Month: June 2020

Recently I was sitting on our deck as a thunderstorm passed through Kansas City.  First the sky darkened followed by a gentle rain followed by gusting winds and heavier rain.  As I observed the trees in our backyard that had only recently leafed out, I saw in nature what I see in our culture.  The storms and winds of secularism, materialism, and relativism are blowing into our lives with increasing intensity.

Living as an exile in Babylon requires the wisdom of controlled flexibility.

Like God’s people in the Old Testament we find ourselves living as exiles in a Babylonian culture.  We are no longer living in a Jerusalem culture which is friendly to our values, beliefs, and practices.  The God followers of antiquity whether they were Jews living in a Hellenistic/Roman dominated world or early Gentile Christians living in a religiously pagan Roman Empire, faced a similar conundrum:  how to follow God and live in but not of the dominate culture.

Various groups at the time of Christ took different approaches:

• Sadducees:  Sought accommodation by compromising
• Pharisees:  Sought separation by criticizing
• Zealots:  Sought liberation by confronting
• Essenes:  Sought isolation by cocooning

What was beautiful about the trees in the storm was the way the branches would flex without breaking.  They would give way a little but always return to their original place.  Bend but not break.  In fact flexibility was a sign of health.  It was the dried up, brittle branches that broke and ended up on the ground.  How then do we bend but not capitulate, stand up without breaking, give way without giving in?

To live an effective counter-cultural life there is one thing more important than being right…being right with compassion.  Maybe there are times when we even give up the right of way.  Consider you are driving your car at an intersection when the light turns green.  You now have the right to proceed.  But you notice a car approaching from your left that is not slowing down.  Will it stop or not?  You are not sure, although you do have the right away legally, is this the time to demand your rights?

Paul when modeling for the Corinthians how to live counter-culturally, said that there were times when he gave up his rights for the sake of the gospel.  Paul demonstrated bending in 1 Corinthians 9.

                “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.”

                …I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.”

Daniel and his three friends give us another example of healthy trees growing strong in the storms of life.  They had the wisdom to negotiate regarding the king’s food but were uncompromising regarding the king’s edict to worship the image.  Daniel contributed to his culture but never lost his convictions.  He and his friends had the courage to stand in a fire or in a lion’s den when no other option was available.  They were convinced that God could deliver through or out of danger.  They had the “but if not” spirit which gave them controlled flexibility and an exceptional legacy.

Jesus gives a different model of counter-cultural living.  He didn’t fit into any of the four models listed earlier.  In some ways he was unpredictable.  When his disciples thought He would be inflexible, he would bend.  When they expected Him to isolate, He would embrace.  When they thought He would fight, he surrendered.  When they expected Him to condemn, He would accept.  He was nothing like what they expected, ….confusing at times but always effective. 

The current storms of gender confusion, conspicuous consumption, civil incivility, and selective intolerance will test our controlled flexibility.  The way to bend yet remain strong will demand a vibrant consistent walk with Christ in the power of His Holy Spirit.  As the landscape changes and we face new storms, we will need fresh manna from God and ears to discern the voice of the Shepherd as He says, “This is the way, walk in it.”   To “wait upon the Lord” is not passive or effortless.  It requires focused intentionality to stay daily in communication with the Christ who is never surprised, threatened, or confused by the storms. 

For Reflection

1.  What are some other examples from Scripture of controlled flexibility?

2.  What is a current example in your life where you need to apply the principle of controlled flexibility?

Our new identity in Christ as reconciled, adopted, and naturalized, is a reality that we will not come up with on our own but only by the revelation of Scripture.  It is challenging to understand and embrace that identity and allow it to transform our worldview concerning who we are in Christ and how to live in His kingdom.  In fact, I have discovered that changing my identity to align with Scripture is not easy or a onetime event.  It takes constant reflection and exercising my faith for these truths to change my heartfelt understanding of who I am and the world I live in.

A quick summary before we go on may help keep the big picture in mind.

