FAQs Mondays: What Does God Require of Man?

This week we return to our Frequently Asked Questions series.  This week's focus is on what God requires of man.  The previous post can be found here.


What is the duty which God requires of man?

The duty which God requires of man is the obedience that comes from faith.  Paul states, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love" (Gal. 5:6).  Of his ministry Paul said, "For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience--by word and deed" (Rom. 15:8). Again Paul states, "but [the gospel] has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith" (Rom. 16:26). 


What did God at first reveal to man for the rule of his obedience?                              
The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience was the moral law. Paul states, "For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even thought they do not have the law.  They show that the wok of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or excuse them" (Rom. 2:14-15).  Again he states, "for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.  Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come" (Rom. 5:13-14).

Summary

We have learned that God requires the obedience of faith as revealed in the moral law.  Next week we will begin to answer the question: "What is the moral law?".   

Sunday Recap 7-11-10

Morning: The message was entitled, "You've Got to Stand for Something," and came from Ephesians 6:13-17.  In this passage, Paul encourages his readers to put on the full armor of God so that they will be able to stand in the day of evil.  The full armor of God is the Lord Jesus Christ.  Paul describes the armor as:

The belt of truth: The belt was a necessary piece of equipment that pulled the soldiers outfit together.  The belt would allow a soldier to keep his robes or toga from hindering his movement as he tucked his outfit into his belt.  Believers needs to wrap the truth around them so that they will not be hindered.  Paul is speaking about the doctrinal truth of Christianity, as it is bound up in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The breastplate of righteousness: The breastplate protected most of the vital organs.  Righteousness protects the believer.  The question arises: whose righteousness are we to put on? One side suggests that it is Christ's righteousness.  Others suggest that Paul is speaking about the believers own righteousness.  The best suggestion might be to understand it as both.  Christ's righteousness is imputed to believers, and his righteousness generates righteousness in them.

Feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel:  Paul reminds us that every soldier needs proper footwear.  The footwear of the saints is readiness.  They need to be prepared to share the gospel at every opportunity.  We are heralds of the good news of Jesus Christ.

The shield of faith:  The shield Paul has in mind is a large one.  It was meant for combat situations where a soldiers enemies were firing arrows and projectiles.  Paul says that our faith in Christ should be able to extinguish the arrows of our enemies.  Those arrows can be accusations, slander, temptations, lies, half-truths, etc.

The helmet of salvation:  The helmet protected the head.  The head was the source of life.  Salvation crowns the head with protection.

The sword of the Spirit: The sword of the Spirit is the word of God.  It the Spirit's sword, because he created it.  The Scriptures were written by inspiration of the Spirit.  Also, the sword can only be wielded properly by the Spirit.  As Paul says, elsewhere, "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work our your salvation in fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Dressed in the full armor of God, the believer is able to stand firm through every circumstance.  In Christ, believers can weather any storm.

Evening: Business meeting.

Take a Stand

"You got to stand for something, or you'll fall for anything" warns the old saying.  There is great wisdom in the contemporary proverb, but it doesn't go far enough.  The truth is that if we stand for the wrong things, we have already fallen.

Some people fall because they never take a stand.  Some people fall because they stood for the wrong thing.  Others fall because when they took their stand, they didn't stand firm.

Paul encourages the Ephesians, "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand, and after you have done everything, to stand" (Eph. 6:13). Paul seems to be encouraging them to take a stand and persevere in it.  When the dust has cleared, we are to be the last people standing. 

The greatest struggle for most believers isn't knowing what to stand for, they know that.  The greatest struggle is wanting to stand.  The flesh presses us to make concessions at every turn.  This is too hard.  It's too uncomfortable.  What will people think?  We undervalue the eternal rewards.  As we concede to our flesh we barter long term rewards for short term pleasures.  We trade what has lasting value for that which has no lasting value.

We must fight tooth and claw for the truth.  We must wage war against the enemies of our soul with every fiber of our regenerated being.  To paraphrase Paul, "Stand in such a way that you are still standing when it's all said and done." We must be those who persevere in the truth.

