Biblical Humility: The Casualty of Christian Liberty?

Recently I was engaged in a lively discussion with a friend about the concept of submission within the setting of a church. As we were conversing, my friend asked a question that he had been pondering for some time: why do Christians tend to willingly submit to authorities in the workplace, yet struggle to submit themselves to the authority of the church?

This is a question that puzzles me as well. Why, indeed? What makes it so hard for many believers to accept church authority? Is it the abuses of power-hungry leadership, twisted theology or constraining rules? Or could it be that we are simply not willing to give up our opinions and preferences when it comes to spiritual matters?

Before I proceed any further, let me make it clear that I firmly believe we as Christians are responsible to test the teachings of our ministers against the authority of the Bible. Jesus instructed his followers to beware of false prophets who bring destruction under the guise of harmlessness (Matthew 7:15). Furthermore, Paul admonishes believers to “prove (test, try, examine) all things (I Thessalonians 5:21), which includes the teaching we as Christians receive from our fallible, human ministers. However, I believe that our American cultural values of personal rights and individualism have infiltrated the church. Our personal inclinations and preferences have suddenly become more important than the standards and practices of the church body, and any opposition to our personal inclinations gives legitimate grounds for leaving and going elsewhere.

What does God’s Word say about personal preferences in light of the Body of Christ? First of all, we do have the freedom as saints to confidently practice things that other churches may not allow. Paul, for example, had no moral problem with eating meat that was offered to idols, while other Gentile Christians felt much more strongly about the issue (See I Corinthians 8). However, Paul makes a pivotal statement in I Corinthians 8:13. He declares, “Wherefore [because my liberty to eat meat offered to idols may wound the conscience of other brethren, thereby wounding Christ] if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.”

Paul’s humility and submission in this verse are so challenging to me. He was willing to become a vegetarian for the rest of his life to avoid offending a weaker brother! He could have said, “Look, the idol is nothing; therefore, it cannot do anything to change the meat.” Yet instead of exhorting these weaker brethren, he was willing to lay down his personal freedoms and preferences to avoid a schism or division in the body. Ultimately, he loved the body of Christ more than he loved his personal freedoms.

I Peter 5:5 gives additional clarity to this concept. It says, “Likewise, ye younger, [just as pastors are commanded not to lord it over their congregations] submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you [in the body of Christ] be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” I believe the phrase “be subject to one another” includes being willing to lay down our personal preferences to submit to the guidelines and preferences of the body.

This line of arguing in turn begs the question: do we have to personally support and uphold everything that our church stands for? I would like to argue the answer to this question is not necessarily. Paul’s willingness to abstain from meat did not suddenly mean that he believed meat to be evil. Rather, his decision demonstrated his willingness to sacrifice his personal preferences and beliefs in order to strengthen and unify the church. In the same way, I do not believe that we as Christians need to form powerful Biblical convictions in support of all of our church guidelines. However, we do need to be willing to subject our personal inclinations to the decisions of the church group as a whole.

            However, some may argue, “What gives the church the right to make rules that are not explicitly printed in the Bible? The Bible is enough, isn’t it?” Yes, it is. I don’t propose that church rules are universally applicable in the same way the truth of God’s word is universally applicable to all people at all times. However, I do believe the church has the authority to form guidelines rooted in Scriptural principles. As a group, the church has the authority to determine practical guidelines for observing a sacrificial life of discipleship, modest dress, a stewardship attitude toward personal wealth, and so on. Furthermore, the church has the authority to expect each of their members to adhere to the guidelines the church body has chosen.

            To illustrate, consider a UPS delivery employee. Every UPS delivery driver can quickly be identified by their uniform: a brown shirt and brown slacks/shorts. Suppose a prospective employee comes to UPS for an interview. This particular applicant despises brown clothing, and declares, “If I’m hired by UPS, I absolutely will not wear a brown uniform! I hate brown!” Regardless of the preferences of this applicant, they must consent to wear a brown uniform if they want a job at UPS. It doesn’t matter which way their personal preferences lie. All they need to do is follow the company’s policies instead of their personal inclinations, and the job is theirs. They don’t have to suddenly like the color brown; they just have to lay down their personal preferences in favor of the decisions of the larger company.

