Passing on the Truth

Health -

How should we respond to recent events in talking to people? What’s healthy especially with so many different voices talking about it? First, as Christians we should hate racism and murder as well as rioting and looting. All of these are works of the flesh and the devil that destroy. God has called us to love our neighbor as ourselves in every way we can. How specifically do we view and talk about these things?

In viewing the events, there are many voices out there trying to tell you what’s true and what’s not. You have autopsy reports. You hear people quoting statistics about crime and police response,etc. Clearly we live in a broken and fallen world. The first biblical way to love your neighbor is to mourn with those who mourn and rejoice with those who rejoice. People are in a grief response in so many ways with strong emotions and confusing perspectives. Grieving with them is right and good even when you don’t agree with every nuance they may express. No one does as they grieve with someone regardless of what someone is grieving. Listen rather than counsel. Enter their grief rather than distance yourself from it. No one wants the counselors of Job no matter how wise they thought they were.

So if you hear “Black lives matter” mourn with those who mourn. Realize they probably have loved ones who are affected by these events. If you hear “Blue lives matter”, again mourn with those who mourn. They too probably have loved ones who are affected. Pride is what turns these phrases into opportunities to compete and argue. Avoid that. It’s sin and simply piles on the sins that have already been committed. Do you really want to add to those sins?

Second, as we listen, what should we do in response to what’s happened. I listened to two black professors on youtube analyzing the events and asking hard questions about crime and motivations, questioning traditional media narratives about the events. They had some engaging perspectives and were definitely trying to dispel some of the myths regarding systemic racism etc.

I’ve also listened to black pastors and peaceful protesters commenting on the need to be anti-racist and elaborating on the hurt they’ve experienced and the history they have. This is good to listen to as well because we traditionally weren’t taught about how racism has affected people beyond the civil war and the civil rights movement. You probably haven’t heard what happened in Tulsa, OK, and how it’s affected people. You probably haven’t heard all of the ways racism still affects people today.

However, be careful here. Dispelling myths by analyzing and parsing motives and retelling histories is an endless discussion both sides get into. Paul is warning us in Titus to avoid this kind of discussion and living as Christians. Not that we shouldn’t analyze and think nor rehearse history but they don’t ultimately help in deciding how to live especially as Christians. Jesus says we are to seek righteousness and justice. How do we live this out?

First, let me point out you have a lot of voices trying to explain what justice should look like. You have marxists saying all of this is a struggle between rich and poor, that the rich always seek to preserve their power or now it’s been twisted to say white people always seek to preserve their power. You have other voices saying justice should look like revolution. Beware any voice that tries to delete God from the picture in seeking justice. We are God’s creation in God’s world. The only way to justice is His path. Also beware any voice that tries to simplify human behavior to one primary motivation. We are complex creatures made in God’s image. We need wisdom in response. So what does wisdom in seeking justice look like for Christians?

I’ve heard the term anti-racism being used. This a good term as James calls us to be against showing preferential treatment based on any outward category. Racism is sin. But how do we wisely fight for justice and against racism? James gives us the answer that mercy triumphs over justice. Beware answers that get away from this. If someone’s first answer to seeking justice is “post something on facebook against racism” or “protest”, there’s a problem. This is essentially publicly shaming people into not sinning. It’s using outward means to change the heart. Society will view this as effective but it’s a short term answer that has huge backlash effects. Shame most often drives pride underground and ultimately perpetuates worse injustices. Shame is most often used by people who are self-righteous rather than repentant.

The Gospel-driven seeking of justice will be to figure out how to mix mercy in to the picture and look to change the heart. This is what the Gospel does to change our hearts. As Titus 3:3-7 says,

In theology we say God is simple. But what theologians mean by that isn’t simple. What they mean as the Bible reveals is that God is never unbalanced in any of his attributes that we think of as opposites. Wrath doesn’t overrun mercy. Mercy doesn’t trump justice.

So how do we live out a way to wisely conquer sin and defeat injustice? Paul’s letter to Titus gives us some profound answers to look at. The Cretans also often felt mistreated and reacted by being conniving and greedy. How does Paul counsel defeating that?

The Goal of Discipleship - heart change

The law imposed rules without a heart change and Israel could never keep up.

Delighting in justice is to desire heart change not just good behavior. This is what the church should be about.

One example from the text - Self-control Romans 12:3

We live in a world where we think we can have everything. Self-control loves the opposite. Not having it all but having grace.

The Pattern of Discipleship - generational engagement

Who are the “elders” here?

What are they teaching? “Likewise”

How are they doing it?

The Protection of Discipleship - Respect for God’s Word and God’s way of living

The voice we most need to listen to is God’s. Seeking to be healthy by focusing on the goal and following the pattern will protect our ability to continue making disciples which is our main responsibility on this earth as Christians.

Church is not just a Life-Saving Station nor is it just a Hospital - It’s a redemptive community that listens to God’s Word and seeks to obey it from the heart. It is dedicated to building people who make disciples who are zealous for good works because of the mercy they have received

Therefore it’s not about getting as many people as possible to become a part of us but about committing to live out the mercy of Jesus with joy

Small Group Questions:

How do you seek to help your heart change when you know you’re desiring the wrong things?

What limitations do you have? What grace have you received from God? What grace have you seen God give members of your small group? (spend time talking about how you see God working through different people in your small group, how they’ve been a blessing to you)

Are you seeking to be an “elder” helping others to grow? What does it look like to seek that? (Finding someone more mature to help you, being in the Word, praying, having lots of conversations about being self-controlled)

How many conversations can you have being “self-controlled” this week and with who?