God's Evangelistic Strategy

...for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day? Deuteronomy 4:6-8

Recent headlines regarding the pseudo-prophet Harold Camping have been anything but flattering to the Christian faith. His misguided (and repeated) attempts at calculating the date of the end of the world have rightly been regarded as foolish. Mr. Camping can't seem to help himself from making yet another prediction after his other predictions have openly failed, and the world laughs on.

The biggest folly in the Camping debacle, as I see it, was the large sums of money--possibly millions--that his followers donated for the purposes of erecting billboards across the country warning people of the coming of the Lord that was to take place last Saturday (May 21, 2011). Presumably, this was an evangelistic outreach, because why else would you warn someone about the coming of the Lord? But God doesn't use foolishness for the purposes of evangelism.

In Deuteronomy 4, Moses summarized the law God had given to Israel by stating that if they kept it, all the nations surrounding them would be impressed with the wisdom therein. The nations would note the wisdom and righteousness in Israel's law, and also note how that the one true God was always quick to intervene for Israel's good when they were in need.

The text shows us that Israel was intended to be God's showcase which would illustrate the principles of God's righteousness, justice and wisdom to the rest of the world. God said that the nations would see this and be impressed, and ultimately long for the same relationship with Him. Israel, if she had been faithful to the covenant, would have been God's evangelist.

Fast forward to Jesus and his followers on a mountain in Galilee.

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.....Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:14,16

Can you see the parallel between Christianity and Israel? As Israel was to demonstrate God's righteousness to the world around them, so is the Church to be God's object lesson to the world for truth and righteousness. See also what the Apostle Paul wrote:

To the intent that now, unto principalities and powers in heavenly places might be [made] known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God. Ephesians 3:10

When God saves a new believer, He has more in view than that one believer's eternal destiny. God wants the entire world to know the Truth. He loved the world enough to send His Son to die for the world--this was the necessary price to be paid for the original sin. But now, His love is such that he sends His Church to live in the world so that the world can know Him. Believers are saved for a reason, and that is to be living examples of God's righteous ways.

To proclaim that God saves us when we profess faith in Christ even though our lives are not changed is not biblical evangelism. Like begets like. Unchanged "christians" beget more unchanged "christians", and the net result is precisely nothing. No witness to God's ways is presented to the world, and the Kingdom of God is not advanced.

The Kingdom is not advanced in the winning of theological arguments. This is not to say that having correct theology is not important. But isn't it possible, that when we stand before God and receive the ultimate revelation, that every last one of us will learn something, irregardless of our theological brand?

By Divine Design, the Kingdom is advanced when its citizens walk in accordance with the decrees of King Jesus. His ways are not oppressive, but rather, they are the very definition of abundant life. There is joy and peace when we obey the Sermon on the Mount, and these are infectious and attractive to the world around us. Jesus said that if he were lifted up, he would draw all men to him (Jn. 12:32). He was lifted up on the cross at Calvary, of course. But you and I continue to lift him up by obeying his teachings (Jn. 14:15). May His Church, wherever it be found, truly rise up to be a city set on a hill!

The Tripartite Law

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Romans 3:28

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ,...for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Galatians 2:15

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. James 2:24

The verses listed above highlight an apparent discrepancy between James and Paul. Paul contended that the works of the law have no part whatsoever in the justification of the believer. James, on the other hand, stated plainly that a man is justified by works.

The German reformer Martin Luther, after having understood the revelation of salvation by faith, did not have much use for the book of James. He would have preferred that it not be in the Bible, calling the book of James "an epistle of straw." When Luther translated the Bible into German for the first time, it grated him that he had to include James.

This apparent controversy between the two New Testament writers is reconciled when we understand the tripartite nature of the Old Testament law. There are in fact three distinct aspects of the law, which are respectively treated very differently from one another in the New Testament. Consider the following:

1. The Covenant Law (I.e. The Ten Commandments). This was the series of moral commands that God spoke from the mountain and provided in tables of stone (also called the "tables of the covenant" Heb. 9:4). The ten commands governed the covenant people's relationships with both God and their fellow man.
2. The Ceremonial Law. These are the laws of the priesthood, the tabernacle and the sacrifices. They specified who was allowed to serve in the priesthood, and how they were to be ordained and prepared for service. The ceremonial law also specified the construction and order of the tabernacle, and the many various sacrifices that were to be offered therein.
3. The Civil Law. This is the aspect of the law that has the most in common with our own local and federal laws. These laws governed everything from marriage and divorce to how property disputes were to be settled. There were also numerous civil laws that appear completely arbitrary and even silly to the modern mind--like, the prohibition of yoking an ox and donkey together on the same team.

Jesus stated emphatically that he did not come to destroy, or annul the law (Mat 5:17-20). Rather, Jesus told us that he came to fulfill the law. What does this mean? In fact, it means something different depending on which of the three aspects of the Law we are considering.

