191124 The Power of Love

Romans 13:8-14 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Paul concludes his list of debts began in verse seven. There he said if you owe taxes pay them. Our debts are not just counted in money. We are to pay respect and grant honor where it is owed. We are to stay out of a very real bondage that is triggered when we don’t meet our obligations. We need to keep in mind always that debt does not just involve money.

It used to be, though I haven’t heard it lately, that when a person finished their prison sentence they had paid their debt to society. I don’t know when the concept was changed.

For a child of God, the greatest unpaid debt is love for one another! Love for one another fulfills the law — all of it!

Jesus was challenged by a lawyer who asked, “which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus’ answer was more than the lawyer expected. Jesus responded with “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Enough said! Every Jewish schoolboy would have known that answer. Jesus knew they were trying to trap him and he was willing to enter into debate with them. However, he was not willing to leave it at one Great Commandment. He added “a second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:36-40) It is easy to say that we love God because it is a concept very hard to prove. However, love for a neighbor is clearly provable by actions. These two commandments are the anchor points of the entire law. Everything that we owe and love is summed up by them.

In fact, Jesus had said that the evidence that we are his disciples is our love for one another. And this is not just some sweet wishy-washy love this is robust adult level love! The kind of love Jesus referred to is the kind that lays down one’s life for another (John 15:13). What does the love Jesus described look like? Is it possible for us to see the kind of love God wants us to have?

Yes, for sure, that description is found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a. There Paul wrote, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant ⁵ or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ⁶ it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. ⁸ Love never ends”. This kind of love reflects the love of God in Christ Jesus. This love is patient, kind, considerate, not self-serving, not haughty or resentful. This love is always supporting truth. This love tolerates anything in order to prove its existence. Infatuation may end but God’s kind of love never will! Friends, God’s kind of love requires activity on our part. The writer of Hebrews tells us that we are to think about ways to encourage love for one another. (Hebrews 12:24-25).

This is not necessarily all sweetness and light. We are to give serious consideration to how we are to love one another. We are to stir one another in a way that will sharpen our response. We are to stimulate each other and urge one another. The original language implies we are to stimulate even to irritate each other so that love will dominate our lives. We definitely want unbelievers to recognize that we are disciples of Jesus. He said that we would be so recognized when we love one another with his kind of love.

Did the world that Jesus was born into understand the radical kind of love Jesus called for? I would like to quote the words of Alexander McLaren. (Born‎: ‎11 February 1826; Glasgow Died‎: ‎5 May 1910).

When these words  (John 13:34-35) were spoken, the then-known civilized Western world was cleft by great, deep gulfs of separation, like the crevasses in a glacier, by the side of which our racial animosities and class differences are merely superficial cracks on the surface. Language, religion, national animosities, differences of sex, split the world up into alien fragments. A “stranger” and an “enemy” were expressed in one language, by the same word. The learned and the unlearned, the slave and his master, the barbarian and the Greek, the man and the woman, stood on opposite sides of the gulf, flinging hostility across. This is what the world that Jesus was born into was like. As time went by and the truth of Christianity spread around the Roman world there were changes beyond our imagination.

Let me return to pastor McLaren: Barbarian, Scythian, bond and free, male and female, Jew and Greek, learned and ignorant, clasped hands and sat at one table, and felt themselves “all one in Christ Jesus.” They were ready to break all other bonds, and to yield to the uniting forces that streamed out from His cross. There never had been anything like it. No wonder that the world began to babble about sorcery, and conspiracies, and complicity in unnameable vices. It was only that the disciples were obeying the “new commandment,” and a new thing had come into the world—a community held together by love and not by geographical accidents or linguistic affinities, or the iron fetters of the conqueror.

Christ’s radical command created a profound commitment to love support and encourage one another.

Let’s return to Romans 13:9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” When we see the phrase “for the commandments” we might expect to see the 10 Commandments. The 10 Commandments has two divisions called the two tablets. The first division is vertical from top to bottom. The horizontal commands pertaining to human relationships. These commandments are specifically reflective of human relationships. Adultery — a sin that has widespread effects. The adulterer, or adulterees, damages his or her relationship to their spouse, to their family, and to the family of the other party.

Throughout the Bible, God uses the word adultery to represent idolatry! When you love your neighbor you will not commit adultery. When you love your neighbor you will remember that he was made in the image of God just as you were! You will not murder him! When you love your neighbor you respect his ownership of property. We might convince our neighbors, and even ourselves, that we love God because it’s so hard to measure love for God. However, we cannot pretend love for neighbor unless we act it out on a day-to-day basis. Our neighbors know when we love them -- or not. No wonder the world, by and large, does not recognize that we are disciples of Jesus. I believe the only example given by our Lord is love for one another.

Having given us four specific examples Paul then sums everything up with “love your neighbor as yourself”.

I don’t believe Paul is telling us that these human relationship commandments are the most important. In fact, the vertical commands illustrate our relationship to God. No other gods; no idols; no misuse of the name of God and set aside one day out of seven to honor God.

If we recognize on a daily basis that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves then, and only then, will they recognize that we have been with Jesus!

