Ever notice the soft-militancy of many modern forms of Christianity? Many Christians love to talk about the Old Testament because they love the empowerment of knowing you serve a God who smites our enemies and leads heavenly warriors to glory. It sounds intoxicating, doesn't it? The problem we quickly encounter are the words of Christ in the New Testament.
“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, ... (Matt 5:43-44)
What do we do with this? I love the aspect of God who conquers his enemies because it makes me feel like God can conquer whatever stands against me. Well, I have good news... the God of the New Testament is the same God of the Old Testament, but Christ's ministry clarifies who our enemies are. As Paul writes...
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. (Ephesians 6:12)
The operative part of what Paul writes is that we are not struggling against flesh and blood. We struggle against something that is spiritual in nature and, as such, we have to remember that the flesh and blood is a part of Christ's master plan. Christ came to die on the cross for all of those who turn to him and that means that we must look at those around us... even those "engaged in sin"... as opportunities for Christ's work to be demonstrated to us instead of viewing them as adversaries. They are the same flesh and blood that Christ saw as worth saving... who are we to judge them differently?
So, why am I bringing all of this up? What's the point of differentiating between forces of this world and spiritual forces? It's because we do, in fact, have an opportunity to play the role of the empowered, quasi-militant defender of the faith. For a glimpse into this role, look at how Jesus serves as the defender in the famous story of the woman caught in adultery...
When [the religious leaders] persisted in questioning him, he stood up and said to them, “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then he stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only he was left, with the woman in the center. When Jesus stood up, he said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, Lord,” she answered. “Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” (John 8:7-11)
My father pointed me to this story earlier this week when we were talking about the appropriate relationship of Christians to "sinners". The phrase "hate the sin, love the sinner" is spouted off commonly in Christian circles, but love without a call to action is meaningless (James agrees, for what it's worth). The way Christ loved the sinner was to position himself between the accusers of this world and the "guilty party". Much like he did on the cross, he put himself in the firing line with the sinner so that the sinner might see love rather than hate.
In the same way, we are expected to do so much more than use a pleasant slogan when we encounter the lost of this world. I'd argue that, just as in Jesus' time, the individuals who are often the harshest enemies of love are those who flatter themselves as "good, devout Christians". Christ came for the lost, the sick, and the hurting. That means looking at individuals which "righteous people" might see as degenerates, and instead seeing God's glory.
Yes, it is true. You are empowered. You have a mighty God behind you and fighting before you. You are an ardent defender of the faith. BUT... the enemy you fight against isn't made of flesh and blood and those you are seeking to defend don't always look innocent. We are called to defend those whom Christ first defended. We are called to defend those who do not yet know that they need defending.
Defend a sinner today from the mobs that want to stone them, and choose to show those individuals that there is a better way. This is the way of Christ.
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