            Can we as Christians be like UPS employees? Are we willing to lay down our preferences for the sake of our brothers and sisters in Christ? Can we look past our personal liberties, freedoms and preferences and make choices that build up the greater church body? Yes, we may have the freedom in Christ to do these things. However, we must honestly question ourselves: how can we be most effective in building up the body of Christ? If this requires sacrificing my personal preferences, am I willing to lay down my rights for the benefit of God’s kingdom?

          By this article, I don’t profess to have exhausted this subject. I still have much to learn about this subject of humble submission. However, I firmly believe that we as Christians need to recognize the dangers of selfishness and egocentrism that are so often cloaked in a seemingly harmless package of “Christian liberties.” We must carefully examine our preferences in light of the spiritual authorities God has place in our lives, and willingly subject to the wishes of our authorities when our preferences disagree.

The Pakistan Suicide Bombing: A Response.

Today I was saddened to hear the news that 65 innocent people were killed in Pakistan in a suicide attack targeting my brothers and sisters in Christ. Lately, it appears that we as disciples of Christ are being increasingly persecuted for our faith in Christ. Why is this persecution so rampant? Also, how are we supposed to respond to an incident like this? After all, this attack was from a radical Muslim group who doesn't believe in our God (i.e., they don't play by our rules). How do you deal with such a belief system?

To begin with, I believe we are mainly persecuted because our mission is to bring light to the darkness (see John 3:19-21). To some, this is a relief because it gives their life clarity and purpose. After all, it's much easier to run a 5k at night when the track is lit versus when the lights are out. The light of Christ gives depth to our lives, and it gives us a reason to exist. However, light has a core purpose: it exposes things that are obscure. For some, this is an unwelcome intrusion on their lives. Their lives may be filled with years of pain, hatred and lies that have never been properly addressed. The light of Christ forces individuals to come face-to-face with this reality, and prompts them to either accept the forgiveness that Christ offers, or reject his forgiveness and continue to attempt to repress the pain and unbelief that fills their lives. Sadly, far too many individuals choose to suppress the truth of the Gospel. Instead of humbling themselves and accepting the change that Christ brings to their lives, they attempt to eliminate anything in their lives that reminds them of this truth.

The feeling of suppression of truth brings in another point, although it is not as evident. I believe that one of the main reasons there are so many attacks on Christians is that there are millions of people in the world today whose lives are filled with pain. This pain may be caused by a physical injury they have dealt with for many years. Perhaps they have never felt significant or important. Maybe they were hurt by someone they deeply loved and respected. Whatever the cause of their pain, this simple fact remains: hurt people hurt people (Author unknown). Every time they are reminded of this pain, it brings a rush of emotions that can lead to violent rage towards this object of remembrance. However, reacting to this pain only causes more pain. Imagine what this suicide bomber is facing as we speak! This individual wasted his life, and now he is wasting his eternity!

How do we respond to this pain? Certainly it is appropriate to mourn with those who have lost loved ones. Romans 12 instructs us to "rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." However, we have a greater responsibility than compassion towards those who have been wronged. Although it sounds cliche, responding in love to the one who caused this pain is the only way to break this vicious cycle of pain and hurt. This task is not for the faint of heart. Proverbs speaks of the magnitude of the task by saying, "A wounded spirit who can bear?" (Prov. 18:14). However, we have the assurance that "Charity...beareth all things." (I Corinthians 13:7) This love is not a feeling; it is a choice that must be made every day. Every day, we must choose to forgive those who lash out in anger against us. We must respond in love to those who hurt us if we will have any hope of bringing them to the One Who is able to heal their pain.

I know this post is a bit disjointed, but I want to encourage each of us to have the proper response to this tragedy. It is easy for me to get angry when I see innocent people being murdered. However, think of the pain in the life of that murderer. What circumstances and decisions brought them to the point where they were willing to take their own life taking the lives of others? In light of this, I encourage each of us to look for those people that are hurting in our lives (you don't need to look far; they're all around you!) and love them.

