3) The Religious Revolution of the Bible

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In his book “Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind”, British historian Tom Holland argues that Western morality, values, and social norms are products of Christianity (I do recommend the book). Of course, what he is really saying is that Western Civilisation has been constructed on the foundation of the bible, but as an expert on the Roman Empire, he is sticking to a historical evaluation of the growth of Christianity. So, wherever you look at Western legal systems, you will find laws which reflect the principles of both Old and New Testaments. For a start, so many laws incorporate the Ten Commandments such as the prohibition on murder, stealing and perjury. The law against adultery is not enforced in the same way in the modern world, although adultery is generally recognised as being wrong. Some more general laws based on the Old Testament are:

change

Jesus came saying that He would fulfil the Law which we understand to mean He enlarged its meaning to make God’s law apply to our thoughts as well as our actions. Famously, on the law of proportional punishment, He said:

‘You have heard that it was said, “Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.” But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. (Matthew 5:38-39)

Jesus is teaching the need for forgiveness and at times not pursuing one’s legal right to demand punishment if reconciliation is possible (the literal application of this particular example does need wisdom). But the teachings of Jesus and the way they came to be understood led to revolutionary changes in society over time. Here are some of them:

1) Worship

Worship before the gospel came through Jesus commonly involved sacred buildings, physical sacrifices and set services and prayers. The gospel revolutionised worship by changing the emphasis from external things to things of the heart. Jesus put it this way:

a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.’ (John 4:23-24)

True worship cannot be imitated; it is an expression of love and obedience from the heart. Sacred buildings can be built by anyone; physical sacrifices can be made for show; and anyone can recite the lines of services or prayers without their heart really meaning what they are saying. The old understanding of worship gave people the idea that they were earning favour with God by their worship. Jesus pointed this out once when He was in the Temple with his disciples:

As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ‘Truly I tell you,’ he said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.’ (Luke 21:1-4)

It is easy to show off with the old style of worship. It is not clear if these rich people were trying to impress others or earn righteousness from God. But true worship is seen by God who looks on the heart.

When you read the New Testament, you will notice there is no command to build special buildings for worship, or to create religious services or even to create a special class of people called “priests”! Worship flourished whenever they met together. There were instructions on sharing bread and wine together, showing respect for one another, and guidance around the free flow of spiritual gifts to ensure that what was being done was beneficial for all.

2) Holiness of heart and conscience

The gospel revealed a standard of holiness which emphasised the thoughts and intents of the heart. The Old Testament Law showed glimpses of this truth, but its emphasis was on doing the right things – or perhaps we should say, being seen to do the right things. Some of the glimpses of holiness in the inward person in the Old Testament were revealed in the following:

Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. (Psalm 51.6 ESV)

That was written by King David and was a revelation to him of holiness from the heart. A similar truth was seen by Samuel in this way:

And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. (1 Samuel 15:22 ESV)

Even in the Ten Commandments there was a pointer to the need for holiness of heart and not just in actions. The tenth commandment was:

‘You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.’ (Exodus 20:17)

Coveting begins in the heart!

inward

So, when Jesus proclaimed the gospel, He astounded His listeners by teaching this deep holiness from the heart. This was the way he taught the deeper holiness of the Sixth Commandment:

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. ‘You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, “You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.” But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. (Matthew 5:20-22)

The Pharisees and teachers of the Law were the expert exponents of obeying rules but then hiding corruption of the heart. It was because Jesus pointed out this unholiness of heart that they grew to hate Him so much and plotted to have him killed. But the measure of gospel holiness is here spelled out: obey the laws of holiness outwardly but also obey them inwardly from a heart of loving obedience to God. This is righteousness which goes so much further than the righteousness of simply obeying the rules. Paul expressed this truth with a wonderful illustration of true holiness, writing:

A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God. (Romans 2:28-29)

The Pharisees loved the praise of other people who could see that they outwardly kept the Law. But the gospel teaches that genuine holiness is that which obeys God’s laws from the heart and is seen by God. The Holy Spirit recreates a holy humanity!

