Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Hot Topic part 4: Q & A




Sorry this is a week late, here are some of my musings as I sought to answer so pretty tough questions. 

Q & A
1.         Why are only certain commandments from the old testament relevant for today, but not all of them?

Check Out: Matthew 5:17-20; Galatians 2:11-12; 3:24-25; 5:1, 14-6:1; Romans 7:6; Hebrews 8:13; 2 Corinthians 3:6-11

As we look at the Old Testament Laws and commandments, it is good to remember that Old Testament means “old covenant.” As Christians, we call it “Old” as in “first” or “former” covenant, because of the New Covenant in Christ. The first covenant was insufficient and therefore God decreed the new covenant. When Christ came, He said He did not come “to abolish the old covenant, but to fulfill it.”

The first covenant revealed the law of God, His commandments for right standing and worship of Him, and expectation on the creation. These are best summarized as the Civil Law, the Ceremonial Law, the Dietary Law, and the Moral Law.

In the Old Testament, we see that God calls out a people group, the Israelites, to be a nation unto Himself. They were to be an ethnic and religious state; therefore the Civil Law was given on how to govern a nation and how to punish crimes against God and the state.

The Ceremonial Law was given to govern the worship of God. The sacrificial system and temple worship orders were given for a sinful people to know the proper way to approach God. These laws demonstrated that people must come to God on His terms, not their own, and they pointed to something greater than themselves, the Lord Jesus.

The Dietary Laws were given to set the people apart from the nations. These Kosher laws were strict and preventative, but did cause the Israelites to stand out in their communities. Consider the story of Daniel and his 3 friends.

The Moral Law is based on the immutable characteristics of God, meaning they do not change and are relevant for all time. Consider the 10 commandments.

The purse of the Law was to be guardian, a teacher, to demonstrate Israel’s (and our) need for a Savior. Just like Israel, we cannot keep the law on our own. We all fail at some point, making us transgressors of the law. God knew that we would need a champion to come to our rescue. Thus, Jesus entered into the story, God Himself took on human flesh, and fulfilled the Law completely. In His life, death, burial and resurrection, Jesus fulfilled all the Law and the prophets and set us free from the Law.

So when we look at the Civil Law of the OT, we see that after Jesus’ resurrection, the Church was established, not as a political state, but as a religious movement that is to submit to the local government they are under. Therefore the Civil Law does not apply directly to the Church, although many of the principals and patterns given in the OT Civil Law influence our Laws. One day, Jesus will return and establish His kingdom on earth in complete fulfillment of the Civil Law.
The Ceremonial Law was a system of sacrifice that pointed to Jesus. Jesus’ death on the cross was a “once and for all time” sacrifice, never needing to be repeated. He is the one mediator we need for direct access to the Father, therefore there is not need for the OT priesthood and ceremonial system.

The Dietary Laws were put aside when Jesus said that all foods are not clean (Mark 7:19; Acts 10).

The Moral Law has been fulfilled in Christ but is still relevant for us today. As God commands us to be holy as He is holy.

“Now, even though we still defend the moral laws of the Old Testament, we have to keep in mind that Jesus fulfilled it all. The Christian is not under obligation to keep the moral law as a way of earning her way to God. Instead, she is changed by the presence of God’s Spirit to desire to keep God’s laws. Because God isn’t just after obedience; he’s after a whole new kind of obedience, an obedience that comes from love and delight in God. Christians keep the moral commands, not because “it’s the law,” but because they love God and want to be like him.” – J.D. Greear

The Moral Law still pertains to daily life and is the measure that God will hold us to. Those that are in Christ know that they cannot earn God’s favor by trying to keep the moral law on their own, but out of love for Jesus seek to follow His pattern. It is the moral law of God that Christians look to in order to understand the purpose and value of life, the proper view of marriage, sex, business, family, work, etc.


2.         If all sin is the same, then why do people act like some are way worse than others? Even God when he distributes worse or lesser punishments.

Yes and No.