Even if they always get your goat. Even if they seem to take special delight in injuring you. They are testing the magnitude of your love and compassion towards them. Will you pass this test?

When the World falls Apart

Yesterday, our nation experienced another tragic school shooting. However, this shooting resonated with me like few, if any, of the previous shootings in our nation's history for the simple fact that the shooter targeted my brothers and sisters in Christ. As a result of this tragedy, mothers lost their children. Families were cruelly torn apart.

I was not personally acquainted with any of the victims (at least not to my knowledge). That does not matter. They were part of the body of Christ, and when one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. How do I feel about this tragedy? I'm hurting for the families that have lost loved ones. I can't even imagine the pain and shock that each family must have faced to learn that their daughter, son, brother or sister would never come back. However, I'm also hurting for the man who brought this pain to all these families. While I want to be angry at him, I cannot help but pity him. Here is a young man, in the prime of life, who suddenly finds himself overwhelmed with a mass of crime. Not only that, but he will never be able to change the damage he has caused. He has been destined to live an eternity with the choices he made in the moment. Just imagine having to spend the rest of eternity with the knowledge that you ended the lives of several young people, and you will never get the chance to make things right.

In the face of this incredibly awful tragedy, the struggle for myself and every other Christian remains: how are we going to respond? Indeed, what is the right response for this situation? Please note that I do not in any way consider myself to be the "perfect Christian example." However, I will share several insights into this tragedy.

Probably the most obvious thought that comes to mind is that our world is becoming an unsafe place. After all, what individual goes to college thinking that they will be shot and killed during their time as a student? It's astonishing to think that our everyday world is becoming an unsafe place; however, as Christians we must not be surprised. Paul specifically warned Timothy that in the last days there would come men who are "heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good. (II Timothy 3:3 ESV)" Later on in the chapter he tells Timothy that "evil men...shall wax worse and worse." As much as we would like to think it otherwise, our world is in a state of negative entropy.

What is even more chilling about this shooting, however, is that it has become the outburst of a gradually increasing resistance to the message of Christ and Christianity. This, too, should not be surprising for us as Christians. John tells us not to be surprised if the world hates us as Christians (see I John 3:13). Things like this are going to become commonplace. However, we need not live in fear, since He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world.

"As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried; He is a buckler to them that put their trust in Him. (Ps. 18:30)" 

Gratefulness: When It's Hard

This morning, our pastor preached a sermon about thankfulness, and one particular thought about thankfulness resonated with me like it never has before. It was a concept that was drawn from I Thessalonians 5:18, which says, "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Now, this was not the first time that I had heard this verse, but two words really struck me: in everything. I say this because, in my mind, I thought that I was being thankful for everything that God had sent my way. However, knowing something in your head is totally different than believing it in your heart and living it every moment of your life. Through this truth, God began to convict me of areas of my life in which I was not exercising gratefulness. I would like to share these areas with you and challenge you to accept those areas that God may be prompting you to be grateful for in your life.

The first area in which God has impressed upon me is the area of friendships and relationships. I thought that I truly valued relationships, but I gained a new appreciation for them when my cousin passed away a couple weeks ago. Out of anyone in my life, I would never have expected that he would have been the one to pass away at this stage in his life. He was a very relational person, and touched many lives in the 22 years that he lived here. Relationships were a priority in his life. Are they a priority in your life? Don't get trapped in the mentality that says, I've got plenty of time to build relationships in life. First, I'll get my life started, and the I'll start building relationships and investing in the lives of others. Listen folks: we're not even entitled to live another minute! There's no guarantee that you'll wake up the next morning when you go to bed at night. You only have a limited amount of time and resources here on this earth. The question is, what are you going to do with that time and resources that will outlive you? Relationships are one of the only things in life that will last after a person passes away. Please, take your relationships seriously, especially the ones with your family. You can't know whether or not you will have another day to spend with them. Why not make the most of the time you currently do have?

