Owing Nothing to Anyone

"Lately, I've been meditating quite a bit on Romans 13, both the first seven verses on the topic of submitting to government, and for the topic of this post, Romans 13:8, "Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law."

On a horizontal level, precisely because of this verse, my desire is to owe nothing to anyone except love. This is something which the Scriptures command and exhort us to do. And thus it is—at least conceptually—something possible for us to do, to some extent. Now, when I say that my desire is to owe nothing to anyone, I don't say this in an arms-folded, "I got mine and everyone else can go pound sand" kind of way, but rather in an earnest way that makes the paying of debts and the fulfilling of commitments an affirmative burden on my conscience.

And so it is that the (increasingly rare) occasions I have an empty inbox and task list are a source of great satisfaction for me, as is my gradually dwindling list of financial obligations. Accordingly, it is at best disconcerting when certain people point their fingers at me, and others like me, and claim that we owe them something, when to the best of my knowledge and recollection, I owe nothing to these folks. In many cases, I've never even met them before!

How and when does this happen? Well, in the United States, we often see it in the context of discussions about "privilege" and social justice. The vastly simplified argument goes something like this: Some people were born into more privilege than others, and some of the folks with the least privilege (with ethnicity being the most common category cited by many "social justice" advocates here) even have the deck systemically stacked against them by society. This is fundamentally unfair, and so the ones with less privilege are owed something, with the payors being society, or the more privileged, or both.

My response to these arguments has been that they appear to be based (whether knowingly or unknowingly) on concepts borrowed from secular Critical Race Theory rather than drawn from the Bible. I think Kevin DeYoung said it well in a blog post last year:  I have my concerns with the term "social justice" and with all that it connotes. But what if we press for a less culturally controlled and more biblically defined understanding? Several years ago, I worked my way through the major justice passages in the Bible: Leviticus 19, Leviticus 25, Isaiah 1, Isaiah 58, Jeremiah 22, Amos 5, Micah 6:8, Matthew 25:31-46, and Luke 4. My less-than-exciting conclusion was that we should not oversell or undersell what the Bible says about justice. On the one hand, there is a lot in the Bible about God's care for the poor, the oppressed, and the vulnerable. There are also plenty of warnings against treating the helpless with cruelty and disrespect. On the other hand, justice, as a biblical category, is not synonymous with anything and everything we feel would be good for the world. Doing justice means following the rule of law, showing impartiality, paying what you promised, not stealing, not swindling, not taking bribes, and not taking advantage of the weak because they are too uninformed or unconnected to stop you.

Problems with Illegal Immigration

Problems with Illegal Immigration

"According to a combined study conducted by three US government departments, immigrants entering the United States illegally are responsible for an extremely high number of crimes. The study was based on a sample of 55,322 illegal immigrants incarcerated in US prisons. Members of this group were arrested 459,614 times—an average of eight arrests per person. About 45 percent of the arrests were for drug or immigration offenses. Another 15 percent were property related—burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and propertydamage. About 12 percent were for violent crimes, including murder, robbery, assault, and sex offenses. The balance of the arrests were for fraud, forgery, counterfeiting, weapons violations, obstruction of justice, and traffic violations, including DUI.23

Another rising problem with illegal immigration is its effect on social and government services, which include medical care, education, welfare, policing, and incarceration. Hospital emergency rooms have become the primary care facility for those here illegally. By law, hospital ERs cannot turn away anyone in need. Yet the sheer number of immigrants often clog ER waiting rooms in metropolitan hospitals. When ER beds are filled, ambulance patients are often diverted to more distant hospitals, which can result in worsening conditions or death.

Dallas' Parkland Hospital offers the second-largest maternity service in the United States. In one recent year, sixteen thousand babies were born at Parkland, and 70 percent of them were to illegal immigrants at a cost of $70.7 million. Because few of these patients speak English, the hospital now offers premium pay to medical employees who speak Spanish. This need has forced the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School to add a Spanish language requirement to its curriculum."

