us from getting seriously injured.
Paul's reference is to something much more consequential. You may remember that he used this language when speaking about what happened to ethnic Israel. On the whole (although not every individual), the nation "stumbled" over the "rock of offense" (cf. Romans 9:32-33) which was Jesus God's Messiah. Rather than accepting Him as Messiah and believing in Jesus' death for their sins -- so as to build their lives UPON the Rock -- in stubborn disbelief they stumbled OVER the rock and fell away from God.
Now Paul uses similar language to describe the stumble of a "weaker" brother or sister in Christ. A "stumbling block" is thus something a weaker brother/sister in Christ feels free or compelled to do because of the example of an older Christian (who has freedom in Christ to do something)...but for that weaker Christian, engaging in that same action results in their spiritual ruin or falling away.
MORE SPECIFIC, PLEASE?
In the Roman church, the issue often was one which does not face us today. Back then, food was offered to pagan, Roman gods and idols as part of a sacrifice for favor, Since the food was not consumed (invisible gods and dead idols don't eat), entrepreneurs would reclaim the food (after the ceremony) and resell it at a cheaper price in the market. If your budget was low, you could still get quality food at a lesser price. Christians would often get in on the deal.
But other fellow believers, who used to passionately participate in those ceremonies, had trouble eating "meats that had been offered to idols." To now be encouraged to eat such meat represented for their new faith in Christ a severe compromise. So, in the church, some felt free to eat such discounted meat, while others could not merge their old practices with their new faith. Paul thus called for Christians to act in love toward one another.
A "spiritual stumble" then, results when a younger-in-faith believer feels compelled to mix "the old with the new," but whose faith really can't handle it.
A younger-in-faith recovering-alcoholic Christian might have his/her faith ruined by seeing an older Christian he looks up to drink freely in public, and is prompted to drink again, to his falling.
A younger-in-faith son sees his busy Christian father leave the spiritual mentoring of the family to his wife, and decide that "men don't have to bother much with spiritual stuff," to the son's spiritual ruin.
A younger-in-faith 20-something, saved from a rather lurid, personal sexual history and seeking to establish some purity in her new walk with God, looks up to the new friends she has found in her church family. Oddly, they often dress with rather revealing lower necklines or higher hemlines without giving it much thought. Following their example, the younger believer's faith finds itself in serious confusion as her dress invites the "old attention" she used to foolishly invite from men.
A younger-in-faith Christian struggles with indebtedness. Yet his mentor often unthinkingly invites him to participate in an expensive recreational habit. He goes along, wanting to spend time with his mentor, but quickly gets re-entangled in debt, and his fervor for Christ evaporates.
The apostle's description of the "stumble" suggests severity.
CALLED TO LOVE-THINKING, NOT JUDGING
Paul urges that we do look sideways at one another, but not to judge. Rather, to lovingly assess where (especially) younger-in-faith believers are, and when necessary, restrict the use of our liberty in Christ so as not to lead-by-example a weaker family member into a serious spiritual fall.
Let's remember that Paul is not merely talking about doing something someone else doesn't like. Such matters are merely preferences.
However, the Apostle is addressing the examples that older believers set for younger believers, and to "walk" (or live) in love rather than simply in personal freedom.
We are, don't you know, helping each other grow into His likeness.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
FORGIVING DONALD STERLING (or not)
Donald Sterling is no choir boy.
Never has been. He owns a well-documented personal rap-sheet of sexual immoralities, a badly broken marriage and family life, and attitudes toward racial minorities that would make anyone with a genuine conscience blush. All of this has come to light with private statements, secretly recorded, that are now abuzz on national media.
But now, at 80 years old, with a mouth that seems unable to keep from uttering increasingly damning statements, the owner of the LA Clippers still pleads for forgiveness.
"I've said terrible things that I don't mean," he repeats. "I am asking for forgiveness."
America has collectively gathered around at the executioner's field and picked up stones. We are in the windup. Ready, aim, fire (or at least -- DEMAND he sell his team). He's a fool and an embarrassment. Get the hook.
FORGIVENESS IS...
What is forgiveness? And when should it be put in play?
Simply put, it is a releasing of the right to reciprocate hurt or injury. A letting go. A forgiving person decides not to let a transgression against her define future pay-back actions toward the offender. Forgiveness refuses to respond in kind. Other consequences for the offender may remain and play out, but the one offended releases his/her right to do back what was done to him. The Bible puts it this way, "Forgive one another, as God in Christ, has forgiven you."
But to be sure, it is much harder to forgiven when you size up two things about the one who hurt you.
We are less willing to forgive when we sense that the offender is not genuinely sorry. Forgiveness is easier when a person's contriteness is not contrived. We want to know, we want to sense, we want to believe in our gut that the offender truly realizes that what he/she did was dead wrong, without any qualifying excuses.
