December 5, 2010

The Greatest Commandment is to “Love others AS we love ourselves.” (Matthew. 22:36-40)

This commandment assumes that we love ourselves correctly, but if we do not, it is unlikely we will love others, as we should.  Of course, an inordinate self-love is wrong, but many people don’t understand that if they do not love themselves appropriately, it hinders and sometimes blocks the expression of love to others.

So let’s tie the “Greatest Commandment” to another often-quoted passage from 1st Corth.13:4-7.  These verses are often used at weddings or in sermons to challenge us to love others.  However, in order to love others correctly, we must first apply the love chapter to ourselves.

Let’s personalize those verses

LOVE IS PATIENT

Are you patient with yourself or do you demand more of yourself than is realistic?

Affirmation: I will be patient with myself and refuse to expect perfection in everything I do.

LOVE IS KIND!

Are you kind to yourself or is your self-talk often negative and harsh?  (Like, You’re such a jerk)

Affirmation: I will be kind to myself knowing that I can learn from my mistakes.

LOVE DOES NOT ENVY!

Are you satisfied with who you are and what you have, or do you compare yourself to others?  (2 Cor. 10:12)

Affirmation: I will not waste time wanting what others have or wanting to be like them, realizing that God had a purpose for making only one of me.

LOVE DOES NOT BOAST!

Do you have a habit of adding a little to every story or achievement?

Affirmation: My self-worth is not based on the approval of others, so I will stop trying to impress them by self-promotion.

LOVE IS NOT PROUD!

Do you have a sane estimate of yourself and your achievements?  False humility is also a form of pride.

Affirmation: I will refuse to over-value or under-value my achievements or myself.  (Rom. 12:3  NLT)

LOVE IS NOT RUDE!

Do you ridicule or belittle yourself?   (i.e., “sometimes I’m so stupid”)

It’s inappropriate to say that to others so why do I say it to myself.

Affirmation: I will not put myself down in the presence of others or with negative thinking.

 LOVE IS NOT SELF-SEEKING!

Few people are completely self-centered but is this an issue you should deal with?

Affirmation: I will remember that Jesus said; “the first shall be last and the last shall be first.”

LOVE IS NOT EASILY ANGERED!

Are you easily irritated with yourself?

Affirmation: I will stop turning my anger inward and try to increase my ability to live with my imperfections.

LOVE DOESN’T KEEP A RECORD OF THE PAST!

Do you continue to remind yourself of past failures?

Affirmation: I will refuse to be controlled by the memory of my failures.

LOVE DOES NOT DELIGHT IN EVIL BUT REJOICES IN THE TRUTH.

Do you inwardly rejoice when your adversary is damaged by an improper activity that becomes public?

Affirmation:  I will not be joyful that their reputation will suffer while at the same time be glad that truth has triumphed over untruth.

LOVE ALWAYS PROTECTS!

Do you protect your physical, mental, and spiritual health by setting reasonable boundaries?

Affirmation: I will give more attention to protecting and maintaining my God-given strengths, and gifts.

LOVE ALWAYS TRUSTS!

Do you believe in yourself enough to try again?

Affirmation: I will give myself another chance in any area where I have failed in the past.

LOVE ALWAYS HOPES!

Have you given up on your personal situation or your dreams?

Affirmation: I will accept myself as a person of value and potential, refusing to give into despair.  I will look for success just around the corner.

LOVE ALWAYS PERSEVERES!

Have you stopped loving yourself?

Affirmation:  I will start loving myself correctly and remind myself often that God never gives up on me because His love is unconditional and His acceptance of me is not based on my performance.

Ongoing Affirmation

In order to love others correctly, I will personalize these admonitions from First Corinthians 13 and will apply them to myself daily as needed.

The following thoughts are based on conversations with a number of people who identify themselves as homosexuals.  Many of them express a desire to follow Christ but have been heavily influenced by the cultural attitudes of the day.

The homosexual lobby has advanced its agenda with the following argument:  “A certain percentage of the population is born with the desire to be romantically and physically involved with those of the same sex. Since this propensity is genetic, it is therefore a civil rights issue.  People should not be discriminated against because of race, physical handicaps or sexual orientation. God made us this way, so who can say that it is wrong?”

The news media, a majority of those in the entertainment field and the academic world have constantly championed the cause of the homosexual community.  Anyone who disagrees with this view is called a bigot or a member of the “religious right.”  This has been an extraordinarily successful approach and has gained wide spread support based on the public’s legitimate distaste for discrimination.  Presently, for much of the nation, homosexuality has simply become an alternative life style.