Of course, this standard of holiness means we shall often fail to meet the pure standards of God’s commandments. Thankfully, the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. However, the fact that we cannot hide the thoughts of our hearts from God means we shall all have to answer for them. This gospel truth leads to honesty and the development of a conscience which is tender towards the high expectations of holiness. And here Jesus sets this high standard:

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:35-37)

A good heart committed to holiness will produce good actions. But equally, a good heart will speak good things too. Judgment is on more than just our actions; it is on the whole person. In fact, God keeps a record of everything as was expressed in this vision in Revelation:

And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. (Revelation 20:12)

conscience

When people forget that holiness of the heart means being seen and judged by God, then they start to ignore conscience and become hardened to sin. This can be seen in the acceptance of expediency in words and actions. People can make decisions according to how it benefits them and not how God views them. This leads to dishonesty and outright lying in order to gain personal advantage or to cover up behaviour. Of course, God sees it all and records it! The cultivation of a conscience which is sensitive to the Holy Spirit is a primary fruit of the gospel message. It is possible to silence conscience through false teaching or even a self-deception which refuses to accept the plain reading of the bible. Holiness of heart is not afraid of the Word of God revealed in scripture but welcomes it, even when the Word strikes to the root of sin in the heart. The Word is cleansing and opens the door to holiness which pleases God. As Hebrews teaches:

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered, and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12-13)

3) Equality

Societies in history have mostly comprised Rulers and the ruled. In history, there were great kings but also some who were perhaps no more than the head of a village or settlement. There have always been rich landowners who had wealth and power since they provided the work and food for the people. Slaves were the lowest level of the ruled. There were other categories such as serfs who were controlled by landowners and others who agreed to work free for benefits in agreements such as indentured servitude. The principle found in scripture is this:

So God created mankind in His own image; in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. God blessed them, and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it (Genesis 1:27-28)

We were created in the image of God which means firstly that we are all equal in standing, and secondly that each of us is free since God is not ruled by anyone. The only ruling mentioned here is ruling over the creation; ruling over other people was not part of the plan!

reconciliation

Systems of organisation and law produced hierarchies which became necessary for the good running of human societies. However, the gospel principle is one of equality since all are created in God’s image. And furthermore, when we come to Christ and receive the Spirit, we are further created in the image of the new creation. Paul writes:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ has reconciled us to Himself, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17-18 ESV)

Part of this new creation is reconciliation with God: our sins which had separated us from God are washed away and together we come into His presence. But also, we each have a ministry of reconciliation which not only includes declaring the gospel message, but also means we become reconciled to one another. Reconciliation is equality – no one is more important than anyone else.

However, reconciliation is also a ministry. A minister is a servant and not a ruler. Reconciliation comes through serving one another and not ruling over one another. This means that while some people are more important servants because of their heavy responsibilities, it does not make them more important people! The gospel message is that we live to serve. This was the role that Jesus took; he said:

the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:28)

Being servants of one another grants us equality. The word minister has become part of the British Constitution where for instance there are Government Ministers. But the humility which should characterise this role has been lost in self-importance. There is also some loss of equality in the way the church organises itself. There are roles of leadership which should be practised in servanthood, but which have come to represent status. One expression of servanthood in ministry is found in Peter’s letter:

you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5)

All stones in a building are necessary and cannot be left out. In religious terms we are all priests – no one is unnecessary in the worship of God. The gospel is the end of self-importance and status; the gospel is the beginning of equality in the service of one another.

4) Original sin and self-denial

Christians who believe in the doctrine of ‘original sin’, believe that everyone is born with a nature which is flawed and inclined to sin – even the sweetest baby. This conclusion comes from several biblical passages such as this one from Romans 5:

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned (Romans 5:12)

Not everyone accepts the plain meaning here: that because Adam sinned, all his offspring have inherited moral and physical corruption and the inclination to disobedience and sin. However, it doesn’t matter where you go in the world, you will never find a single person who has not sinned in some way. And yes, it does apply to babies and youngsters! I couldn’t help reflecting that when one of my grandchildren bit me, it wasn’t because they had learned to do this by copying their parents! GK Chesterton was known for his humorous comments on matters of faith. He said:

Certain theologians dispute original sin when it is the only part of Christian theology which can really be proved!

