Christians and Culture, Being Radical in Our Faith by Loving as We are Commanded

Radical, it is defined as being very different from the usual or ordinary, or, in some cases, extreme. We as Christians are being urged and encouraged, pushed and prodded to be radical...radical in our Christianity, or to be radical Christians. A couple of books come to mind that encourage this radicalness; and they are Crazy Love by Francis Chan, and Radical by David Platt. There seems, in some areas, to be this push, this rush to be radical in our faith by being radical in our love; but if we take a step back, and really look at this topic from a biblical perspective we see that we are already radical if we are living and loving as the Scriptures tell us to.

We are talked to about radical love, we are urged to be radical in our love, but to love like we are commanded in the Scriptures is a radical (being very different from the usual or ordinary, so in a sense contrary to the usual or customary) love. This love as laid out in the Scriptures is the antithesis of the affections, the love of the world. The world does not operate in the sphere of biblical love, so for us to simply be and do what the Scriptures say is to be radically contrary to what we see in the culture, whether it is American, African, Asian, Australian, European, South American, or even Canadian.  Living out the love we are commanded in Scriptures will radicalize our life and behavior against the cultural norm in any culture in any time.

The prevailing love in any culture is always and has always been self-directed, self-promoting, self-serving, self-focused, self-fulfilling, self-pleasing; truly being an all about self love. So when the love of the Scriptures is lived out in the midst of the culture, it truly goes against the grain of the cultural norm.

For example, let's take the greatest commandment, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. To love God like this is to take the love you have for self, and place it all, direct it all on the Lord God. This is radical, this is very different than the norm; and is, in fact, extreme, as it goes against the stream of the all encompassing self love that exists in every culture, by replacing that self love with an all encompassing love for God.

Next, let's look at the second greatest commandment, to love our neighbor as ourselves. This love does no wrong to a neighbor as it does not covet what is his (How many wars have been fought because of this?), treats him/her as we would want to be treated, is not arrogant towards him/her, does not lie to him/her, does not malign or slander, does not gossip, does not return evil for evil, but gives a blessing instead. In short it puts everyone on the same level as the self. Again, pretty radical for the self-vaunting, self-esteem at all cost culture, not just in our land but in every country.

Finally, let's look at the third commandment on love, the commandment from Christ to love one another as he has loved us. This is a command for Christians and it is a command to follow the example of Christ and to love other Christians in the same way and to the same extent as He loved us. How did He love us?  To the uttermost as He gave Himself up for us as a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma (Ephesians 5:1-2, Galatians 2:20). To walk in--to live in and live out--this kind of self-sacrificial love is contrary to, and would be considered extreme in every culture. It was extreme in the Greek and Roman culture of Christ's time, which was why the Greek word for this kind of love, agape, was so scarcely used.

So for us to be radical, we must simply, faithfully, and consistently live out the Christian life as it is presented in the Scriptures. This is what radicalizes the Christian and the Christian subculture within whatever culture they find themselves. Our faith, rightly lived, is radical, is extreme, is not the normal or usual way to be and live in the culture of this world. So let's don't worry about being radical, or being crazy or extreme in our love. Instead let's pursue being the best Christian we can be by loving God, our neighbor and the brethren with the love that He has lavishly poured out within our heart (Romans 5:5).  That will make us radical in whatever culture we find ourselves. 

God's Nearness, Our Good

But as for me the nearness of God is my good.

Psalm 73:28

How blessed is the one whom You choose

and bring near to You to dwell in your courts.

Psalm 65:4

But God, being rich in mercy because of His

great love with which He loved us...made us

alive together with Christ (by grace you have

been saved), and raised us up with Him and

seated us with Him in the heavenly places

in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:4-7

God's nearness is indeed our good.  In fact, the closer we draw near to God the better it is for us, and the more joy and delight we have in Him and He in us. The question, though, for all of us is, "How indeed do we draw near?" How do we as physical and sinful creatures draw near to the Creator who is Spirit and Holy? 

