The Adventure of Discipleship

Transformational power is released at the intersection of divine grace and our responsibility.

We are looking at discipleship through the lens of an apprentice who is on a relational journey of spiritual transformation becoming an image bearer of Christ.  We have looked at the Profile, Purpose, and Pattern of discipleship and now I want to explore the Provision for discipleship. 

The question is “How does this transformation into His image bearer actually happen?”  When we begin to think in terms of intentionality, we often sense a tension between God’s work of grace in us and our responsibility.  What is God’s part and what is ours? 

Spiritual formation (discipleship) is something we humans can and must undertake — as individuals and in fellowship with other apprentices of Jesus.  While it is simultaneously a profound manifestation of God’s gracious action through his Word and Spirit, it is also something we are responsible for before God and set about achieving in a sensible systematic manner.   D. Willard, “Renovation of the Heart” p. 25

In Paul’s letter to the Philippians he captures succinctly the tension of these two provisions:

Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.  For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him (Phil. 2:12-13 NLT).

In the New Testament there seems to be a constant parallelism between God’s provision of grace and our responsibility.  The familiar call to discipleship in Matthew 4:19 ties these two critical concepts together:

“Follow Me (responsibility) and I will make you fishers of men (grace).”

When we reflect on the promises of God as His provision of grace, we recognize they are closely linked to our responsibility to fulfill a condition.  In reality we cannot claim a promise without taking responsibility to fulfill the God given conditions that accompany it. For example the promise Jesus gives in Matthew 11:28:

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden (our responsibility) and I will give you rest (provision of grace). Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me (responsibility) … and you will find rest for your souls (grace) …”         

Peter also links God’s provision of grace for our transformation with our responsibility:

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness (provision of grace) through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises (grace) so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.  For this reason, make every effort (responsibility) to add to your faith goodness…knowledge…self-control … perseverance … godliness … brotherly kindness … and love” (2 Peter 1:3-7 NIV). 

In the familiar discipleship metaphor of the vine and branches (John 15), Jesus clearly identifies both the provision of grace and personal responsibility.  The main directive (responsibility) is to “abide in the Vine”.    The grace provision is evident as the Vine provides the source of life and the Gardner provides necessary pruning.  The branch, however, must remain fully connected to the vine in order to produce abundant fruit.  Our responsibility is not to produce the fruit but to abide in Christ.  The fruit will be the result. 

The power for spiritual formation to become His image bearers comes where His grace and our responsibility meet.  Paul’s pattern for beginning his letters to the churches was to first remind them that they were new creations with a new identity and position in Christ (provision of grace).  But then he challenges them regarding their responsibilities to put on and put off various behaviors.

 “That, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (Eph. 4:22-25 NASB).

Therefore…

• Stop lying and tell the truth
• Stop stealing and get a job
• Stop sponging and start giving
• Stop your vulgarity and start encouraging others by what you say
• Stop being bitter and start loving…

God in regeneration renews our original capacity for divine interaction.  But our body’s substance is only to be transformed totally by actions and events in which we choose to participate from day-to-day. D. Willard, “The Spirit of the Disciplines”, p. 92-93.

Transformational power is released at the intersection of divine grace and our responsibility.

For reflection:  Identify both the grace and responsibility in Paul’s statement.

“We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.  For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me” (Col 1:28-29).

An unapproved imitation is called a forgery or a counterfeit.

A poor imitation is called a knockoff, fake, or rip-off.

But a good imitation is called a genuine reproduction.

If an apprentice is to produce a genuine reproduction of an original and not a fake, knockoff, or counterfeit, he/she must perfectly imitate the original pattern implemented by the craftsman.  I suggested in the last blog that the purpose of discipleship is to become an image bearer of Christ.  So in what way is Christ the Pattern which we must imitate? 

Down through history believers have developed various lifestyles based on their understanding of what it means to imitate Christ.  For some it took the form of living in the desert, for others poverty or simplicity.  A more recent approach was to ask the question “What would Jesus do?”  Bracelets and buttons were used as reminders to pattern our behavior after what we thought Jesus would do in any given situation. 