We also withhold forgiveness if we pick up any evidence that this person will likely, given another chance, do this again. Extending forgiveness in these cases becomes only an encouragement for it to happen again...and again...and again. So the repeat-offender buck stops with us. No forgiveness. No green light for another offense. "The day of grace for you, buddy, has ended."
WHAT WOULD JESUS DO...?
There are several occasions when Jesus extended surprising forgiveness to people, and at the displeasure of some who looked on.
He said to the paralytic lowered through the roof, even before the man had asked for it, "Son, your sins are forgiven you." What? "How does this man claim he can forgive sins!!!???" some protested. "Only God can do that!" Right they were.
He said to the woman caught in adultery, having backed off the morality-police bullpen, "Does no one condemn you?" "No," she replied. "Then neither do I. Go, and stop sinning" Jesus insisted.
Perhaps in these two incidents, Jesus himself sensed true remorse and an unlikelihood that these two would transgress again. Perhaps it was easier to extend forgiveness with them.
But the third instance rearranges the categories a bit. On the cross, having been brutalized and now dying, He asked his Father, "Forgive them. They do not know what they are doing" (in crucifying him). Here, Jesus extends forgiveness before any of them ask for it, without any evidence they are truly sorry, and certainly without any assurance that they would do it again.
In fact, they likely WOULD do it again. They were Roman soldiers. They were part of the execution detail. They did crucifixions for a living.
Do you think God said "yes" to Jesus' request?
THINK ABOUT FORGIVENESS CAREFULLY
I'm not suggesting that the NBA give Donald Sterling a pass. I'm not suggesting that Donald Sterling is truly repentant, or that he will never make the kind of statements he has made again. He appears to be a foolish old man who is embarrassed and doesn't want his amusements taken away. They are all he has, it seems; they are what he has lived for, given himself to, and the return-on-investment is becoming more sour by the day.
Still, his actions and our reactions have revealed much about what we as a culture believe and do when it comes to forgiveness. The way we do forgiveness, and the way God does forgiveness, are not the same. We give it grudgingly, and sometimes never (right, Pete Rose?). Fool me once, your bad. Fool me twice, my bad.
Yet Jesus modeled something different, taking the first step in forgiving, and loving even the unlovable and ignorant and unrepentant...before they loved in return. And in fact some never do.
But that doesn't keep God from loving, offering His grace and his forgiving. And we are the better for it, are we not?
Never has been. He owns a well-documented personal rap-sheet of sexual immoralities, a badly broken marriage and family life, and attitudes toward racial minorities that would make anyone with a genuine conscience blush. All of this has come to light with private statements, secretly recorded, that are now abuzz on national media.
But now, at 80 years old, with a mouth that seems unable to keep from uttering increasingly damning statements, the owner of the LA Clippers still pleads for forgiveness.
"I've said terrible things that I don't mean," he repeats. "I am asking for forgiveness."
America has collectively gathered around at the executioner's field and picked up stones. We are in the windup. Ready, aim, fire (or at least -- DEMAND he sell his team). He's a fool and an embarrassment. Get the hook.
FORGIVENESS IS...
What is forgiveness? And when should it be put in play?
Simply put, it is a releasing of the right to reciprocate hurt or injury. A letting go. A forgiving person decides not to let a transgression against her define future pay-back actions toward the offender. Forgiveness refuses to respond in kind. Other consequences for the offender may remain and play out, but the one offended releases his/her right to do back what was done to him. The Bible puts it this way, "Forgive one another, as God in Christ, has forgiven you."
But to be sure, it is much harder to forgiven when you size up two things about the one who hurt you.
We are less willing to forgive when we sense that the offender is not genuinely sorry. Forgiveness is easier when a person's contriteness is not contrived. We want to know, we want to sense, we want to believe in our gut that the offender truly realizes that what he/she did was dead wrong, without any qualifying excuses.
We also withhold forgiveness if we pick up any evidence that this person will likely, given another chance, do this again. Extending forgiveness in these cases becomes only an encouragement for it to happen again...and again...and again. So the repeat-offender buck stops with us. No forgiveness. No green light for another offense. "The day of grace for you, buddy, has ended."
WHAT WOULD JESUS DO...?
There are several occasions when Jesus extended surprising forgiveness to people, and at the displeasure of some who looked on.
He said to the paralytic lowered through the roof, even before the man had asked for it, "Son, your sins are forgiven you." What? "How does this man claim he can forgive sins!!!???" some protested. "Only God can do that!" Right they were.
He said to the woman caught in adultery, having backed off the morality-police bullpen, "Does no one condemn you?" "No," she replied. "Then neither do I. Go, and stop sinning" Jesus insisted.
Perhaps in these two incidents, Jesus himself sensed true remorse and an unlikelihood that these two would transgress again. Perhaps it was easier to extend forgiveness with them.