The answer is that we draw near in Christ. And how then do we draw near in Christ? Since we are baptized in Christ (Romans 6:3-4), we have been placed in Christ through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and through the Spirit's baptism are united with Him (Romans 6:5); and because we now have a spiritual union with Christ, we remain in Him (I Corinthians 6:17, II Peter 1:4). This is what water baptism pictures for us, the spiritual immersing of us into Christ by the Holy Spirit, and the subsequent oneness that we have.

The term united in Romans 6:5 is an organic term as compared to a mechanical term. So instead of being bolted to Christ, or glued to Christ, or welded to Christ we are planted in Christ and grow in Christ, thus picturing a planting and growing together as one. We are not a part to be added to Christ, nor is He part that has been added to us, but we live and grow in Christ. It is a picture of a progressive and intimate relationship  

Once again, we see the wondrous provision of God, in giving to us from Himself and of Himself what we cannot possibly provide or accomplish on our own. Terms such as immeasurable grace or unconditional love do not capture the fullness of what He does for us. So let us rejoice today, and marvel in the nearness we have with the One who has created it all.  

O Church, Beware of Satan and His Schemes

As Christians we are called to live up to the gospel by living out the gospel (Philippians 1:27, Ephesians 4:1). However, this does not happen in a vacuum, or in a laboratory, or in some other sterile environment; but it happens in real time in real life, in the midst of this fallen and broken world. We the church, the body of Jesus Christ, the spiritual kingdom of God here on earth have an enemy, an adversary who is Satan, the devil.

* Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.  Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  I Peter 5:8
* So that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes (trickery, cunning, deceitful craft). II Corinthians 2:11
* Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of he devil.  Ephesians 6:11
* But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.  II Corinthians 11:3
* In Matthew 4:3 and I Thessalonians 3:5 he is called the tempter.
* In John 8:44 we see he is a murderer, a liar, and lying is his very nature as there is no truth in him.
* Genesis 3:1 shows us he is crafty (subtly cunning in an evil way).
* Revelation 12:9 tells us that he is a deceiver.

Quite the resume, isn't it?

Satan's goal is to weaken, subvert, and destroy the work of God; and as you read and study the Scriptures you will see six main schemes, six main tactics, six main battle plans that he follows in his attack on the kingdom of God, and those who belong to God, the citizens of His kingdom. His six main schemes are as follows:

1. He attacks the word of God, its authority, its veracity, and its sufficiency.

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made, and he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?'"
II Peter 2:1 But false prophets arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying (contradicting, disavowing) the Master who bought them.
In Ephesians 4:4 we are told not to be carried about by every wind of doctrine (false/pseudo doctrine or fads based on partial/incomplete doctrine).
In II Corinthians 4:2 we are told there are those who adulterate (mixing in impurities so as to defile) the word of God.
II Timothy 3:8 speaks about those who oppose the truth.

2. He attacks by planting false teachers in our midst.

II Peter 2:1 (see above)
In Matthew 24:11 Christ tells us the many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.
Acts 20:29-30 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.
II Corinthians 11:13-15 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.  No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.  There it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.
I John 2:26 These things I have written you concerning those who are trying to deceive you.
I John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (Elsewhere in this epistle, John calls these people antichrists) One of the ways false teachers come into the church is through the lyrics in the songs we sing. This is a very subtle type of Trojan Horse Satan uses to bring false teaching into the minds of those in the church.
II Timothy 3:5 describes these people as those who hold to a form of godliness, but deny its power.
Galatians 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you?

3. He attacks by getting us to exchange the sacred for the secular.

Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according the elementary principles of the world rather than according to Christ.
Read the entirety of Exodus 32, and what you will see is Israel worshiping the Lord who delivered them in the same manner that they had seen the pagan Egyptians worship their gods; and you will see God's response to being worshiped in that manner.