A second area in which I would encourage you to be grateful is the area of personal inadequacies. This really impacted me because I am in the middle of a situation right now that feels out of my control. I really feel helpless and overwhelmed by the situation. However, it is in the middle of these situations that God is able to demonstrate his grace. This is because He is not able to help us if we don't have any inadequacies. He would love to help us, but He can't until we come to the point that we realize we can't handle this situation on our own. I'm so inspired by what Paul said in II Corinthians 12:9, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." It is a helpless feeling when we arrive at this spot, but we all must learn to realize, like Paul, that this is exactly the place where Christ can display his power through our lives.

So, my challenge to y'all is this: pick two or three things that you wouldn't normally feel grateful for, or that you don't want to be grateful for, and look for ways to be thankful for them. And, if you can't think of anything else, at least these situations will allow you to look forward to heaven all the more!

Giving until it hurts: Lessons from a Widow woman

In my personal devotions, I have been reading through the accounts of the Kings in the Old Testament. One day, I read the story about Elijah and the widow of Zarephath in I Kings 17. I was familiar with the story, but the Lord gave me a new insight that was very powerful to me.

Before we delve into the text, I want you to get the setting. In the beginning of chapter 17, Elijah told King Ahab that the dew and rain would cease. Once he had done so, the Lord directed him to a brook, where he lived by the Lord's provision for a while. After the brook dried up, however, Elijah was directed to go to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city, he saw a woman gathering sticks. Let's begin at the end of verse 10.

"And he [Elijah] called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said unto her; Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son." (I Kings 17:10b-13) Elijah then proceeded to tell the woman that her meal would not waste and her oil would not run out until the day that it rained again.

Now, think about it for a minute. This was a poor widow. She had one son, and enough food left for one meal for both of them. Along comes a stranger (a foreigner at that) and asks her for food before she fixes a meal for her and her son. Granted, the stranger promises that she won't run out of food, but how can he guarantee that? Even more than that, how did she even know that it would ever rain again? But what does she do? She obeys him! Instead of disregarding what he said, she had faith and gave him all that she had. She refused to withhold her last food from her guest, and the Lord blessed her with provision for her obedience. 

Later on in the story, the woman's son became ill. In fact, he became so ill the Scriptures say that "there was no breath left in him." In her anguish. the woman asks Elijah if he was sent to "call her sin to remembrance, and to slay her son." Instead of trying to comfort or dissuade her, Elijah tells her, "Give me thy son." Now, what mother who has a dying son would be willing to give him up to anyone? However, she allowed Elijah to take her son away from her. Because of her submission, her son was healed, and she came to believe that Elijah was a true prophet of God. 

Is there something you are holding to that you don't want to let go? Do you have a person, a hope, or an idea that you are trusting in for your survival? Or perhaps you are tempted to place your trust in an object or person for your comfort, security, and happiness. If this is the case, I encourage you to remember the faith of the widow of Zarephath. Put your trust completely in the Lord, and lean on him for your future. I know this sounds cliché, but it is the truth! (Prov. 3:5-6) Once we are willing to give up our way for God's way, He is free to do miracles with our lives. 
                                                         

Spiritual Distractions, and Lessons from the Sheep

This morning in Sunday School, our class was going through the first part of John 10. I was very blessed by the spiritual insights that Jesus gave us through the behavior of sheep. However, one point that our teacher made especially impacted me. He was explaining verses 4-5, which say, "And when he [the shepherd] putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers." Our teacher told the class that, to the sheep, the strangers are essentially "background noise." They are something that is clamoring for the attention of the sheep, but it is not given because the sheep are so attuned to the voice of their master that they will only follow him.