When I ask people what it means to imitate Christ, they usually respond with the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:23-24).   But is that all that it means when Paul said we are to “be transformed into the same image from glory to glory” (2 Cor. 3:18)?

The rabbinical model of discipleship required disciples to be just like their rabbi in every way possible.  Jesus said,

“A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher (in every way possible)” (Luke 6:40). 

A true apprentice reflects more than the teacher’s knowledge or behavior.  An apprentice imitates both the outer and inner, comprehensive life of the teacher.  He is a genuine image bearer of his teacher. 

The inner life is the subject of Paul’s teaching in Romans 12:2.

“And do not be conformed (external) to this world, but be transformed (internal) by the renewing of your mind…”

Conformation is the external (behavior) imitation while transformation is the inner (heart and mind) reformation. 

We are told not to be conformed to the world, but neither should we be simply conformed to Christ in external behavior only.  Our transformation must go below the water line of behavior to touch our heart and soul. 

An iceberg illustrates the complexity of our outer and inner lives.  The above (visible) part is held up and supported by the bigger invisible part.  Jesus emphasized this important distinction in Luke 6:45.

“A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.”

The King James Version says, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

As men and women who are followers of Christ, our Imitation of Christ is to go beyond doing acts of kindness (valuable as it is), to actually becoming kind in heart.  Imitation is the transformation of our inner values, convictions, and principles so that good behavior is not just action tacked on when we think about it, but rather what naturally comes from our newly transformed heart and mind.

This transformation process produces behavior that is so consistent as to become predictable.  When I am asked to give a character reference for a potential employee, I know I am not being asked if I have just observed certain behaviors.  They are asking if I have observed behavior so consistent as to become predictive of future actions.  In other words, is the behavior more than an act?  Is it genuine coming from the treasury of a good heart?

Emulation may be a better word than imitation.  Imitation can refer to a cheap copy, something poorly done, or a knockoff.  Emulation, however, implies being genuine all the way through.  In our technical world imitation refers to a computer running another computer’s “apps” (software programs), while emulation refers to running another computer’s inner operating system.

Image bearing is not only deep, it is comprehensive as Paul writes “…that you may prove what the will of God is” (Romans 12:2).  Genuine emulation goes beyond obeying the biblical ethical code.  It includes alignment to the whole will of God.         

If I said I wanted to be like George Washington but all I knew about him was that he was the first president of the United States and the commander of the Continental Army, you would rightfully suspect I was not serious.  If I were serious, I would read about what he said and did as well as what others said about him.  I would want to study his speeches to learn what he valued.  I would want to know his habits, practices, and mannerisms.  Can we be serious about reflecting Christ when we know so little about Him?  Are we satisfied with just knowing that He is our Savior and King?

Since Christ is to be the “first born among many brethren”; He is our elder brother.  To emulate Him we need to comprehend His:

• Character
• Behavior
• Values
• Teaching
• Habits
• Mission
• Purposes
• Desires, etc.

Although the Gospels give a limited account of the life of Christ, we have been given sufficient knowledge to understand His life Pattern.  The Scripture also gives us the power to discern where we fall short in our inner character and motivations (2 Tim. 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12).  With this in mind, one practical way to expand our understanding of that Pattern is to read the gospels through the lens of one of the above concepts.  For example read Matthew looking for His values (stated and implied).  Then read Mark looking for His mission or purposes, etc.  Reading with a particular lens can open new insights into the One we are to emulate.

When Paul encountered Christ on the road to Damascus (Acts 22), he asked two questions:

• Who are you, Lord?  and
• What should I do?

The second question is an outgrowth of the first.  We are called to follow the person of Christ not just a creed.  As an apprentice, the more we understand and emulate WHO Christ is the more we will be transformed and live a life in alignment with His will.  Paul’s two questions should be at the heart of our apprenticeship today.

Questions for reflection:

1.  What were some of Christ’s habits that we should emulate?

2.  What was it that made Christ joyful?  Sorrowful?  Angry?

Why would anyone want to pursue discipleship?