In modern terms this is called syncretism (the fusion of two or more beliefs or ways of worship).  In its rush to be relevant and to be contextual, the modern church has fallen prey to this scheme. The lines of distinction between the sacred and the secular, the profane and the holy, have been blurred. The relevant/contextual philosophy and its accompanying methodology have another Trojan Horse that has brought the leaven of the world into the camp of the kingdom. Remember, a little leaven leavens the whole lump, and this adulterating of its worship will lead to the church tolerating sin in its midst. (See Leviticus 10:1-7, I Corinthians 5 and 11:1, 23-34, II Corinthians 6:17)  In I Corinthians 11:23-34, the Corinthians, most likely, were practicing the Lord's Supper the same way they practiced pagan feasts, with drunkenness and gluttony.

4. He attacks by using the believers' sin against one another.

Galatians 5:15-16, 19-21a But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.  But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh...Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:  immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these...
Hebrews 12:15  See to it that on one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled.
Ephesians 4:29-31 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you , along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other,just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
I Peter 2:1-2 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babes long for the pure milk of the word, so by it you may grow in respect to salvation.
James 1:1, 8-9 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism...If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well.  But if you show partiality, you are committing sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

5. He attacks by internal dissension.

Romans 16:17-18 Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Jesus Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.
I Corinthians 1:10-13 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. For I have been informed by Chole's people (the I of Chloe faction) that there are quarrels among you. Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, "I am of Paul," and "I of Apollos," and "I of Cephas," and "I of Christ." Has Christ been divided?
Titus 3:10-11 Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and sinning, being self-condemned.
Philippians 2:2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

6. He attacks by external opposition.

Matthew 13:21 speaks about the persecution and affliction that arises because of the word.
Romans 8:35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ?  Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Acts 14:21-22 After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God."
Luke 2:31 Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat.
See I Peter 5:8 above (obviously Peter knew of what he was speaking).
II Timothy 2:3 Suffer hardship with me as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
I Timothy 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
Philippians 1:28-29 in no way alarmed by your opponents--which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.

Satan uses all of these tactics to attack the faith of the gospel, for which we should be striving (Philippians 1:27).  He attacks its doctrine, the salvation which it brings, and the lifestyle it produces...all in order to impede and destroy the work of God. 

In spite of his tactics, we are to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel.  We are to live up to the gospel by living out the gospel, and we most effectively do this when we are cognizant of the schemes he will use against us so that we will not fall prey to them.  

A Prayer for a Generous Heart

           Watch over your heart with all diligence,

          For from it flow the springs of life.

                                   Proverbs 4:23                                 

Lord, move in my heart so that I will be a faithful and trustworthy steward with all You have given me (I Corinthians 4:2); and with the confidence that no matter my circumstances You will always make Your grace abound towards me, so that I will have an abundance for every good deed (II Corinthians 9:8). Grant to me a life that is free from the love of money (I Timothy 6:9-10), but instead a life that is content with what it receives from Your hand (Philippians 4:11-13, I Timothy 6:6-8).  

Father, protect me from a greedy and hoarding heart, but instead give me a heart that is rich toward you, knowing that my life is about more than my possessions (Luke 12:16-21). Cause me to always acknowledge that it is you that has given me the power to make wealth and not myself (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). It is You that has commanded the blessing (Deuteronomy 28:8), and all things are from Your hand (I Chronicles 29:12-14).

Set me free from covetousness, and may all my prayers be prayers guided by right motives (James 4:3).

Guard my heart, O Lord, guard my heart.

The Church's First Love, the Cornerstone of Revival and Renewal

 Revelation 2:1 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this: 2. 'I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; 3. and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary. 4. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place--unless you repent."

There are many who are concerned about, even bemoaning, the condition of the church in America today, indeed, many would call it the plight of the church in America today. There are those calling for renewal , revival, and repentance. Steve Lawson's sermon "Famine in the Land" from Amos 8:11 (http://www.newreformationministries.org/) accurately and vividly portrays what many believe is the true state of the affairs in the church in our land today. The question is how did we arrive at this place, and, then, how do we return? I personally believe the answer is quite simple, and is plainly revealed in the verses in Revelation quoted above. The church in America has left its first love, and needs to return to the pinnacle from where it has fallen.