But the third instance rearranges the categories a bit. On the cross, having been brutalized and now dying, He asked his Father, "Forgive them. They do not know what they are doing" (in crucifying him). Here, Jesus extends forgiveness before any of them ask for it, without any evidence they are truly sorry, and certainly without any assurance that they would do it again.
In fact, they likely WOULD do it again. They were Roman soldiers. They were part of the execution detail. They did crucifixions for a living.
Do you think God said "yes" to Jesus' request?
THINK ABOUT FORGIVENESS CAREFULLY
I'm not suggesting that the NBA give Donald Sterling a pass. I'm not suggesting that Donald Sterling is truly repentant, or that he will never make the kind of statements he has made again. He appears to be a foolish old man who is embarrassed and doesn't want his amusements taken away. They are all he has, it seems; they are what he has lived for, given himself to, and the return-on-investment is becoming more sour by the day.
Still, his actions and our reactions have revealed much about what we as a culture believe and do when it comes to forgiveness. The way we do forgiveness, and the way God does forgiveness, are not the same. We give it grudgingly, and sometimes never (right, Pete Rose?). Fool me once, your bad. Fool me twice, my bad.
Yet Jesus modeled something different, taking the first step in forgiving, and loving even the unlovable and ignorant and unrepentant...before they loved in return. And in fact some never do.
But that doesn't keep God from loving, offering His grace and his forgiving. And we are the better for it, are we not?
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
GOD, THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, and ROMANS 13
"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed." (Romans 13:1-2)
Paul, by the Spirit, writing God's will to the early Christians living in Rome. Transformed, righteous, living-sacrifice living (Romans 12:1-2) means submitting to the government under which you live.
"Rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad...do what is good, receive approval...if you do wrong, be afraid...he is God's servant, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer." (Romans 13:3-4).
Transformed, righteous, living-sacrifice living (Romans 12:1-2) means supporting a government that punishes evil and commends good conduct.
WHY DID OUR COLONIAL FOREFATHERS LEAD A REBELLION?
Survey the reasons for the American Revolution, and wherever you look, you'll encounter a "mixed bag" of reasons. Included are
To be sure, some Christian, American colonists believed that England was advanced in spiritual corruption, and that a new American country would be a place where the gospel could flourish in an unrestricted way. To argue this way would lead to suggesting that the rebellion was, in fact, the will of God. But other Christian ("Loyalists") argued from Romans 13 that the rebellion was disobedience to Scriptures.
Frankly, 238 years after 1776, it is hard to sort out all the reasons. It truly was a mixed bag. Don't you wonder what God (especially in light of Romans 13) really thought about our revolutionary effort? We hear (apocryphal?) stories of Washington praying for God's help kneeling in the snow at Valley Forge as his troops were freezing to death. We wonder, "On what side was God in the American revolution?"
DID GOD DETERMINE OUR NATION'S PLACE AND TIME?
Acts 17:26 says that God "determines the allotted periods and the boundaries of (nations') dwelling places." From a big-picture viewpoint, this must mean that even if the causes of the American revolution were not Biblical causes, nonetheless, God's sovereign purposes were still at work in the overthrow of British rule, and the establishment of the United States.
Respected historian Mark Noll in CHRISTIANS IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION reminds us that "Colonial Christians responded in four major ways to the Revolution: they supported complete freedom in politics and religion; they advocated social and political reform; they called for submission to English authority; and they argued against involvement of Christians in the war effort. Whether Patriot, Reformer, Loyalist or Pacifist, American Christian colonials influenced not only the fledgling nation, but the development of religious thought to the present."
For greater understanding of this - and so that we represent a Biblical mindset about this, I recommend Noll's helpful book.
Paul, by the Spirit, writing God's will to the early Christians living in Rome. Transformed, righteous, living-sacrifice living (Romans 12:1-2) means submitting to the government under which you live.
"Rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad...do what is good, receive approval...if you do wrong, be afraid...he is God's servant, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer." (Romans 13:3-4).
Transformed, righteous, living-sacrifice living (Romans 12:1-2) means supporting a government that punishes evil and commends good conduct.
WHY DID OUR COLONIAL FOREFATHERS LEAD A REBELLION?
Survey the reasons for the American Revolution, and wherever you look, you'll encounter a "mixed bag" of reasons. Included are
- Since the early days of English settlements in the Americas, Britain exercised a 'self-rule' approach with the colonists. Throughout the early 1700's, Britain was so engaged in fighting wars in Europe that it had little time to devote energies to governing and controlling the colonies. When those required European efforts ceased, around 1760, Britain turned to governing and regulating the expansion, economies, and politics of the colonies. Used to more self-rule, American colonialists resented a new heavy handed approach, new laws, new restrictions sourced in the English monarchy and Parliament.
- American colonists were increasing interested in "controlling their own destinies" rather than being dictated to by the control of England.