In our current blog series we are exploring the anatomy of discipleship.  We first looked at its Profile in terms of its definition and description (TADB 60).  Now I want to explore the Purpose of discipleship by answering the question, “Why is it essential for the Christian life?”  Without answering the “why” question, discipleship will be ignored or at best, treated as a temporary novelty.

Imagine for a moment a sort of “Back to the Future” scenario.  A modern day automobile is deposited back in time when our hunter gatherer ancestors lived.  A hunting party comes upon the car glistening in the sun and cautiously approaches it asking the obvious questions, “What is it and what is it for?”

After seeing his face in the rearview mirror, one member exclaims, “It is a reflection machine!”  Another opens the door and sees the leather seats and says, “It is a sleep machine”.  After pushing various buttons on the dashboard, another concludes, “It is a noise making machine”. 

But if they read the owner’s manual or talked to the designer, they would learn that the purpose of the machine was to facilitate travel … to take people to places they have never been before and to do it in grand style. 

When we consult the Owner’s manual for discipleship, we learn that it is not an end in itself but a means to an end.  The Designer has a purpose in mind when He invites us to follow Him. 

Paul ties God’s work on our behalf with His purpose for discipleship.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers (Romans 8:28-29).

Notice that the promised “good” is tied to God’s purpose:  conformity to the image of Christ.  This purpose is consistent with what Jesus taught in Luke 6:40, “Everyone when he has been fully trained will be like his teacher.”  Discipleship is designed to produce men and women who are like Christ/bear His image (See the example in Acts 3:14).

This purpose goes back to the original design of Genesis 1, when man was made in the image of God and told to be fruitful and multiply (reproduce additional image bearers).  On the resurrection side of the cross, the same theme of image bearing is repeated only now under a new covenant (See 2 Cor. 3:18). 

In Paul’s letters he goes on to say that the purpose of discipleship is to develop not only individuals who share Christlikeness but a whole family of image bearers who acknowledge His preeminence. 

“… so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren” (family of image bearers) (Rom 8:29).

 “… so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything” (preeminence) (Col. 1:18).

Too often we get stuck in childhood, asking “what’s in it for me?” rather than “What is His design?”  We are like the crowds in Jesus’ day who were looking for a free lunch and health care system.  We seek after His benefits more than transformation to be like Him.  “What’s in it for me?” attitude will never sustain discipleship.

New Testament discipleship is more than behavior modification.  Our old personal operating system had a binary code of control and consumption.  Our new operating system (2 Cor. 5:17) is based on the binary code of relationship and responsibility.  This new binary code is evidenced in Jesus’ invitation:  “Follow Me (relationship) and I will make you fishers of men (responsibility).”  The historic Westminster confession states that the chief end of man is to “glorify God (responsibility) and enjoy Him forever (relationship).” 

The gospel opens the door to a transformational relationship with Christ that restores our lost identity as His image bearers.  Discipleship is the means by which that design is accomplished.

The critical question then is, do we as disciples and disciple-makers embrace the Designer’s purpose for discipleship?  As we follow Christ are we seeking to reflect the family likeness of the First Born (Christ)?

Without embracing God’s purpose for discipleship, we are just playing with the buttons on the dashboard of the car when we could be traveling to amazing places we have never been.

For reflection consider other discipleship motivations. 

• Col 1:9-10
• 2 Thess. 1:5, 11-12
• 2 Tim 2:4
• Heb. 11:6
• Rom 8:6-8
• 1 Thess. 4:1
• 1 Cor. 10:31

If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time

If you asked for a description of the sun and were told that it is “a little round object in the sky”, it would be correct but not very precise. 

Consider this option:

The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, with internal convective motion that generates a magnetic field … roughly three quarters of the Sun’s mass consists of hydrogen the rest is mostly helium, with much smaller quantities of heavier elements, including oxygen, carbon, neon, and iron. (Wikipedia).

