New Thoughts (8/1/03-8/4/03)
Paul turns to the slaves in the foundling church. It amazes me how many of our translations try to soften that word. They turn it to 'servant' or 'bond-slave,' but the force of the message is in the fact of slavery in that day and age. It was hardly uncommon. Indeed, it was an institution, an integral part of society. With our modern sensibilities, we find it perhaps shocking that Scripture doesn't deal with the evils of that institution, seek to abolish it. God, however, is less concerned with the physical circumstances of our lives in this fallen world than He is with our spiritual readiness for the heavenly citizenship He has provided for us. This is not to say that He is unconcerned with our physical condition, only that they are a secondary issue in the economy of heaven.
If we will consider the matter, we will recognize that we are all, in some fashion, slaves to this day. The particular evils of the institution as it existed in that time may be gone, but the basic concept persists. Even in that time, those not officially counted as slaves knew somewhat of the relationships involved. Every worker knows of them. Every employer is, in a sense, a master, and every employee a slave. No longer is there the absolute ownership, the absolute control over another man's life, but there is a large degree of control, albeit voluntarily entered into. This situation was not unknown to the cultural setting of the Bible either. Indeed, ages before Paul wrote this, Moses had laid down the rules for those who would voluntarily enter into a lifelong slavery to their chosen master.
Once more, the instructions Paul directs to the slave in this passage are but specific application of the solid truth of Gospel doctrine. Rather than focus on the slavery issue, we ought to be considering what these instructions indicate for our own situation, how they apply to our lives. The clearest application is to our employments, the means God has provided for our sustenance. We could replace 'slave' with 'employee,' and 'master' with 'boss,' and not be far off the mark, here. In your employments, be subject to direction, seek to render good service to your employer, don't be argumentative, but labor with diligence at the tasks assigned to you. Don't steal from those you work for, either by using the materials given you for your task to serve your own purposes, or by being lax in performing your assigned tasks. Give a good day's work. Labor in good faith, giving every cause by your faithfulness for your boss to place his trust in you. Let not your Christianity be looked down upon because you have neglected your labors in favor of spiritual posturing. There is the practical application for us in the day to day.
There's another level that we can apply this to ourselves, as well, a more spiritual application. Even beyond the boss / worker relationship, we are all very much slaves. There is not a one living who does not slavishly serve something which masters him. Paul brings it out in his letter to the Romans. You are all slaves, he writes, of the one you obey. In the end, there are but two masters, and we either serve out our slavery under one or the other. Either we serve sin, yielding our obedience to its demands, and accepting the payment of death for our services, or we serve in obedience to Christ, receiving of His righteousness as our pay (Ro 6:16). It struck me, in seeing that verse again, that the two masters we are shown are, rather surprisingly, not Satan or God, not even sin or righteousness. These are not the things between which the comparison is made. Rather, Paul contrasts sin and obedience as the competing masters of our life. If obedience is righteousness, as this verse indicates, then surely we must see that rebellion is sin.
This is the root issue that Paul is addressing here. Looking again at the issues he speaks to, we can see it clearly. Be subject. What is this, but to obey rather than rebel? Don't argue. Argument is a hallmark of rebellion. Don't steal, don't be a slacker in your duties. There again, we are simply seeing another side of rebellion, the stealthier side of it. Rather, we are called to be well-pleasing, displaying good faith towards our masters. These are the marks of obedience. Now, clearly Paul is addressing matters of human relations here. The application for us in our day to day is plain to see. The reason for Paul's concern in these matters is equally plain, as he indicates it to us. As much as he addresses the mundane matters of life, his concern is plainly on promoting the Gospel. These things, he would have us do, that nothing in our actions would disgrace God or doctrine, but all that we do would recommend both, would show them in even greater beauty than they already possess, were that possible.
There's another reason for this, though. Not only is the Gospel thus promoted, not only are we positioned to bring others to the Kingdom by our good example, but we are also training ourselves in the process. There is One we have called 'Lord.' We have, in accord with the pattern of the Mosaic code, sworn our lifelong service to His house. We have become willing bond-servants - slaves - to Him and to Him alone. In serving those in authority over us in this life, we are but serving Him by whom all authority is delegated. If we will not diligently serve the master whom we can see, how then will we serve our Master on high, whom we cannot see?