- Increasing "taxation without any representation" in the English government became intolerant for American colonists
- The European Enlightenment, dawning across Europe and into the newly discovered lands, philosophically drove rebellions and revolutions seeking greater personal importance and political autonomy
- Rising leaders among the colonies believed in and promoted their own (God given?) rights to go after "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," and believed that continued British rule was prohibitive to those ends.
To be sure, some Christian, American colonists believed that England was advanced in spiritual corruption, and that a new American country would be a place where the gospel could flourish in an unrestricted way. To argue this way would lead to suggesting that the rebellion was, in fact, the will of God. But other Christian ("Loyalists") argued from Romans 13 that the rebellion was disobedience to Scriptures.
Frankly, 238 years after 1776, it is hard to sort out all the reasons. It truly was a mixed bag. Don't you wonder what God (especially in light of Romans 13) really thought about our revolutionary effort? We hear (apocryphal?) stories of Washington praying for God's help kneeling in the snow at Valley Forge as his troops were freezing to death. We wonder, "On what side was God in the American revolution?"
DID GOD DETERMINE OUR NATION'S PLACE AND TIME?
Acts 17:26 says that God "determines the allotted periods and the boundaries of (nations') dwelling places." From a big-picture viewpoint, this must mean that even if the causes of the American revolution were not Biblical causes, nonetheless, God's sovereign purposes were still at work in the overthrow of British rule, and the establishment of the United States.
Respected historian Mark Noll in CHRISTIANS IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION reminds us that "Colonial Christians responded in four major ways to the Revolution: they supported complete freedom in politics and religion; they advocated social and political reform; they called for submission to English authority; and they argued against involvement of Christians in the war effort. Whether Patriot, Reformer, Loyalist or Pacifist, American Christian colonials influenced not only the fledgling nation, but the development of religious thought to the present."
For greater understanding of this - and so that we represent a Biblical mindset about this, I recommend Noll's helpful book.
TO OBEY OR DISOBEY? That is the Question...
Someone asks, "Is a husband in authority over a wife, like the government is in authority over its citizens? Does (then) Romans 13 apply to marriage (especially one that is abusive)?"
As the congregation I help shepherd has been thinking its way through Paul's letter to the Roman Christians, we dug into the 13th chapter recently. By God's Spirit, Paul urges these new believers to "be subject to" the governing authorities, because they derive their authority from God. The authority of human government is granted by God in order to "commend those who do well and punish those who do evil."
Quickly, an intuitive question arises: When, if ever, should God's children not obey the authority (or laws) of any given human government under which they may live?
The ANSWER is supported by Scripture, both in command and in example -- If the state requires what God forbids, or prohibits what God directs, then God's children can (and indeed must) disobey the state in order to be obedient to God. (cf. www.amesefc.org 5/11/14 teaching on Romans 13, Pastor David Staff).
SUBJECTION IN MARRIAGE
Not surprisingly, the questions of the first paragraph (above) come into focus as well. You can sense the thinking behind the question. "OK...if I can (and must) disobey the state when it uses its authority to require what God forbids or forbid what God requires...then what if my husband does the same? May I disobey him in such instances, and obey God?"
Actually, the question asked about an "abusive" marriage. So let's answer the two situations in order.
First, if a husband attempts to require that his spouse to do what God forbids, or to stop doing what God commands, what is the wife's righteous-living response? This is an important question, because Paul, in like manner to the tone of Romans 13, teaches in Ephesians 5:24 that "wives should be submit in everything to their husbands."
Notice, however, that the beginning of 5:24 says "Now as the church submits to Christ..." The church-response-model commended is how the church obediently responds to Christ. How -- entailing both "what" and "how much."
The WHAT? To be sure, Christ would never ask the church to do anything morally wrong or disobedient to God. Whatever Christ asks we do, it is surely that which is pleasing to God, and honoring to Him.
The HOW? "in everything" The extent of our obedience is to be unchecked, undiminished.
Yet on a human level, in human marriage, some Christians are not married to "Christ," or even to a Christ-like spouse. In such marriages, husbands often ask their wives to do things which God forbids, or not to do things God commands. I've known husbands who regularly ask their wives to lie for them, cheat on their taxes, treat children abusively, together engage in entertainment that is immoral, and the like. In such cases, the principle stated above again (in my judgment) applies - if the husband requires what God forbids, or forbids what God requires, the believing wife can (and indeed must) disobey.
ABUSIVE GOVERNMENT - ABUSIVE MARRIAGE: Are we still "subject to"?
It is more difficult to answer this question, because the word "abuse" or "abusive" does not have a comprehensively agreed upon definition. Depending on who is using these terms and what they mean to the user, an "abusive" marriage can have a vast range of meanings.
