The Church as a Contrast Society
Contrasting ethics
Last week we looked at how our values (meaning those of us who make up the church) are different than the values of the surrounding culture. Our worldview is informed by revealed scripture and not by emotion, popularity polls, election results or the changing trends of society. If you left here last Sunday not sure about that, did you watch any of the Hawaii Legislature Special Session testimony? It was apparent that Hawaii is deeply divided on the issue of same-sex marriage, and the overwhelming majority of those testifying in opposition to the proposed legislation were what we would call “church people.”
I have a lot of theological differences with our Mormon neighbors, but they turned out by the BUS load to testify, because they share our concerns about the potential problems this law will usher in.
It has been a CLASSIC example of the church (and I’ll use that word in its broadest sense here) as a contrast society, holding different values from the rest of society. There is a secular religion in America now, and the highest value of that secular religion… the most sacred and treasured values? Tolerance and equality. The biggest offense we commit, in their eyes, is that we don’t accept everything as okay (intolerance!) and we don’t see all actions as equal.
And that’s fine with us, because we don’t base our morality and ethics on emotion, popularity polls, election results or the changing trends of society: we base our morality and ethics on the God-breathed, Holy Spirit-revealed truth of scripture, and — I have to tell you — in contrast to the world’s standards we ARE intolerant of endorsing sin, and we do NOT accept any and all behaviors as equal to God’s standards. The church is, by design, a contrast society!
All Christian morality, and our understanding of ethics, flows from what we refer to as the Great Commandment:
Matthew 22:36-40 (NIV)
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
(That phrase: “the law and the prophets” means the existing scriptures as they knew them at the time… everything they had been taught.) EVERYTHING flows from two, and only two, overarching commandments:
Love God completely. (with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind)
Love others the way you love yourself.
When we encounter an ethical dilemma — we run into one of those, “I’m-just-not-sure-exactly-what’s-the-right-thing-to-do-here” situations, we have a litmus test for making our decision and guiding our next action.
First of all, because we love God completely — we frame every moral and ethical choice in the context of what will please Him. Not what is convenient… Not what is popular… Not what is politically correct, but what course of action aligns with what we know of God’s nature, his character, and his revealed will, according to scripture.
That usually settles the matter before we even get to part 2. God’s nature, character and will are often pretty clear and obvious on most things.
The old joke is that a man went to church one Sunday, and his wife was unable to go with him. When he got home, she asked him, “What did the preacher preach about today?”
Her husband replied, “Sin.” (a very typical male answer.)
Being a woman, she was not satisfied with a one-syllable answer; she wanted all the details, so she pushed a little…
“well, what ABOUT sin?”
“He’s against it.”
That’s our stand, too. We’re against sin because sin offends the holiness of God.
So when we are faced with a controversial issue that is clearly sin, our ethics and morality are predetermined for us: we’re against it.
The second part of the equation is where some Christians falter and flounder. “Okay — I got the we’re-against-sin part, but…”
• But that person seems so nice!
• But they are not as bad as this other person.
• But, who am I to judge?
• But, I really like them…
The big stumbling-block seems to be “Love others the way you love yourself.”
You need to sort out your emotional responses from your ethical responsibility as a follower of Jesus. You see, we are uncomfortable judging the morality of people we really like — it’s so much easier just to look the other way… to justify their sin… to excuse the wrong-doing because:
• …that person seems so nice!
• …they are not as bad as this other person.
• …who am I to judge?
• …I really like them…
If you REALLY love somebody, you should love them enough to speak THE TRUTH in love… even HARD truth. Let’s keep this in perspective: when we are faced with the kind of moral and ethical decisions with which we wrestle and struggle, we don’t take it lightly, at all. We must never be smug or rude, or condescending toward others.
That person trapped in some kind of sin and needing to hear some loving, hard truth? That used to be YOU! Somebody loved you enough, loved ME enough, to tell me I was headed the wrong way and lead me toward Jesus.
This is not some church full of perfect people without a past! Let’s be really clear here today, though; I sometimes hear people say, “well, you know I’m just a sinner…” WERE. You WERE a sinner.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NIV)
“…do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
That was your PAST, not your present or your future!
That very passage is Exhibit A in terms of contrast: this is what you USED to be, before JESUS — but not any more!
We must approach all our ethical decisions in the fear of the Lord, and with humility before our community, because “that is what some of you were…”
SO, how does this play out in your everyday life? Real life ethics:
> Some of you USED TO BE greedy and swindlers, but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God, so now you are honest and fair in your financial dealings, not trying to take unfair, dishonest advantage over others.
> Some of you USED TO BE sexually immoral, adulterers or involved in same-sex relationships, but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God, so now you are chaste, and virtuous and no longer involved in sexual sin.
> Some of you USED TO BE drunkards and slanders, but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God, so now you are sober and responsible and honorable in the way you speak of others.
Since you have been washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God you live your life in contrast to the surrounding society!
You frame every moral and ethical choice in the context of what will please Him. Not what is convenient… Not what is popular… Not what is politically correct, but what course of action aligns with what we know of God’s nature, his character, and his revealed will, according to scripture, and what proves our love for others: loving them enough to speak THE TRUTH in love… even HARD truth.