The Many Sides of Being Christian

“The Many Sides of Being Christian” by Romans Before I begin, I would like to offer all of you something of an apology. Last week I presented the audio of what I remembered to be a good and enlightening sermon by John MacArthur. I had not heard this sermon in a many years, but I remember liking it because it brought out and corrected an important mistranslation of a term that directly impacts us in our relationship with God. However, after hearing that sermon again for the first time in so long, while I played it for all of you, and after encountering the valid and much-appreciated resistance to the main thrust of John MacArthur’s sermon, I realized that however well-meaning and/or educational the information in the sermon was, its fixated and one-dimensional focus on Christianity in slave-terms was ill-conceived at best. The term "slave" was used to the basic exclusion of all of the other valid nouns, adjectives and verbs that apply to us. Let me just say this much regarding the word “slave” as opposed to word “servant” which the translators used, as it applies to us. We read beginning in Philippians 2:5: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:” Where it says that Jesus willingly left His place of majesty in Heaven “and took upon him the form of a servant,” the word “servant” in this Verse is also “doulos” in the Greek, which means “slave.” Jesus took upon Him the form of a slave, but in what way? Let's see: We read in Luke 11:1 that “one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples,” Jesus provided His disciples, and us, what we commonly refer to as “The Lord’s Prayer.” This was a pattern prayer on which we should base our own prayers. Among the points that Jesus named that we should include in our prayer are the words, “Thy Will be done…” These words acknowledge the Father’s place of Supremacy in our lives, and a willingness on our parts to accept the Word of God, the priorities of God, and the Laws of God. These words are words of commitment that when our own desires and our own understanding opposed that of God, we are declaring our own willingness to yield to the Will of God. Jesus “took upon him the form of a slave” in that He heard and obeyed His Heavenly Father without hesitation, without deviation, and without exception. The Verse that follows the one that tells us that the word “slave” was also applied to Jesus in the New Testament tells us to what extent He obeyed the Will of His Father. Philippians 2:8: “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” In His prayer to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, we read Jesus’ words in Luke 22:42: “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” Jesus accepted His Father’s Will and went to the Cross willingly. In so doing, Jesus demonstrated the unconditional obedience and attitude of a slave to a master. In like manner, all of the apostles, including Paul, also “became obedient unto death.” They all used and understood, far better than we do today, the Greek word for “slave” in reference to Christians. They understood that being called to a life of being a Christian is a call to humility and obedience. The writer of Hebrews tells us in chapter 4 and Verse 15 that Jesus “… was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” The Will of the Father came first and foremost in His Life. As important as all of that is, it does not comprise the sum of our calling, our experiences, our potential or our future. Nor does the single facet of the word “slave” provide for us the other uplifting and edifying facets of a believer’s relationship with God. That relationship is a love relationship that God initiates. Far and above being merely mindful of our condition as amazing as that would be… far and above merely caring for us, hearing and answering our prayers… the Creator of all that we are and all that we see, namely the known Universe, Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, agreed with and yielded to the Will of the Father to make Salvation available to us. We read in Hebrews 2:10: “For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” That is not a the kind of relationship that should ever be boxed into a unrealistically limited, and unavoidably demeaning Master/slave relationship, as if it defined all that there is. There is so incredibly much more to being a Christian! That is what I intend to illustrate this Evening. I have never read any of the surviving texts that detailed the worship of any of the pagan gods of the ancient world. But I would startled to read that the worshipers of any of these carved idols understood that their god loved them, sacrificed themselves for them, suffered or took for them the penalty for their sins and transgressions. From the very beginning, God explained to the children of Israel why they were the “chosen people.” We read beginning in Deuteronomy 7:6: “For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; “ Is there any history of any other nation on earth, a nation which suffered under cruel bondage for centuries, who were miraculously rescued and delivered by their gods? Was it a love relationship between Baal or Molech or Chemosh and their worshipers that led them to include child sacrifice in their attempts to please and serve these gods? The relationship between God and His people is one in which the Laws and statutes that He gives