A government or a husband may feel "abusive" without requiring that the individual under the authority to do something disobedient to God. We may feel abused by excessive taxation, but that does not relieve us of the necessity to pay our taxes (like every other citizen). And, we may feel abused by our spouse's perpetual harsh words and unkindness, but that does not relieve the spouse of still being in subjection to her husband. Peter would say, "Wives, be submissive to your own husbands...[even] those who are disobedient to the Word" (1 Peter 3:1). "Win them to the Word without a word," Peter urges, "through the beauty of your godly behavior."
CLARITY AND GODLY PATIENCE
In these important, daily matters, we must be both clear and patient in the places God has us. Clear that when we "obey God rather than men" that the matter is crystal clear. Men in authority are asking us to disobey God; we cannot.
But when the matter of "obeying man or God" is not clear, we also must be patient in godliness even the our circumstance in life is uncomfortable. In such cases, God does not want us to be rebellious or contrarian. He likely wants to shape our own character into that which is more like His Son, who sometimes submitted to the authority of others though it was difficult. And, perhaps through our godly patient living, we are used by God to win those to Him who are presently disobedient to God's Word.
As the congregation I help shepherd has been thinking its way through Paul's letter to the Roman Christians, we dug into the 13th chapter recently. By God's Spirit, Paul urges these new believers to "be subject to" the governing authorities, because they derive their authority from God. The authority of human government is granted by God in order to "commend those who do well and punish those who do evil."
Quickly, an intuitive question arises: When, if ever, should God's children not obey the authority (or laws) of any given human government under which they may live?
The ANSWER is supported by Scripture, both in command and in example -- If the state requires what God forbids, or prohibits what God directs, then God's children can (and indeed must) disobey the state in order to be obedient to God. (cf. www.amesefc.org 5/11/14 teaching on Romans 13, Pastor David Staff).
SUBJECTION IN MARRIAGE
Not surprisingly, the questions of the first paragraph (above) come into focus as well. You can sense the thinking behind the question. "OK...if I can (and must) disobey the state when it uses its authority to require what God forbids or forbid what God requires...then what if my husband does the same? May I disobey him in such instances, and obey God?"
Actually, the question asked about an "abusive" marriage. So let's answer the two situations in order.
First, if a husband attempts to require that his spouse to do what God forbids, or to stop doing what God commands, what is the wife's righteous-living response? This is an important question, because Paul, in like manner to the tone of Romans 13, teaches in Ephesians 5:24 that "wives should be submit in everything to their husbands."
Notice, however, that the beginning of 5:24 says "Now as the church submits to Christ..." The church-response-model commended is how the church obediently responds to Christ. How -- entailing both "what" and "how much."
The WHAT? To be sure, Christ would never ask the church to do anything morally wrong or disobedient to God. Whatever Christ asks we do, it is surely that which is pleasing to God, and honoring to Him.
The HOW? "in everything" The extent of our obedience is to be unchecked, undiminished.
Yet on a human level, in human marriage, some Christians are not married to "Christ," or even to a Christ-like spouse. In such marriages, husbands often ask their wives to do things which God forbids, or not to do things God commands. I've known husbands who regularly ask their wives to lie for them, cheat on their taxes, treat children abusively, together engage in entertainment that is immoral, and the like. In such cases, the principle stated above again (in my judgment) applies - if the husband requires what God forbids, or forbids what God requires, the believing wife can (and indeed must) disobey.
ABUSIVE GOVERNMENT - ABUSIVE MARRIAGE: Are we still "subject to"?
It is more difficult to answer this question, because the word "abuse" or "abusive" does not have a comprehensively agreed upon definition. Depending on who is using these terms and what they mean to the user, an "abusive" marriage can have a vast range of meanings.
A government or a husband may feel "abusive" without requiring that the individual under the authority to do something disobedient to God. We may feel abused by excessive taxation, but that does not relieve us of the necessity to pay our taxes (like every other citizen). And, we may feel abused by our spouse's perpetual harsh words and unkindness, but that does not relieve the spouse of still being in subjection to her husband. Peter would say, "Wives, be submissive to your own husbands...[even] those who are disobedient to the Word" (1 Peter 3:1). "Win them to the Word without a word," Peter urges, "through the beauty of your godly behavior."
CLARITY AND GODLY PATIENCE
In these important, daily matters, we must be both clear and patient in the places God has us. Clear that when we "obey God rather than men" that the matter is crystal clear. Men in authority are asking us to disobey God; we cannot.
But when the matter of "obeying man or God" is not clear, we also must be patient in godliness even the our circumstance in life is uncomfortable. In such cases, God does not want us to be rebellious or contrarian. He likely wants to shape our own character into that which is more like His Son, who sometimes submitted to the authority of others though it was difficult. And, perhaps through our godly patient living, we are used by God to win those to Him who are presently disobedient to God's Word.
Monday, May 5, 2014
THE WILL OF GOD and YOU
Does God have a particular set of desires for your life, and your everyday living? And, if He does, how much do you want His will to determine and guide your steps?
