Tag: Jesus

The Cry from the Cross

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life1 Comment

By Jason Smith

From Christianity’s inception, critics have wondered why believers put so much focus on the cross. It’s easy to see why this might seem strange. When you read a biography of one of your favorite heroes, you expect it to focus on the life of that person, not their death.

The Gospels are ancient biographies about Jesus. But what makes the Gospels so unusual is that they spend between a quarter and half of their pages focusing on the events leading up to Jesus’s death and then the crucifixion itself. That’s strange. People don’t usually write with such a focus on the deaths of their heroes.

Why in the world would Christians celebrate the death of their leader? Sing songs about His blood? And regularly partake in a meal that highlights His death more than His life?

The Gospel story is written in such a way that none of us could have imagined on our own. It completely goes against our natural way of thinking. The Bible says that the message of the cross confounds even the wisest among us (1 Corinthians 1:18-25). Why? Because none of us could have imagined a crucified God, a God who saves by coming to die.

Don Carson offers this warning:

“I fear that the cross, without ever being disowned, is constantly in danger of being dismissed from the central place it must enjoy, by relatively peripheral insights that take on far too much weight. Whenever the periphery is in danger of displacing the center, we are not far removed from idolatry.”[1]

The Cry

While Jesus hung there on the cross 2,000 years ago, the Bible records Him crying out to God, His Father.

I remember once being asked by someone, “Did Jesus really make a sacrifice on the cross when He died? After all, He was only dead for three days and then He got raised from the dead. Now, His followers worship Him.” The statement took me aback, because I’d never heard someone raise this objection. But it’s impossible to read the Gospels’ account of Jesus’s death without concluding that He indeed made a tremendous sacrifice.

A strange thing happened when Jesus was on the cross. God actually gave meteorological evidence that He was pouring out His judgment on His beloved Son.

Matthew 27:45 says: “From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.” Going all the way back to the Plagues of Egypt in the Book of Exodus, we see that darkness frequently accompanies God’s judgment of sin. It’s a sign of cursing, not blessing. A sign of wrath, not joy.

On Labor Day in 2020, many of us in Oregon remember how eerily dark the Willamette Valley was when the Oregon wildfires were raging. The fires killed at least 11 people and more than one million acres were burned. Whitney and I were driving home from a friend’s house, and in the early evening – when one would expect clear and sunny skies – the sky was a dark and hazy brown with a strange orange glow on the horizon. There was something apocalyptic about it all.

Jesus was crucified in the middle of the afternoon, the brightest time of day. Yet, the entire land as far as you could see was shrouded in thick darkness. How bizarre must that have looked to everyone present.

God is a very visual God. He uses pictures to show us what He is doing. And while Jesus hung on the cross, He was showing everyone two things: this was no ordinary Man and this was no ordinary death. He didn’t want anyone to miss this!

About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). (Matthew 27:46, ESV)

Jesus’s cry is pretty startling. And it is meant to be. Earlier that week, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to the shouts of praise and acclamation. A handful of days later, this same Jesus is spread out on a cross, with the crowds now jeering and mocking Him. And He’s shouting to the heavens, “Why have You forsaken Me? Why have You abandoned Me?”

The Curse

We are meant to stare in wonder as Jesus cries out in despair. Throughout His life recorded in the Gospels, Jesus makes 21 prayers to God, and in every case but one He addresses God intimately as “Abba” (“Father” in Aramaic). Yet here, for the first time in His life, Jesus feels His Father withdraw His loving presence and calls Him simply “my God.”

Every Jew knew that, according to their Hebrew Scriptures, anyone hanging from a tree was cursed by God.[2]

Now, imagine what a Jew is thinking as this spectacle unfolds. The land is covered in darkness. You see a man pinned to a tree, and He is crying out, asking why God has forsaken Him. Everything would tell you that this Man hanging there is under the wrath of holy God. And the truth is that He was under the wrath of God.

Paul even says: 

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.’” (Galatians 3:13, ESV)

Jesus became a curse for us. If you have ever wondered what the horror of hell must be like, here you have it in stark clarity. Although Jesus had never done anything wrong, He is bearing the weight of our sin and guilt. So He cries out in agony.

Psalm 22

Let me say something very paradoxical. And I’ll warn you, it may not sound right, but I absolutely believe it to be true. Jesus’s cry of agony from the cross was also a shout of victory.

Again, that may sound strange. But let me explain. This cry of dereliction actually comes from the first line of Psalm 22: “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” It was somewhat common for an ancient Jew to quote the first line of a psalm with the whole psalm actually in mind.

If you have ever wondered if Scripture really transforms our perspective on what we are going through, here is proof that it does. Scripture even gave the Son of God perspective on what He was facing as He hung there from the cross.

And when David wrote Psalm 22 roughly 1,000 years before the Cross, he was actually writing a prophecy about what the Messiah would face at the end of His life. And it is astounding when you see the precision in which Psalm 22 describes the suffering of the Messiah.

The psalm is written as if Jesus Himself was giving His first person perspective from the cross.

But I am a worm and not a man,
    scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
    they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
“He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
    “let the Lord rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
    since he delights in him.” (Psalm 22:6-8, NIV)

v. 14 says:

“I am poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
    it has melted within me.”

v. 18:

They divide my clothes among them
    and cast lots for my garment.

v. 16:

“Dogs surround me,
    a pack of villains encircles me;
    they pierce my hands and my feet.”

This line is especially remarkable. Keep in mind this was written around 1,000 BC, which is 500 years before crucifixion was even invented by the Persians. And yet… who can deny that this sounds strangely like someone being pinned to a cross, with nails piercing both hands and feet? The Bible is God-breathed and when you have a God-breathed text, you have things that just don’t make sense apart from a God who perfectly knows the future.

And as Jesus is looking around and seeing His clothes being divided up, in one sense He’s facing enormous shame as He’s hoisted up for all the crowds to mock Him. But on the other hand, Jesus knew the Scriptures. And He knew that everything taking place perfectly fulfilled Scripture. Those very mocking words intended to tear Him down ended up being the source of His strength. Why? Because He saw that His Father’s plan was being perfectly carried out. And this same principle holds true for us.

Only the God-breathed Scriptures can give us the perspective we need when we’re facing a crisis or tremendous loss.

I was talking to someone who recently lost a family member, and he told me that nothing has given him the sense of peace and calm he needs like poring over the Bible and just letting God’s Word wash over him and settle his heart. When you have roots going deep into Scripture, death no longer terrifies you. You can face your trials with a view to eternity. And you can know that God is with you.

The Choir of Heaven

From all appearances, Jesus looked like a man totally stripped of power – stripped of everything! And yet in reality, no one there was more fully in control of that event. Jesus, as a man, drew strength from Scripture. It gave Him the perspective He needed to see His death as the grand event of redemption history.

But let’s be clear about something. Jesus really was experiencing Godforsakenness on the cross. Jesus wasn’t merely quoting Psalm 22 to draw attention to it. He really was being cut off from fellowship with the Father. So the cry of being abandoned is authentic; it’s not for show.

Hours before this, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus had pleaded with the Father, “If it is possible, take this cup from Me” (Matthew 26:39).

What was the cup that Jesus referred to? Throughout the Old Testament, there are frequent mentions of the cup of God’s wrath being poured out on sin.[3] The cup was a cup of judgment. So Jesus was asking, “Is there any other way for sinners to be reconciled to You, Father?”

But the silence in the darkness was the response. There was no other way. God is holy. So sin must be punished. There’s no Exceptions Clause here. Sin must be punished. So the only way for you and me to be spared from the judgment of a holy God is if there is a Substitute who would step in and bear our sin and punishment for us. All who trust in this Substitute will never have to drink the cup of judgment.

Why do Christians love to sing about the cross? Why is it that in the Book of Revelation, the choir of Heaven is pictured singing over and over, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain” (Revelation 5:12, NIV). The song of redemption will never grow old, because the sacrifice of Jesus is our everything. The children of God will never forget that apart from the cross, they are lost and condemned. Through the cross, our every need is met, the love of God abounds, and our eternity secured. Because Jesus cried out in Godforsakenness in our place, we can cry out to God knowing we are never forsaken in Jesus.

[1] D. A. Carson, The Cross and Christian Ministry (2004)

[2] Deuteronomy 21:23 saysthat a man hanged on a tree is cursed by God.

[3] Isaiah 51:17-22; Jeremiah 25:15-29; Obadiah 16; Revelation 14:10.

Is the Jesus Story Really Borrowed from Pagan Myths?

On By Jason SmithIn Theology for Life, Why I Believe3 Comments

By Jason Smith

From the very birth of Christianity, the church has always believed in the virgin conception of Jesus Christ. It is part and parcel of the gospel message. It is an essential, not merely incidental, component for understanding who Jesus is.

While some skeptics would have us believe that Jesus’ virgin conception and divine nature were late inventions by the church, nothing could be farther from the truth. From the earliest sources on the life of Jesus, the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), we have the testimony of credible and early eyewitnesses who said Jesus Himself claimed to be the great “I Am” or Yahweh God.

One famous historian, Dr. William Ramsay, conducted a thorough investigation of every name and location mentioned in the Gospel of Luke and in Luke’s second volume, the book of Acts. Ramsay was an atheist convinced that Christianity was just one more myth of the ancient world. He planned to catalog all of Luke’s errors in order to make the story of the virgin-born Messiah look as ridiculous as the myths of Zoroaster and Zeus.