¹⁰ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Love does what is right to the neighbor and so doing it fulfills the law. Jesus assured his disciples, in the Sermon on the Mount, that he had not come into the world to abolish the law but instead to fulfill them. The words of the law, which include all the Old Testament, will never pass away, not a dot or a dash will be lost. (Matthew 5:17-18).

Beginning in verse 11 Paul seems to change directions. He does not! He has called us to radical love and now he points out that time is passing quickly. There are two Greek words Paul could have used here. Chronos represents calendar time. Kairos represents quality time. “You know the time”. What kind of time? Throughout the New Testament it is called the last days. In those last days — continuing now — should give us a sense of urgency. The last days began with the birth of Christ and will end on the day of his return.

¹¹ Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. ¹² The night is far gone; the day is at hand.

Salvation has come to us and we have dozed off. Just as the disciples in the garden of Gethsemane slept while Jesus prayed we too sleep spiritually while the world around us goes to hell in a handbasket!

Every day that passes is a day closer to the return of Jesus Christ. Every day is 24 hours nearer to complete salvation. The world around us is darkness — spiritual night! Peter, in his second letter, pointed out the attitude that surrounds us today concerning the second coming. 2 Peter 3:3-4a  tells us, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. ⁴ They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? Peter quickly points out “do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Peter 3:8). Then Peter challenges us, “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, ¹² waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! ¹³ But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 11-13).

Paul gives us an answer to Peter’s question in Romans 13:12-14.

So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy”

Looking back at Romans 12:2 we see “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Later, John would add to this discussion. 1 John 1:6 “if we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” A little further on John adds “it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.” (1 John 2:8).

Then Paul wraps up the message in verse 14 of Romans chapter 13. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. We are not to struggle to live right. We are to submissively let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts and then, “walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16).

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton, Ill, Standard Bible Society.

191117 Relating to Authority

Romans 13:1 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.

Paul begins this important teaching with a positive statement. Every person should be subject to the governing authorities. Subject? To whom? The governing authorities! Why? Why must we be subject to all authority that governs? The second half of the first verse of Romans 13 gives us the answer! There is no authority that has not been instituted by God! I’m going to try to work this out with biblical responses so as not to get caught up in politics and human institutions.

Instituted by God? In Romans 12:2, Paul established a principle that we should be guided by. We are not to be conformed to this age! We are citizens of heaven rather than the earth. We have a responsibility to bring God’s authority into place all over the earth. Throughout history, this has led to many wars and human conflicts. Oh well don’t let me get caught in this trap!

Let’s look at what Jesus had to say before we explore some Old Testament examples. In the gospel of Mark chapter 12, we find an example of Jesus’ teaching. Here, a group of Pharisees and Herodians came to trap him. They had been instructed to ask him, “is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” Taxes? Why would they attack him in this manner? Ex. Al Capone

There are many examples in our own time as to why this would be an excellent subject of discussion. No one appears to like paying taxes. Turn on your TV and you will find many advertisements for companies that will help you out of tax debt. They are operating for the sole purpose of helping people escape the tax laws. So that those who pay their taxes provide the financial support of the government while those who avoid taxes take a free ride. Well, not necessarily “free” because they still have to pay the lawyers to help them avoid the government.

Jesus had a reply for them. He asked for a coin that could be used to pay taxes. They brought it to him and he held it up and asked, “Whose image is this?” They replied that it was Caesar’s image. Jesus’ interpretation of the situation blew them away! He said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22:21) You will recall that the gospel of Matthew ends with these words, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18). All authority resides in Jesus Christ! After he made that statement he ascended into heaven where he is seated at the right hand of power and authority.

Returning to Romans we see that the first clear statement is that all authorities are ordained by God. As we look at the corruption in government, all over the world, we want to resist the evil we see and are pained by the responsibility of helping to support this evil age. Let’s look back to previous examples.

Solomon has come to the end of his life and therefore of his government over Israel. Rehoboam, one of his sons, is made a king in his place. This new king had the possibility of exercising control over all of Israel. After all he was in the direct line of David who had been promised he would have a descendant on the throne. However, there was a condition. That condition was pretty simple Solomon was to walk in God’s ways and keep His commandments! We know that Solomon failed the test in the end. As a result, Rehoboam became king and immediately treated the people so poorly that an opposition party took away 10 of the 12 tribes.

Jeroboam was a commander of Solomon’s army who had led the opposition and as a result, was in a position to take part of the kingdom away! In 1 Kings 12:15, we are told that the king (Rehoboam) “did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by the Lord that he might fulfill his word”. Jeroboam was one of the most wicked kings of Israel! Nevertheless, he was put in place by God.

Another example is Nebuchadnezzar who was the pagan Babylonian king who destroyed Jerusalem. In Jeremiah 27:6 we are told that God had given Nebuchadnezzar the conquered territories and God called him “my servant”!

Later, when it was time for the people of Israel to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple God, through Isaiah, referred to Cyrus as his Shepherd and his anointed  (Isaiah 44:28-45:1).