The first might be adequate for a child, but not for a student of astronomy.  When we define a disciple as a learner, it is like saying the sun is a little round ball in the sky; adequate for toddlers but not for serious believers.  If discipleship is our ultimate mission, we will need more to work with than a toddler’s description.

A disciple is an apprentice of Jesus and His kingdom.

In developing the anatomy of discipleship, we begin with the “profile” of a disciple which includes both a definition and a description.  I suggest a definition that captures the Hebrew meaning of discipleship (vs. a Greek one) could be:

A description of a disciple adds clarity and more detail to the definition. Here is my “Wikipedia” description of discipleship:

The personal pursuit of knowing, reflecting, and sharing Christ by means of (6) spiritual practices in the context of (3) supporting relationships.

1.  The personal pursuits of a disciple.  (See TADB 23-27)

There are three lifelong pursuits of a disciple that run through the teachings of Jesus and Paul.  They are each critical and distinct but also connected and complementary.

In Jesus’ prayer found in John 17, He looks back over His ministry and ahead to His ascension.   He reviews three core ideas:

• The pursuit of an intimate relationship with the Father. 
• The pursuit of glorifying the Father by manifesting His name
• The pursuit of doing the will of the Father

I refer to these three essential pursuits on the resurrection side of the cross as knowing, reflecting, and sharing Christ.  In his letters to the churches Paul identifies these same three pursuits in Phil 3:8-10 (Knowing Christ), 2 Cor. 3:18 / Rom. 8:29 (reflecting Christ), and 2 Cor. 5:20 / 2 Cor.2:14 (sharing Christ).

These 3 pursuits are like the coordinates of a 3D compass (GPS), keeping us locked onto our target destination.  They are lifelong pursuits and they define our journey as apprentices, reorienting us when we get off course.  Once we put them in as our desired destination, our spiritual MapQuest will  give us directions regardless of how far we have wondered off course (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

2.  The spiritual practices of a disciple (See TADB 28-31)

God has not only given us our direction but also the means by which we negotiate the journey.  The means have been called by various names:  habits of the heart, spiritual practices, or disciplines.  They are how we partner with the Spirit as we abide in Christ and live out our salvation (John 15:5; Phil 2:12).  Dallas Willard describes it this way:

“Spiritual disciplines are what we do so God can do what we cannot do.”

There is no comprehensive list of these spiritual practices, but we can identify some of the more critical ones by observing the life of Christ as well as the lives of saints down through history.  Dawson Trotman from the early days of The Navigators, used a wheel to illustrate these critical disciplines.    They include:

• 

• Christ the center (the hub of the wheel and source of power)
• Obedience (the outer rim of the wheel which impacts our world)
• Prayer
• Word
• Witnessing
• Fellowship

As we mature in our apprenticeship, these core disciplines create traction for depth in the Christian life.  They are like the basic skill sets in the game of baseball that must be practiced at every level of performance no matter how long a player has played the game.  We are deceived if we think we can know, reflect, and share Christ without intentionally mastering and maintaining critical spiritual habits. Learning these skills may seem mechanical and a duty at first, but once learned they become a joy and delight as they equip us for our spiritual journey.  They are like tracks on which our spiritual train can run.  No tracks, no progress!

3.  The supportive relationships of a disciple (See TADB 32)

Although discipleship is personal it is never done in isolation.  Jesus had His band of 12 and Paul had his missional teams and wherever Paul made disciples, he formed communities for continued discipleship. 

Paul’s relational strategy is illustrated in 2 Timothy 2:2.  First, Paul discipled Timothy individually.  There was a clear mentor to mentee relationship that was so close Paul referred to Timothy as “his true child in the faith”.

Secondly, he mentored Timothy in the context of other men and women who were witnesses of Paul’s teaching.  This provided Timothy with a team of men and women who were also on the same spiritual journey.   We, too, need not only mentors in our lives but a band of likeminded disciples who are serious about and committed to the same goal.  We need a team because much of what we learn in our apprenticeship to Christ comes from our likeminded teammates.