The cost of educating the children of illegal immigrants in the United States was estimated at $52 billion in 2010, while the overall cost of all services combined was estimated at $113 billion. This says nothing about the cost in educational quality and efficiency when schools must make special accommodations for significant numbers of students who speak no English.25

Many US cities, counties, and states are facing severe financial shortfalls—even to the point of looming bankruptcy—brought on by the cost of providing free social services to illegal immigrants. This drain on resources may well reach the point that we no longer have the means to provide the blessings that immigrants come here to find. One of the most disturbing aspects of illegal immigration is simply that it is illegal. The apostle Paul was quite emphatic in commanding Christians to obey governmental laws (Romans 13:1-7). He explained that God ordained governments to keep order and protect citizens.

Dereliction of Duty: the Preacher Who Dodges Unpopular Biblical Texts

Dereliction of duty- Definition: "The shameful failure to fulfill one's obligations."

Many pastors today should step down from ministry altogether because they clearly love the applause of men (Gal. 1:10) more than they value the approval of Almighty God. No where is this seen more clearly today then in evangelical pulpits.

God's expectations could not be anymore clear on this matter: "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths.  But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." (2 Timothy 4:1-5)

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)

The goal of Christian ministry is to lead souls to Christ AND to then teach and preach in such a way as to present every believer "mature in Christ" (Colossians 1:28-29; Hebrews 5:12-14; Matthew 28:18-20).  Being a Word-driven preacher and a Christ-centered congregation is not rocket science.  Faithful Christian ministry requires demands hard work (Col. 1:29) and faith; (trust and obey).  

The state of Christian living in America today is what it is, in part, because far too many Church leaders are more interested in attracting large masses of people then they are in "building up the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-16).  Pastor Kevin DeYoung is spot on when he says, "The preacher who dodges or changes a text because he knows there are men and women out there who don't want to hear it.  That man ought not to be a preacher."

6 Ways You Can Put God’s Glory on Display

"…whatever you do, do all to the glory of God – 1 Corinthians 10:31

This is the succinct, simple and direct mandate of Scripture. All of God’s creation is to be absorbed with putting God’s glory on display. When the angels announced the Savior’s birth, they were joined by the heavenly host, glorifying God (Luke 2:14). The shepherds responded by glorifying God following their visit to the Christ-child in the manger (Luke 2:20). Even the physical creation incessantly declares His glory (Ps 19:1-2).

While the importance of this mandate is not lost on most Christians, its fulfillment frequently is. We give lip-service to it, often closing our prayers of petition with the phrase, “and we’ll be sure to give you all the glory.” But when the answer comes, we, like the nine lepers, are often so elated that we fail to make good on our promise.

How can we follow the example of the physical creation or join in the chorus with the shepherds and the heavenly host in glorifying God? The answer, I believe, is found in Exodus 33:18-34:8. When Moses asks to see God’s glory, God puts His glory on display by rehearsing His attributes, and thereby demonstrates how we can give God the glory that belongs to Him. Here are six ways you can put God’s glory on display:

1. CONFESS SIN

When we confess sin, we are putting His glory on display by declaring His righteousness. That is David’s point in Psalm 51:4: “Against You, You only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when you judge.”

2. FORGIVE OTHERS

Our God is a forgiving God (Ps 130:3-4; Mic 7:18-19). When we forgive others, we are proclaiming His compassion and eagerness to forgive. It has been said that we are never more God-like than when we forgive. That is why the Lord places so much emphasis on forgiving others in the disciples’ prayer (Mt 6:12, 14-15). Forgiving others puts His glory on display.

How to Grow the Church?

How can you grow the church? Well, I admit that’s sort of a trick question. You can’t. The historian Luke writes about the church in the first century and reports, “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”[i] The Scriptures say that only one person can truly grow the church, and that is the Lord. He alone saves and adds souls to the body of Christ; the invisible church. He alone sovereignly oversees any and every person associated with the visible church. This makes sense because Christ is both Lord and Head of the church.[ii]

But many people today think they can grow the church. Innovation and pragmatism mark our period of church history. Confessional theology and church practice based on Scripture is often considered outdated. Many who chant the mantra Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) hardly apply this central Reformation principle.