To Ramsay’s dismay, however, Luke proved to be a top-notch historian. He triple-checked every name and place Luke mentions against every historical record he could find pertaining to the first century. In the end, Ramsay could not deny Luke’s incredible accuracy. Eventually, Ramsay surrendered his life to the Jesus he had set out to debunk.

As mentioned, the Gospels of the New Testament claim to be based on eyewitness testimony, and the authors express a concern for what really happened in the life of Jesus.  Names and places are often mentioned that could only be known by people who were actually there when the events took place. These were people who knew Jesus personally. Most historians agree that Jesus’ mother, Mary, was the primary source for the nativity story found in Luke. The virgin conception was not only based in history, but also a necessary component of the gospel.

Writing at the beginning of the second century, the church father Ignatius wrote:

“For our God, Jesus the Christ, was conceived in the womb by Mary, according to a dispensation, of the seed of David but also of the Holy Ghost.”[1]

The Bible teaches that ever since Adam’s sin, children inherit the sinful condition of their parents.[2] Had Jesus come into this world like you and me, with a mother and father, He could not have been the sinless Savior and spotless sacrifice for sins that we all need. This could only happen if Jesus entered this world through a supernatural conception.

The Myth of the “Jesus Myth”

There are many out there, like comedian Bill Maher, who have tried to say that the virgin birth is just part of the “Jesus myth.” He argues that the Christians plagiarized this idea of the virgin birth from pagan mythologies that had already been around for centuries. But on closer examination, this skeptical claim falls apart. Not only are the pagan stories not really virgin births because they involve a god sleeping with a goddess or woman, but they don’t make any attempt to be rooted in history, as the Gospels do.

In his mockumentary film Religulous, Maher tries to argue that long before the Jesus story, the Egyptians believed that their god Horus, the son of Osiris, was born of a virgin, walked on water, performed healing miracles, died by crucifixion, and was resurrected as savior after three days. Oh yeah, and the film claims this is all recorded in the Egyptian book of the dead written in 1280 BC. This is meant to catch viewers off guard. Wait a minute. The Jesus story sounds just like that!

No doubt, it sounds pretty compelling. The only problem? Almost none of this is based in actual history; this is a deliberate misrepresentation of the facts. As Egyptian pastor Shaddy Soliman said, “If you made this kind of claim in Egypt, people would think you’re crazy.”[3]

The only thing truly accurate about the above description of Horus was that he was indeed supposed to be the son of the Egyptian god Osiris. But before considering the other claims, something needs to be clarified.

With nearly every one of the examples that skeptics like Maher cite, it is painfully obvious that they are mythological. They were not written as historical accounts. In fact, there is really no effort by the authors to root these polytheistic tales in a real historical context. By contrast, consider how Luke begins his Gospel:

“Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:1-4, ESV)

Luke talks about his account being based on the testimony of eyewitnesses. He says he did his research, following “all things closely for some time past.” He set out “to write an orderly account” so that his reader would have “certainty” about the Jesus story. This is how you begin a work of history, not mythology. He doesn’t start with “Once upon a time,” but instead gives specific names and times when kings and emperors were reigning, so that there would be no question, this is a carefully researched historical account. As it turns out, the real myth is that there even was a “Jesus myth,” since the Jesus story is based on credible eyewitness accounts of history.

Is Jesus Based on Horus?

So what about Horus?

Was he too said to be born of a virgin?

According to author Rice Broocks, here’s what really happened in the Horus myth (brace yourself, it’s pretty gross):

“Osiris was killed and dismembered, and his body parts cast into a river. Isis retrieved his genitals and then inseminated herself in order to get pregnant and have the son, Horus.”[4]

Oookay then. To call that a virgin birth is a bit of a stretch, to say the least. Well, what about Horus performing healing miracles? Nope, there’s no record of him ever healing anyone. What about Horus being crucified? Again, no, nothing like that is recorded other than his hands being spread apart at death. But no cross. No nails. In fact, crucifixion wasn’t even practiced by the Egyptians. So again, the claim doesn’t fit the facts of history. What about rising from the dead? As Broocks explains, in one account Horus is said to be resuscitated, but that is nothing like the Jewish understanding of resurrection where you are raised to new bodily life in glory.

I would encourage those who have been told that the Jesus story is just a copycat of other ancient religions to actually delve into the accounts themselves. Do the research to see if this claim stands up to historical analysis. Ask critical questions. Does the copycat claim make sense of the facts? Where do certain beliefs or ideas show up in historical records? Don’t just blindly accept the claims of those who are bent on making Christianity look foolish.

In most cases, my guess is that these skeptics don’t want the Jesus story to be true, because if Jesus really did die and rise again, then they are undoubtedly accountable to Him; He’s Lord. But if the Jesus story is just a reshuffled version of what was already out there, and it has no grounding in historical truth, they can shunt it aside as another fable and Jesus could be safely ignored along with Zeus and Thor. But what if this retelling is pure fiction?

In his book, Reinventing Jesus, J. Ed Komoszewski writes:

“Only after the rise of Christianity did mystery religions begin to look suspiciously like the Christian faith. Once Christianity became known, many of the mystery cults consciously adopted Christian ideas so that their deities would be perceived to be on par with Jesus. The shape of the mystery religions prior to the rise of Christianity is vague, ambiguous, and localized. Only by a huge stretch of the imagination, and by playing fast and loose with the historical data, can one see them as having genuine conceptual parallels to the Christian faith of the first century.”[5]

The simple fact is that the vast majority of historians today accept that the basic facts about Jesus’ life are rooted in history, not mythology. Not only that, but no historian or scholar ever tried to argue against the Jesus of history for the first 1,700 years following His life. While some disputed His resurrection appearances, nobody tried to argue that Jesus was not a figure of history or that His story was just cobbled together from ancient mythologies. Even today, no historian worth his or her salt will try to deny that Jesus ever existed.

It wasn’t until the Enlightenment that a handful of historians began to argue that since miracles cannot happen (a premise they assumed a priori based on naturalistic convictions), then the story of the miraculous Jesus cannot be real either.

Komoszewski writes:

“As far back as the 1840s, Bruno Bauer began to publish views that the story of Jesus was rooted in myth. Bauer’s greatest influence was on one of his students, Karl Marx, who promoted the view that Jesus never existed. This view eventually became part of communist dogma.”[6]

The Jewish Context of Christian Origins

A glaring problem with this “copycat theory” is that it ignores the Jewish theological and historical context into which Christianity was born. While many forget this, the first Christians were all Jewish. One thing is clear about the Jews of the first century: they utterly repudiated all forms of polytheistic and pagan worship. That being the case, the early Christians would abhor the idea of borrowing ideas about God or worship from the pagan myths of the Gentiles.

It’s clear from the New Testament that the early Christian leaders saw myths as a dangerous threat, not something from which to learn. The Apostle Paul warned his fellow Christians about those who “devote themselves to myths” (1 Timothy 1:4, NIV). He predicted that many, even in churches, “will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:4, NIV). The Apostle Peter said, “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Peter 1:16, ESV). The argument that Christians just adopted pagan mythical ideas makes no sense, given their leaders continual warnings to run away as far as they could from myths.

Again, Komoszewski writes:

“The first-century Jewish mindset loathed syncretism. Unlike the Gentiles of this era, Jews refused to blend their religion with other religions. Gentile religions were not exclusive; one could be a follower of several different gods at one time. But Judaism was strictly monotheistic, as was Christianity. As the gospel spread beyond the borders of Israel, the apostles not only found themselves introducing people to the strange idea of a man risen from the dead; they also came face-to-face with a polytheistic culture. But they made no accommodation on this front.”[7]

Is Christmas a Pagan Holiday?

I’ve come across numerous internet bloggers, YouTubers, and conversation partners who try to argue that Christianity so closely parallels the ancient mystery religions that Christians must have just copied them to sound legitimate. This erroneous idea is found on the lips of one of Dan Brown’s characters in The Da Vinci Code: “Nothing in Christianity is original.” The novel claims that everything from Jesus’ virgin birth to His birthday on December 25th to the idea of Him receiving “gold, frankincense, and myrrh” has its origin in pagan mythologies, like that of Mithras.

But this is so inaccurate, it’s almost laughable. None of Brown’s claims stand up to scrutiny. To be as charitable as possible, we’d have to say that he didn’t do his homework when writing the book. More likely, he knew that the sensational sells while the truth is often ignored. It’s simply not true that Mithras was born of a virgin – he was born of a rock![8] Let’s not pretend rocks can be called virgins now. In fact, what you don’t find in any of the mystery religions is anything remotely like the virgin conception in the New Testament – which was also prophesied 700 years in advance in Isaiah 7:14. You have gods like Zeus sleeping with human women and producing beings that are half-man and half-god. But obviously if a god had sex with a woman, then she’s not a virgin.

What about December 25th? It’s true that this was the date chosen by the Emperor Aurelius to dedicate his pagan temple to Sol Invictus, the god of the “Unconquerable Sun,” because it was close to the winter solstice. Since Mithraism was closely associated with the worship of Sol, there is a connection between Mithras and that particular date. But let me explain why that does not mean Christmas itself has pagan origins.

