On the church calendar, this Sunday is “Christ the King Sunday”. Naturally, I’ve been wondering what it means to say that Christ is King. More importantly, what does it mean to believe that Christ is King? Perhaps the best way to answer those questions is to define the opposite of having Christ as king. More specifically, I think we can say that the opposite of having Christ as king is having Cain as king. There’s a clear difference between these two states of being, and the delineation of that difference is what follows.
Matthew 25:31-46 (which just so happens to be the Gospel reading in a lot of churches this Sunday) makes the distinction between sheep and goats. On the one hand, the sheep have lived in goodwill toward “the least of these”. On the other, the goats have lived under the law of self-concern. Put differently, while the sheep have lived in the freedom of the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2, 1 Cor. 9:21), the goats have lived as slaves to their appetites and ambitions.
Ultimately, the sheep are those who have Christ as king, while the goats are those who have Cain as king. That is, the sheep have the living Spirit of Christ reigning with grace and truth within them, while the goats have none other than Cain as lord of their will. Why is this so? Because the goats have not trusted God’s promise that the repentant in Christ will receive his grace, that the humble in Christ will be exalted, and that the dead in Christ will be raised to life eternal with their Lord.
In the end (and in the End), the goats have let Cain’s question absolve them from the task of love: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen. 4:9) In contrast, the sheep have let the Spirit of Christ answer: “Yes, I am.” The sheep have believed that Christ is the one true King - the King who protects, provides for, and blesses his people - and through such faith the Spirit of Christ has led them in the life of goodwill.
On the Last Day, both the sheep and the goats will face judgment. The goats will “go away into eternal punishment.” (Mat. 25:46) But the sheep will be greeted thusly: “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Mat. 25:34, 40)
The difference between having Cain as king and having Christ as king has eternal significance. It determines who's a goat and who's a sheep, who's turned away from Christ's Kingdom and who enters into the eternal joy thereof. So with all of that said, it seems fitting to conclude with the following words of Christ himself: "Believe in God, believe also in me...and this is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." (John 14:1, 15:12)
Friday, November 18, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Satan's Spiritual Too
“I’m spiritual, but not religious.” What do you mean by that? I’m convinced that those who say this do so without thinking. It might seem harmless, but there’s something problematic with calling ourselves “spiritual but not religious.” To wit, Satan is spiritual too. I doubt that anyone who calls himself “spiritual but not religious” has that in mind, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. So to those who claim they are “spiritual but not religious”, we must ask: What spirit is making you spiritual?
Despite the problems of the “spiritual but not religious” designation, and despite the fact that it often contains minimal thought, I think it can be redeemed. There is truth to it, and it can identify something good. However, the Church needs to be clear about the true and good meaning of “spiritual but not religious”.
By “spiritual” we must mean “led by the Holy Spirit.” That is, we must mean that the Spirit of Christ dwells in our hearts through faith, and that he keeps us rooted and grounded in love. (Ephesians 3:17) It’s worth noting that this same Spirit won’t contradict Jesus, for “he will not speak on his own…he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:13, 14)
Thus, a spirit that contradicts God’s Word is not the Holy Spirit, and the person led by such an evil spirit is not “spiritual” in a good sense. By way of contrast, the truly spiritual person clings to the Christ’s Spirit of truth. In turn, this same Spirit makes God’s Word “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword.” (Hebrews 4:12)
Next, by “not religious” we must mean “free from bondage.” (The word “religion” comes from the Latin word “religio”, which denotes bondage to a law.) The phrase “not religious” must be framed by Romans 8:2: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
In other words, the good meaning of “not religious” is that we are not in bondage to the law of sin and death. The person who says that he is “not religious” but remains enslaved to his own worldly appetites and ambitions doesn’t know how mistaken he is. In contrast, the person who is “not religious” in the good sense must be – because of the Spirit of Christ within – no longer in bondage to sin. As it's written, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17)
Finally, by “spiritual but not religious” we must mean someone who is like Mary rather than Martha. (Luke 10:38-42) Recall that Mary “sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying,” while Martha “was distracted by her many tasks.” Jesus’ speaks to the religious Martha about the spiritual Mary: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”
So the next time someone says he is “spiritual but not religious”, I recommend responding thusly: “Do you mean you’re like Mary, and that instead of being enslaved to worldly appetites and ambitions, you cling to the Holy Spirit of Christ in faith, hope, and love?” Somehow I doubt he’d say, “Yep, you nailed it.” Nonetheless, maybe it will get him to put some thought behind his words. And maybe – hope against hope – his ears would be open to hear the Word of the One who sets the prisoners free.
