Who is Your Lord?

WHO IS YOUR LORD?

It has become very easy to answer that question with “Jesus!” and with that proclamation you claim to follow Him as Lord. But a deeper and more scrutinized assessment may reveal something much different. Before I get into this post I refer you to this article.

READ THIS.

Here we have the secular government attempting to set the parameters within a secular institution called commerce. In short, the fallen are setting the rules on the fallen field of battle. And in the midst of this struggle the evangelicals begin to take up carnal arms and create an atmosphere of fear, self pity, and a chorus of complaining. And all of those things do not represent what Jesus said and taught. Somehow the church believes it can sanctifiy fallen systems.

So let us unpack this entire scenario and we would do well to realize that there will be more in the future. Yes, if you are a follower of Jesus you may be called to withdraw from some institutions, or pay hefty fines, or even go to jail. And if you are a follower of Jesus you must rejoice in every situation and realize sinners are watching you. What you do and how you react may very well impact someone who does not know Jesus. And that impact may be for Jesus or it may be just another voice in a cultural war. If a man decides he wants to play baseball, he must abide by the rules of the game. People were reticent to pay taxes to Rome because they knew they would be used for wicked things, and yet Jesus said pay them. And He did not say murmur about them.

But if believers are going to engage in secular commerce, which many of us do, when the rule makers place upon us rules which breach our spiritual commitments, then we must either disobey and suffer gladly the consequences, or resign to do something else. But to press for our rights in a fallen judicial and political system makes Jesus a servant to the fallen. And certainly all the complaining and fear mongering does not represent the Lordship of Jesus at all.

This world is not our home. It never can be, and when we are given the privilege to suffer for His name’s sake we must do it in bold humility. It is not our calling to clean up the world, it is our calling to share His message, sing His praises, and show forth His very life. Do you think it will be easy? Do you feel used when the world castigates you? Are you offended because the rules of the world might demand a sacrifice from you? This is where the spiritual talk ends and what you are and who you follow will be revealed.

When we are persecuted for righteousness sake we must rejoice and show forth the praises of Him who has called us into the fellowship of His sufferings. Have your hands been run through with nails as of yet? Then why do you squeal and complain? Does your head bear a crown of thorns? Is your face wet with the spit of wicked men? Does your side bear the wound of a thrust in spear? Have you been blindfolded and punched and mocked? Then how can you even say a word? When we are mocked and when the world attempts to make us deny our Lord and His teaching, rejoice, since this is a sacred opportunity to lift Him up, not to do battle with carnal weapons.

We are a peculiar people who sing praises when we are thrown into prison unjustly. When we are mocked we ask God to forgive them. When we are smitten on one cheek we offer the other. When we are despised we love those that hate us. We cannot walk around offended at every turn. “Great peace have they that love they law and nothing shall offend them”. Do you expect this world to be your friend? Receive your persecution as a badge of honor and like the early apostles rejoice that you are counted worthy to suffer for His name! Do we pick up the stones cast our way and throw them back, or like the first martyr, Stephen, do we forgive those who would kill us?

When will we allow the Spirit to infuse in us the mind of Christ and in so doing we reject the wisdom of this world? Jesus is Lord, and His footsteps are colored with blood. What does deny yourself mean? Does it mean fight for our rights? Does it mean sign petitions? Does it mean demand that we are not persecuted? Does it mean we desire a pleasant path? Or does it mean we may suffer the same indignities as did our precious Lord? And when the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune come our way, do we pick them up and fling them back or do we receive them as sacred wounds for Him? Being a follower of Jesus does not lend itself to earthly self esteem. It is a journey which many times bears no reward except the knowledge and fellowship of Him. And if that is not enough, well, there is nothing left to say. If you desire a painless and respectful road you must turn back now because His road is anything but those things.