The third relational dynamic Paul taught Timothy was to pass on (i.e. entrust) what he had learned to the next generation of men and women who in turn, would be faithful to pass it on to others forming continuous links in a spiritual chain.  Spiritual parenting is part of God’s plan for developing maturity as it raises our level of competency whenever we effectively pass on what we know.

You are a critical link in the chain

These three supportive relationships provide the strength and critical learning environments for transformative growth.  We need mentors, a team of likeminded disciples, and someone willing to learn from us to create a three generational relational structure (Ecc. 4:9-12). 

Apprenticeship to Jesus and His kingdom means

The personal pursuit of knowing, reflecting, and sharing Christ by means of spiritual practices in the context of supportive relationships.

Questions for reflection:

1.  How are the three pursuits of knowing, reflecting, and sharing interrelated? 2.  Which of the six spiritual concepts/disciplines needs attention in your life and what can you do about it?

“We hold these truths to be self-evident…..”

Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration of Independence was a logical defense for the rebellion of the American colonies against England.  The founding fathers knew that if they were to survive as a new country, they needed legitimacy and recognition from the major European powers…especially France.  The Declaration of Independence provided that legitimacy. 

Jefferson’s argument was based on the 18^th century Enlightenment philosophy which emphasized reason and logic.  It changed the role of government (especially monarchs) by authorizing the people to determine a government’s right to rule.  Government is by consent of the governed.  The thesis was that these rights were self-evident from the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God.  The divine right of kings was under attack.  Reason and observation made these ideas valid.

Initially this new source of truth was added to the existing sources: biblical revelation (Scripture) and the church.  Eventually reason changed from being a complement to a trump card.  Thus the Enlightenment philosophy justified putting people back in charge replacing subordination to God, Scripture, or the church.  Man was justifiably his own authority and nature and human reason were all that were needed to attain “life, liberty and, the pursuit of happiness”.  Therefore, when rulers no longer served the best interest of the people, abusing their power by tyrannical oppression, the people had the right (even responsibility) to rebel: remove that leadership and establish another.  

So what does all this have to do with discipleship?  The common ground is the issue of authority.  From the beginning of Genesis, man has resisted any authority beyond himself making the storyline as old as history itself.  The desire for self-governance combined with the history of corrupt leadership at every level, has created a general distrust for anyone in authority.  This is playing out in every level of our social structure:  government, police, church, schools, and families. 

The current media relishes any story that suggests authority can’t be trusted.  Political leaders are corrupt, church leaders are immoral, and fathers are either abusive, absent or irrelevant.  Even the celebrated sports world is racked by scandal.

Into our history and current culture of distrusting authority comes Jesus, the cross, and the crown.  A cursory reading of the Gospels reveals that the earthly ministry of Jesus was to declare that His kingdom had now come and He was the doorway and the authority for it…the Lord.  As the people observed what He taught as well as what He did, they marveled and wondered from where He got his authority (Matt 7:28-29). 

Our aversion to outside authority, the lifelong habit of self-governance, and the lack of positive models has created a giant hurdle when we embrace the gospel.  With our propensity to distrust authority it is easy to understand why many Christians accept Jesus as their Shepherd and Savior, but His Lordship is downgraded to a constitutional monarchy.  Although we sing the right words, in practice, we retain the right to accept or dismiss His authority based on what we believe is in our best interest. 

The New Testament view of God’s people being His bond-servant (a willing and obedient servant) is as foreign to us today as the Latin language.  The Lordship of Christ taught and modeled in the New Testament is today an elective…maybe necessary for missionaries and pastors but not for us.  We will accept Him as King much like England accepts their king or queen.  He is “Lord” for convenient ceremonial purposes such as church, weddings, and funerals, but the real authority is in us as our own “Prime Minister”.  The call of Jesus to take up our cross daily and follow Him is interpreted to mean “as long as it makes sense and adds to my goal of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness”.