It must have been terribly tempting for the slave of that day to throw off his bonds in this newfound freedom and equality in Christ. Imagine the one who served a Christian master. Both were learning of their equality, both were now seeing each other as brothers. How strong must the temptation have been for the slave to begin acting as a worldly equal, even as he was understanding that they were spiritual equals! Consider the one serving a heathen master, one who showed absolutely no interest in coming to Christ. What a dilemma this must have seemed! Had not Christ said we could not serve two masters? Clearly, this heathen master must be put away from us! Clearly, our allegiance is to One much higher than he! But, God paints a different picture. "All authority is from Me," He tells us. They all posses authority only because He has delegated of His own authority to them. By the circumstances of our particular servitude, He asks us to know our hearts. Like Israel in the desert, He would try us to know how we will obey Him.
It would be all to easy to find in our growing spirituality an excuse. How often have we heard the phrase 'too heavenly minded to be any earthly good?' It happens. It happens not only in the church, but it often gets carried into the rest of life. The labors and assignments of our day to day life get neglected because we're too busy pursuing heavenly matters. We forget that God has ordained the day to day responsibilities just as much as He has ordained our salvation and our sanctification. Indeed, in His sight, they are hardly disparate matters, but are integrally related one to another. Believe me, it's not at all difficult for us to get so caught up in our godly pursuits that we will shoo away any attempts to bring earthly responsibilities to our attention. I've seen it in my own life. I've seen it in the very pursuit of this study. There is a time of day which I consider as set aside to the pursuit of the study of God's Word. This is not a bad thing. This is a good thing. But, when that study becomes a source of anger at any life situation which might try to preempt it, when that study becomes a source of frustration at my family because some event simply demands my immediate attention, I have made of that good thing an entry point for sin. I have become a rebel against the command of the very Lord I seek to serve.
We simply cannot allow the Gospel to become an excuse for us to exercise a rebellious spirit. God has placed us into various relationships for His express purpose. He has delegated to us certain responsibilities in those relationships, whether to lead or to serve (remembering that in His sight to lead is to serve). If we refuse to do what He has placed us here to do because we are too busy serving Him, how is this different than declaring all that we have 'Corban' and therefore, unavailable for the support of those we ought to be supporting? How is this not rebellion and therefore sin? The comment in the JFB speaks to this point. "Men will write, fight, even die for religion; but how few live for it!" If we stop short of living for Christ, if we stop at writing about Christ, arguing defenses of Christianity, even if we willingly go to our death for our belief, but have failed to live it, we have done nothing. We have rebelled against the very One we expend all our energy touting. We have run long and hard, only to find that in the end we have long since left the course of the race, and have forfeited any chance of finishing well.
As I said, I've seen it in my own life, and I know I'm not unique. How often God has had to snap me out of it. How often He has had to remind me that living by His ways is far more critical than understanding them. There is that reaction of the flesh, still, when something comes up which interrupts my routine of morning study. Oh, how the rebellious flesh rises up! But, thanks be to God that He sends the whisper of the Holy Spirit, reminding me that what is right in that time and place is to serve willingly, from the heart, doing whatever it is the situation demands as unto Him. He has, after all, prepared these good works beforehand, that we might do them! What is it, other than rebellion, if we refuse to do them when He brings them before us!
There is a particular mindset that makes for a good servant. It is, perhaps, what distinguishes between the slave and the servant. The servant will be ever mindful of what the master requires. He labors to know his master so completely that he can anticipate the master's commands, and thereby serve the better. He is zealous in the pursuit of his master's pleasures, and labors to not only comply to those commands, but to do even more than is required. If we would hear the Lord say, "well done, good and faithful servant," we had best understand this mindset, and cultivate it in our own lives. It's not simply a matter of doing, for doing may be no more than busyness, if it is doing anything other than what He desires. It's a matter of being so intimate with Him, so wholly attentive to Him, that the least indication of His desire is sufficient to move us into action to comply. No questioning of His command, no debating or arguing with Him when we don't like what it requires of us, but simply that attitude of "speak, for Your servant hears," followed by immediate compliance.