Yes, sin is all the same in that anyone who breaks one of God’s Laws is guilty of all (James 2:10; Rom 3:23). I like to understand it as we are all in the same boat. No matter what sin someone commits, they are in the sinners boat. As a matter of fact, we are all born in the sinners’ boat. We are all on equal footing before God as sinners, big or small.

No, all sins are not the same in their heinousness and offensiveness to God. Now all sins offend God and are worthy of judgment, but some carry more weight and receive greater judgment in this life and the next.

a.         Proximity: What would hurt you more, a stranger wronging your or your best friend wronging you? The best friend, right? Why? Because the closeness of relationships brings a higher expectation. Similarly, the more we know God and know about His Word, the more we will be held in account for. “Jesus did say, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded” (Luke 12:47-48). The more revelation we have about God, the more responsible we are to God.” -  Marty Foord
b.         Intentions: The Bible distinguishes between the intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). We are all sinners, it’s part of our fallen state. Therefore, there are times we sin and don’t even realize it, yet there are other times we know what we are doing and choose to sin. Perhaps we recognize it the most in children, when we say don’t do something, they look at us and defiantly do the opposite of what we say. “The OT Law meted out lesser punishments for a person who sins “unintentionally”, and greater punishments for those who sinned “defiantly” (Numr 15:27-31).” -  Marty Foord

c.         Influence: The greater the sin the more effect it will have on everyone in proximity to the sinner. Our sin is never in a vacuum. It will affect and influence all those around us. Our private sins of the heart and mind may seem like they don’t affect anyone else, but those sins change the way you think about and care for others. The more public your sinning is, the more it influences others to do the same, or causes them harm. Thus, “James can say about preachers: Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. (James 3:1, NIV).” -  Marty Foord


Yes, there is a distinction between sins. They are not all the same in that some are more offensive to God, some do more harm to others, some have heavier consequences, and some hurt your relationship with God. Yes, all sins are the same in the fact that they are all offensive to God and make us all sinners before God. They are also all the same in that the blood of Jesus Christ is enough to cover them, when we repent and believe.

It would do us no good to list out the sins based on how offensive they are to God or to us. I think it is best to think of it in the sense of proximity to God, the intentions of the heart and the influence it has on others. Even in all the lists of the Bible, it becomes clear that only one sin will condemn someone to hell, and that is unbelief.


3.         How to disagree?
I found some practical helps from KidsHealth.org, to go along with some Scriptures and personal thoughts for this question.
a.         Don't make it personal. If you get upset, it can help to remember you're mad at the idea or concept your parent (or friend, coach, coworker, etc.) is raising, not the person.

Ephesians 6:12
[12] For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (ESV)

Paul reminds us it’s not the person we are wrestling against, it is a spiritual warfare. Sin is in the world and is our greatest enemy, it does harm to all of our relationships. We have a real enemy who wants to destroy our relationships. Keep an eye on the big picture.

b.         Avoid putting down the other person's ideas and beliefs. If you've ever been on the receiving end of someone's tirade or put-downs, you know how valuable using respectful language and behavior can be. So instead of saying what you might be thinking ("That's a stupid idea!"), try: "I don't agree, and here's why." Resist the temptation to yell, use sarcasm, or make derogatory comments and you'll have a much better chance of getting your point across.

1 Peter 3:15
but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Seek to be Christ-like in your disagreements, that means being gentle, compassionate and respectful. Really listen and hear what they are saying to you. Finding common ground to build from will help when discussing the differences.

c.         Use "I" statements to communicate how you feel, what you think, and what you want or need. Using "you" statements can sound argumentative. For example, telling your mom or dad, "You always remind me about my chores on Wednesdays when you know I have a lot of homework" has a very different tone from "I'm feeling pressured because I have a lot of homework tonight. Can I do those chores tomorrow?"

Matthew 7:3–5
[3] 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? [4] 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? [5] 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. (ESV)

Begin with yourself before you point fingers. Ask yourself, “How did I contribute to this dispute? How did I wrong this person?” When you can answer these questions, and begin your dispute with “I wronged you when I did this, will you forgive me?” you will be shocked at how different the argument goes.

d.         Listen to the other point of view. Being a good listener is a way of showing that you respect and understand the other person's perspective. That makes it more likely he or she will do the same for you. When the other person is talking, try to stop yourself from thinking about why you disagree or what you'll say next. Instead, focus on what's being said. When it's your turn to talk, repeat any key points the other person made to show you listened and heard what was said. Then calmly present your case and why you disagree.