But church growth gurus have not merely overlooked one part of one verse in the Bible, simply missing the bit about the Lord sovereignly adding to the number of the church, they have also jettisoned the framework in which the Lord normally brings people into the church. The verses surrounding Luke’s statement in Acts 2:47 (quoted above) are profoundly simple, yet simply profound. They do not offer pragmatic tips on how to grow a church, draw a large crowd, or be effective in garnering “decisions”. Rather, the focus of the early first century church was on what theologians often call the means of grace.

For example, Acts 2:42 says, “And they [the apostles and church] devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” The Westminster Shorter Catechism question 88 asks, “What are the outward means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption?”

It answers as follows:The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption are his ordinances, especially the word, sacraments and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation.

In answering this question, the Catechism virtually pulls out several pieces of Acts 2:42 and lays them on the table of the church for them to feast upon. What are they? Well, first lets define means of grace. According to the Catechism, they are “the outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption”. So that’s simple enough. In other words, the way God normally works to save and sanctify His elect comes through various activities the church emphasizes. Or, as the catechism suggests, these means of grace are, by Christ, “made effectual to the elect for salvation”. To be sure, one is not saved by the church or through the church. One is only saved upon hearing the gospel and responding in faith and repentance- a faith in Christ and repentance from sin which is sovereignly given by the Holy Spirit. Christ is seen and heard in the means of grace. So what are they? What are these means of grace? Let me mention the three primary ones.

1.  The Word of God

First, God’s Word is absolutley foundational to the church. A church that reads, prays, teaches, and preaches Scripture is a church participating in one of the chief activities that the apostles and their fellow Christians in the first century “devoted themselves” to. A church that only gives lip service to the Word of God, or places other activities (eg. music) above the Bible is an example of an aberrant congregation who has gone astray from apostolic norms.

Children Need Theology Too

Theology isn’t just for adults. Children need to learn theology too.

"It’s not enough for children to read the bible or have it read to them; it’s not enough that they memorize bible verses. Parents need to teach them what the bible means (Deut. 6:7). They need to learn theology so that they know what the bible is communicating.

Children can begin to learn theology even before they can begin to read. There are lots of ways to teach theology to children. In our house, we use a catechism. (The catechism we use is adapted for young children from the Westminster Shorter Catechism and modified to reflect a more Baptistic understanding of scripture.) Catechisms are a great way to begin teaching children Christian theology and doctrine. (They are actually good for adults too.)

Why is this important? Right at the outset children will be able to learn the answer to a question that plagues lots of people, including some Christians: Why are we here? What’s our purpose on this earth—not just as Christians, but as human beings created in the image of God? The answer to this question is stunningly simple but easy to get wrong if we don’t start with the revelation of scripture. It’s so simple that young children can learn the answer and have it impact the way they live for the rest of their life.

As some Christians have tried to answer for themselves the question of why God created mankind, they sometimes speculate that perhaps He needed someone to love. I’ve heard more than one Christian offer this opinion as a possible explanation. But this is a false view of God, and such a god is not the God revealed to us in scripture. What we believe about even this question does matter. It’s important that we get this answer right, not only for ourselves but for our children too.

Resolutions of the Righteous

Best estimates tell us that nearly 40% of the population engages in the annual practice of setting New Year’s Resolutions. Those same statistics tell us that fewer than 8% of people actually fulfill their resolutions and that the majority have failed by the time February rolls around. There a number of reasons people make – and fail – their personal goals. Despite the high rate of failure, many of us recognize the importance of setting goals because we understand that “if you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” The setting of and striving towards certain goals is a critical part of personal development and professional achievement.

When applied to personal sanctification, however, this old maxim still rings true. Godliness doesn’t just happen—you must be proactive in pursuing it. That is why we are given commands throughout Scripture towards that end. At the end of the day, there is a single resolution that matters before the Lord and it has to do with selecting the pathway your life will follow. For those reading this article who know and fear God, we know that righteousness is required from all of God’s people. With that in mind, as we look towards setting our priorities for the new year, how do we, as people who desire godliness, plan for righteousness? To help us answer that question let’s take a look at Psalm 1.

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.