Indeed, in all relationships, in all countries of the world, there are daily manifestations of the flawed nature of human beings. However, what was wonderfully true was that Jesus, even though he was fully human, did not sin. What made the difference was that although tempted to sin, He walked in the Spirit and remained free from sin.

It is because we acknowledge our predilection to sin that we know we must face it and learn not to submit to it. This is an acknowledgement of the need for self-control. When Paul spoke to a Roman Governor about his need for self-control, the Governor reacted out of conviction:

As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, ‘That’s enough for now! (Acts 24:25)

The gospel message of grace confronts sin and teaches the need to exercise self-control over our sinful inclinations. The letter to Titus confirms this:

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age (Titus 2:12-13)

This is nothing less than the call to discipleship which Jesus Himself taught:

Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23)

This is not only the denial of self, but also the denial of sinful inclinations. Our society which has turned its back on the scriptures finds no reason to deny sinful tendencies. In fact, it teaches that to deny the pleasures of sin might harm the individual. Well, that teaching will result in a fail at the Judgment!

5) Grace not earning

I like to distinguish Christian belief from religion. This is a fine point since the bible does use the word religion as here for instance:

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.  (James 1:26-27)

Keeping control of what we say to others, and practically helping the poor and distressed is something which is expected of true Christians. But what James is saying here, especially to those who believed in the importance of being religious, is that what is expected of a Christian, is not what makes that person a Christian! People may expect me as a Christian to be honest and truthful, but being honest and truthful doesn’t make me a Christian! Obviously, there are atheists who are honest and truthful. Being a Christian is the consequence of faith in Jesus; that is where it begins. When we first believe in Jesus, we might be a dishonest liar; that ought to change very quickly: if that belief is heart-changing, it should also be life-changing. The change is the result of being a Christian; it is not what makes someone a Christian!

grace

This belief is core to the gospel and is one of the things lost when its distinctive message is diluted. This tendency to dilute can happen easily when belief becomes compromised by culture. This tendency is called “syncretism”. It reflects a weakness of Christian leadership and a love for the world. A colourful example would be the “Day of the Dead” celebrated in Mexico (and vividly portrayed in a James Bond film).  It developed from ancient religious and social customs related to reincarnation and veneration of the dead. Added to it are Catholic features such as rosaries and images of the Virgin Mary. A feature of syncretism is that supposedly by showing fervour in doing “good” things, one gains credit with God. Such wrong beliefs can even come from non-religious influences. In our day, secular people put great importance in being seen to be kind, approving all the right things and hating all the wrong things. As someone once put it to me:

“Jesus taught us to be nice to one another!”

Presumably, Jesus was so nice to everyone in His day that the religious leaders felt obliged to have Him executed!

There is a massive difference between being holy in lifestyle because that pleases God, and doing things which you think are good in order to gain credit with God. The first comes from realising I can’t please God unless He changes me; the second comes from thinking I’m such a good person that God will love having me on board. In traditional Christian language, this is the difference between grace and works. Here is Paul:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Grace says:

“God has changed me, and I now live in the way He wants me to by His grace.”

Works says: 

“I’m brilliant and such a wonderful person that God has to accept me because I have earned it through all the good things I do.”

Anyone who thinks they are a wonderful person and sees no need to change, therefore has no need of grace. Keeping the gospel message alive means clearly teaching this distinction.

effort

I often quote from Dallas Willard on grace because he makes an important distinction for us. He said:

“We must seek out ways to live and act in union with the flow of God’s Kingdom life that should come through our relationship with Jesus. There is, of course, no question of doing this purely on our own. But we must act. Grace is opposed to earning, not to effort.” (The Great Omission p34)

Grace changes the heart and the life. It comes to those who know they are sinners in need of that changing grace. It gives energy and purpose to those who live in its power. Paul learned this as one who once believed that his zealous works for God would give him divine credit. But he saw the light and repented; grace then became the foundation of his life. He wrote of it this way:

For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. (1 Corinthians 15:9-10)

That is God’s saving grace and the grace that works in us to the glory of God.

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