But remember, His road leads to Him in eternity. If eternity with Him is what you seek, then the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. We have absolutely lost our eternal focus. At the slightest piece of persecution or even the hint of impending constrictions upon our so called rights we squeal and organize and protest, just like other secular groups do. And we are blind to the disobedience inherent in such actions. In essence, while we protest in Jesus’ name we ignore and even disobey His teachings. How’s that for double mindedness!

The church collectively and the individual American believer is no longer seen as different in speech and actions. We use the same terminology and we leverage the same political and judicial tools as do those who know not Christ. Those that walk in darkness are not affected or impressed by our light or our Jesus. They see and hear much moral chest pounding, and they see a seat at the table filled by just another voice. They do not see any humility or any genuine attempt to behave and speak like Jesus. It is a most distressing fact that the American evangelical church is not known for Jesus at all. We are know for our moral standard, usually centered on abortion and gays, and we are known for our economic perspective usually centered on lower taxes and capitalism, and we are know for our patriotism and love for this nation. And we are also known for strongly suggesting the founding fathers were on “our side” and were walking with “our Jesus”.

Wow. And yet most professing believers would read that and immediately retreat to well worn debates like “What are we supposed to do just let the liberals walk all over us?” Or “God wants His voice to be heard!” Or “We need more Christians to be involved!” I have heard more than once preachers say “We are not supposed to roll over and be a doormat!” To that I say, “Yes, we are”. We are supposed to lay down our lives to be salt and light to a world in desperate need of Christ. We are supposed to suffer ourselves to be defrauded. We are supposed to render good for evil. But we have so mangled and distorted the image of Jesus, and more accurately largely ignored what He said, that we have created our own little caricature of Christ which fits in nicely with a fallen political and nationalistic system. It is all so self serving.

So what do you do when the government makes you provide healthcare that includes a coverage for contraception, and especially contraception which is by definition an abortion? You have three choices.

First: You can realize that your tax dollars go to support abortion even now. So if you are afraid of the slightest appearance of compromise you will have to stop paying taxes. Our taxes are used in all sorts of ways that are diametrically opposed to Jesus and His teachings, and yet He told us to pay them. So you can offer the mandated health insurance and use any opportunity to witness Jesus to your employees. Please do not make abortion the issue, and at the very most use that issue softly in order to present Jesus in word and in deed.

Second: You can refuse to acquiesce to the government's legal demand and sell your business. You can do something else because your conscience will not allow you to compromise in that way. And if you decide to do that, you must do it with sincere humility and with a view of sacrifice toward Him. You cannot exhibit self pity; you cannot lament to others; you cannot feel put upon; you cannot have a continuous diatribe about the government; and you must genuinely pray for those who have made you come to this decision. The world awaits actions like that.

Thirdly: You may refuse to offer that healthcare, and you may continue your business. You must do that in a spirit of humility and a sincere exhibition that you do not enjoy a good fight, but you must bow to what you feel the Spirit is saying to you. And indeed if this is your course, you must be prepared to either be fined or even go to jail. But here is where you must ultimately steer your persecution. If you are sanctioned in some way by the government, you cannot allow them to make the issue about contraception or the religious rights or some amendment of the Constitution. You must represent Jesus Christ, not some issue.

And that is where the Spirit meets the flesh. Martyrs must never act like martyrs. Those that carry the cross of Christ must also live in His redemption. There must be no critical spirit or a desire to accumulate some mob that writes letters or castigates those that persecute you. If this is the path you choose it must be all about Him and not you. That sounds simple but in the Spirit it requires a level of self denial that has a high cost.

So often the church has entered the political fray and taken on the mantle of protector of the Holy Grail. The church has made it all about issues and morals and religious convictions and in the earthly battle Jesus is nowhere to be found. What does Jesus look like in this modern, hedonistic culture? Would Jesus get all entangled with the fallen systems of men, or would He shine redemption in the eyes of those who hate? Would He gather His forces and fight fire with fire, or would He say again, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”?

So the ultimate question is this: Who is your Lord? Is it Jesus, or is it you masquerading as Jesus?