WHAT IS THE WILL OF GOD?
The Christian Bible, and particularly the New Testament Scripture books, speak often about the will of God. Actually, the idea of "the will" of God is used in a spectrum of ways.
First, God's "will" can refer to his OVERALL SOVEREIGN PLAN. Ephesians 1:11 says that "God works all things together in keeping with the counsel of His will." Sovereignty means that God is free to direct the grand scheme of human history, and any of its details, to accomplish an outcome that fully displays His glory and grace. In this sense of the word "will," then, you and I are inevitably imbedded in His grand scheme.
We can discover this "will of God" by reading the Scriptures and getting from them the sense and plan of what God is out to accomplish in human history. Still, some portions of this will of God are discovered only after God has acted.
Second, God's "will" can refer to his CALL TO LIVE AN OBEDIENT, SPIRIT-EMPOWERED LIFE, one which exhibits a growing in Christlikeness. An example of this is what Paul wrote to the Thessalonians. "Now this is the will of God for you, that is, your sanctification; namely, that you abstain from sexual impurity" (1 Thess 4:3).
Romans 12:2 is an example of this use of the phrase "will of God." When our minds are renewed with God's Word, we have the opportunity through the Holy Spirit to live out the righteousness God has given us by faith, so that we express in living what is "good and acceptable and mature." In short, growing Christlikeness...and in Romans 12, that Christlikeness looks like using your "measure of faith" to serve the Body of Christ (12:3-8), and to love fellow Christians and others (12:9-21).
Frankly, it is easy to discover this will of God for us. It is clearly revealed and stated in the Scriptures. And when we read it, we have the choice to "be" in God's will (by obeying) or "not to be" in God's will, by disobeying or ignoring.
Third, God's "will" is used of HIS DESIRE FOR CERTAIN THINGS TO HAPPEN, WHICH MAY NOT. For example, Peter writes "God does not wish (or God is not willing) that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). However, the reality is that some have perished because they did not repent, and some will. This use of the word "will" expresses God's desire, but not what He insists will happen (i.e., He will not coerce repentance from anyone).
Finally, God's "will" is used to describe GOD'S PARTICULAR CALLINGS IN YOUR LIFE AS HIS SON OR DAUGHTER, callings that unique to you, and not necessarily to be applied to others. He may call you to be married (1 Corinthians 7) or to remain single. He may call you to a particular vocation, or to live in a particular place in the world. The book of Acts illustrates that different Christians had different leadings and callings from God that were unique to them (Stephen's calling was different from Paul's, Peter's was different from Barnabas'). God's will in each of our lives involves our responsiveness to Scripture and the Holy Spirit's particular urgings and leading in our lives. We each have a unique place in God's plan and His will "for me" can be discerned along the way.
DISCOVERING GOD'S WILL
The summary is that God's SOVEREIGN WILL He will accomplish. The grand scheme is His.
GOD'S EXPRESSED WILL is His direction for our growing in Christ found in the Scriptures. His will there is open and clear, written down for our use and obedience.
GOD'S DESIRED WILL are things He longs to happen, but because of the freedom He gives those made in His image, may or may not come about.
GOD'S PARTICULAR WILL for me, in addition to His expressed will, can be discovered through prayerful meditation on Scripture, praying to the Holy Spirit for His direction at key moments of decision in life, and seeking the counsel of wise and loving believers around us.
Bottom line - Let your wonderful Father have "his way" with you. Seek His will in all things, and run well the race before you.
WHAT IS THE WILL OF GOD?
The Christian Bible, and particularly the New Testament Scripture books, speak often about the will of God. Actually, the idea of "the will" of God is used in a spectrum of ways.
First, God's "will" can refer to his OVERALL SOVEREIGN PLAN. Ephesians 1:11 says that "God works all things together in keeping with the counsel of His will." Sovereignty means that God is free to direct the grand scheme of human history, and any of its details, to accomplish an outcome that fully displays His glory and grace. In this sense of the word "will," then, you and I are inevitably imbedded in His grand scheme.
We can discover this "will of God" by reading the Scriptures and getting from them the sense and plan of what God is out to accomplish in human history. Still, some portions of this will of God are discovered only after God has acted.
Second, God's "will" can refer to his CALL TO LIVE AN OBEDIENT, SPIRIT-EMPOWERED LIFE, one which exhibits a growing in Christlikeness. An example of this is what Paul wrote to the Thessalonians. "Now this is the will of God for you, that is, your sanctification; namely, that you abstain from sexual impurity" (1 Thess 4:3).
Romans 12:2 is an example of this use of the phrase "will of God." When our minds are renewed with God's Word, we have the opportunity through the Holy Spirit to live out the righteousness God has given us by faith, so that we express in living what is "good and acceptable and mature." In short, growing Christlikeness...and in Romans 12, that Christlikeness looks like using your "measure of faith" to serve the Body of Christ (12:3-8), and to love fellow Christians and others (12:9-21).