"Faithfulness," Matthew Henry writes, "lies in the ready, punctual, and thorough execution of orders." Jesus put it another way: "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." We need to come to that place where our own heart and soul speak it thusly: "Thy will be done by me as it is in heaven." In heaven, there is nothing but faithfulness. There is not a command issued from the throne of God which is not executed with alacrity. When His word goes forth, it does not return void, but accomplishes all His purpose, and every servant of God in heaven stands ready to see that this is so, that His will is done in full.
What of His servants upon the earth? How many remain attentive to not only His voice, but His every move, His every indication of purpose? How many position themselves to respond immediately? How many of us instead hear His desired work for us, see what He has prepared for us to do, but insist on a period of consideration and preparation to be sure? We're hardly alone in that, there's no condemnation in this problem of the flesh, only conviction. Moses suffered from the same afflictions. Called to his great work as God's representative before Pharaoh, called to be instrumental in the deliverance of Israel, he heard clearly enough, but how he argued for another to be sent in his stead. Then, of course, Jonah's story is familiar to us, not only asking that another be sent, but asking that none be sent - allowing his hurt to be more important to him than God's purpose of salvation!
What about me? God, I know there have been entirely too many occasions of late that I've heard You, and rather than seeking to comply immediately, I've sought after excuses to do nothing. I ask Your forgiveness, my God. I am mindful of Your patience with great thankfulness, yet I am also mindful that Your patience is not forever. Lord, I do indeed call You 'Lord,' with understanding of all that implies. I know I have been an unfaithful servant, especially of late, but. There are no 'buts.' There is only the nakedness of my sin before You. There is no excuse I can offer, there is no act of contrition by which I can make things right with You. I can only pray to You that You will work within this broken vessel to bring back the passion for Your ways, to bring a passion for You such as was never there before.
Jesus, my Comfort, I must pour my heart out before You this morning. This whole business of the house has scared me. It has me guarding my possessions in a way that is not right for one of Your family. I've seen it. The willingness I had to support Your work, to help the hurting without a second thought is being challenged right now. I'm seeing what (inasmuch as it's possible) I know to be coming, and I'm seeing so much that is unknown, and I must confess that it scares me. It's not even that I've lost sight of You, although more and more of late, it seems I need my wife there to interpret events. God! I don't want to become hardened and hard of hearing You! I don't like this concern over finance that's been overtaking me of late. Free me, Lord! Free me from this foolishness!
Oh! Holy One! I know this whole matter of selling the house is in Your hands, that You have already worked out every last detail, but it's hard, my God, to remain and wonder. I see it not only in myself, but in my wife as well, and it spreads from there to our daughter. This waiting and wondering, Lord, it's taking a toll on us. You know. I know You know, and I know You are concerned for us, that You are still watching over us, loving us with Your fatherly heart. I could offer theories as to why You are working things as You are, but they would amount to no more than idle speculations. Come quickly, Lord, to our aid! Bring resolution, my God, that we can put this distraction behind us. Strengthen me, my King, for the trial in which I walk, cleanse my eyes to see the path You lay before me. I know my victory is in You, that You have already provided the path through this trial to the other side. Keep me faithful, Holy Spirit, to follow where You lead. Restore to me the joy of my salvation, and renew a right spirit within me.
There is one, and only one, valid reason to disobey earthly authority. That one reason is God's will. When God's will and earthly will collide, we must serve our Master, and pursue His will. This call to disobey, I think we must consider most carefully before accepting it as our call, for all earthly authority is established by His will, delegated by and from His own authority. Only when there is a clear conflict, a clear abuse of that authority to which obedience would require that we disobey His clear command, are we called to disobey. Poor character in such authorities is not sufficient cause. Our likes and dislikes are not sufficient cause. Only a breach of His will is cause to disobey, and we must remain cognizant of the fact that our obedience to authority is His will. Whatever we do, we are called to do as unto Him. Whomever we serve, whether by requirement or by choice, we are called to serve as serving Him. This is to be our guiding principle in serving any man.