them are for their good. We read in Deuteronomy 5:33: “Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.” Matthew Henry writes, “He desires the welfare and salvation of poor sinners. He has given abundant proof that he does so; he gives us time and space to repent. He has sent his Son to redeem us, promised his Spirit to those who pray for him, and has declared that he has no pleasure in the ruin of sinners. It would be well with many, if there were always such a heart in them, as there seems to be sometimes; when they are under conviction of sin, or the rebukes of providence, or when they come to look death in the face. The only way to be happy, is to be holy. Say to the righteous, It shall be well with them. Let believers make it more and more their study and delight, to do as the Lord God hath commanded.” Centuries later, and well into the history of the nation of Israel, we read in the pages of the Book of Jeremiah beginning in Jeremiah 31:3: “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Of this Verse, Matthew Henry writes: “… the love of God … is an everlasting love, from everlasting in the counsels, to everlasting in the continuance. Those whom God loves with this love, he will draw to himself, by the influences of his Spirit upon their souls. When praising God for what he has done, we must call upon him for the favours his church needs and expects. When the Lord calls, we must not plead that we cannot come; for he that calls us, will help us, will strengthen us. The goodness of God shall lead them to repentance. And they shall weep for sin with more bitterness, and more tenderness, when delivered out of their captivity, than when groaning under it. If we take God for our Father, and join the church of the first-born, we shall want (or lack for) nothing that is good for us.” We read in 1 John 4:16: “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love…” Of this Matthew Henry writes, “The Father sent the Son, he willed his coming into this world. The apostle attests this. And whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. This confession includes faith in the heart as the foundation; makes acknowledgment with the mouth to the glory of God and Christ, and profession in the life and conduct, against the flatteries and frowns of the world. There must be a day of universal judgment. Happy those who shall have holy boldness before the Judge at that day; knowing he is their Friend and Advocate! Happy those who have holy boldness in the prospect of that day, who look and wait for it, and for the Judge's appearance! True love to God assures believers of God's love to them. Love teaches us to suffer for him and with him; therefore we may trust that we shall also be glorified with him…” Let me repeat and focus in on one sentence from Matthew Henry’s words, quoted above: He wrote, “Happy those who shall have holy boldness before the Judge at that day; knowing he is their Friend and Advocate…” God is a Trinity. Each of the Members of the Godhead have had Their own individual part in our Salvation. Motivated by love for humanity, the Father sent the Son to die in our places. The Son willingly became the sacrificial Lamb of God. And the Holy Spirit is our Advocate and Comforter residing in us, and offering us the priceless and indispensable Divine Help in our Christian walk. In the next portion of this Discussion, I will utilize a list of who and what we are as Christians, as presented in “The World Bible Handbook” by Robert Boyd. This, I hope, will round out for you and define us as Christians in the fullest possible terms. But first, we should remember who we were: Ephesians 2:12: “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” Then Verse 19: “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;” Now let’s look at all the things we are: We are forgiven: We read in Romans 4:7: “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.” That, my friends, is who we are, Blessed because we are forgiven. And, as a result of being forgiven, Paul goes on to tell us in Ephesians 4:32: “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” But being forgiven is just the beginning... We are justified: Romans 5:1: “Therefore being justified by faith...” We are declared to be righteous: 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Sanctified (which means, set apart for Holy use): 1 Corinthians 6:11: “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” We are children of God by adoption: Ephesians 1:5: “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will...” We are a new creation: 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” As children, we are heirs of God, as well as joint-heirs with Christ: Romans 8:16: “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” But, as heirs, what do we inherit? Matthew 25:34: “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:” Revelation 21:7: “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” We are members of the Body of Christ: 1 Corinthians 12:12: For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.” And Ephesians 5:29: “For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.” We are the Temple of God: 1 Corinthians 3:16: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” We are kings and priests: Revelation 20:6: “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” 1 Corinthians 4:8: “Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you. We