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Spare Change - February 2021

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THAT’S NOT FAIR! How many times have you heard that?  I am sure we have all heard this phrase uttered many times before, especially those of us that have kids.  How many times have you said it yourself or, even more convicting, how many times have you just thought it?  The problem is when we camp out with the “not fair” kind of thinking it affects how we act.  It can lead to pride, hatred, unforgiveness, idolatry and a host of other sins.  While we will tell our kids, “Tough, life’s not fair!” to their cries about imbalances in life; do we as adult Christians live that way as well?

The problem is the world is full of unfairness.  It has been a part of the fabric of our universe ever since the fall.  Even the fairest system of justice is tainted by sin.  It affects us on the playground, on the ballfield, in our homes, in our jobs, and every other aspect of life.  It is something the Christian must come to grips with.  True fairness or justice will not be achieved until we live in the New Heavens and New Earth under God’s direct rule.

However, in one respect I am thankful that things are not fair.  If fairness was God’s primary way of dealing with us, then there would be no grace.  I am overjoyed that God does not give me what I deserve.  Rather, through the blood of Jesus, I get what I do not deserve--mercy!  So, in that respect we can be grateful for the unfairness of God; but that does not make the unfairness of the world any easier to swallow.

The difficult thing is if Christians want to live according to the scriptures then we do not have the luxury of beating the drum of unfairness.  We must respond with grace and humility and that is easier said than done.  The wonderful thing is we have a great example in our Savior, Jesus Christ, of how to handle unfairness.  He taught us how to respond to it in His teaching and then lived it out in His life.  The greatest example we can see is how He was treated when He was arrested and sentenced to death.  Even as deplorable as His death by crucifixion was, He asked the Father to forgive those that hung Him on the cross!  What an example of grace and humility in the face of vicious cruelty.  That is the attitude with which we are to live every day.

To do this we look to Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:38-43, 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,

There is so much here, more than we have time to unpack, but the long and short is this verse is pointing us to show extreme grace in the face of unfairness.  The examples given in the passage show us we should be able to see an injustice done to us and give grace.  We need to read these verses carefully and understand the illustrations Jesus is using.  He is not saying that sinners are not guilty or that people that break the law should not be punished.  He is keying in on how we react to injustices done to us specifically.  Instead of getting angry and lashing out we must be reserved and have a gospel mindset.  One that serves, loves, and prays for the offending party.  That is how Jesus handled things in his life and that is how we are expected to act.

I know...I know...I know...this seems impossible, right?  I believe with the power of the Holy Spirit we can live like this.  We must make Jesus number one and do away with our proclivity to get offended easily.  If we do that, we can live out the fruit of the spirit (Gal. 5:22) which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  That is the only way we can live as Jesus prescribed. And, yes, we will have to give more grace than we want to give and receive much less than we think we deserve.  But isn’t that what Jesus did His whole life?  I am thankful I have a Lord and Savior that does not treat me fairly!  I pray I can do the same for those around me.

Posted by Bryan Gotcher with
in Students, Newsletter

Student Ministry - February 2021

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Dear Church Family,

This came from a conversation with a parent who asked me how I thought we should talk to our kids about what is going on in our country and the world. Here are some biblical principles that I think help us answer that question.

First, it is good to stand for justice, but in a fallen world, we don’t always get it. It is not supposed to be surprising to Christians that there is injustice in the world. Jesus said, “blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This does not mean that we don’t stand for justice. It just means that we prepare ourselves to be mistreated when we do stand for true justice. It means that we do not need to exact vengeance or retaliate in violence, because Jesus says we are already blessed, and don’t have to worry ourselves with that. Vengeance is the Lord’s, and He will deal justice to all people when the time is right. So, we must stand for justice, not vengeance. And while worldly people don’t play by those rules, they will severely regret that one day. We may grieve the injustice, but we dare not become unjust ourselves in response. God can handle the wickedness of our nation without our adding to it.