What about you, are you standing firm in the Lord?  Have you ever fallen for something, because you failed to stand for something?  If you have fallen, are you willing to get up and take a stand?

You Are Not Your Own

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you have been bought with a price. So glorify God in your body" (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

You are not your own. These words have been pounding in my heart and mind for weeks now.  Sometimes they comfort me.  Sometimes they confront me.  Sometimes they anger me. 

When I think about my life, I don't know that I have ever been my "own."  As a child, my parents set the rules, or the school, or a bully, or the "in" crowd.  Events and people molded and shaped me into the person I am today.  I had choices and opportunities, but not the reigns.  I couldn't run as wild and free as I pleased.

When I got older, I got a job.  "With money comes power and freedom," so I thought.  But it also comes with an employer who gives you a whole new set of rules.  If that weren't bad enough, then comes the tax man, insurance agents, etc.  To get the money to drive the car to do the things I wanted, I had to give away more of my self, my time, my life. 

I got married with a year of college left, and I thought now I can live my life.  But apparently, I didn't quite understand the commitment I made.  There was no longer my life (or her life), there was our life.  As the God-appointed head of the household, I was called to die to my desires and meet the needs of my wife.

After several years of building oneness, we decided to bring children into our family.  The introduction of a child into our household, while a blessing, brought great challenges.  Our first daughter, Ellie, was born prematurely with poly-cystic kidneys and in grave health.  She spent over four months in the children's hospital before we got to bring her home.  During the nearly five months the Lord allowed us to have her, she set the schedule.  Sophia, likewise, has stolen the show.

I don't say any of these things in order to complain.  Truly, I have been blessed beyond measures. My parents are great parents that did the best they could to give us a better life than they had.  I married a wonderful woman, who encourages and strengthens me daily.  Ellie's short life and Sophia's joyful presence have made me a better man.  But all of these blessings have come with a cost.  I am not my own, nor have I ever been.

When I say, I have never been my "own," I simply mean that I acknowledge that I am not an island.  Sure, I disobeyed my parents. Sometimes, I'm gruff with my wife and daughter.  I can be selfish and mean spirited, prideful and petty. But I am not what I could have been, if I would have been true to my self.  Had God not permitted the authorities and events that influenced my life, I shudder to think about what I might have become.

The words "you are not your own" should not come as a surprise to us.  Only a sociopath is his "own" person, but even a sociopath is driven by the dark forces of his heart.  The majority of human beings understand that there are limits to their freedom.  We don't pick our birthday or birth parents or the country of origin.  We grow up in a family unit, functional or dysfunctional, which is a smaller version of a larger culture.  We are driven by moral codes, familial obligation, and/or societal pressure.  We may keep these conventions, challenge them, or seek to change them.  But we are never able to totally erase the influences.

Paul's words remind us that we do not belong to ourselves.  As believers, even "American" believers,  we don't have the right to do as we please.  We cannot run as wild and free as we please.  No.  You are not your own.  You have been bought with a price.  Peter states, "Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot" (1 Pet. 1:18-19). It was a tremendous price.

While my old nature may chafe at the words, "You are not your own," the new nature that Christ has created in me knows that there is freedom in that statement.  When I honor my parents or serve my wife or instruct my daughter, I living out the truth: I don't belong to me.  I have been freed to serve the Lord, and by serving him I find freedom.  Only as I give my life up, for the glory of God, do I find that I am being true to who God has made me to be.

I find comfort in the fact that I am not my own.  I am the Lord's.  He has purchased we at a tremendous price; he, most certainly, will never disown me.  Because I am not my own, I do not have to pay the price for my sins. Christ has covered them.  Because I am not my own, I do not need my own righteousness. Christ has given me his.  Because I am not my own, I am in an unbreakable fellowship with Christ and his saints.

You are not your own.  How do these words affect you?  Are you comforted? Challenged? Angry? Perplexed?

Beware the "Me Monster!"