No one knows the actual date of Christ’s birth. The earliest known date for celebrating it was actually January 6th and many Eastern churches still celebrate Christmas on that day. But here’s the important point to be made: The celebration of Christmas preceded the choice of December 25th as the day on which to celebrate. So why do we celebrate it on December 25th? According to historians, we have Constantine, the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, to thank for that. Prior to becoming a Christian, Constantine worshiped Sol Invictus. It seems that in AD 336, the year before Constantine died, he chose December 25th to now be a day for celebrating Christ, not Sol Invictus. In the decades that followed, many popes and emperors argued for appropriating the pagan holidays to demonstrate the redemptive power of Christ.

What about this idea in The Da Vinci Code that gold, frankincense, and myrrh were presented to Krishna at his birth long before the Jesus story? This one is just false. There’s nothing like this found in the story of Krishna’s birth,[9] and I would guess that Brown got this idea from Dorothy Murdock, who has no academic training. While she is a popular writer, many of her claims – such as this one—are roundly rejected by the scholarly community.

The most we could say is that certain cultural practices appear to have overlap between Christianity and ancient pagan religions, but that only makes sense when you consider that by the end of the first century, the vast majority of Christians were former pagans. Nevertheless, there’s good reason to conclude that Christian theology and the Jesus story were not influenced by Mithraism or other pagan mythologies. In the most profound sense, the Christian gospel is both original and unique. The so-called parallels are either gross exaggerations or complete fabrications. All claims to the contrary are evidence of shoddy scholarship and a hunger for the sensational.

Eddy and Boyd make the point well:

“While there are certainly parallel terms used in early Christianity and the mystery religions, there is little evidence for parallel concepts. For example, as we have noted, both Christianity and the mystery religions spoke of salvation—as do many religions throughout history. But what early Christians meant by this term had little in common with what devotees of mystery religions meant by it. To site just one difference, there was in the mystery religions nothing similar to Paul’s idea that disciples participate in the death and resurrection of their Savior and are adopted as God’s children by placing their trust in him.”[10]

So, yes, you’ll find similarities in the general, but you won’t find specific parallels. Christianity is utterly unique in the kind of story it tells. It’s a story of grace – of the one true God coming to the rescue of humanity by being born of a virgin, living a sinless life, dying as a substitute sin-bearer in the place of lost sinners, and rising again bodily. The testimony we find in the New Testament belongs to those who actually saw the risen Christ, felt His nail-pierced hands, and saw Him ascend into the clouds.[11] History records not only His first followers doggedly sticking with the same story from the beginning but also their willingness to die for what they witnessed firsthand. What about the pagan adherents of those other supposed “dying and rising god” myths out there? We don’t have any record of them claiming to see their god in the flesh or being willing to die for this claim. Only Christianity can say this. That’s the power and uniqueness of the Jesus story.

[1] Quoted in Josh McDowell and Don Stewart, Answers to Tough Questions Skeptics Ask about the Christian Faith (San Bernardino: Here’s Life Publishers, 1980), 56.

[2] See my previous article “Does the Bible Teach Original Sin?”

[3] Quoted in Rice Broocks, Man, Myth, Messiah, 119.

[4] Rice Broocks, Man Myth Messiah, Kindle edition.

[5] J. Ed Komoszewski, Reinventing Jesus, 234.

[6] Ibid, 318.

[7] Ibid, 233.

[8] Edwin Yamauchi quoted in Lee Strobel, The Case for the Real Jesus, Kindle edition.

[9] https://www.learnreligions.com/the-story-of-the-birth-of-lord-krishna-1770453

[10] Boyd and Eddy, The Jesus Legend, 142.

[11] See John 19:35; 20:26-31; 21:24; 1 John 1:1-4

The Cradle in the Shadow of the Cross

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for LifeLeave a comment

By Jason Smith

During the Christmas season, our schedule is often crammed with all the festivities to attend, gifts to deliver, and shopping to complete. The race against the clock and the stress of getting things “just right” can be a bit overwhelming. That is why we all could use a reminder to pause, step back, and take it all in. Consider with me what Christmas is really all about.

Selah

The Bible has a wonderful word for this: selah. Selah means stop. Consider. Absorb. Don’t hurry on to the next task to accomplish. Instead, take a deep breath and reflect on the wonder of what God has done out of His unspeakable love for you.

One reason we need to pause is that we often think we have already “figured out” Christmas. We imagine that since we have heard the Christmas story so many times before that we already have a good grasp on it. But, in truth, Christmas is about an event we could never fully wrap our minds around.

“The Word became flesh.” (John 1:14)

We are talking about the infinite becoming finite; the omnipotent One becoming small and weak; the eternal Son of God who created time entering into time itself as the Son of Mary. The Creator entered His creation. The Author wrote Himself into His play.

There is great mystery here. In the words of the Lutheran theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the incarnation is a holy mystery. It’s a mind-bending mystery to consider how divinity and humanity could be so closely intertwined in a single person. And yet, that is precisely what we have with Jesus. He is not merely the greatest man who ever lived. He is the one and only God-man.

His hands were the hands that placed the stars in the sky. His voice was the one that spoke light into existence at the very beginning. His were the eyes that have peered into the soul of every man, woman, and child. Yet, here He was on Mary’s lap, the glory of Heaven was there as a little baby, nursing from His mother’s breast.

And we are meant to pause and wonder, to allow ourselves the time to ponder the incredible truth of it all. As we do that, the Spirit of God opens His glorious truth to us.

We are like the person with impaired vision who went into surgery to have his vision corrected, and when he comes out, he can see color for the first time. “I never dreamed that the sky could be so blue!” he says. “I never imagined grass to be so green.” Although he could see things before, he’s now seeing everything in a brand new way, as it was always meant to be seen.

That’s what we must do as we consider the coming and incarnation of the Son of God. As we stare into the face of the infant in the manger, we begin to see everything and everyone else in the light of God’s glory.

“He Was in the Form of God”

Writing about the incarnation, the Apostle Paul said:

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:5-7, ESV)

To say that Jesus existed “in the form of God,” is to say that the Son has always had the nature of God. We typically think of “form” as the outward design, but in first-century Greek, the word morphe (“form”) meant something more like “inner substance” and “nature.” Paul is saying that at no point in time did Jesus ever become a god or graduate to godhood. He always has been and always will be the eternal God of all. The fact that He is the Son of God doesn’t make Him any less divine, because a son always shares the nature of his father.

Paul goes on to say that this Son who has always existed as God “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” (v. 6) or clutched. The idea is that the Son didn’t cling to His divine rights so as to avoid coming to our rescue. In fact, He did the opposite. Rather than seeing His divine nature as a reason to overlook us, He saw it as the thing that qualified Him to save us.

“He Emptied Himself”

Now, when some scholars early in the 20th century looked at the text that says Christ “emptied Himself” (v. 7), they assumed this meant He emptied Himself of His divine nature. As if, in order to become a man, Jesus had to shed His deity. But there’s a fundamental misunderstanding here. It doesn’t say He emptied something out of Himself, but that He “emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant” (v. 7). This self-emptying is talking about Christ’s incredible humility – that He who was exalted above all would stoop to such a low and degrading level out of love.

It’s not that being human is degrading; it’s not. We alone are the prized creation made in God’s own image (Genesis 1:26-27). But the Son of God was willing to subject Himself to being servant of all.

Christ didn’t have His Godhood taken away. This might sound like a mathematical paradox, but what we have here is subtraction by addition. Christ emptied Himself – not by losing His deity, but by adding a human nature.

Remember Christ’s words to the disciples when they were bickering about who was the greatest?

“Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man [speaking of Himself] came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43-45, ESV)

How much egg do you think was on their face after that? They had just been arguing back and forth. Peter says, “I’m taller, so I should lead.” James says, “No, I’m smarter, so I should be in charge.” Jesus says, “Guys, stop looking to be served. Even I came here to serve you all and even die for you.” You can bet their mouths were snapped shut after that!

“And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8, ESV)

Once again, “form” here means nature. So Jesus really did become fully human in every way. He wasn’t just wearing a human disguise. And He came as an obedient servant of His Father – all the way to the point of dying a criminal’s death on a cross.

“Even Death on a Cross”

This statement would have been shocking. To say that the cross was God’s idea would have sounded absurd to people at the time. They didn’t think of the cross as something you find on top of churches or worn around a neck. A cross — or stauros in the Greek — would have been viewed as the epitome of shame and agony. The word “cross” is something that even Romans wouldn’t say in polite company, because it conjured up the image of gore and shame.

Crucifixion – which originally was invented by the Persians – and then “perfected” by the Romans was designed to maximize both the pain and shame of the victim. In fact, the very word “excruciating” literally means “out of the cross.” This horrendous experience needed a whole category of its own to describe this level of torture.

Now consider that at Calvary, that was God on the cross. According to this verse, the cross was always the goal of Christ’s coming. This was not Plan B; God had always intended it to happen in this way. The reason for the manger of Christmas is the cross of Good Friday. The Son of God came to this earth as a man ultimately to pay for our sin and die the death we deserved.

Now ask yourself, “How much love is required to willingly undergo that kind of torture for those who are spitting in your face?” Jesus lived out the very humility Paul is calling us to embody. That’s why Paul brings up Christ’s incarnation and death. Earlier, he said, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3, ESV). Who but Christ embodied this perfectly?

