Christ’s Standards vs The World’s Standards

The standard of the world, and the standard of the Lord Jesus, are indeed widely different. They are more than different. They are flatly contradictory one to the other. Among the children of this world, he is thought the greatest man who has most land, most money, most servants, most rank, and most earthly power. Among the children of God, he is reckoned the greatest who does most to promote the spiritual and temporal happiness of his fellow-creatures. True greatness consists not in receiving, but in giving – not in selfish absorption of good things, but in imparting good to others – not in being served, but in serving – not in sitting still and being ministered to, but in going about and ministering to others. ~ J.C. Ryle

The theological principle contained within the above quote (which comes via Erik Kowalker @ J.C. Ryle Quotes) is a fairly simple one, but one that our fleshly nature will not allow us to easily grasp. Even for the Christian there is a struggle to remember and apply this principle in our daily lives.

Let us remember today that the son of man came to serve, not to be served; and if it was good enough for Jesus its good enough for me!

Biblical Hermeneutics and Cultural Relativity

Generally speaking, when dealing with the issues of cultural relativity and normality as they relate to the application of the principles contained in Scripture, one must be careful not to allow the poison of the secular world view dilute the precepts found in the Bible. Where the Scripture gives a firm commandment we must stand firm. When the world around us says that it is permissible, even advisable, to conduct ourselves outside of the guidelines in scripture, we must stand firm and subvert the cultural normality. It is this different viewpoint that makes us stand out against the background of a godless culture. That being said, we must be just as careful to not form unyielding rules from principles that Scripture does not make a firm stance on. This staunch legalism is in direct opposition to the Gospel and has more in common with the Pharisaical culture that Jesus opposed than the New Testament Church found in the first century. It is in light of these principles that we will look at the following texts:

1 Corinthians 7:25-28

This passage deals with whether or not the unmarried should be given in marriage, presumably in response to a question asked of Paul by the church in Corinth. It should be noted that Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, does not answer with an express instruction (v.25, “I have no command from the Lord,”) but does give his divinely inspired advice (v.25 “but I give a Judgment”).

Overall Paul’s advice in this situation is given in the context of the “present crisis.” If this letter was indeed written circa A.D. 55 – 59 this present crisis could have very well referred to the persecution that was faced by the early Christians at the hands of the Roman government. This advice to remain in the state in which you were in at the moment would be consistent with this, in that a family would face greater difficulty as a result of the persecution then a single person. In verse 28 Paul concludes, even though he advises against it, that if you do marry you have not sinned.

In dealing with the matter of application here the principle is that one should “count the cost,” or carefully weigh out the consequences of marriage prior to being married. Specifically, Paul addresses the “present crisis” which is not applicable to today’s Christian. However, the suggestion that comes with this advice is to take into account the present affairs when considering marriage. The advice to carefully consider all of the consequences of marriage is definitely applicable to the Christian today.

In today’s society the cultural norm is for young women to place a great deal of importance on their career and personal goals instead of family concerns. This passage encourages young people to carefully evaluate all of the concerns before making a decision.

Proverbs 22:15

As we have already learned we cannot skip over interpretation while attempting to make an application of a passage of Scripture. As we begin to interpret the passage at hand we must remember that proverbs teach general truths in didactic form and that these general truths are not always applicable in every specific situation. When looking at this passage one must first have an understanding of the sin nature that man is born with. This nature is what is referred to as folly that is bound in the heart of the child. A child is born with an inherent predisposition toward sinful behavior that will jeopardize the child’s well being.

Another important term to understand as it is used in the text is rod. The word rendered rod in the text is the Hebrew word transliterated shêbeṭ, which means literally, a stick. Shepherds in ancient Israel would use a stick, or rod, to correct his sheep when they went astray. When the word rod is used in ancient Hebrew literature it is often depictive of discipline in general (cf. Ps. 23:4, 2 Sam. 7:14, Job 21:9).

In today’s society when one speaks of “the rod” in the context of discipline it conjures up images of corporal punishment. While I do believe in the effectiveness of properly administered corporal punishment this passage is speaking of discipline in general. Discipline in a child’s life is extremely important to overcome the inherent disposition toward negative behavior.