God’s work                   God’s Role         Result/focus                 Identity  

Reconciliation               Redeemer                          New Relationship            Saint

Adoption                           Father                                 New Family                        Heir

Naturalization                King                                     New Country                     Citizen

The third part of our spiritual spinal column is “naturalization”:  the legal acceptance into a new country and the establishment of citizenship.  Like our new spiritual family, our new spiritual citizenship is exclusive.  When we are issued our new passport, we must relinquish our old one because there is no dual citizenship in God’s kingdom.  Paul tells us that “He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col 1:13-14).  An aspect of repentance is to change our allegiance from the kingdom of darkness to embracing a new kingdom with a new passport.  The implication is that we are now permanent residents not temporary tourists like those with a visa.    

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household (heirs)” (Eph. 2:19). 

“Our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil 3:20).

There are two aspects to our new citizenship.  One is our relationship to our new country and the second is the changed relationship to our old country.  As citizens of a heavenly kingdom we now live as exiles, strangers and pilgrims in our current “Babylonian world”.   The challenge comes because we are much more comfortable in Babylon than in our new country.  It is what we are accustomed to.  Every generation of believers has faced this challenge since Jesus rose from the grave. 

In this blog I want to explore the implications of our new citizenship and then refer you to previous blogs that discussed the challenge of living as exiles. 

Most of us have not changed our geographic country of residence so our picture of naturalization is limited.  In Paul’s day, citizenship was a major issue.  Rome as the dominant world power had a clear distinction of who was and who was not a citizen of Rome.  Just because a people group was conquered by Rome didn’t automatically mean they became citizens.  Paul was a unique person being both a Jew and a Roman citizen.  His Roman citizenship provided privileges others did not have. 

Consider some of the implications of our new citizenship in the Lord’s kingdom.

• New Government/Authority:  Christ is King of his kingdom.  In our old country He could be disrespected or just ignored but no longer.  He is the honored head of State, the ultimate authority, the benevolent monarch.  Though currently invisible to most, His reign is still very real.  One day it will become visible to all.

• New Covenant/Constitution:   As citizens of His kingdom we have a new and better covenant.  The Old Testament covenant based on law has been replaced by the new covenant based on the completed work of Christ.   He is now our mediator with the Father. 

“But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises”  (Heb. 8:6; 13)

• New Residency:  We who were once homeless have now been given a permanent new home.  This is difficult to comprehend because this world is the only home we have ever known.  This change of home address is one reason Paul said we should set our minds on things above…”for we have died and our life is hidden with Christ in God.” 

• New Currency:  Merit is the currency of our old country, but in our new country merit is like trying to use Monopoly money.  It is not even a close counterfeit.  When we changed countries, all our merit became piles of “funny money”.  It is worthless.  Faith is the new currency (Heb. 11:6).

• New Freedom:  In our old country we were slaves under a cruel regime.  It just became so natural we didn’t realize the oppression of sin and what freedom could be, but now we experience the freedom a relationship of grace brings.  It will take intentionality to unlearn old habits and ways of thinking in order to adjust to this new freedom (Gal 5:1).

• New legal system:  We still have an accuser, but now we have a new legal defense team.   The One who was in all points tempted as we are is now the one who stands in our defense.  He has never lost a case!

 “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).    

• New Portfolio:  In the bank of heaven we have an eternal IRA with our name on it.  It is secure, non-depreciating, always paying dividends.  It doesn’t fluctuate with current events but is based on the outcome that has already been announced.  It is simply being played out according to plan (Matt. 6:19-20).

• New Protection:  No longer do we need to walk in fear or uncertainty.  The armor of God is ours to put on.  It will equip us to walk in victory and enable us to stand against the rulers of the kingdom of darkness (Eph. 6:10+).

• New Role:  As citizens of a new country our relationship with this world has changed.  It is no longer our home, but we still live in it and have been given a mission to be ambassadors representing our new country.  Our role is not to just survive or pass away the time, but to make a distinct difference in our current culture.

You can read more about how to live as an exile in this Babylonian world in TAD Blog #55.

For Reflection:

1.  What are other implications of our citizenship now being in heaven?

2.  How does the term “exile” help us know how to live life now?