Despite the problems of the “spiritual but not religious” designation, and despite the fact that it often contains minimal thought, I think it can be redeemed. There is truth to it, and it can identify something good. However, the Church needs to be clear about the true and good meaning of “spiritual but not religious”.
By “spiritual” we must mean “led by the Holy Spirit.” That is, we must mean that the Spirit of Christ dwells in our hearts through faith, and that he keeps us rooted and grounded in love. (Ephesians 3:17) It’s worth noting that this same Spirit won’t contradict Jesus, for “he will not speak on his own…he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:13, 14)
Thus, a spirit that contradicts God’s Word is not the Holy Spirit, and the person led by such an evil spirit is not “spiritual” in a good sense. By way of contrast, the truly spiritual person clings to the Christ’s Spirit of truth. In turn, this same Spirit makes God’s Word “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword.” (Hebrews 4:12)
Next, by “not religious” we must mean “free from bondage.” (The word “religion” comes from the Latin word “religio”, which denotes bondage to a law.) The phrase “not religious” must be framed by Romans 8:2: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
In other words, the good meaning of “not religious” is that we are not in bondage to the law of sin and death. The person who says that he is “not religious” but remains enslaved to his own worldly appetites and ambitions doesn’t know how mistaken he is. In contrast, the person who is “not religious” in the good sense must be – because of the Spirit of Christ within – no longer in bondage to sin. As it's written, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17)
Finally, by “spiritual but not religious” we must mean someone who is like Mary rather than Martha. (Luke 10:38-42) Recall that Mary “sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying,” while Martha “was distracted by her many tasks.” Jesus’ speaks to the religious Martha about the spiritual Mary: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”
So the next time someone says he is “spiritual but not religious”, I recommend responding thusly: “Do you mean you’re like Mary, and that instead of being enslaved to worldly appetites and ambitions, you cling to the Holy Spirit of Christ in faith, hope, and love?” Somehow I doubt he’d say, “Yep, you nailed it.” Nonetheless, maybe it will get him to put some thought behind his words. And maybe – hope against hope – his ears would be open to hear the Word of the One who sets the prisoners free.
Friday, November 4, 2011
A Reformation or a Petty Rebellion?
Over the course of the past week, a variety of interpretations of the Reformation have been popping up. On a number of Roman Catholic websites and blogs that I frequent, the Reformation often is interpreted as nothing more than a rebellion against truth and against the Church as “the pillar and bulwark of the truth.” (1 Timothy 3:15) After the way that much of Protestantism has lived out its Reformation heritage, I think these Roman Catholic apologists might be onto something.
In short, it seems that much of the Protestant “protest” is a rebellion against the Church merely because the Church’s teachings are contrary to our likings. Insofar as this is the case, the Reformation becomes nothing more than a petty rebellion against the Church and – because the Church is Christ’s body – against God himself. The message to petty rebels in every time and place? “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls and will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with sighing – for that would be harmful to you.” (Hebrew 13:17)
Despite the Reformation’s tendency to turn vain and self-seeking, there was – and I believe still is – a valid reason for reform. The Reformation was not rejecting the authority of the Church as such, but rather identifying who/what the ultimate authority is. And despite current ideas to the contrary, the ultimate authority is not the individual bound conscience. (This is especially true when that conscience is bound to the spirit of the age.) To speak of Luther, his bound conscience was bound to the Word of God. It is that Word – not the individual conscience as such – that holds the place of ultimate authority in the Church.