The Bible doesn’t view it this way and, in fact, is extremely firm and very specific in its opposition to homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22 and Rom. 1:25-27).  In spite of this, the idea of non-discrimination seems to be winning the day worldwide.  Even many old-line denominations are influenced by this recent belief and are changing their doctrine in order to accommodate the homosexual community.  While the Biblical view is rejected by an increasing number of people, may I suggest that there are logical arguments to refute the idea of blindly following ones sexual feelings or predisposition?

Since genetic scientists have not been able to answer this question definitively, we are left only with personal opinion that homosexual tendencies are genetic.  My personal view is that people are not born with a genetic propensity to be homosexual, however, for the sake of moving the discussion to another level, I will not debate this but rather propose another line of thought.  I do believe that most people who have this tendency acquired it at such a young age that they are not responsible for the feelings they have. There are exceptions to this, but most people develop their sexual identity based on the environment and relationships they experienced in their formative years.

In light of this, I propose that just because a person finds a certain tendency within his or herself doesn’t make it legitimate.  Most people have one or two internal battles that they struggle with all their life.  Some people, whether by genetics or environment, have a tendency towards obesity or alcoholism or a bad temper.  If one is grossly overweight, an alcoholic or has difficulty in controlling his or her anger, should they submit to these tendencies?  If so, would they encourage others to live out every kind of predisposition they find within themselves?  In fact, whether the advice comes from parents, a pastor or a secular psychologist, people are counseled to resist such destructive tendencies.

In my opinion, one of the strongest and most persuasive arguments for not blindly following every internal desire is an honest look at the majority of heterosexual males.  The normal male is frequently tempted to have sex with any female who is physically attractive to them.  They don’t need romance or commitment but, in order to live a moral life, are required by society to live a life of restraint.  Should they abandon the self-discipline of remaining faithful to one woman or allow their strong sexual drive to be uncontrolled?  If the activities of the homosexual are justified by saying it’s okay to respond to an internal desire they feel, then why isn’t it just as valid for the heterosexual?

Even though there has been a decline in the moral values of America, no thoughtful person is advocating the abandonment of sexual restraint for all heterosexuals in our society.  Unfortunately, millions of people are not resisting this propensity and adultery and fornication is even celebrated in magazines and films. The breakdown of the traditional family has been devastating to our nation but clearly it is not as bad as it could be.  If everyone acted on his or her sexual feelings, our society would completely disintegrate.

Some have told me that this isn’t fair and that the heterosexual has a legitimate outlet for his or her sexual drive but the homosexual does not.  That is true but life is not fair and there are many illustrations of this in every day life.  Being extremely poor does not give one a right to steal from his neighbor.  There are moral laws in the universe that take precedence over ones individual circumstances and desires.

I definitely do not consider a person who is tempted by homosexual activities to be a pervert, as some unfortunately do.  Heterosexuals are tempted daily by the visual stimuli around them and yet it does not mean they are inherently bad.  Likewise God does not reject a person because they have an inner propensity towards homosexuality.  Every person is tempted to misuse his or her sexuality but temptation itself is not a sin.  Jesus was tempted in every way we are, and yet He was without sin.  The Bible does not call temptation a sin and neither should we.  God knows we will be tempted to live against His plan but His desire is for us to resist such temptation.

This paper has sought to address only the fact that it is specious to say that every inner desire must be lived out.  One’s sexual drive must be managed based on some standard other than an inner urge.  By default, unbelievers have chosen to set the standard for themselves.  Of course everyone is free to make this decision but if a person professes to follow Jesus, then God’s thoughts on a subject should become the standard.

“…receiving the message with great eagerness and then checking the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul said was true.” – Acts 17:11

Many believers think the future looks bleak and are concerned that the polls indicate a swing away from traditional values.  Some of them have an “all is lost attitude,” and it’s easy for them to be gloomy and pessimistic about the future.  We should remind ourselves that our hope isn’t in a democratic government or laws that reflect our convictions, it’s in Jesus.  In spite of much more difficult conditions, believers in other countries understand this, and many seem to have an inner peace and joy that would make most American believers envious.