Second, as Augustine points out in The City of God, our citizenship is the Heavenly City, not this worldly one. That does not mean that our citizenship in America is meaningless. It means that while we seek the betterment of our nation, this nation is not our ultimate good. Christ is. Our country is a nation of the people by the people and for the people. And the more our people drift from the Judeo-Christian worldview, the more it becomes a pagan nation by pagan people for pagan people. That word, pagan, is harsh in some people’s ears, but it simply means people who believe in false gods. We are surrounded by a culture that promotes worship of false gods. From literal idolatry, to figurative idolatry in the heart. Many Christians are struggling to process this reality, since the change happened so fast. In just over a couple decades the majority of the cultural climate has gone from Judeo-Christian to post-Christian/anti-objective-morality. It can be very difficult to adjust to this new reality. But we need to realize for ourselves, and teach our children, that the world truly is not our home. It is not just a neutral highway either. It is actually a warzone. But the good news is that the Kingdom of Heaven has already won and is constantly invading. Jesus is the just judge and the gracious justifier, all accomplished at the cross. But for us, the battlefield is not on land or in a battle of wits. It is in our hearts and the hearts of people, and our weaponry is the Sword of Truth, God’s Word.

Third, what are Christians really supposed to be doing in this sinful world? In what way are we supposed to be a light? The answer is two-fold. We are called to make disciples by proclaiming the gospel and teaching. We are also called to do good in the city. We are to be loving, joyful, peacemakers, full of patience and kindness, doing good to others, true to our word and to God, and not violent or unable to control ourselves. These things are true of believers because they come from the Holy Spirit. We may need to grow in some of these more than others (or in all of them), but they are there to some extent. As we live these things out, we should be making a practical impact on the physical lives of those around us. Christians who make a bad name for Christ are those who do not live out these spiritual truths in their physical lives including the way they speak. Letting the Holy Spirit change how we live is how we do good in the city. But our number one responsibility and calling as a disciple of Christ is to make disciples. That means we must share the gospel with people and teach those who believe how to obey Christ and grow up in their salvation. We do not save souls. But through the proclamation of the gospel, the Holy Spirit invades and breathes new life into them as they put their faith in Christ. They are given new hearts and new desires. It is there that the world changes: in the hearts of men.

Finally, so why have people been raging in the capitol and the cities and fighting fierce battles on social media? Much of it is because our culture is a pagan culture and has no real basis for morality anymore. Everything is a double-standard because people have abandoned any standard which is not themselves and their ever-changing sinful desires. Another reason is because many professing Christians are not truly Christians. They call themselves Christians because they admire the “ethic of Christ,” but He is not really their Lord, because they so easily jettison anything He says that doesn’t line up with their personal standard of righteousness. A third reason is because many Christians are simply sinning because they have forgotten many of the points I addressed above. But I think the main point they have forgotten is the first one. Many Christians grew up in a world where Christian morals and values were in line with the mainstream culture. But now that that has changed, Christians are suffering from whiplash and aren’t used to holding the minority opinion or being ridiculed by a national majority for it. Christians have forgotten where the real battle is. Christians on all sides of every issue have forgotten that the battle is in the sinful heart. The only weapon that can pierce through the scaly armor of sin is the gospel.

To clarify, we must stand for religious freedom, propose laws against evil practices, seek better programs to help and equip the poor, be a voice for the unborn, and stand for many other issues in the public square. But we cannot lose our minds and act like unbelievers when pagan law makers do not agree with righteousness. Instead, we must be people of the Word, meditate on the Word, live out the Word, and preach the Word with our mouths. It is the gospel of the Word of God that will change the pagan into a saint. Are not we all just pagans saved by grace?

If we make these principles more and more apart of how we live and parent, we will best equip our children to be strong believers in this world. Sometimes we are so afraid to send our children out into the world. But what if God is actually making them into stronger Christian warriors than we are. We must let God do His thing, and help be a part of training His little ones to be mighty men and women of God.

Sincerely,
Brian Van Doren

Posted by Brian Van Doren with

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