1. Fulfilling the Covenant Law: Jesus clearly taught a high regard for obeying the 10 Commandments. The Sermon on the Mount is full of Jesus commenting on the Decalogue. But in the teaching of Jesus, obedience to the Decalogue is not outward only, but originates inwardly. For example, Jesus stated that being angry with our brother without cause is related to the command to not kill (Mat. 5:21-22). He also stated that to look on a woman to lust after her was to commit adultery with her the heart (Mat. 5:27-28). In the case of the Covenant Law therefore, Jesus fulfilled the law by teaching them from God's perspective--that obedience requires a converted heart. Covenant Law is by no means obsolete.
2. Fulfilling the Ceremonial Law: The New Testament is full of references that indicate that the Ceremonial Law was merely temporary, and pointed to the work of Christ at Calvary. Christ is our high priest, and the sacrifice he offered was his own flesh and blood. The Ceremonial Law has been fulfilled and rendered obsolete when Christ came and replaced all the symbolic sacrifices with the sacrifice of himself. 
3. Fulfilling the Civil Law: There are two types of Old Testament civil law, which are treated differently in the New Testament. The apparently arbitrary, sometimes silly laws, like the aforementioned prohibition against yoking an ox and donkey together, are allegorized (i.e. given a spiritual meaning) in the New Testament. Paul wrote that believers should not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14), which is obviously a spiritual application of the Old Testament law. Regarding other civil laws, like the "eye for an eye" law of vengeance, and the law of divorce, Christ taught that these were given to the Israelites because of the coldness of their hearts (see Mat. 5:38-39). The Civil Law is largely unnecessary when believers live together in harmony, because "the law was made for lawbreakers"

Returning to our apparent controversy between the Apostle Paul and James, we find that the controversy disappears when we understand what aspect of the law each were referring to. When Paul taught that the works of the law could not justify us, he was referring to the ceremonial law. Paul was certainly not discrediting the 10 Commandments, or teaching us that keeping them is optional! Paul's reason for writing was that Jewish teachers had been troubling the churches, trying to convince Gentile believers to become circumcised and keep the Jewish rituals. It was against this that Paul contended.

James on the other hand was contending for the works that concern the keeping of the Covenant Law. This is clearly seen when we read James 2:8-24 in its context. James directly cites the 10 Commandments in his argument for being justified by works. James was certainly not insisting that believers had to continue offering the Old Testament typical sacrifices! We know from the teachings of Christ that keeping the Decalogue requires a heart conversion, and that comes through faith in the sacrifice of Christ. It therefore follows that faith and works (in James' context) operate together to justify the believer.

The Door and the Way

I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me.  John 14:6

Jesus told us that he was the way to the Father. I believe there is often a subtle misunderstanding of what was meant in this passage. Typically, we have understood the Lord's statement in John 14:6 to refer to the substitutionary death of Christ, by which we obtain redemption and new life.

Previously in John's gospel, Jesus had told us that he was the door.

I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. John 10:9

Consider the two metaphors of a door and a way. The door is how we enter a new place. The way (or path, or road) is the path we walk after we have begun our new life in Christ. A person cannot walk in the way unless he has first been through Christ, the door. I contend that Jesus as the way is not quite the same thing as Jesus being the door.

What then did Jesus mean when he said that he was the way to the Father? Realize that he did not invent this metaphor in John 14:6. The concept of there being a divinely ordained pathway for the children of God is as old as the nation of Israel itself, who were made to follow a way through the wilderness (see Deut. 8:2).

In fact, the ministry of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, is characterized in the scriptures as being the one who prepares the way of the Lord.

For this is he that was spoken by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying, 'In the wilderness prepare you the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.' Mat. 3:3

And how did John prepare the way of the Lord? By preaching repentance.

Jesus followed John's ministry by preaching about a straight and narrow way, that leads to life (Mat. 7:13-14). Jesus said that relatively few would find the straight and narrow way, in contrast to the broad way that leads to destruction. It is clear from the context that the straight and narrow way that Christ calls us to is implicit in the Sermon on the Mount. Those who walk in the straight and narrow are characterized by the Beatitudes, given in Matthew 5:3-12.

Jesus could say that he was the way, inasmuch as his sinless life was the full personification of the straight and narrow way. As we emulate the life and character of Jesus Christ, by the help of the Holy Spirit, we are walking on the straight and narrow way, and coming near to God.

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;  Hebrews 10:19-20

The book of Hebrews uses the imagery of the temple to give us some insight into the way to the Father. Remember that in the Old Testament, access to the presence of God was restricted. Only the High Priest could enter the holiest of holies in the tabernacle, and that was only once a year. The author of Hebrews tells us that believers are given the invitation to boldly come into the presence of God by the blood of Jesus, and by a new and living way.

Jesus consecrated the new and living way for us in two respects. First, he consecrated the way by walking it--we do not have to live a life for which there is no precedent. Every character trait that God has called us to can be seen in the perfect, sinless life of Christ. The WWJD movement seen a few years ago is a great practical way of expressing this. We are to grow in Christ, ever becoming more like him in our own lives.