When our service is more directly to Him, then, there can be no excuse for disobedience. If the only legitimate reason to disobey is His will, there can be no legitimate reason when His will is our direct and immediate pursuit. To disobey His direct command can be no other than sin in us. To hear and yet refuse, to hear but offer our arguments and rationalizations, these things are not allowed to us. To give anything less than our all in the pursuit of fulfilling His will, to hold back when we could do more, these are just as sinful. This is theft. If we are His, bought with such high price, willing bond-servants in His household, our compliance to His command must be both immediate and thorough. We can do no less.
In that vein, we have a prime directive: In all you do, be an advertisement for His goodness, and for the goodness of the Gospel. Notice that there is no limitation on this directive. It's not limited to what you do for the church. It's not limited to how you treat your family. It's all inclusive. In how you labor at the vocation He has given you to provide for your needs, work so as to display His goodness. This is not a matter of making great display of our Christianity by plastering our work areas with Christian slogans and paraphernalia. That's a cheap out. It's not about outward display, any more than His work in us is solely about outward effect. It's about inward attitude, it's about integrity. It's about character. All we do will reflect our inward character, whether or not we would have that reflection to show. If Christ is in us, if we have truly laid hold of our salvation, this cannot help but show. If our faith is no more than outward show, this, too, will be evident in our labors. We may fool ourselves, but we will not long fool those around us.
Every day, we are invited to become hypocrites. The temptation to 'put a good face on it,' while we crumble inside is a constant barrage. We are surrounded by a culture of doing only what is required, of doing as little as we can get by with doing. We are called to be better than that, to resist the culture, and offer excellence in service. We are called to give our best effort to every task put before us, and to that end we are given the best possible motivation: do it as unto the Lord. For many Christians today, there has come an apparent divide between the workplace and Christian labor. This is not God's design for us. He does not call us to make any such distinction. Rather, He calls us to see our daily labors as given us by His own hand. The God of all Providence has provided our 'mundane' labors, has decreed them as clearly as He has decreed our sanctification. If we will but see Him in our work, our work will no longer be meaningless.
I heard this matter come up just the other day. A young brother, freshly come to the Lord, and wholly fired up by the change God has brought to his life, was contemplating the fact that he had to work. It bothered him because it seemed such a waste of time. Nothing was being accomplished for the kingdom by this labor in his estimation. All time and energy should be given to more direct ministry. What, he asked of his older brothers, should he do? One answered that clearly, where there was opportunity to pursue direct ministry, this must take precedence over the time wasting work of the labor force. I don't believe the answer is that clear cut. My advice to him was that he had best be about whichever task the Lord set before him. To enter ministry when God wants you elsewhere is disastrous. To my thinking, many have done just that, and in doing so have harmed not only themselves, but the concerns of the Kingdom. One pointed out that even Paul had labored to support himself as he ministered. Others jumped on this, declaring that while this might be so, it was hardly all that Paul was doing. A specious argument at best. Neither is this the case for the young man in question.
What was displayed here was a mindset, a mindset that the world around us seeks to impose upon us, and has apparently succeeded in doing. Society wants us to compartmentalize our faith, to keep our Christianity for the church. Not recognizing God's hand in their own provision, they ask that we not see it in ours. Many have acceded to this imposition, and now see their own work as purposeless and empty. They have allowed God's view of things to be veiled behind popular thought, and are now frustrated and dissatisfied in the work He gave them to do. They see no benefit to their soul in working. They see no higher purpose in the jobs they are forced to pursue.