It was Christ who looked not merely “to His own interests, but… to the interests of others” (v. 4). At the cross, we see the ultimate act of selflessness – God Himself pouring out His love, enduring the penalty for our sins, so that we could be forgiven in full.

“God Has Highly Exalted Him”

Charles Wesley, who is known for his many hymns, including “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” also wrote the famous hymn, “And Can It be that I Should Gain.”

The first stanza goes like this:

“And can it be that I should gain
An int’rest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?”

When we consider Christmas, we should see a Savior God who was willing to lay aside every privilege and right in order to secure the freedom of those who deserved death. Jesus looked at you and considered your need, and because of His great love, He willingly made that vast journey from heaven to earth. And because He did that, words like “Bethlehem,” “manger,” and “wise men” mean something to us today.

Let’s join Paul in letting the truths of Christmas and Calvary turn out hearts to worship.

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11, ESV)

Have thoughts on this post? Share in the comments below!

“O Holy Night,” Celtic Worship

Beware a Critical Spirit

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional2 Comments

By Jason Smith

“What gives you the right to judge?”

If you’ve lived in the United States for almost any amount of time, there’s a good chance you’ve heard this question or some version of it. Maybe someone even threw this barbed question at you or someone you know. It’s a question that gets to the heart of some major cultural shifts that have been witnessed in the last several decades. It’s also a question that points to why so many seem fed up with Christianity today.

But wait a minute, someone might say. Didn’t Jesus Himself tell us we are not to judge others?

Judge Not or Judge Correctly?

Perhaps more than any other passage in Scripture, I hear Matthew 7:1 quoted today – by both Christians and non-Christians alike.

“Judge not, that you be not judged.” (Matthew 7:1, ESV)

Seems pretty straightforward, doesn’t it? Many will say, “Who are you to judge? Even Jesus said ‘Judge not.’”

Certainly such a command should be taken seriously, if we claim to follow Jesus as Lord. But let’s make sure we are understanding what exactly Jesus meant by this. For example, in another passage of the New Testament, the crowds are quick to criticize Jesus – even calling Him “demon-possessed!” That’s when Jesus showed them the error of their ways and added,

“Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” (John 7:24, NIV, emphasis added)

So, which is it? Are we to judge or not judge? We like simple and straightforward answers to this question, don’t we? And yet, as with so many other areas of human relationships, the answer has to be more complicated than a simple “yes” or “no.”

Let’s consider the Matthew 7 quote in its full scriptural context. After saying “Judge not,” Jesus goes on to say this:

“For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” (Matthew 7:2-5, ESV)

There’s a lot to unpack here, but if we seek to understand Jesus’ words, we can avoid both errors that people often make. The first error is to think “judge not” is an absolute statement calling us to forsake all moral judgment or critique. The second error is to judge with a Pharisaical or self-righteous judgment.

Pharisaical Judgment

The first thing we need to see is that judgment here is akin to the word criticism. Jesus is chiding those who were eager to make harsh criticisms of others. This is seen in the ridiculous image Jesus paints for us. If you have read this passage before and completely missed Jesus’ use of righteous satire, there’s a good chance you missed what He’s saying.

Imagine someone walking into church with a massive tree trunk sticking out of his eye. To the amazement of everyone around him, the poor guy is somehow unaware of this ocular protrusion. How do you even broach the subject when he’s acting as if nothing is wrong? You then watch as he suddenly approaches one of the gentlemen staring at him in wonder.

“Listen, pal,” says Mr. Tree Trunk. “It seems that no one else is willing to tell you this, but you have some kind of black speck stuck in your eye. Here, I don’t want to embarrass you, but let me see if I can get it out of there.”

To which the other man, still startled by the size of that log, blurts out, “No, no! Thanks, but I think I’ll ask someone else to help with that.”

The whole scene sounds absurd, and yet it makes Jesus’ point perfectly. Jesus talks about things stuck in our eye, because very often our harsh criticism is the result of blindness to our own faults. To criticize someone else when we are struggling with the same thing (maybe even to a greater degree!) is to play the hypocrite.

Why Are We Quick to Judge?

It is part of our human nature that we tend to minimize the seriousness of our own sins and failures while we magnify the shortcomings of others. This can stem from spiritual pride – even if we don’t consider ourselves religious. We all have an inner Pharisee that is eager to make others look worse in order to make ourselves look better by comparison.

Take inventory of your own heart. When you hear about someone else’s failures, are you quick to condemn? Is there a part of you that smiles when others are exposed for wrongdoing? Do you jump at opportunities to show others to be in the wrong simply because you are gratified by being right?

There are times when we might be absolutely right, but the way we are speaking is shortsighted and harsh. Maybe it’s because we’re speaking like someone who has the goal of tearing others down rather than building them up.

Are you better at seeing the good intentions of others or finding errors in their thinking? Too often, we can criticize someone else only to find out later that we had no understanding of their unique situation. Proverbs 18:13 says, “To answer before listening— that is folly and shame.”

The Pharisees felt they had to bolster their self-image, because for them everything hung on being seen as righteous and morally praiseworthy. But when you understand that your righteousness comes from Christ through faith, you no longer feel the need to be superior or self-righteous. When you understand your own guilt has been removed by Christ, you won’t feel the need to find guilt in others.

Why We Can’t Neglect Discernment

Secondly, let’s note that Jesus is not calling for an absolute ban on any and all moral judgments. We’ve already seen that Jesus elsewhere calls people to “judge correctly” or to make sober judgments in the right way. And in Matthew 7, Jesus goes on to say, “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs” (v. 6). Picking up Jesus’ metaphor for those who mock and malign us, how are we to know who the “dogs” or “pigs” are without careful discernment? A little later in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns of “false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (v. 15). If we should never make any moral judgments whatsoever, why would He say, “You will recognize them by their fruits” (v. 20)? To determine if the “fruit” of someone’s life is good or bad, one must make a moral judgment.

But even in the example of the man with a log in his own eye, Jesus tells us to “first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5, ESV)

In other words, Jesus isn’t calling us to stop correcting people who are in error. Jesus is saying that until we have examined our own hearts first and confessed our own sin to God and others, we are in no position to confront others. A good question to ask ourselves before issuing criticism is: “While my situation is different, is this something that I too struggle with in some way?”

God calls all His people to live in holiness, so of course Jesus still wants us to speak the truth in love to one another (Ephesians 4:15). If God calls something “sin,” so should we. Sin is always destructive, and God’s commands are for our good (Deuteronomy 10:12-13). When we keep this in mind, we can warn both ourselves and others against it. Jesus calls the clear-eyed person to help the brother with the speck out of love.

Elsewhere the New Testament says:

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. (Galatians 6:1, NIV)

Confronting a brother or sister in sin is something Jesus explicitly calls His followers to do. But this is so important: the goal must always be restoration. The goal is not to expose, embarrass, condemn, or make an example of someone. To confront someone in love is to say, “I know that what you are doing offends God and can only bring harm to yourself and others in the long run. So please come back to the Savior who loves you too much to let you go your own way!”

Tenderness in tone goes a long way here. That’s why Paul says to restore the person caught in sin “gently.”

Jesus, Friend of Sinners

Let’s remember that Jesus came into this world not to condemn, but to save.[1] If you are at all familiar with the teachings of the Bible, you know it says that every last one of us are sinners. Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.” All includes you, me, and everyone else in the line of Adam. What does that have to do with being overly critical?

Well, if I am a sinner who deserves condemnation but instead receives grace from God, that should radically shape the way I deal with others. As a Christian, I know that Jesus found me when I was lost and showed me incomprehensible grace when I was headed for the ultimate judgment of hell. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, NIV). To forget this in my relationships with others is to forget the greatest thing that happened to me.

How quickly we can forget that because of Jesus’ compassion for the lost, He was frequently found with the biggest sinners. Why? Not because the perfect Son of God wanted to join in their sin, but simply because He loved them and knew they needed Him. How ironic that we don’t find Jesus sharply criticizing the sexually promiscuous or the materialistic tax-collectors. Instead, it was for the religious leaders that Jesus reserved His sharpest criticism, the very ones who mocked Him with the label “Friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matthew 11:19).

Cruelty, slander, and mud-slinging happen in the world. We know that. We know people get canceled and shamed and ostracized without a fair hearing. But that should not happen in the church of Jesus Christ. Jesus does not delight in a church that looks down on a sinner who has lost their way.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who goes after that wandering sheep with the goal of bringing it back to the fold. That should be our hearts, too. And as I look at my own heart, I confess there are times that I’ve jumped to conclusions about people without giving them a fair hearing. That is always wrong, and Jesus calls us to do better than that.

Christians of all people should understand the importance of being slow to criticize. We should take our cues from Jesus and be known for humbly loving those with whom we strongly disagree. We should confront religious hypocrisy while being especially watchful about such hypocrisy in our own hearts.

Question for reflection: Am I more eager to confront hypocrisy in others than I am willing to confront it in my own life?

[1] John 3:18.

Did Jesus Descend into Hell?