Who is the church's first love? Why, it is none other than Christ, Himself. In studying church history it appears that leaving its first love is a problem that has plagued the church, in every country, in every age, and is a root of many of the problems in each church era. For some reason Christ falls out of favor, and is not esteemed as highly as he should be. Much like a marriage relationship where the spouse becomes taken for granted, and almost becomes a second thought to all the activities in which the family is involved, with there being more of a fidelity to the relationship than to the person. This is the problem Jesus addresses to the Ephesians. They were doing many things right, but their attention, their admiration, their adoration was no longer fixed upon Christ. This is very much like the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42 in which Martha was distracted with all her preparations, all the things she deemed necessary, while Mary had chosen the good part, Jesus Himself, to occupy her attention.

In II Corinthians 11:3 Paul gives the following admonishment to which we would do well to pay attention, "But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ." I believe the church in America has become distracted with many things and its attention, admiration, and adoration are no longer fixed upon its groom, its head, its first love, Christ Jesus. Its concern is no longer Christ, but social activism (both at home and abroad), political activism, denominational issues, the surrounding culture, relevancy, life change, family issues, and, yes, even itself and its own ambitions. All of these things are not necessarily bad in and of themselves, but they are less than the best, which is Christ Himself. They are where we have fallen, and the church has been deceived into putting its attention and devotion upon these instead of Christ.

The moment we take our attention off of Christ and put it on anything else, yes, even Christian activity, we have left Christ and have fallen to a lesser state. Christ is the author and perfecter of our faith, He is the center and focus of our faith, He is the One upon whom our faith rests, He is the One who is the hope of our glory, He is the One into whose image we are being conformed, He is the One whom we will be like when He comes again, and He is the One against whom we will be ultimately measured. The strategy that Satan uses against the church is to divert its attention away from Christ and direct it to churchy/religious activity, like the things I have mentioned above. Anything, as worthy as it may seem, as necessary as it may sound, that takes our attention and devotion away from Christ hinders our faith, weakens our faith, stagnates our faith, dilutes our witness, strips us of spiritual power, deceives us into thinking we are bearing fruit for Christ while, in actuality, we are not; and brings upon us the rebuke of Christ and the removal of our lampstand. When the church's lampstand is removed it means that it no longer has the life of Christ within it and, therefore, has ceased to be His light to the world (John 1:4). It then holds to a form of godliness with no attending power, and to put it in a trendy term, it is engaging in a dead orthopraxy. Jesus alluded to this in John 15:4-5 when He said, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." You can not abide in Christ if he has ceased to be the object of your devotion.

This will be a bold, sharp statement, but one that needs to be thought through. What all false teaching ultimately does is take your attention and your devotion away from Christ and redirects it to something else; so any teaching, any leading in the church, as worthy as it may sound, and as necessary as it may seem, that leads your devotion away from Christ, is false teaching. 

In the verses in Revelation above, Christ gives the one and only remedy for this situation we find ourselves in....repent. It is metanoeo in the Greek, and means to reconsider, to think differently, to have a complete about face in the mind so that you have a change in attitude and corresponding action. For us to have this repentance we must see and admit that we have left our first love and have fallen, and when we repent we will change our direction and return to Him from whom we have fallen. 

Repent church and return your attention, your admiration, and your adoration to Christ. Make Christ the centerpiece of your faith, make Him your end all and be all, make Him the sole object of your devotion, make Him the cornerstone and focus of your preaching and teaching, exalt Him above all else, love Him and Him alone with all your heart, mind, and strength; and He will return His lampstand to its place in your midst and accomplish all His good pleasure through you.