Frankly, it is easy to discover this will of God for us. It is clearly revealed and stated in the Scriptures. And when we read it, we have the choice to "be" in God's will (by obeying) or "not to be" in God's will, by disobeying or ignoring.
Third, God's "will" is used of HIS DESIRE FOR CERTAIN THINGS TO HAPPEN, WHICH MAY NOT. For example, Peter writes "God does not wish (or God is not willing) that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). However, the reality is that some have perished because they did not repent, and some will. This use of the word "will" expresses God's desire, but not what He insists will happen (i.e., He will not coerce repentance from anyone).
Finally, God's "will" is used to describe GOD'S PARTICULAR CALLINGS IN YOUR LIFE AS HIS SON OR DAUGHTER, callings that unique to you, and not necessarily to be applied to others. He may call you to be married (1 Corinthians 7) or to remain single. He may call you to a particular vocation, or to live in a particular place in the world. The book of Acts illustrates that different Christians had different leadings and callings from God that were unique to them (Stephen's calling was different from Paul's, Peter's was different from Barnabas'). God's will in each of our lives involves our responsiveness to Scripture and the Holy Spirit's particular urgings and leading in our lives. We each have a unique place in God's plan and His will "for me" can be discerned along the way.
DISCOVERING GOD'S WILL
The summary is that God's SOVEREIGN WILL He will accomplish. The grand scheme is His.
GOD'S EXPRESSED WILL is His direction for our growing in Christ found in the Scriptures. His will there is open and clear, written down for our use and obedience.
GOD'S DESIRED WILL are things He longs to happen, but because of the freedom He gives those made in His image, may or may not come about.
GOD'S PARTICULAR WILL for me, in addition to His expressed will, can be discovered through prayerful meditation on Scripture, praying to the Holy Spirit for His direction at key moments of decision in life, and seeking the counsel of wise and loving believers around us.
Bottom line - Let your wonderful Father have "his way" with you. Seek His will in all things, and run well the race before you.
FINDING YOUR GIFT - FINDING YOUR PLACE
Raise awareness about the reality of spiritual gifting, understanding your place in the body of Christ, and not sitting on the sidelines -- and the questions will come.
"What do I do if I don't know what my gifting is?"
"Do I have one gifting from God? I feel like a jack-of-all-trades."
"Does God ever a measure of faith that equals zero?" (I took this to mean, "I'm not sure I have enough confidence to serve God.")
Let's see if we can sort this out.
AGAIN, THE GIFTS ARE...?
There are four places (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, 1 Peter 4) in the New Testament where "spiritual gifts" are (somewhat) listed. All the lists are a bit different. I'll start at the end and work backward.
1 Peter 4 :10-11 appear to identify TWO broad-stroke CATEGORIES of the gifts. "If you speak, speak as it were the oracles of God; if you serve, serve in the strength that God supplies." SPEAKING gifts, and SERVING gifts. Since Peter's letter came wrote a bit later in the 1st century to the early church, he may well be representing a more mature categorizing of the gifts.
So the 1st question you might have is: Is my gift primarily a "speaking" (i.e., teaching, exhorting, etc) gift, or is it a "serving" (helping, administrating, etc.) type of gift?
Ephesians 4 identifies some KEY EQUIPPING/LEADERSHIP GIFTS which Jesus gave His body: Apostles, Prophets, Pastor-Teachers, Evangelists. These are more "leadership-equipping" giftings which serve the larger body, and help individual members get outfitted to "do the work of ministry" together as a body. Some have argued that the first two of thee gifts, "apostles" and "prophets," were more foundational to the early years of the church, and were revelatory in nature. That is, that God's Spirit used apostles and prophets to found the church (cf. Eph 2:20) and to give the church Scripture (i.e., God's words).
The other two - "pastor-teachers" and "evangelists" - appear to be more sustaining gifts. A "pastor-teacher" is one who equips the body through shepherding God's people and teaching what the apostles/prophets revealed (i.e., Scripture), while an "evangelist" is someone who is both effective at sharing the gospel broadly and equipping others to do the same.
1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 identify more of a LONGER LIST of "measure of faith" and GRACE GIFTINGS that the Holy Spirit distributes more broadly within Christians, members of the body of Christ. Again, some have observed that some of these gifts are more obviously miraculous in nature (like speaking prophesy, speaking in language/tongues, healing, etc.) while others are not "in the moment miraculous" but rather grace-giving kinds of gifts (serving, leading, administrating, helps, etc..
It is interesting that the Apostle Paul notes the "Holy Spirit distributes these to each one individually as He wills" (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:11). This description suggests that the Holy Spirit can give anyone any gift for the need of the moment. So that (perhaps) no one of us should say, "Well, my gift is healing." Rather, more accurately, we might be able to say, "You know, when I was in that situation, God's Spirit produced through me a gifting for healing in that person's life." In other word, the gift is not yours (or resident in you) but rather given by the Spirit, as He wills, for the need of the moment. We might call these SITUATIONAL giftings.