On By Jason SmithIn Theology for Life1 Comment

By Jason Smith

With great emotion, intensity in his eyes, and a distinct southern drawl, the preacher on television vividly described the scene. “Now he’s in the pit of hell… he’s down there suffering like no man has ever suffered. Death and all hell’s emissaries have piled in there on him to annihilate this one called the Son of God!”[1] 

Did Jesus really go to hell to be tortured by demons between His death and resurrection? While you may not be aware of this teaching, this idea is not all that rare. In fact, there’s a line in the famous Apostles’ Creed (not to be confused with Apollo Creed, Rocky’s nemesis) that seems to support what the preacher said: “He [Jesus] descended into hell.”

So what do we make of this? The first thing to determine is whether or not this idea is taught in Scripture. As an evangelical Christian, I love church history and value much of the tradition that has been handed down to believers today. But I also equally confess the Reformation principle of sola scriptura—“Scripture alone.” This principle states that Scripture alone is my final authority on matters of faith and practice. Church tradition, while valuable and important, must submit to the authority of God’s Word.

Even so, it’s worth noting that the phrase “Descendit ad Inferna (He descended into hell)” was not included in the earliest versions of the Apostles’ Creed.[2] And it’s also worth noting that the Apostles’ Creed does not date back to the twelve Apostles themselves, despite what the name may imply.

But, as already mentioned, what really matters is whether or not the concept of Jesus descending into hell is found in the Bible.

Some have wondered if Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost, recorded in the book of Acts, alludes to this event. In the King James Version, Peter quotes Psalm 16:10 as saying, “Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption” (Acts 2:27, KJV).

Such a reading does seem to suggest that Jesus’s soul descended into hell prior to His resurrection. The problem here is that the KJV translates the Greek hades as “hell,” when it should be translated as “death” or “the grave.” Most biblical scholars agree that hades largely corresponds with the Hebrew sheol in the Old Testament, and sheol simply means “the grave” in Psalm 16:10. If the author had really wanted to say Jesus descended into hell before rising from the dead, he would have used the word gehenna.

The other passage[3] people often see as a reference to Jesus descending into hell is 1 Peter 3:18-20.

I find it ironic that Peter elsewhere says that his fellow Apostle Paul’s writings “contain some things that are hard to understand” (2 Peter 3:16). That’s one Christ-appointed Apostle saying of another Christ-appointed Apostle, “Sometimes what he says is a bit… confusing.” Of course, I wouldn’t argue with Peter on this point, but I could see Paul replying, “Peter, my friend, the same could be said of you at times.”

Peter writes,

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. (1 Peter 3:18-20, ESV)

What’s going on here? When Peter talks about Jesus “being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,” I take that to be a reference to Christ’s death and resurrection. Peter seems to be saying that Jesus rose from the dead in the power of the Holy Spirit, a common way for Scripture to refer to the resurrection.[4] [5]

But then comes the tricky phrase: “… in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah…” Let’s be real. On first reading, this is a confusing statement. The idea seems to be that just as Jesus was raised in the power of the Holy Spirit, He also went in the power of the Spirit to proclaim His victory to disobedient spirits who have been imprisoned since the days of Noah. Some have interpreted the “spirits” here to be human, but I believe there’s good reason to see these as demonic spirits.[6] But this certainly raises some questions. Like, for instance, why did Jesus feel the need to do this? And why did this event involve these specific demons, which were somehow linked to the flood of Noah?

Here’s what I think is happening. Peter is speaking to a beleaguered group of Christians who have been facing suffering and being maligned for their faith in Christ.[7] He wants to encourage them. And what better way to do it than to remind them of Christ’s total victory over the spiritual forces of darkness. When Jesus declares victory, it’s meant to embolden us to share this gospel of Christ’s victory with others (see 1 Peter 3:15).

But why did Jesus proclaim His victory to these specific demons? This leads us to yet another strange account found in Genesis 6:1-4, which speaks of “the sons of God” having sexual relations with “the daughters of man” and producing offspring known as the Nephilim. That last sentence opens a massive can of worms, but I actually think there’s good biblical precedent for this view.

In almost every instance, “sons of God” means angels in the Old Testament.[8] So these were likely rebellious angels (or demons) that somehow took possession of human male bodies to procreate with human women. Yes, this sounds bizarre, but I think this same event is alluded to elsewhere in the New Testament.

In Peter’s second letter, he writes:

“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell (tartarus) and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly...” (2 Peter 2:4-5, ESV)

Similarly, Jude 6 says:

“And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.” (Jude 6, ESV)

So what does all this mean? These imprisoned demons seem to be the archetype of how God will judge those who side with Satan. Therefore, Peter is saying something like this: “Although satanic forces in the world may persecute you now, God calls you to endure this suffering for Christ, because He has already won the war against them through the cross and resurrection.”

This fits with what Peter says next in verse 22, which says that Jesus “has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him” (1 Peter 3:22).

It does appear that Jesus descended to hell (or what Peter calls “Tartarus”) after His resurrection, but not to suffer. He went to declare His total victory over the demons already imprisoned there. However, I’m not a fan of including the phrase “He descended into hell” in the Creed, because it is not treated as a central gospel theme in Scripture. The Bible must always trump tradition.

We know that Christ did not suffer in hell after His death, because Jesus already endured hell when He suffered the punishment for sin on the cross. And it wasn’t demons torturing Jesus (a common misunderstanding of what hell is all about), but the wrath of a holy God that was being poured out on Him. That is why Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46)[9]

The Bible says that Jesus’s sacrifice for sins was made “once for all.”[10] And when His atoning work on the cross was complete, Jesus cried out, “It is finished!” The Greek term is tetelestai, which can be translated “paid in full.” Thus, there was no more suffering needed after Jesus bled and died on the cross. The mission was complete and the debt for sin was fully paid.

Some have suggested that Jesus declared His victory in hell while His body was in the tomb. That could be, but Jesus’s own words seem to suggest otherwise. He told the repentant thief on the cross, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43, NIV). He also cried out, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (v. 46). This seems to clearly teach that in between the cross and resurrection, Jesus went into the Father’s presence.

Could he have then spoken to the imprisoned spirits immediately after that, prior to the resurrection? It’s possible, but Peter seems to be saying that Jesus was first made alive in the power of the Spirit (see 1 Peter 3:18-19).[11] And wouldn’t it make sense to declare His total victory after overcoming the grave?

All that to say, 1 Peter 3:18-20, though at first confusing, is meant to encourage followers of Christ today. Why? Because though we may be wearied by the world, we can remember that we follow a King who has already won the victory over sin, death, and the devil.

When Christ to Hell is seen to come.
She snarls with rage, but needs must cower
Before our mighty Hero’s power;
He signs—and Hell is straightway dumb.
Before His voice the thunders break,
On high His victor-banner blows;
E’en angels at His fury quake,
When Christ to the dread judgment goes.[12]

[1] The preacher was Kenneth Copeland.

[2] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, Second Edition, 725-727.

[3] Some have also seen Romans 10:6-7 and Ephesians 4:8-9 as references to Christ descending into hell, but that’s a misreading of the text. In Romans 10:6-7, Paul makes the point that Christ is immediately available by faith, that you don’t need to descend into the abyss (probably a reference to the deepest ocean) to find Him. Ephesians 4:8-9 is simply saying that in the incarnation, Jesus descended to “lower regions” of the earth, as opposed to higher regions of Heaven, from which He came.

[4] Romans 1:4, 8:11; 1 Timothy 3:16.

[5] Some have taken the phrase “made alive in the spirit” to mean Jesus was spiritually enlivened while His body was in the grave. But does it really make sense to say the eternal Son of God needed to be “made alive” spiritually? The Greek doesn’t capitalize words for us, so we have to consider the context to determine whether or not the Holy Spirit is being referred to here. That phrase “in the Spirit,” is often used of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. Also, the weakness of the flesh (sarx) is often contrasted with the power of the Holy Spirit (pneuma).

[6] In almost every case in the New Testament, “spirit” (pneuma) in the plural refers to angels/demons, not humans. However, you never have a case of “spirits” referring to humans without some qualifying description making it clear that humans are in view.

[7] This idea of suffering for Christ’s sake permeates the whole letter, from beginning to end. See 1 Peter 1:6-7; 2:19-25; 3:9-17; 4:1-2, 12-19; 5:10.

[8] See Job 1:6, 2:1, 38:7; Psalm 29:1, 89:6

[9] Other references to Jesus bearing the wrath of God include Romans 3:25, 1 John 2:2, 4:10, and Hebrews 2:17, where “propitiation” means “wrath-bearing substitute.”

[10] See Hebrews 9:26, 28, 10:10-14; 1 Peter 3:18

[11] The NIV even says, “After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits…” (1 Peter 3:19).

[12] Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, “Thoughts on Jesus Christ’s Descent into Hell,” Goethe’s Works, illustrated by the best German artists, 5 vols. (Philadelphia: G. Barrie, 1885). Vol. 1.

What Does It Mean to Turn the Other Cheek?

On By Jason SmithIn Theology for Life6 Comments

By Jason Smith

Photo Credit: Allan Swart

I have had several conversations recently with other Christians who have considered the question: “Is it ever right for a Christian to practice self-defense against an attacker?”

Perhaps you read that and think it’s a no-brainer. Of course, you can. You have every right to defend yourself. However, I’ve talked with many Bible-believing Christians who would disagree. And the text they almost always turn to when arguing against self-defense is found in the Sermon on the Mount:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” (Matthew 5:38-39, ESV)

So, what exactly did Jesus mean when He commanded us to “turn the other cheek”? When He says, “Do not resist an evil person,” does that mean we should never defend ourselves against a violent aggressor? Or what about if our family or loved ones are in danger? Can we still not resist the evil person who is about to harm them?