It’s true that many of the concerns that touch us deeply are probably going to move inexorably in the opposite direction of our choice.  Issues like homosexuality and abortion will more than likely proceed unabated toward more tolerance and even wide-scale acceptability.  Social and moral concerns that are so vital to evangelicals may increasingly be seen as weird and narrow-minded.  We are probably in for less and less acceptance and possibly even a bit of open hostility from some quadrants.

Unfortunately, some of the rejection may be warranted because of our past attitudes and methods.  We haven’t always been Christ-like in our responses to the culture in which we find ourselves.  I strongly believe that many evangelicals have made some crucial errors and those errors may haunt all of us for years to come.  In the last few elections, we have thought that our Biblically based convictions would be accepted by a pluralistic and secular society.  We should probably stop expecting our present culture to be something it is not.

It is true that the men who founded our nation were largely God-fearing and many were real disciples of Jesus.  In those days, they were in the majority, and so we have the rich heritage of having been founded as a Judeo-Christian nation.  That is no longer true, and it seems unlikely that we can return things to the way they were by political means.  In light of the facts that face us, it is probably past time to re-evaluate our goals and our role as believers in American society.

Many are saying that God will judge America for its lack of morality.  That may be so, but we are reminded of 1 Peter 4:17, which says, “For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God.”  We have tended to expect change to come through political efforts when, in reality, God’s way is found in 2nd Chronicles 7:14.  “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

I am in no way suggesting a “do nothing” attitude.  In fact, I am wholeheartedly in favor of believers getting involved in politics as well as making their wishes known by voting their conscience.  In addition, we should stand against all forms of immorality and injustice even if it costs us dearly.  We are supposed to be salt and light in our culture, and it would degenerate very quickly if the influence of the Holy Spirit through believers were withdrawn.  However, it is another matter altogether to expect the ballot box to change hearts.  We have laws against crime, drugs, racism, etc., and I’m glad we do, but, these laws haven’t stopped those involved from devastating our nation, and they aren’t likely to do so anytime soon.  What I am suggesting is that the answers for America’s dilemma are spiritual, not political.  Do whatever God asks you to do but don’t be disillusioned if things don’t turn out the way you think they should.  As Mother Teresa put it, “we are not called to be successful, just faithful.”

When I was meeting with a Supreme Court justice from Columbia, we discussed the drug problem in both of our countries.  After many years of trying to solve the problem this secular man suggested that the only answer he could think of was, “if we could somehow change people’s hearts.”  On another occasion, I was in Jerusalem discussing the Israeli-Palestinian situation with the Secretary General of the Knesset.  He was a non-religious Jew but volunteered that the only hope was, “if we could find a way to change people’s hearts.”

A recent re-reading of the Jewish historian, Josephus, reminded me of the kind of world in which Jesus lived.  Let’s review the conditions during His time on earth: The combined Roman and Temple Tax was 70 percent.  Slavery was an accepted norm.  Women had few rights and children had none.  Individual human rights were non-existent, and life was cheap.  It was an extremely violent and corrupt time, and the reigning Caesar (i.e., President) was bi-sexual.  Into that world, Jesus brought a message of hope, and I believe His message would be unchanged if He came today.  Therefore, we have hope.

Even if the majority rejects our ideas about social and moral issues, they should still feel the redeeming love of Jesus being expressed by those who call themselves His followers.  I am afraid they often get our wrath, but, while Jesus lived in a less than godly culture, He reserved His condemnation for those in the religious community.  Our challenges are not as difficult as those faced by the early believers, but if they were, the answer would still be Jesus.  Let’s respond wisely to our times and accept the years ahead as an opportunity to express the hope we have in Jesus to our hurting world.  Let’s remind ourselves that our hope isn’t in a democratic government or laws that reflect our values, it’s in Jesus.

Now more than ever let’s remember 1 Timothy 2:1-3: “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for everyone, for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  This is good, and pleases God our Savior.”  Notice that it doesn’t say; pray for those in authority only if your man was elected.

Jesus Christ is still the only person who can change a heart or a nation.

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You begin to attend the Sunday morning worship service.  Then the pastor says you should be in Sunday School, so you start going to Sunday School.  Then someone says, “Why don’t you come Sunday evenings?”  So you start to attend on Sunday evenings.  Then you are urged to participate in the mid-week service or a Bible study, and you become more involved.

Next, they say, “You know, we have an early morning prayer meeting,” or “We have a wonderful men’s fellowship.”  A call comes to tell you of the need for a Sunday School teacher, and since you’re so good with young people, you help out.  Someone notices that you have a good voice and they suggest that you must use your talent for Jesus.  “Why don’t you join the choir?  By the way, we practice on Thursday nights.”