James 1:19–20
[19] Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; [20] for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (ESV)

Often times our disputes are the results of not hearing each other. Learning to listen and asking clarifying questions will stave off many arguments.

d.         Stay calm. This is the most important thing you can do to keep a conversation on track. Of course, it's a huge challenge to stay calm and rational when you feel angry or passionate about something — especially if the person you're talking to gets heated. You may need to be the mature one who manages the conversation, even if the other person is a parent or someone who should know better.

Romans 12:18
If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Learning to control your emotions and making peace a priority helps. Keeping the peace does not mean to overlook sin. Sin will always lead to more harm and needs to be dealt with. But our emotions are not always trustworthy. I like to say, feelings are fickle. In an argument or disagreement, you need to keep an eye on your emotions. I have noticed that when I am assured of my point of view, I am calmer and can ask more questions to bring others along. When I am insecure in my point of view, I become more defensive and emotional. Asking myself internal questions like, “why am I so upset by this?” can help you understand yourself.

After following these 5 steps, understand that fights are going to happen. We will fail at some point and lose our cool. The important thing is to learn from it, and seek to grow as a communicator and a peacemaker.

Matthew 5:9
 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (ESV)

4.         How did evil come into the world? Didn't God create everything, so why would he make evil for us?

This is perhaps one of the hardest questions to answer because at some level we can’t fully explain the answer. We cannot know the Why questions, like “why did Adam choose to eat the fruit?” or “why did Satan choose to rebel the first time?” All we can know is what the Bible reveals to us about God, the beginnings and sin entering the world.

Genesis 1 reveals to us that God is the Creator and everything that He created was good, very good. He created Adam without sin and placed him in a garden without sin (Genesis 3). It was the ideal situation to live in close proximity to God. God gave Adam one rule, just one, and that was that there was only one tree he was not allowed to eat from, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

In placing this tree and giving Adam a choice, we learn that Adam was a moral being with a free choice. Although Adam was created good, and was in a good garden, he was not perfectly holy. He was created without sin, but when faced with a choice he could choose sin.

Only one thing did God say was not good in creation, and that was Adam being alone. God knew that he made Adam a relational being, but there were no other humans for Adam to relate to. God saw Adam’s need and made Eve from Adam’s rib to complete him.

The story continues that these two were in the Garden of Eden when a serpent began speaking to Eve. Enticing her to eat the forbidden fruit. Wait a second…who is this serpent, where did he come from and why is he tempting them? The Genesis account speaks to us as if the answers to those questions are understood.
The serpent is Satan and he has already fallen into sin. Satan is a created being, who was also created good. We learn something about angels in this story, as they are moral beings and were given a choice. Satan became puffed up with pride and wanted to usurp the throne of God. God cast him out of his position in heaven and he has been plaguing the earth since.

As the serpent, Satan cast doubt on God’s Word. He cast doubt on God’s protection of Adam and Eve. He cast doubt on God’s provision for Adam and Eve. Satan made it seem like God was withholding the best stuff from Adam and Eve. And so they ate.

Sin, evil entered the world at that time.

What we learn is this, God is good, He is holy, and there is no evil with in Him.

James 1:13–14
“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.”

God cannot sin and He will not cause anyone to sin.

The creature, created good, chose to sin. The creature brought evil into the world. The creature used a good power, called free will, to choose sin. God could have created the world without free will, but then all creatures would be programmed. Free will allows for the free choice to love. A relationship would be void if there was no power to choose to love.  By creating moral beings who have a free will, God invites us to into a relationship with Him, but He won’t make us. He invites us and calls us. The enemy is tempting us away from God. The choice is ours. Will we trust God and the love of Jesus Christ or will we listen to the temptation of the enemy?






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