Paul knew from Daniel 2:21 that “God removes kings and sets up kings” — all kings. They are all under his control he puts them in office and he takes them out of office. God is still in the business of removing governments and replacing them. Often, the replacement is worse for the people than the original government.

There is no authority except given by God! All authority has been given to Jesus and is permitted by him in order to bring about God’s will in the world.

It is God’s will to govern the world of mankind through civil government. Imagine, with me, what the world would be like without government. What would you do if 911 didn’t answer? There are examples where for one reason or another 911 calls were not answered or were misdirected. The ensuing chaos is what the government is supposed to protect us from. In a world, with no police we would have to defend ourselves. Or in a world where the police are corrupt we would have to go into hiding. Without fire departments whole communities would be lost far worse than what we’ve seen in recent years in California.

Let’s move forward to Romans 13:2. The person who resists authority resists what God has appointed and will certainly experience judgment. However. there are at least three areas in which a Christian should resist authority. We have an example carried out by the first-century church. In Acts chapters 4 and 5, the authorities (remember they are ordained by God to protect us from each other) arrested the disciples for preaching the gospel and brought them up before the High Court. They were ordered not to teach in the name of Jesus! How did they respond? Of course, they went right back to preaching! Their response to the authorities was, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19, 20) The command of God always takes precedence over the command of government — no exceptions!

Millions of Christians, following the example of the apostles, have paid the price of their obedience to God. Let me share one example. In 1962 Aida Skripnikova, who was a brand-new Christian, was arrested on the Nevski Prospect in Leningrad for handing out postcards proclaiming Christ—and spent most of the rest of her life in labor camps because she would not refrain from sharing her faith in Christ. Christians can never violate a command of God, regardless of what the state says.

Second, Christians must resist authority when asked to do an immoral act. Sometimes a spouse will ask his or her partner to commit sexual sin, or some other immoral act implying that it will strengthen their marriage. But there are many other examples. Participation in erotic entertainment or working in institutions that perform abortions. Believers must never think it’s okay because the state, or their spouse, has requested it.

Third, believers must never go against their conscious to obey the government or their boss. Colonel Al Shine, who served as professor of military science at Wheaton College, writes of Romans 13:

These verses are not in good repute in some circles today, through no fault of their own, but because some have taken them out of the context of the whole of Scripture to argue that disobedience to any government, under any circumstances, is unbiblical. But it is nonetheless clear that these verses, supported and amplified by other portions of the Word, and contradicted by none, teach the legitimacy of human government. Bearing the sword, in order to execute justice, is a proper duty of human governments. The soldier does not, of course, have a blanket license to hate or kill. As an individual sinner, prone to avenge and resist personal abuse, he must, like all other believers, restrain himself. He should, I believe, examine himself. He should, I believe, examine the cause for which his nation fights, and if he concludes that it is evil and unjust he should refuse to participate. Even when he finds the cause acceptable, he may at times feel led to disobey certain orders that he feels abuse the proper use of force.

A Christian must disobey his government when it asks him to, 1) violate a commandment of God, 2) commit an immoral or unethical act, or 3) go against his Christian conscience. Now, what is a Christian conscience as opposed to a social conscience? Christian conscience is one that is informed by Scripture and in submission to the Spirit of God.

Whether we respect a leader. Whether we voted for them or not. Our response should be the same. If we believe God is sovereign this belief requires that we respect those in authority over us. We can’t always see why God is doing what he is doing. One example we might use is from the book of Exodus. There the Pharaoh was appointed by God and resisted God. Pharaoh’s resistance was used by God to bring glory to himself.

We are to honor God above every other authority. We are to submit to authority because it is placed there by God and when it is not possible to do both these things we expect to suffer for honoring God over human authority. We must never believe or teach, that obedience to God will always result in victory over the enemy. In fact, most examples of civil disobedience end in suffering, or death.

One practical example is the American Civil Rights movement of the 1950s–60s. Civil disobedience drew attention to injustice, and many people suffered dreadful consequences for protesting the inequality of segregation and Jim Crow laws. Most, but certainly not all, of these protesters chose respectful non-violence to bring about needed change. Unfortunately, what we see most often among Christians today is an appeal to the examples of civil disobedience in Scripture without a balancing commitment to the clear and repeated commands in Scripture to submit to authority. We cannot cling to one principle while denying the other. If we are forced by Scripture and conscience to resist the governing authorities we should expect to suffer the consequences.

Through Jesus we can live out our duty to obey as described in the Word of God. We can also fulfill our duty to disobey when it is the will of God to do so.

When it became clear that the Nazis were pursuing their terrible racist policies, Pastor Martin Niemoller continued to preach the truth and as a result, was thrown into prison. The prison chaplain upon visiting Niemoller asked somewhat foolishly, “What brings you here? Why are you in prison?” To which Niemoller replied angrily, “And, brother, why are you not in prison?”

Paul wraps up this section of Romans by taking us beyond the government or the workplace. He lays out reasons for submission fleshing out Jesus’ command to “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:21)

Romans 13:5-7, Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. ⁶ For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. ⁷ Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor.

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton, Ill, Standard Bible Society.