Discipleship not only challenges our view of authority, but also our narcissistic view of self.  We can accept our role as His prime minister but not His servant.  Discipleship on the resurrection side of the cross declares that we have not only been ransomed from slavery in the kingdom of darkness, but we have been transferred to the kingdom of light where He reigns as the benevolent and just Monarch. 

Question for reflection:

1. How would you describe your journey with Christ in light of His authority/Lordship?

Are there limits to “no limits”?  Throughout history mankind has had the tendency to push the known limits and beyond.  Discoveries in medicine, space, oceans, and the human cell have been the result of mankind’s drive to go further than anyone has gone before.  Even running a 4 minute mile was seen as an impenetrable barrier until Roger Bannister broke it in 1954.  Since then over 1400 athletes have broken the 4 minute mile and over the last 65 years, the record has been lowered by 17 seconds.  The sound barrier was also considered a limitation to flight until 1947 when Chuck Yeager broke it in his X-1.  Today flying through the sound barrier is only an annoyance on the way to hypersonic flight.

Science, medicine, and physical achievements are constantly being pushed to the limits and beyond.  Unfortunately, so also are immorality, extravagance, and cruelty. 

One of the conundrums of living a counter cultural kingdom life is the polarity between limits and no limits.  Our culture says, “If it can be done, it should be done” or “If it can’t be done, it still should be done”.  Breaking barriers through science has resulted in greater comfort, better health, and increased longevity, but it has also created ethical dilemmas. 

Constantly bombarded with the message of “No Limits”, children are told they can be whatever they want to be including whatever gender they want to be.  A recent leadership book, No Limits, has the subtitle “Blow the Cap Off of Your Capacity”.

As a follower of Christ, we need to re-evaluate the “No Limits” mantra.  Debt, adultery, fatigue, and broken relationships are all symptoms of exceeding limits.  Initially, we can usually get by with it, but eventually it comes back to bite us.

Our “no limits” culture pressures us to accept the mindset of faster, higher, better, and more as being normal.  That expectation removes all boundaries and easily leads to hubris, dissatisfaction, disappointment, and addiction.  Living on a budget (setting limitations) is not simply good financial advice; its application fits the rest of life as well.

Scripture teaches that one of Satan’s strategies is to distort God’s good design by twisting it to feed our self-centered rebellion.  It all started in the Garden of Eden and continues to the present.  The story in the Garden involved both beauty and boundaries.  The boundaries were rejected, however, and the rest of history is the story of both the success and failure of God’s people to recognize, live by, and enjoy the limits set by God.    

Scripture teaches that boundaries and limitations are part of God’s ordered creation.

• You have established all the boundaries of the earth. You have made summer and winter (Psalm 74:17).

• And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation (Acts 17:26).

Beyond the obvious moral boundaries the questions remain:

• Are there limits and boundaries for kingdom living?
• If so, who sets them?

Jesus is the supreme model of one who chose to set limitations on Himself in order to accomplish a higher purpose. 

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-8). 

Paul is another example of someone who set limits for himself.  He disciplined his body (set limits) and made it his slave (self-control) so that he would not be disqualified, could finish his race of faith, and receive the wreath of victory that would never fade (1 Corinthians 9:23-27).  Paul did not depend on his culture to set boundaries for his life.  Rather his kingdom commitment set the boundaries.    

Growing up in the mid twentieth century, the culture around me theoretically supported a kingdom life- style.  Its morality and values had deep roots in the Judeo-Christian worldview.  But as that support faded with the onslaught of moral relativism, we can no longer rely on the culture (even the church culture) to set our limitations and boundaries. 

An apprentice of Christ and His kingdom sets his/her boundaries based on an increasing intimacy with Christ and asks “not can I, but should I?”  

Questions for reflection

1.  Is there an area of life that needs boundary clarification?

2.  What are the biblical principles that can help set wise boundaries?

How does a disciple of Christ live “in” the world but not be “of” the world…associate but not assimilate… separate but not isolate?  Are we a counter-culture or a multi-culture?  These are questions that believers have wrestled with over millennia and should be wrestling with today.

I’m not asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one (John 17:15) 

“Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord. “AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN” (2Corinthians 6:17). 