Preaching to True Needs

 There has been much discussion, both pro and con, concerning preaching to felt needs. As real as the felt needs are, both in the mind of the hearer and in the mind of the preacher, I believe that they are but the symptom(s) of a greater, deeper, ultimate true need; and that is a right relationship with the Living God. If this is the case, and I believe it is, then man's truest need is that of salvation; and what all men need, both saved and unsaved, is to hear the gospel preached. And what needs to be preached is a robust and full orbed gospel, telling everyone all that is contained in the gospel, all that God has provided to meet man's greatest, deepest, ultimate need, which is God Himself; and it is in the meeting of that ultimate need that all other needs are met.

Man needs salvation and all that salvation brings in all of its aspects. Underneath the umbrella of salvation there are many needs that are met that tie directly into salvation and what it provides. Let's look at the different aspects of salvation to see what all is provided by God to meet man's true needs.  

Man needs the guilt of his sin removed from him. God has provided that through expiation.

Man needs the the wrath of God towards his sin to be satisfied. God has provided that through propiation.

Man needs the enmity between him and God, that has caused his alienation from God, to be done away with. God has provided that through reconciliation.

Man needs to be free from his bondage to sin and be out from under the dominion of Satan. God has provided that through redemption.

Man needs acceptance and a family to which to belong. God has provided that through adoption.

Man needs to be made clean and have a fresh start. God has provided that through regeneration.

Man needs to be righteous as God is righteous. God has provided that through imputation.

Man needs to be innocent before God. God has provided that in justification.

Man needs a new heart towards God. God has provided that through circumcision.

Man needs to be able to live a life pleasing to God by overcoming sin. God has provided that in sanctification.

Man needs an advocate before God. God has provided that through Christ's intercession.

Man needs a hope for the future. God has provided that through glorification.

The felt needs of man really relate back to his greatest needs, his truest needs, which are spiritual. Man, at his core, is a spiritual being. If we as preachers would preach to his greatest needs, which are spiritual, then we would see his felt needs being taken care of and resolved. Preaching a robust and  full orbed gospel does just this, because the gospel includes all of the above. The gospel speaks both to the unsaved and the saved. To the unsaved it reveals his greatest and truest need, and to the saved it reveals all that God has done to meet that need. Understanding all that is provided in salvation is important and it is revealed in the proper preaching of the gospel.

Friends, our ultimate need is God Himself, a real and right relationship with Him. He has provided in His Son for that need. Look to Christ today as the only true satisfaction, the ultimate satisfaction for your greatest need, for all that you need is found in Him. Study and learn the gospel, for it truly is good news.

Praying for the Revelation of Sin in Our Life...Psalm 139:23-24

Search me, O God, and know my heart,

Try me and know my anxious thoughts;

And see if there be any hurtful way in me,

And lead me in the everlasting way.

Psalm 139:23-24

What the Psalmist is really asking the Lord here is so show him his sin; and having shown him his sin, then to lead him away from that sin. He asks the Lord to examine his heart, his thoughts, and his way of living. In the context of this Psalm we see that the Psalmist understands that the Lord knows all about him, in fact, knows everything about him that can be known, even to the point that the Lord knows what he is going to say before it is said. So in the last two verses the Psalmist, in light of this knowledge, asks the Lord to examine him and lead him in His way.

In Romans 8:13 we see that we are to be putting sin, the deeds of the body (and the thoughts of the mind), to death; or to phrase it as the Puritans would, we are to be mortifying our sin. But the trick for many of us who have been Christians for a while is that while we have dealt with the obvious sins, the overt sins, what is left are the more subtle sins, the sins which are such a part of us that we don't see them for what they are; sins that we have gotten so comfortable with that we are not sensitive to them. My wife calls them the sneaky sins.

You know, before we can deal with sin, we must confess it as sin; and to confess our sin we must see it for the sin that it is, and call it as such. This is why we must ask the Lord, just as the Psalmist, to show us our sin, and then to lead us away from that sin. This is a prayer that we know the Lord will answer, because He wants us to be holy as He is holy; and He wants us to desire to be holy.

Remember, the Lord is good and ready to forgive; and when sin is confessed and forgiveness is requested, He removes it from us as far as the east is from the west. Let us ask Him to search us and reveal to us the sin that He wants us to put to death.