Before answering, I want to let this whole idea of non-resistance percolate for a moment. Too often, I’ve heard knee-jerk responses to the questions above that seem to ignore altogether what Jesus said. People often use terms like “crazy,” “moronic,” and “weak” when talking about non-resistance to violence. Ironically, these are the very words the world uses when they hear about a crucified king.[1] We cannot allow our own impulses, desires, and assumptions to muffle our Lord’s words. If Jesus really is our King, then we should be willing to submit our hearts to whatever He commands – even if such obedience initially seems unthinkable.

I’ll be very candid here. The idea of letting someone who has just slapped me take another whack at me goes against everything in me. Think of the times that a car pulls out in front of you or when someone rudely interrupts you or when someone intentionally slights you. What is your natural response? You’re hot, bothered, and ready to put people in their place… or is this just a struggle for me? What Jesus is confronting here is our natural response to want to hit back.

Most biblical scholars agree that a slap on the cheek was more often viewed as an insult, rather than a violent attack. So what Jesus is probably forbidding is returning insult for insult. That said, how should we think about self-defense against physical attacks in light of this text?

We live in a culture that is inundated with violence. We love watching movies where our favorite action heroes take sweet vengeance on those bad guys. We often talk about “payback” and “my rights.” As Khan tells Captain Kirk in one of the Star Trek films, “Kirk, old friend, do you know the Klingon proverb, ‘Revenge is a dish best served cold’?.”[2] Or, as Jesus explained this principle: “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” That was the lex talionis, the principle of just retribution in Jewish law: the punishment must fit the crime.

On the one hand, this desire to get even isn’t purely sinful. Woven into this impulse is our natural thirst for justice, an evidence of God’s moral law written on our hearts. We long to see wrongs put right and to have the evildoer punished. However, within our fallen hearts there is a slippery slope from a genuine yearning for justice to a sinful desire for personal vengeance.

Interestingly, the whole purpose of the lex talionis in Jewish law was to avoid needless cycles of vengeance. Think of all the gang violence, vendettas, and family feuds throughout history, the latter of which is the context for Shakespeare’s fictional Romeo and Juliet. So the lex talionis was intended to curtail the hostility between two parties that naturally tends to escalate. The local justice system would punish the guilty and right the wrongs.[3] However, the Jewish scribes began to extend this principle from the Jewish law courts to personal relationships. Ironically, this undermined the whole point of that law. By the time of Jesus, it meant: “You punched my eye. Now I get to punch your eye!”

This explains why all of Jesus’s examples involve individuals laying aside their rights out of love for those who wrong them.

“But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” (Matthew 5:39-42, NIV)

In each example, Jesus calls the wronged party to demonstrate extraordinary love where anger and retaliation would naturally follow. Jesus is saying that Christians must surrender this deep-seated impulse to get even – and more than that, to replace this impulse with tangible love for those who wrong us (see Matthew 5:44). Wanting justice is not wrong, but Jesus forbids taking justice into our own hands.

First and foremost, followers of Jesus are called to be radical peacemakers. We are to deny our thirst to get even, crucify all fleshly desires for personal vengeance, and stamp out the wildfire of violent retaliation. We are to aim for reconciliation and forgiveness where the natural impulse is to hit back, whether metaphorically or literally.

I can hear the objection: But this sounds crazy! I’m not going to let criminals go free, causing chaos in the world! With this very objection in mind, Paul writes:

“Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’” (Romans 12:17-19, ESV)

How can you lay aside this desire for vengeance while keeping a clear conscience? Leave room for the wrath of God. It is God’s role, not yours, says Paul, to carry out vengeance. You say, But I want justice! So does God. Which is why, in the very next chapter of Romans, Paul explains that the governing authorities are God’s appointed means of administering justice in a fallen world. Perfect and final justice in eternity is coming, certainly, but even today God appoints police officers, law courts, and judges to administer justice. Scripture even calls such authorities “the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer” (Romans 13:5, ESV). True, these institutions are not perfect, but they are there for our good.

This is one area I cannot agree with Preston Sprinkle, author of Fight: A Christian Case for Non-Violence. While I loved so much of what Preston said, he argues that Christians can never use lethal weapons – even when serving in the police or military – because Christians are never to kill.[4] But I believe Scripture differentiates between murder (lawless killing) and wartime or judicial killing.[5] It is because these God-ordained authorities carry the sword of justice that I, as a citizen, should not.

When a band of temple soldiers came to arrest Jesus, Peter drew his sword and sliced off the servant’s ear. Jesus sharply rebuked Peter, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52, ESV). Then, with stunning love, Jesus knelt down and healed this man who had come to arrest Him. Jesus was vividly demonstrating for all His followers that His kingdom would not spread through violence and warfare.

When Pilate questioned Jesus about what kind of a king He was, Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world” (John 19:36, ESV).

Suffering wrong without vengeful retaliation doesn’t make you a wimp or a coward. In fact, God calls it a “gracious thing.” “For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly” (1 Peter 2:19, ESV).

When Jesus calls us to turn the other cheek, we need to remember that this is precisely what He did when He was slapped. “Then they began to spit in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him” (Matthew 26:67, NLT). He endured the very thing to which He calls His followers.

And Peter tells us that in enduring such ruthless violence, Jesus was modeling the kind of attitude we should have when others mistreat us.

“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps… When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:21, 23, NIV)

So we come to the big question: Does this mean we are never to defend ourselves? I’ve considered this question a great deal in light of Scripture, and I really don’t think that Jesus is making an absolute statement ruling out all forms of self-defense. However, in light of everything we’ve seen in Scripture, our self-defense should always be measured and should only be about bare protection, not retaliation. Christians should never view themselves as self-appointed vigilantes executing justice on wrongdoers in the name of God.

Jesus calls us to love even our enemies. That means in our self-defense, we should try to bring the least amount of harm to our attacker while still stopping the attack. Lethal force should be avoided at all costs.

I’ve come to this conclusion because there are numerous cases in Scripture where God seems to permit self-defense. For example, when Nehemiah and his men were rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, they carried a sword to defend themselves.

“Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built.” (Nehemiah 4:17-18, ESV)

They completed the wall and God clearly blessed their efforts, implying that this is a good example to follow. In the New Testament, Paul escaped danger by being let down in a basket from a window in Damascus (2 Corinthians 11:32-33). When he was mistreated in Philippi, he appealed to his rights as a Roman citizen. He also welcomed protection from Roman soldiers more than once (Acts 21:32-22:1, 23:12-22). Even Jesus escaped violent attacks by slipping away from the crowds, prior to the cross (Luke 4:29-30; John 8:59, 10:39). While we don’t see occasions where Christians fight back in the New Testament, it seems that these examples demonstrate that reasonable self-defense is endorsed rather than forbidden.

When Jesus says, “Turn the other cheek,” we have to take this command in light of other passages that allow for self-defense. We have to see there is a difference between fighting back to defend oneself and taking vengeance on someone who has hurt you.

For example, if a man is assaulting a woman, do we really think Jesus meant she can’t use a weapon to fend him off? There are numerous passages in Scripture that call for rescuing the oppressed and vulnerable, so it only makes sense that one is encouraged to defend oneself (Psalm 82:3-4; Proverbs 31:8-9).

At the same time, Christ tells us that following Him includes radical self-denial and cross-carrying. So, if God calls us to suffer for His sake in persecution – simply by taking a beating or even being killed – we can accept it. We are in good company when we do this. And Scripture says that when we suffer in the same manner as Jesus suffered, we experience a sweet communion with Him (Philippians 3:10).

But what about the attacker at the door? Shouldn’t Christians do everything they can to defend their own families?

There are actually numerous texts that speak to this issue. For example, Exodus 22:2-3 speaks to God’s approval of defending one’s own home. Elsewhere, we see that the head of the home is called to care for those in his household, which would clearly include defending against violent aggressors (1 Timothy 5:8).

There is a lot more that could be discussed here, and we have to see that this is a matter of Christian conscience, where believers must learn to disagree charitably. When in doubt, we should follow the love principle. We should make it our aim in life to show love to even the most wicked and vile offenders. Yet, we cannot allow this love for enemies to abrogate our love for our neighbors, our love for human life, and our love for justice.

[1] See 1 Corinthians 1:18-25.

[2] From the film The Wrath of Khan.

[3] It’s interesting to note that the Hebrew Scriptures even take into account accidental killings (manslaughter)

[4] As I read Preston’s book, there was so much to love about it. His overarching principle of commitment to non-violence was, for the most part, measured and biblical. I loved the tenacious commitment to love even the worst of enemies and seek their good, despite what harm they may cause you. But I simply cannot agree with his view of Christians never carrying lethal weapons in the military or police.

[5] The Hebrew word ratsach found in commandment “You shall not kill” (Exodus 20:13) is never used in a military context. Ratsach should really be translated “murder” or occasionally “manslaughter” (accidental killing).