In the inner testament period leading up to the incarnation of Christ, Jews both in Palestine and throughout the diaspora (Roman world), wrestled with the tension of relevance and righteousness… distinctiveness and assimilation. 

Jews dispersed throughout the predominately Greco-Roman culture spoke Greek, read their Torah in Greek (Septuagint) at their synagogue, went to the gymnasium and read Homer.  They followed the teaching of the prophets to work for the peace of their host country.  At the same time the Jews in Palestine spoke Aramaic (a dialect of Hebrew), read their Bible only in Hebrew, and resisted the Hellenistic culture.

At the time of Christ within Palestine there were four main expressions (sects) of assimilation vs separation.  They are described by the historian Josephus.

1.  Zealots – Liberation Expression

Descended from the Maccabees, the zealots were a militant sect that advocated loyalty to the Torah and Jewish control of the religious and political systems.  Zealots would periodically break out in physical violence against Rome in an attempt to gain both religious and political control. 

2.  Essenes – Isolation Expression

Like the Qumran community around the Dead Sea, Essenes withdrew from culture altogether.  Their expression was to live an isolated righteous life as far from cultural corruption as possible.  They would not be contaminated by the world nor would they try to influence it.

3.  Sadducees – Accommodation Expression

The sect of the Sadducees were mostly made up of the aristocracy and ruling party of the Jews.  They were connected with the Temple and the Sanhedrin (Jewish court) and their philosophy was “to get along you need to go along”.  Their expression was one of accommodation and cooperation with the Hellenistic culture.

4.  Pharisees – Separation Expression

The Pharisees were made up of the common people who held to both the written Law (Torah) and the oral law.  They separated themselves from both the Roman/Hellenistic culture and any Jew who didn’t follow their particular practice of tradition.

Into that milieu of expressions came Jesus, the Christ.  He didn’t fit into any of the above.  He demonstrated a different expression He called the kingdom which He described in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 – 7). 

So today, how do we live a lifestyle that is both counter-cultural and relevant? 

As I reflect on growing up in America, I didn’t anticipate that there would be much difference between kingdom values and my own country’s values.  By in-large the culture of my immediate surroundings was similar to the kingdom values I found in Scripture.  To be sure, the culture didn’t always live by those values but at least they were acknowledged as valuable.

Today, much like the first century Christians living under Roman rule, I am increasingly aware that to follow Christ is to live counter-culturally.  I should not be surprised but I thought that it would only happen “to them” or “out there” …whatever that means.

As I wrestle with how to think and behave as a citizen of God’s kingdom while living in the world’s kingdom, I have to start by asking which kingdom has priority.  One is permanent and invisible while the other is temporal and tangible.  It takes the lens of faith to hold to what is real yet unseen even though the tangible seems more “modern and scientific”. 

In the early centuries of Christianity, Christ followers were often viewed as detrimental to the glory of Rome.  They were disloyal citizens since they claimed allegiance to another God, refused to participate in pagan civic rituals, and talked of a life in another realm.  As a tiny minority they were often marginalized and at times persecuted for living counter-culturally. 

However, when they eventually became the majority, the new challenge was to live Christ’s kingdom values from a platform of power and influence.  Unfortunately, history tells us they did not do it well.  There was hypocrisy, coercion, and persecution.  Too often there was little difference between the culture of the dominate empire and the dominate church…accept they dressed differently.

Sadly we do not do it well either.  I am embarrassed by my failure and the failure of my fellow Christians to live out His kingdom values.  In addition, all too often we condemn others by a standard we ourselves fail to keep.  Jesus warned us about removing the log from our own eyes before trying to remove the splinter from the eyes of others.  Duplicity undermines credibility. 

The challenge of discipleship in our current country is to live a counter cultural kingdom lifestyle courageously, humbly, and persistently without having a position of authority, majority rule, or even appreciation and affirmation.   

Questions for reflection

1.  Which of the four Jewish expressions above do you more closely align?

2.  How do you see Jesus demonstrating aspects of each one?