This is not God's design. He calls us to view our entire lives as ministry, to view everything we do as done for Him. He calls us to be a living testimony to His goodness. This does not always equate to loud proclamations of the Gospel. As often as not, it requires of us a quiet and constant conformance to His ways. Loud proclamations will not convince the unbeliever. He's heard loud proclamations before, and discovered them to be empty words shouted by lives devoid of real content. Any number of false religions loudly proclaim their nonsense. Any number of political speeches have been shown to be nothing more than a collection of catchy phrases designed to inflame our passions, but in the end, offering nothing of real value. Even in the church today there is an epidemic of empty rhetoric. Too many churches are preaching messages designed to stir our emotions for the moment, in hopes of boosting donations. Too many churches are preaching 'feel good' messages about inclusiveness at the expense of holiness. How else is there even debate over the place of homosexuals in the pulpit? How can this even be considered in the light of Scripture! Too many self-proclaimed Christians are shown to be nothing but posers by their words and deeds. God is not interested in such witnesses. He calls us to living faith, to faith shown in a consistent doing of all that we do as unto Him.
The unbeliever wants nothing more than to be comfortable with his unbelief. If our answer to this is no more than sloganeering, if our example is all words and no content, we have delivered to him the comfort he wants. There is nothing in empty rhetoric to bring conviction upon him. If, on the other hand, our lives display an unyielding conformance with our claimed beliefs, then he is given something he must confront. He is given reality. All illusion, all excuses to deny his own real condition are stripped away by the godly example before him. This is not to suggest that 'stealth faith' is the only answer, or even the right answer. To lay out the example without also laying out the meaning of the example is as useless as empty words. Any number of unbelievers out there can lay out examples of good works. We must combine in our everyday lives the example, the heart attitude, and the intelligible message of the Gospel. There is the power of God displayed, when the life is shown to be whole.
In a compartmentalized world, people have become used to fractured lives. They are used to lives where workplace persona and home persona are so distinct as to be totally unrelated. It requires no imagination whatsoever to think that the tyrant boss goes home and transforms himself into the loving family man. It's commonplace. For the most part, people have trained themselves to subjugate the feelings of loss or sorrow that should accompany such an unnatural way of life, but there's little around to suggest another way is possible. The old adage that in the absence of any example to the contrary we don't even imagine the possibility of another life applies. If it's always been this way, and this is just the way it is, then we have no reason to sorrow over it. But when wholeness walks in, when one who is what he is at every moment, whose beliefs and actions walk hand in hand with no contradiction, the emptiness of modern life stands exposed. Something better has come, something to be desired. Such a life displays the real life that Christ has brought to His own - life worthy of the name 'life.' This cannot but make the unbeliever most uncomfortable with his own shell of an existence. This is the example that will spark a hunger for the Gospel. This is the tilling that will make for fertile ground in which to minister.
This is also the answer to those who think that in the New Testament church, the Law of Moses is no longer applicable. If God is our Lord, and we His willing bond-slaves, then His every commandment is binding upon us. Granted, it is no fear of reprisal that now moves us to compliance, yet the commands are just as much commands now as they were then. Jesus ended the curse of the Law, but fulfilled the Law itself. It remains the standard and the rule for us. Calvin tells us that doctrine is the mirror of God's glory. By that definition, surely the Mosaic Law fits the bill. The Decalogue was handed down to man that they might know what God is like, what He expects from His people. It was given as a mirror in which we could see His glory, and see our own comparison to that glory. It was given that we might know.
The mirror has now been polished and burnished by the added words of the prophets and the apostles. The image has been made sharper and clearer, that our understanding of what we should be is better defined. We are each of us called to look into that mirror, to see how we look in the light of His glory. Paul's goal, as the Wycliffe commentators point out, is to encourage every one of us to live lives that adorn God's doctrine, and thus adorn the glory reflected therein. We have been given to know the goodness of salvation. We have been called friends of God, co-laborers in His vineyards. What do our lives declare of these glorious gifts? Do we reflect the joy of our salvation? Do we live in a fashion which will recommend our God to those who see us? In short, do we live as witnesses to His goodness? Does the light of the glory of the Lord shine out from our actions day to day? That's the call on our lives. That's the command of the one we call our Lord. How are we, His slaves, answering His command?