Praying to God in Secret

On By Jason SmithIn DevotionalLeave a comment

By Jason Smith

“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6, ESV)

Maybe you’re a bit like me and you can very easily get caught up in all the “to-do” lists that fill your life. Perhaps you just thought of something you need to get done today or later this week. Life can feel very burdensome when it amounts to finishing one more task after another.

A man named Charles Hummel wrote a little book called Tyranny of the Urgent a while back about time management. The most famous line from that book is this: “Your greatest danger is letting the urgent things crowd out the important.” That’s good practical wisdom. Don’t let the urgent tasks – perhaps the things that cause us the most stress and anxiety – rule your life. Because when you are always hustling from one thing to the next, you’ll inevitably miss out on the most important things in life.

It’s also possible that you feel like you never get to your “to do” list. Maybe there’s just too much, and you’re overwhelmed. Or you’re simply not able to get to it right now. But somehow, that list still hangs over your head like a two-ton weight. You can feel like your mind is always racing ten steps ahead of you.

When we let ourselves live life according to the “tyranny of the urgent,” we are always in motion, always on the go. In a sense, we are living life in fast-forward, and we forget to ever press the pause button. But we need to press pause, and God often has to remind us of this fact.

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted on the earth.” (Psalm 46:10, NIV)

Like the psalmist in Psalm 46, we can often feel like we need to stay on the hamster treadmill or else something will go radically wrong. But he realizes that to think in this way is to forget that our sovereign God is in full control. In other words, don’t try to be God. Only He has full control over your situation. Don’t imagine that everything depends on you. You were never meant to bear that burden. So, the Lord tells us, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

It is for this same reason that Jesus encouraged us to pray to God in secret. Why in secret? Because if you only ever pray when others are around, you’re bound to turn prayer into yet one more performance. Prayer will be distorted into a show of spiritual one-upmanship, rather than about your dependence on the living God.

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:5-6, ESV)

Jesus urges us to shut the door on all distractions from the outside world. Go to your Father in secret. Make yourself totally aware of His presence. His love. His majesty. His mercy. His holiness. Reflect on all the good things He’s done in your life and all the difficult times He’s brought you through. That’s when your prayers won’t be tainted with hypocrisy, because it will be just about your intimacy with God Himself.

Keep in mind, the to-do lists will always be there. You never actually finish them. There will always be one more text or email to which you need to respond, and always one more household chore or project that needs to be completed. But don’t let the urgent crowd out the important. You were made for far more than rushing from one task to the next. Instead, set aside time to just delight yourself in the Lord and His sovereign rule over all.

It may not always be a long period of time. Take whatever time you can get. But take Jesus’s words seriously. Find a time to shut the door and be alone with your Father. When you do that, you’ll be able to approach those urgent matters with greater clarity, perspective, and peace.

Take time today to press pause.

*Photo courtesy of Boundless

Is the Sermon on the Mount for Christians Today?

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life2 Comments

By Jason Smith

Sermon on the Mount by Carl Bloch, 1877 (Wikimedia Commons)
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24, ESV)

With these words, Jesus concluded His world famous discourse found in the Gospel of Matthew, now called the Sermon on the Mount.[1]

It’s hard to overstate the impact this sermon has had on the church throughout history. Augustine called it “a perfect standard of the Christian life.”[2] Others have devoted their whole lives to searching out its meaning and understanding its application for today. Regarding the Sermon on the Mount, biblical scholar R. Kent Hughes has said, “Every phrase can bear exhaustive exposition and yet never be completely plumbed.”[3]

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German Lutheran pastor who resisted Hitler’s tyrannical rule, based his famous work The Cost of Discipleship on this power-packed sermon. The Sermon is all about what it means to enter the Kingdom of God. It’s an explication of what it means to live your life under God’s rule.

It has even influenced non-Christians, such as Gandhi who came to revere (but not worship) Jesus because of His words spoken here in Matthew 5-7. Nietzsche hated it. He said that the Sermon captures the “slave morality” of Christianity. Apparently, he wasn’t a big fan of loving your enemies. But to be fair to Nietzsche, Jesus’s words here are pretty shocking to all of us, and so we all naturally resist them. Here are some statements found in the Sermon:

“If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” (Matthew 5:29, NIV)
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14, NIV)
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:38-45, NIV)

Again, these words come from the lips of the Lord Jesus Himself. The fact that He, the incarnate Son of God, lived out this ethic is incredible, but that doesn’t make them easy to obey. If we really take them seriously, they are indeed jarring.

There are some Christians who have softened the blow by arguing that Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount as a lofty ideal, a virtually impossible ethic that was only for the spiritual elite.[4] Others have proposed that the Sermon on the Mount was only for the old covenant Jew or for the age to come when Christ’s kingdom is fully consummated.[5] For many reasons, I cannot accept that interpretation.

For instance, in this very sermon, Jesus taught His followers to pray for the kingdom’s arrival: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10, ESV). So how could this sermon be addressing a future era and not today?

Those who claim this ethic is too lofty for the Christian today are forgetting that we now have the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit at work in our hearts and lives. In fact, it’s worth comparing all that Jesus calls His followers to in the Sermon on the Mount with the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” I would also add humility, a trait implied in all of these and one which Paul commonly lists elsewhere (see Ephesians 4:2; Philippians 2:3; Colossians 3:12).

I’m not arguing for Christian perfectionism. But like Paul I believe we are to strive for holiness through God’s empowering grace. “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Philippians 3:12, NIV).

Those who claim that the Sermon on the Mount doesn’t apply to today’s world remind me of something G. K. Chesterton said: “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.”[6] Followers of Jesus should never avoid the difficult passages in Scripture. They are there for a reason.

Without a doubt, Jesus has set a high goal for us to aim at. To claim that the Sermon on the Mount’s ethic is too lofty to attain may sound humble. But ultimately such a response ignores what Jesus later told His disciples: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15, NASB). He also ended His sermon by saying, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24, ESV).

Jesus is our King today, not merely in the future. And this is His kingly address to us. If we consider ourselves followers of King Jesus, the Sermon on the Mount isn’t an optional add-on. It is something we need to read, cherish, and obey now more than ever. Why don’t you read through Matthew 5-7 right now? It might just change your life.

[1] Matthew 5-7. Portions of the sermon are restated in Luke 6:20-49.

[2] Quoted in Philip Schaff, NPNF1-06. St. Augustine: Sermon on the Mount; Harmony of the Gospels; Homilies on the Gospels, Chapter 1.

[3] The Sermon on the Mount, R. Kent Hughes, 14.

[4] This was Thomas Aquinas’s view. See Charles Quarles, The Sermon on the Mount: Restoring Christ’s Message to the Modern Church, Kindle edition.

[5] For instance, Lewis Sperry Chafer said, “As a rule of life, it is addressed to the Jew before the cross and to the Jew in the coming kingdom, and is therefore not now in effect.” L. S. Chafer, Systematic Theology (Dallas: Dallas Theological Seminary, 1948), 5:97.

[6] G. K. Chesterton, What’s Wrong with the World.

Spirit-Empowered Relationships

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional1 Comment

By Jason Smith

Photo from Shutterstock
"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:3)

Several years ago, a friend of mine told me about how another friend had betrayed his confidence by sharing sensitive information with others. Apparently, this person had even made light of something that had caused my friend a great deal of pain. This caused a rift in their relationship that wasn’t quickly healed.

Former NFL defensive linemen and motivational speaker Joe Ehrmann has talked about how men who are constantly competing and comparing themselves to others can end up feeling very isolated. And with the rise of social media, “friend” has become a verb, but studies have pointed out that it’s becoming increasingly common for men over 30 to have no authentic friends.[1]  

Friendships are precious things. Sadly, most of us don’t take stock of how incredibly valuable genuine friendships are to our overall well-being. However, friendships are also very fragile. They can break if we aren’t careful with them. As my friend Jamie has put it, “The thing about relationships is that my brokenness inevitably bumps up against your brokenness.” You don’t have to live long before you realize that people will let you down. Imperfect people are just that – imperfect. So we need help in our relationships.

The Primary Cause of Relational Conflict

Very often, when a married couple is having issues one spouse will point out all the ways that the other spouse is failing them. The problem, it is said, is that their spouse is too selfish. Of course, what such a person often ignores is that their spouse is usually saying the same thing. Both spouses believe the other is being selfish!

The Bible actually agrees that this is the primary cause of relational conflicts. The problem in each of our hearts is this desire to have our own way. This desire is at the root of every conflict from the minor quarrel to the violent attack.

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight.” (James 4:1-2, NIV)

If relational conflict stems from the desires battling within, then we have to ask ourselves, “How can I change in this area of relationships?” We all know intuitively that humble and selfless people tend to have more fruitful and thriving relationships. Their personalities are so attractive because they are not so self-consumed.

The good news is that Jesus has not left us alone to navigate the rough terrain of human relationships.

Love: The Missing Ingredient

We talk a lot about love in our culture, but I often wonder if we really know what it is. Love isn’t merely an emotion or feelings of attraction. It is a conscious act of the will, where we go out and meet the needs of others. When God loved us, the Bible said that He showed it, not by merely talking about warm feelings, but by meeting our greatest need through real sacrifice, as when Jesus went to the cross.

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10, NIV)

Jesus called His followers to love one another. This kind of love needed to be visible and show up in how we treat one another. It’s what would draw the world to His message of forgiveness. When we as Christians fail to love one another, we are acting no better than the world and implying that we have nothing better to offer.