Such a level of trust on the part of the sheep is amazing, but this relationship is possible only through the following aspects:

• The sheep have spent large amounts of time with the shepherd, and have come to have an implicit trust in his leadership, because he always leads for their good.
• The sheep have listened many times to the voice of the shepherd. In fact, they are so familiar with the voice of the shepherd that they instantly recognize it from the voices of others. 
•  Because the sheep implicitly trust the shepherd, they will follow him wherever he leads them.
• Notice what verse 4 says about the shepherd: "he goeth before them [the sheep]." The shepherd will not take the sheep anywhere that he is not willing to take himself.

I was so blessed when I finally came to understand these truths. So often in life, I find myself questioning my life decisions. Is this where God wants me, or should I be doing something else? Is this right, or is it wrong? The answer lies in the response of the sheep to the shepherd. Our spiritual Shepherd is Christ (see John 10:11), and He will never lead us anywhere that He Himself would not go. Hebrews 13:5b tells us, "I [God] will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Furthermore, He always leads His sheep in places that are for their benefit (see Romans 8:28).

How is this relationship accomplished? It occurs when His sheep (believers) spend time with Him, and learn to hear for His voice. God speaks through His word (II Peter 1:20-21) and through His Holy Spirit (Romans 8:17). We learn to recognize His voice when we spend time with Him praying, reading His word, and waiting on Him.

I want to be like that sheep. I want to implicitly and blindly follow the voice of Christ wherever He may lead me. I want to know His voice so well that I can identify it in the middle of a thousand other voices seeking to lead me astray. I encourage you, fellow believers, to pursue the same thing. Don't be discouraged when your Bible reading and prayer time seem worthless. Through these exercises, you are learning to discern the voice of your Shepherd! If you hear his voice leading you through a difficult place, follow Him in trust. After all, He's already been there, so it must be safe for you to be there too. I encourage you to hear your Master, and follow Him alone!  

Insights from a Study on American Literature

As some of you may know, I am currently in college. Recently, I finished a period of study on the subject of American Literature. It consisted of book/video/slideshow study before a test, just like many of the previous tests that I have taken; but it made a deep impact on me. American Literature had such a good start. There were godly historians like William Bradford and Cotton Mather, and godly poets like Edward Taylor and Anne Bradstreet. Sadly, though, the history of American literature is a nearly universal decline from spirituality to hopelessness, confusion, pain, and bitterness. Many modern pieces of literature deal with themes that are very unedifying and depressing. They are filled with infidelity, hate, alcohol, drugs, brokenness, instability, and anger.

Many modern pieces of literature are sad; however, what makes them even more saddening is that they are often a mirror of the life of the author. Many of the authors came from homes situations where they were unloved, mistreated, endangered, and hurt. They were looking for something to ease the pain and emptiness in their lives, but instead of finding  peace and security in Christ, they vented their feelings and ideas to the world around them.

What a blessing we have to be born in a home where our parents love and support each other, where the truth is taught, and where we are protected from so many of the evils around us! If you have experienced that, please don't take it for granted or downplay it. I have done it far too many times, and I don't want to continue to do so!

In closing, I believe that this study of American literature has taught me a lot about the hopelessness of people around me. Many times, I feel that I am sheltered from much of the pain of live that many others experience daily. However, this study of American literature was a stark reminder that there are people who are living pain-filled and empty lives. I challenge you to look for those people around you, and let God use you to expose them to hope in their painful world.

P.S.
If you happen to come from a home situation where you experienced some of these things and you are looking for purpose and fulfillment in life, I have good news for you. All the desires that we have for love, fulfillment, pleasure, security, and individual worth can be fulfilled in Christ. He loved us so much he was willing to take a death penalty for us while we were still in rebellion against Him (Rom. 5:8). Colossians 2:10 tells us, "And ye are complete in Him (Christ) [complete meaning to be abundantly filled and made complete (Strongs)]. Christ tells us in Matthew 11, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." We can be secure because He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5-6). I Peter 2:9 tells us that those who follow Christ are a "peculiar people" (people that are for a possession [Strongs]). So if you feel like your life is worthless and that it can't get any worse, talk to Jesus about your problems. Hebrews 4:15-16 tells us that He can relate to the experiences we face in life. He is easily able to help you with your biggest problems.