Soon you are so visible and respected that you are nominated for the church Board.  Of course, everyone should do his or her part, or the church won’t function right.  Committee assignments follow.  Soon you are so involved with the church that you are neglecting your own life in Christ and even your own family.  Frequently spiritual burnout occurs, and you eventually become only an “attendee.”

Many people have been through this cycle, some several times.  It is so easy to have our lives revolve around activities “for Jesus” instead of around Jesus Himself.  This doesn’t bring the abundant life that John speaks about in chapter 10, verse 10, but we remain among the ranks of the over-committed.  However, the truth is that these commitments are about all we have.  We were not made for commitment but rather for intimacy and closeness.  The only value of commitment is to keep us together until we begin to experience intimacy.  We usually think something is wrong with our commitment, so we condemn ourselves.  Many of us go to renewal seminars or wait for the next traveling speaker who can arouse our spent emotions.

This ongoing cycle produces “Christian fruit” like church growth, mission programs, prayer meetings, and Bible studies but “Christ-like character” is what God desires.  Our churches have too much gossip, dissension, and division.  Our impact on culture is minimal and, in fact, our culture is shaping us.  Paul speaks to this in Romans 12:2 when he says, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all His demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.” (Phillips translation)

It may seem that I have given up on the church, but nothing could be further from the truth.  I am completely committed to the local church, but the Scriptures admonish me to, “test all things, and hold on to what is good.”  (1st Thess. 5:21)  After careful evaluation, my conclusion is that something must change if we are to realize our true destiny.  One definition of insanity is, “continuing the same activities while expecting different results.”  We must cooperate with God as he re-trains our minds to think His thoughts rather than continue happily along the path that led us to our present condition.

I do not propose a new method or program but rather an increased emphasis on helping people understand how to “Walk In The Spirit.”  We need an emphasis on personal spiritual growth instead of church growth.  We thought we were doing this, but the fruit of our collective labors does not confirm it.  May God cover us with His mercy and grant a new measure of grace as we reevaluate our personal life in Christ.

The early church grew in number and expanded to other countries.  Eventually, so much structure and non-Biblical additions meant that a reformation was needed.  Martin Luther stepped forward with his 95 Thesis, and so began a reformation that called for a return to grace.  After many years, the church, started by Luther’s insight, developed in the same way as the one before it and deadness was again the result.

Along came the Presbyterians with similar results; the Baptists then carried the banner of grace for a while.  The same thing has happened with a number of para-church organizations.  God gives one man a fresh vision but in time he, or those who follow him, develop a manual.  It sets forth the principals that make them distinctive but unfortunately, these principals are often simply another form of legalism.  The movement becomes people trying to live under a mixture of the old and new covenants.  Paul reminds us that the “letter kills, but the Spirit brings life.” (2 Corth. 3:6)  This has led some to characterize this kind of development of ministry as, “Man, Method, Monument.”  This progression has obviously left out many developments and is not meant to be chronologically accurate but rather to show an overall trend.

Each new stage brought a fresh focus on grace and the person of Jesus, but eventually, the emphasis shifted to the preservation of the institution and its ideals or doctrinal convictions.  There seemed to be an almost unavoidable erosion when a movement developed ecclesiastically.  As each movement grew in size, it developed a larger body of doctrine.  With the development of creeds and doctrinal statements came form and form demanded compliance to its codes and traditions.  This usually started with good motives but almost invariably tended to move the people back under the Law or the old covenant.  It led, and still, today leads, to living focused on a body of knowledge instead of living by the Spirit.

The whole institutional church (including non-denominational) is about to go under from its own weight because, for the most part, its leaders are doing what those before them have done.  They continue to build bigger buildings, more entertaining programs, better music, TV, radio and tapes, theme parks, etc.  It is very stimulating to “build for Christ,” but it dulls the senses to what should really be happening.

The church is vulnerable on two fronts.  There is danger from within when we mix the old and new covenants.  The church is the bride of Christ, and when we flirt or have an affair with the law, God calls it Spiritual adultery. (Rom. 7)  When we flirt with the world, the danger comes from without.  We are guilty on both fronts, so more than a revival is in order, we need a reformation.  May God grant the church a return to the centrality of Jesus Christ, and His grace.

Address Comments to:  [email protected]