Ultimately, to be bound to God’s Word is to be bound to Christ, God’s Word incarnate. (John 1) It is bondage to Christ that truly frees a man from bondage to sin. (John 8) As a quick aside, it’s worth noting that the Christian is bound not to some imaginary Christ of his own making, but to the Christ to whom the Scriptures testify and who is revealed in the breaking of bread. (Luke 24:27, 30-31)
So the Reformation is not about rebelling against authority. Rather, it is about being bound to Christ – the ultimate authority in the Church – above all else. It is about being bound to the truth of the Gospel that Jesus Christ was “handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.” (Romans 4:25) The true spirit of the Reformation – if it is to be in line with the Holy Spirit – must be centered on confessing this Gospel in humility and boldness. We would do well to consider and emulate the apostles in the Book of Acts.
In addition to considering the humility and boldness of the apostles, we should remember that love – the primary gift of God’s Spirit – is neither arrogant nor rude. (1 Corinthians 13:4-5) The following is an appropriate exhortation: “Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:29-30)
In the end, the Reformation was and is about obedience to Christ above all else. Perhaps that is why the Lutheran Reformers themselves so frequently used Peter’s words from Acts 5:29: “We must obey God rather than men.” Above I said that the petty rebellion of many Protestants is due to the fact that the Church’s teachings are contrary to our likings. In conclusion it must be said that the desire of the true Reformation is not to rid the Church of teachings that are contrary to our likings, but rather to rid Her of teachings that are contrary to the Word of God.
In short, it seems that much of the Protestant “protest” is a rebellion against the Church merely because the Church’s teachings are contrary to our likings. Insofar as this is the case, the Reformation becomes nothing more than a petty rebellion against the Church and – because the Church is Christ’s body – against God himself. The message to petty rebels in every time and place? “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls and will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with sighing – for that would be harmful to you.” (Hebrew 13:17)
Despite the Reformation’s tendency to turn vain and self-seeking, there was – and I believe still is – a valid reason for reform. The Reformation was not rejecting the authority of the Church as such, but rather identifying who/what the ultimate authority is. And despite current ideas to the contrary, the ultimate authority is not the individual bound conscience. (This is especially true when that conscience is bound to the spirit of the age.) To speak of Luther, his bound conscience was bound to the Word of God. It is that Word – not the individual conscience as such – that holds the place of ultimate authority in the Church.
Ultimately, to be bound to God’s Word is to be bound to Christ, God’s Word incarnate. (John 1) It is bondage to Christ that truly frees a man from bondage to sin. (John 8) As a quick aside, it’s worth noting that the Christian is bound not to some imaginary Christ of his own making, but to the Christ to whom the Scriptures testify and who is revealed in the breaking of bread. (Luke 24:27, 30-31)
So the Reformation is not about rebelling against authority. Rather, it is about being bound to Christ – the ultimate authority in the Church – above all else. It is about being bound to the truth of the Gospel that Jesus Christ was “handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.” (Romans 4:25) The true spirit of the Reformation – if it is to be in line with the Holy Spirit – must be centered on confessing this Gospel in humility and boldness. We would do well to consider and emulate the apostles in the Book of Acts.
In addition to considering the humility and boldness of the apostles, we should remember that love – the primary gift of God’s Spirit – is neither arrogant nor rude. (1 Corinthians 13:4-5) The following is an appropriate exhortation: “Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:29-30)
In the end, the Reformation was and is about obedience to Christ above all else. Perhaps that is why the Lutheran Reformers themselves so frequently used Peter’s words from Acts 5:29: “We must obey God rather than men.” Above I said that the petty rebellion of many Protestants is due to the fact that the Church’s teachings are contrary to our likings. In conclusion it must be said that the desire of the true Reformation is not to rid the Church of teachings that are contrary to our likings, but rather to rid Her of teachings that are contrary to the Word of God.
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