One contemporary illustration is that of the child who is caught stealing candy from a store. No one has taught the child to steal; this behavior is the result of an inherent disposition toward sin (folly bound in the child’s heart). When the parent learns of this transgression they do not tolerate such conduct and meet it with discipline (the rod). As a result the child learns that stealing is wrong and will not be tolerated (the folly is driven far from him).

One school of thought on child discipline today would encourage parents to explore alternative methods of diverting the child’s energy away from destructive behavior, but this passage clearly teaches that discipline is the method that is most effective.

The Holy Spirit and His Ministry of Illumination

The Holy Spirit speaks to each one of us, Christian or Pagan. Some people mistakenly refer to this as revelation. I say mistakenly because revelation speaks of a new message that has never been revealed before. I think that what most people are referring to is in fact illumination. Some people do indeed believe that God has given them a special message, apart from Scripture. Because God completely His revelation to man through His Word (the Bible) and His Word become flesh (Jesus Christ), this is a whole other matter to be addressed later; for now we will just deal with illumination.

Illumination is the on-going work of the Holy Spirit, by which God’s word is received and understood. A person is able to apply God’s word to their individual life in a manner pleasing to God and according to His will by illumination. The Scripture may be properly interpreted apart from illumination by scholarly and careful study and the use of valid interpretative methods. However, one must have faith that the information contained in the Scripture is the word of God for it to be properly applied. The ability to live according to the precepts and principles found in the Bible is only by the grace of God.

The prerequisite to receiving illumination is the regeneration that the Holy Spirit works in one’s life during conversion. For one to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, they must understand spiritual things; things which are only discerned by the work of the Holy Spirit. Some would argue that the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit that occurs at the moment of conversion is required for illumination. I disagree on this point, because in order to be converted the Spirit must already be at work in one’s heart revealing the nature of man’s sin and depravity.
Illumination can be described as an “Ah,ha” moment. A time when a person has studied a passage of Scripture and upon returning to it again sees it in a new light. It seems as though this knowledge has been possessed all along, but there is not recollection of possessing it. It was simply obtained by the Spirit of God speaking to one’s heart.

The basis for my view of illumination is found in John 16. Here, Jesus teaches us that the Spirit will come and make the truth known to us. Also, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2 that God has revealed the thing that He has prepared for us through His Spirit. Paul also teaches in this passage that spiritual things are only discerned through the work of the spirit and the natural, or unregenerate, man cannot receive spiritual things.

In my own life if have experienced illumination in a like fashion. Prior to my conversion experience I understood that the Bible taught that all people were sinners and earned the wages of sin, death. I understood it intellectually, but it was only through the conviction of the Spirit that I was able to fully grasp what it meant to be a sinner and to be living in opposition to a God who loved me so greatly.

It is the understanding that comes through illumination that drives one to dedicated pursuit of academics and Bible study. By coming to a fuller understanding of the love that God has for the world, He becomes the chief pursuit of their heart. One seeks God in the only way they are able, through prayer and study of His word. One also seeks out education in an effort to become better equipped to serve God and glorify Him.

What classifies a Facebook post as Christian or Non-Christian?

A while back someone asked the question, "What classifies a (Facebook) post as Christian or Non-Christian?" Below is my attempt to answer this question. I hope that you find it insightful and that it helps to clarify this issue. I think that Facebook is a great tool when used to the glory of God, but like anything else in this world when used for our own glory it causes problems.

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It is not the post that can be considered "Christian" or "Non-Christian", but the sentiment that the post is made in or the behavior that surrounds it can be classified as "Non-Christlike." This does not apply only to things posted on Facebook, but to anything that is said or done. Anything we do should bring glory to God and should exhibit the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

If your behavior does not bring God glory, then it is wrong, it is sin. That includes quoting scripture, just because there is a Bible verse in your post, does not make it positive. Satan quoted scripture when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness. His goal was not positive.

As far as judging, the Bible teaches us to judge a tree by its fruits. However, it does not teach us that after making our own judgment to go and say, or do, or post something condemning toward the person whose behavior is not Christlike. The bible teaches us to pray for, love, and try to restore that person. If you read a negative post and then post something negative back, both people are wrong. I hope that answers your question Matthew and remember everyone, we ARE witnesses for Jesus in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth, it is up to each one of us to determine the quality of that witness!