are the people of God: 1 Peter 2:10: “Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” “Peculiar” is not a word that is usually used as a compliment. But if you hear it in these two other Verses you might be less concerned about it being applied to us, as believers: We read in Psalms 135:4: “For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.” We are crucified with Christ: Romans 6:6: “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:” We are buried with Christ: Romans 6:4: “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death:” And then we are raised with Christ: Colossians 2:12: “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” We are seated in the Heavenlies: Ephesians 2:5: “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” We are delivered from this present evil world: Galatians 1:3: “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:” We are in Christ's Kingdom: Colossians 1:13: “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:” We are the children of Light: Ephesians 5:8: “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:” We are servants of Righteousness: Romans 6:18: “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” We are God's Workmanship: Ephesians 2:10: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” We are like Christ: 1 John 4:17: “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.” We are at Peace with God: Romans 5:1: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” We are Heaven's Ambassadors: 2 Corinthians 5:20: “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.” We are the light of the world: Matthew 5:14: “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” We are highly valued: Luke 12:6: “... ye are of more value than many sparrows.” Of more value than sparrows? Is that being highly valued? Well, it is when you consider what Jesus said immediately before that: “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?” Yes, we are highly valued. We are victorious: 1 Corinthians 15:57: “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” We are more than conquerors: Romans 8:37: “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” We are Jesus' friends: John 15:14: “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” We are glorified: Romans 8:30: “Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” Further, we read in Hebrews 3:14: “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end...” Besides being made “partakers of Christ,” we read in 2 Corinthians 2:15: “For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ...” On another level we are told in Ephesians 4:25: “...for we are members one of another.” The list of positive themes that describe us can supply us with many, many hours of meditation and edification in our spiritual walk. I have never heard any of our detractors ever use any of the adjectives, descriptions and categories that I used, tonight, to describe who and what we are. The world dismisses us as fools believing in fairy tales. They don't have the remotest idea of the blessings poured out on us by God. But remember, Jesus told us to expect to be resisted and rejected: He said beginning in John 15:18: “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord.” But I also hasten to add these words of consolation that Jesus also spoke to us in John 16:33: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” As Christians, we are complete in Christ: That is such a reassuring and comforting thought: We read in Colossians 2:10: “And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:” Regarding our completeness, I will close with the thoughts of Matthew Henry: “To be complete, is to be furnished with all things necessary for salvation. By this one word "complete," is shown that we have in Christ whatever is required. "In him," not when we look to Christ, as though he were distant from us, but we are in him, when, by the power of the Spirit, we have faith wrought in our hearts by the Spirit, and we are united to our Head. The circumcision of the heart, the crucifixion of the flesh, the death and burial to sin and to the world, and the resurrection to newness of life, set forth in baptism, and by faith wrought in our hearts, prove that our sins are forgiven, and that we are fully delivered from the curse of the law. Through Christ, we, who were dead in sins, are quickened. Christ's death was the death of our sins; Christ's resurrection is the quickening of our souls.” Who are we? We are Christians. The term “slave” may have been used to try to convey our putting the Will of the Father before our own will, but the sermon last week focused, almost obsessively, on that one word, that one facet of the multifaceted diamond that Christianity is. Such a narrow-focused sermon did nothing for me but leave a bad taste in the mouths in all of its hearers, especially when there is incredibly so much more to what we are as Christians. The void that it left in its wake cried out for a widening of the definition of Christian, a widening that would inspire, edify and administer grace unto all its hearers. That was what I tried to accomplish this evening. I only hope that this expanded overview of who and what we are was as uplifting and motivating to all of you, as it was to me in its preparation. This concludes this Evening's Discussion, “The Many Sides of Being Christian.” Romans, originally delivered on August 16th, 2012