But gritting our teeth and trying with all our might to work up love in our hearts will never work. It’s something that the Spirit of God has to work in your life. “The fruit of the Spirit is love” (Galatians 5:22).

So How Do I Change?

I have a tan sweater hanging in my closet that I really like. I have worn it on many occasions. I even wore it on several dates when my wife, Whitney, and I just started dating. I have many fond memories while wearing that sweater.

There’s just one problem. Whitney thinks it looks atrocious on me – something about it clashing with my skin tone. She’s had to remind me of this fact on numerous occasions. It’s in my closet right now, but she would rather I get rid of it. For some reason, I just have trouble parting with that beloved sweater.

Why do I bring this up? Because taking off and putting on clothing is the metaphor the Apostle Paul uses when he describes how we change in our relationships in Colossians 3:

“But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” (Colossians 3:8-10, NIV)

Notice Paul says our old habits of relational dysfunction (anger, malice, slander, and filthy language) belong to our old self. And he doesn’t say, “You need to take the old self off.” He says, “You already have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self.” In other places, we learn that our old self “died” and has been “crucified with Christ” (Romans 6:6-8; Galatians 2:20). When you come to Christ, you are given a whole new identity – a “new self.” Or to keep in step with Paul’s clothing metaphor, we don’t just need to get our old clothing resized or patched up. We need a whole new set of clothing, which is really the righteousness of Christ.

“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation.” (Isaiah 61:10, ESV)

To go back to behaving like our “old self” in our relationships is to contradict the change that has taken place in us. It’s like me putting on that old sweater that shouldn’t even be in my closet. Instead, we need to embrace the new clothing meant to replace the old ones.

But Paul’s point is that this can only happen through saturating our hearts and minds with the gospel and letting “the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” (Colossians 3:15-16). The God of love comes inside so that we can extend that love to others.

The Spirit Makes the Difference

It’s not that we need to produce this love in our hearts by our own willpower. Instead, we need to yield to what Christ is already doing in us by the Holy Spirit. Many people look for evidence of the Holy Spirit chiefly in external signs, but the most definitive evidence of the Holy Spirit’s power is a radically transformed character. In other words, you know the Holy Spirit is dwelling within you if your life starts to match Paul’s description.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Colossians 3:12-14, NIV)

Again, notice this is all about our relationships with others: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. As forgiven people, we are now empowered to forgive those who wrong us. Paul says, “Because you are God’s chosen people, holy, and loved, you need to dress like it.” Christians need to adorn themselves with the traits that match who they really are now. We need to be on Earth who we already are in Heaven.[2] When we do that, our relationships will take on a radically different shape.

The final overcoat that binds these all together is love (v. 14). When we are yielding to the Holy Spirit and His power, love will be the hallmark our lives. We will care more about the unity that glorifies God than satisfying our own self-centered desires. And differing personal preferences and opinions won’t have to divide followers of the same Lord.[3] Spirit-empowered relationships make unity in the church possible. They are also what will draw those outside the church to Jesus Christ.

[1] See Mark Gaisford, “Why do many middle-aged men like me have absolutely NO FRIENDS – and what toll does it take on our health?” The Daily Mail. ; https://www.huffpost.com/entry/men-friendship-crisis_l_5dbc9aa7e4b0576b62a1e90f ; https://www.menshealth.com/uk/mental-strength/a759609/the-truth-about-male-loneliness/

[2] See Colossians 3:1-4.

[3] See Ephesians 4:1-6.

Wired for Community

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life2 Comments
Photo by FreePik

From the moment we emerge from our mother’s womb, we crave closeness and connection. New mothers are encouraged to practice skin-to-skin contact to bond with their babies. Have you ever wondered why a baby’s head smells so good? It’s because God designed their scent glands to secrete pheromones which actually make their perspiration smell sweet.[1] Everything about our physiology seems to point to this need for community. Through eye contact, we connect. Through a hug, we comfort. Through body language, we convey emotions.

Humans naturally long to be with other humans. When we are left in isolation, we quite literally start to go insane. Just watch the film Castaway, where Tom Hanks’ character is stranded on a desert island and forced to befriend a volleyball named “Wilson.” Sure, there are days where we tell ourselves, “Life would be great, if it weren’t for other people.” But like it or not, at the end of the day, we crave human contact.

This has everything to do with how God originally wired us. We were created in the image of a personal God of community. He has eternally existed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In other words, God is by nature a God of relationships. That’s why God said “it is not good that the man should be alone” when He made us to reflect His nature (Genesis 2:18). From the very beginning, we were wired for community!

Many today will ask the question, “Why should I bother with the church anyway?” Perhaps, you can relate to this question. Maybe you were hurt by others in a church, and you feel church is not worth the effort or the risk of being hurt again. After all, they reason, I can have a relationship with God without being part of a church.

It’s this sentiment that has led to the mantra we often hear: “I’m spiritual, but not religious.” Although I have an idea of where this statement comes from, that response has always somewhat bothered me. There seems to be a whole bundle of worldview assumptions buried in that simple declaration. The worst part about this is that it seems to draw a solid black line between that which is spiritual and that which is religious (or even church-related). Such a dichotomy seems to fly in the face of so much of what I know personally and what I see in Scripture.

Is it true that we can have a relationship with God without being involved in a church? The answer, according to Scripture, is that at the moment we come to Jesus Christ in repentant faith, we are indeed reconciled to our Creator. We don’t need the church or a leader in the church to establish our conversion; that’s something God alone can accomplish. So the answer to the question above is “yes,” but it is a qualified “yes.”

Here’s what I mean. To be in a relationship with someone implies that you are living with that person — not merely speaking to that person, but also listening to that person. And God, in His Word, has a lot to say about the great importance of regularly gathering with a local church.

For example: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25, NIV). So, for the Christian, “meeting together” should be a regular, consistent part of our life. In fact, the emphasis on “encouraging one another,” implies that we will benefit spiritually as we meet together in the context of the local church.

In the past year, with the spread of COVID-19, this has taken a different shape for many who cannot meet for various reasons. Either way, meeting together should be the norm for the church – barring exceptional circumstances. In this past year, many have found ways to “meet” or interact online. Would Paul have this in mind as a form of gathering? Since he lived in the first century, not the twenty-first, the answer is clearly “No.”

Technology has its limitations, and I don’t think it’s an ideal permanent substitution for the vast majority of Christians who can meet together. But even if it’s not the ideal, at least it allows believers to study God’s Word together, pray for each other’s needs, and talk with one another. Several people have told me how grateful they are that our church has online options available; otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to participate in church life at all. I know what it’s like to be encouraged when talking with Christian brothers and sisters on Skype who are halfway around the world. Sure, the fellowship is not as sweet as when we meet in person, but I can still say I’m thankful for the connections that technology gives us. Overall, the in-person gathering is certainly the ideal the church should strive for because there’s a certain level of fellowship or community that technology can’t achieve.

And since definitions are important, by “church” I do not mean that brick building with stained glass windows. The Greek word we translate as “church,” ekklesia, simply means “a gathering or assembly of people.”[2] However, in the Christian sense, it refers to a “gathering of believers in Jesus Christ.”

Too often, men today can think of true manhood as being this solitary, John Wayne-like individual who has no need for friendships. It’s as if being alone and independent of others is the epitome of manliness. But that’s not true! Our Creator says, “It’s not good for the man to be alone.”

In the words of the theologian-poet, John Donne: “No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.”

Not only is perpetual isolation unfulfilling, it is also unwise. It can often reveal a stubborn unwillingness to listen to the counsel of others. Proverbs 18:1 says, “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.”

Here’s how this can work out. In our pride, we can think, “Of course I know what’s best for me. I don’t need to listen to anyone else.” What about when others are counseling you not to go down a road in life they consider unwise or dangerous? They can easily be ignored, because you don’t consider yourself in community with them. Proverbs says that when you isolate yourself from others who can speak wisdom into your life, you are raging against sound judgment. You are actively choosing the way of destruction.

God calls believers to live in community with other believers, so that they are in a context where others can know them well and speak biblical wisdom, love, and encouragement into their lives. God says, “Don’t isolate yourself. Christian men, unite with other Christian men and seek accountability as a band of brothers, walking together in the journey of life. Christian women, form close bonds with other Christian women as your sisters in the Lord who can share life with you.”

In the dark days of Israel recounted in the sobering book of Judges, we are told: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6; 21:25). It’s a tragic thing to see men and women refuse counsel and accountability to others. Although they imagine they are building up a fortress of protection around themselves, in reality they are cutting themselves off from growth, hope, and the joy of Christian fellowship.

If you are a Christian, God calls you to not neglect the gathering of a local body of believers when you are able. From the moment the church was first launched, the Holy Spirit came upon the gathered group of believers on the Day of Pentecost. Note the way Luke explains this: “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer” (Acts 2:42, NLT). Whether we are willing to admit it or not, we need one another. We were designed for community.

[1] Rachel Nuwer, Smithsonian Magazine, (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-smell-of-newborn-babies-triggers-the-same-reward-centers-as-drugs-58482/  September 24, 2013)

[2] See Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 2nd Edition. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2020),), 1048. Grudem points out in footnote 2 that even in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) the word ekklesia “refers frequently to the assemblies of God’s people.”