This skit by Brian Regan is a humorous look at the sin of self-glorification.  At one time or another most of us have probably struggled with the "me monster."  If you haven't, God bless you, but I find that I struggle with it quite a bit.

Luke 14:1-14 sheds light on how to deal with the issue of  self-glorification.  The focus on self blinds us, it causes us to focus on our own honor at the expense of others, and it robs us of eternal rewards.

There are at least three things to which a focus on our selves blinds us:

•  The focus on self blinds us to the needs of others.  There is a man at the party who suffered from dropsy, a disease that caused swelling.  Yet, none of the guests were concerned with his well being, because they were too busy clamoring for position.

•  The focus on self blinds us to the work of God.  No one rejoices when Jesus heals the man (with the probable exception of the man himself).  They look on with disinterest or anger (the Scripture does not tell us in this instance, but we know from other events in Jesus' ministry that disinterest or anger were how the Pharisees often responded to Jesus' Sabbath day healings). God worked mightily through Jesus to bring about this healing, but no seemed aware of it.

• The focus on self blinds us to reality.  Jesus chastises the crowd for their hard-heartedness when he asks them, "Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on the Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?"  If the law makes provision for doing these kinds of good deeds on the Sabbath day, doesn't that logically extend to the healing of an injured person?  Jesus knew that none of those present would question the rightness of helping their child out of the well on the Sabbath even though they were angry that he help this man escape the illness of dropsy on the Sabbath. 

Self-glorification had eclipsed everything else in their lives.  Not only had it left them blind, but self-glorification has caused them to seek their own honor in a way that brought dishonor.

• By pressing to be honored, these people dishonored God.  As they were clamoring for the seats of honor (Luke 14:7), they ignored the fact that Jesus was present.  Although those present at this gathered do not appear to understand who Jesus truly was (and is), they were well aware of the fact that he was a unique teacher, a miracle worker, and that he was esteemed by the crowds as a prophet.  As such, he should have been awarded the seat of honor, and his friends should have been extended honor as well.  But the host and his other guests willfully chose to ignore Jesus and his disciples.  By rejecting God's anointed, Jesus, they dishonored God.

• By pressing to be honored, these people dishonored others.  They not only ignored Jesus and his disciples, they seemingly ignored each other as well.  Verse seven makes it seem like everyone (but Jesus and his disciples) were fighting to have the best seats.  They were not esteeming each other as better than themselves.  Their behavior appears rude and childish, just like person in the Brian Regan clip.

• By pressing to be honored, these people multiplied their chances at humiliation.  By seeking their own honor they actually increased their chances of being dishonored.  Jesus teaches them that taking the most important seat could lead to them being asked to move.  Jesus warns, "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 14:11).

Self-glorification not only brings dishonor, but loss of eternal reward.  When individuals focus on self they rob themselves of eternal rewards.

• Jesus warned against serving others who could serve us in return.  Individuals who seek to please God should not serve to be served.  The host of this party had filled his guest list with those who could return the favor.  He knew for his one feast, he would be invited to several others.  So his generosity was really fueled by his greed.

• Jesus said we should serve those who can't return the favor.  True generosity is an imitation of our gracious Father in heaven.  This kind of generosity pleases the Father, because it reflects his glory.  He responds to such generosity with a gracious outpouring of blessing. 

Here are three things we can do to slay the me monster within us:

• We must shift our focus from ourselves, and focus on Jesus.  We need to really know Jesus. This means we need to read about him.  The Gospels are a good place to start, but we should not neglect the rest of the New Testament or the Old Testament.  We need to pray to the Father in Jesus' name.  We need to pray to Jesus.  By the indwelling Spirit, Jesus is always present with us.  We need to converse with him.  We need to meditate on his person and his work.  As we draw closer to him, our hearts and minds will more closely reflect his own.

• We need to cultivate humility.  Understanding two things will aid us in this process.  First, we have to understand who God is.  We need a good understanding of God's holiness and his grace.  Second, we have to understand who we are.  We need a good understanding of our own sinfulness and rebellious nature.  If we understand these two things, we will grow in humility.