Finally, Romans 12 seems to teach that there is a "measure of faith" gifting that is endowed in a more ONGOING way, one that we each should use on a regular basis. Here's a summary chart
Leadership/Equipping Situational Ongoing
SPEAKING Apostles wisdom utterance teaching
Prophets knowledge utterance exhortation
Pastor-Teachers prophesy pastor-teachers
Evangelists various tongues evangelists
interpretation/tongues
SERVING faith service
healings giving/contributing
miracles leading
discerning spirit acts of mercy
helping
administrating
DISCOVERING GOD'S ENDOWMENT THROUGH YOU
From many years of personal and pastoral experience with people, I've discovered the following.
First, many of God's people have a PRIMARY gifting (that is, a "sweet" spot measure of faith), and also multiple secondary giftings. I attribute the latter to the simple idea that God's Spirit lives within and directs the flow of His grace through any one disciple in a variety of ways. So a person with a primary gifting of teaching may also be a very good server, or giver, or helper. But usually, each of us has a sweet-spot gifting from the Spirit, and we should (and can) discover what that is.
Second, DISCOVERY usually happens through being available to God for what your local church (or body needs), jumping in, and then letting the other body members affirm (or redirect) you in what they see in your life. For me, when I was young in the body of believers, many older believers saw me serving through my youth group. I tried a number of things, but what emerged and was identified by others was a teaching gift. I can remember dear saints initiating toward me, on their own, and saying, "David, this is what you do well...keep doing it."
Need in the bodies of believers are those who are keeping an eye on other believers, and affirming the good giftings they see emerging. So...jump in and serve. Volunteer to teach, or to lead, or to help, or to think through situations that need God's wisdom. There are plenty of opportunities, and then ask other "body" members what they see God doing in you.
Third, REMEMBER THAT ANY GIFTING NEEDS DEVELOPMENT. Paul told Timothy, "Fan into flame the gifting you have from God." That illustration is interesting. Ever try to start a fire? Sometimes you have to work at getting a spark to grow into a flame, and then even with more work (and the right elements added), to see it begin to be a fire. "Let your progress be evident to all," Paul also said to him. This means that usually, the "measure of faith" and "grace gifiting" will take some time to become more than a spark or little flame. So keep after it. Don't quite, even with mis-steps or when it "didn't go that well." Keep using what God has given you and fan it into flame.
Finally, DON'T GO IT ALONE. Your gifting is from God; more specifically, from His Spirit. It must be used in full dependence on Him, and through trusting in His power. None of us should think we are independent operators. Use your gifting humbly, prayerfully, dependently.
"To each," Paul reminds us, "the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good."
From many years of personal and pastoral experience with people, I've discovered the following.
First, many of God's people have a PRIMARY gifting (that is, a "sweet" spot measure of faith), and also multiple secondary giftings. I attribute the latter to the simple idea that God's Spirit lives within and directs the flow of His grace through any one disciple in a variety of ways. So a person with a primary gifting of teaching may also be a very good server, or giver, or helper. But usually, each of us has a sweet-spot gifting from the Spirit, and we should (and can) discover what that is.
Second, DISCOVERY usually happens through being available to God for what your local church (or body needs), jumping in, and then letting the other body members affirm (or redirect) you in what they see in your life. For me, when I was young in the body of believers, many older believers saw me serving through my youth group. I tried a number of things, but what emerged and was identified by others was a teaching gift. I can remember dear saints initiating toward me, on their own, and saying, "David, this is what you do well...keep doing it."
Need in the bodies of believers are those who are keeping an eye on other believers, and affirming the good giftings they see emerging. So...jump in and serve. Volunteer to teach, or to lead, or to help, or to think through situations that need God's wisdom. There are plenty of opportunities, and then ask other "body" members what they see God doing in you.
Third, REMEMBER THAT ANY GIFTING NEEDS DEVELOPMENT. Paul told Timothy, "Fan into flame the gifting you have from God." That illustration is interesting. Ever try to start a fire? Sometimes you have to work at getting a spark to grow into a flame, and then even with more work (and the right elements added), to see it begin to be a fire. "Let your progress be evident to all," Paul also said to him. This means that usually, the "measure of faith" and "grace gifiting" will take some time to become more than a spark or little flame. So keep after it. Don't quite, even with mis-steps or when it "didn't go that well." Keep using what God has given you and fan it into flame.
Finally, DON'T GO IT ALONE. Your gifting is from God; more specifically, from His Spirit. It must be used in full dependence on Him, and through trusting in His power. None of us should think we are independent operators. Use your gifting humbly, prayerfully, dependently.
"To each," Paul reminds us, "the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good."
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