• We need to serve others to the glory of God.  We have seen that the tendency toward self-glorification blinds us to the needs of others and the work of God.  We have also seen that it causes us to dishonor God and our fellow human beings.  Thus, to combat this monster, we must follow in the steps of Jesus and serve others to the glory of God.  We shouldn't meet their needs so that they will praise us, but so that God will be praised.

The me monster is a hard one to kill, but if we will continually apply these three principles, in faith, we will experience victory.

What about you?  Do you struggle with the me monster? What are some of the ways you fight self-glorification in your life?

Lessons from a Traffic Jam

Bottlenecking is a testament to human depravity.  It seems most people revert to preschool rules when they see a highway narrow to one lane.  

All the kids are present.  The quiet kids, who follow all the rules, see the signs and make the necessary adjustments as quickly and orderly as possible.  The line-cutters zip in and out of traffic trying to get a better position while ignoring all the people who have been patiently waiting their turn.  The foot-draggers slowly join the procession. Traffic jams up as the line-cutters and foot-draggers decide to join the others.  

The line-cutters are jockeying for position.  They want to be first in line, without having to plan or prepare.  They don’t mind pushing their way to the front.  They don’t care how long everyone else has waited.  The rules don’t apply to them.  They’re special.

Their cousins, the foot-draggers, don’t care about anyone else, either.  They don’t want to be in the line.  They appear to be torn between cutting the line and following the rules.  They don’t want to be as rude as the line-cutters, but they hate being forced to do something against their will.  The line represents submission, and their wills balk, because they are special.

Somewhere in the mix is a bitter minority that wishes the other people would just play by the rules so everybody can get to where they are going a little faster.  They try to avoid getting angry at the line cutter who buzzes past them and forces his way into the line fifteen cars ahead of them.  Does he not realize that other people have been waiting in this line for the last thirty minutes?  Then there is that guy who won’t get over because he’s undecided.  Does he assume that another lane will open if he just waits long enough?

The clamoring for position in a traffic jam reflects the clamoring for position in the rest of life.   We may fight and strive for significance.  We may bump and nudge our way to advancement.  We may drag our feet when it comes to making commitment.  We may become bitter because others have pushed themselves ahead of us.  

When we are in Christ, we don't have to clamor for significance.  We have significance because we belong to God in Christ.  God has demonstrated his unconditional love for us by sending the eternal Son of God, Jesus Christ, to come and die for our sins.  Because of this we don't have to jockey for position.  We don't have to cut ahead of others in life, there is no reason to drag our feet, and no reason to become bitter when we catch others trying to get ahead of us.  Because they cannot displace us.  Their clamoring cannot devalue us before God.

It may take us longer to get where we are going when we get stuck in a traffic jam, but if we patiently persist, we will arrive.  God allows the physical and spiritual traffic jams in our life, so that we can grow in patience.  He also wants us to learn to wait on him.  He is our significance, he is our value, he is our all in all.  And no line-cutter or foot-dragger can ever change that.

I'm Back

It has been over three weeks since I posted.  It was never my attention to take the time off, but I have found it difficult to return to writing.  The week I spent in Missouri was busy, and I didn't have access to the internet.  I returned home to a busy week, and then last week I was on vacation.  I began to enjoy the "free time" that not posting provided.  I can go to bed without wondering what I should write on, get up without thinking about my next post, and move throughout the day without thought of my blog.

The temptation to quit blogging has been great.  Sometimes it feels it like blogging is an exercise in futility.  Without feedback it is difficult to assess effectiveness.  I have often wondered if I were really accomplishing anything with this blog.

I can't say that I have come up with any firm answers, but I know I must continue to write.  Ideas keep coming.  And the old dream won't be put to rest so easily.  This post marks my return to blogging.  I'm sorry I stayed gone so long, and I hope you all will return daily to read my posts.  Do me a favor and help get the word out.  Thanks for your loyalty.