Second, Jesus consecrated the new and living way by dying for us. No fallen son of Adam could walk the straight and narrow way without the redemption that comes through the applied blood of Christ on our hearts. We must repent and be born again in order to walk in newness of life.

May I state in conclusion that to experience Jesus as the way is an active expression of our faith. By that, I mean that we must daily choose to take up our personal crosses and follow him through our daily life choices. We do not walk in the way passively, as if we could merely agree that Christ is the way and find the benefit by our agreement. Walking in the way requires us to expend energy in picking up one foot after the other (spiritually speaking, of course), and directing our path to follow our Lord.

Balanced Evangelism

What scripture text would you give to justify the Church's mission to evangelize the world? There are several strong candidates.

Go you therefore and disciple all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:  Matthew 28:19-20

Go you into all the world and preach the good news to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Mark 16:15-16

And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his [Christ's] name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Luke 24:47

But you shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit is is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8

Now based on these directives that Christ gave the Church, what would you say should be our motivation to evangelize the world? I.e., Why is the Church commanded to go into all the world with our message?

Someone might answer that it is because God loves the world and desires for men everywhere to be saved. John 3:16 tells us about God's great love for the lost world. It is not His will for anyone to be lost (2 Pet. 3:9). This person probably likes to emphasize that the message we carry is "good news". They probably always have John 3:16 on hand for them to tell the sinner that they are loved and that Christ died for them. They are particularly in tune with Mark 16:15-16 and Luke 24:47, which speaks of the good news and forgiveness of sins.

Another person emphasizes that we are to be witnesses for Christ. This person is probably impressed by Acts 1:8, which states that the Holy Spirit would give us power to be Christ's witnesses in all the world. If we understand what this means, (and I don't think we always do), we would know that the Church is to be a witness for Christ in a legal, courtroom sense. The world is on trial as we speak, and we are called to the witness stand to give evidence of what we have seen and know (see John 16:7-11). This is why the passages that speak of us being witnesses are frequently in close proximity to references to the Holy Spirit, or the Comforter. "Comforter" is from the Greek parakletos, which was originally a court term for a counselor who assisted those involved in legal proceedings. The Comforter--also known as The Spirit of Truth, bears witness to the claims of Christ through his obedient Church.

Yet another person might emphasize Matthew 28:19, also known as The Great Commission. This passage speaks of making disciples in the whole world. What is often missed in this passage is the marshall tone that Christ took. Jesus preceded Matthew 28:19 by saying, Behold, all authority in heaven and earth is given to me (28:18). The subsequent command to Go you THEREFORE, is clearly a response to the universal authority of Christ. To make disciples is to bring people under the Lord's authority. In fact, it is obvious that the word disciple is closely related to the word discipline. This passage continues by stating that we are to teach our converts to observe all things that the Lord commanded. This passage fits very well with the image of the Church Militant, which is seen as a mighty army sent forth to conquer spiritual strongholds and gain ground for their King.

My point in this exercise is to remind us that these various views on Christian evangelism are complementary. God does indeed love the world, even while the world is on trial--and their judgment will coincide with how they received the message of Christ. And the love of God is in no way contradictory to the image of the Church being sent forth as an army to conquer and subdue a lawless world under the discipline of Jesus Christ.

It is easy for us to become doctrinally eccentric when we emphasize one angle on Christian relations with the world to the detriment of others. The person who knows of nothing except the love of God can fall into the trap of calling the hardcore discipling church "legalistic." In return, the group that is strong on discipleship might find themselves thinking poorly of those who emphasize the love and forgiveness of God exclusively. And perhaps off in the third corner to themselves, those whose motivation is exclusively to be a witness for Christ might find themselves not even caring whether anyone in the world is converted. They are only to speak the Truth and be a witness--if the word is not accepted, then so be it...

I am thankful that God provided multiple writers in the New Testament, because through their diverse personalities, God has revealed more of His own personality. It is not for me to pick and choose which view of God I am most comfortable with and ignore any other views that are revealed in the scriptures. That is dangerously close to making God in my own image. It is for me to recognize that the scriptures complement themselves, and in order to be a mature believer, I need to embrace all of the many-folded wisdom of God that has been revealed through apostolic writers.

The Last Shall be First

But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. (Mat 20:13-16)

Jesus told the parable of the labourers in the vineyard to his disciples. This was in response to their question about what they would receive in return for their having left all to follow Christ (Mat. 19:27). Jesus answered that the twelve apostles indeed had a special place in the kingdom, and that furthermore, every person who made a sacrifice to follow Christ was to be rewarded appropriately (Mat. 19:28-29). He concluded his answer by stating;

So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. (Mat. 20:16)

In other words, all who follow Christ are to be rewarded, BUT, the way rewards will be issued will be surprising to many. Jesus said that many who were apparently in a leading position, would find themselves on the day of reckoning to be in a trailing position--and vica-versa.

This is the context that leads into the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. Let me summarize the main points of the parable.

1. The owner of the vineyard needed laborers to help bring in the harvest, and goes into the place where these hands may be hired. Most likely in the town square.
2. At dawn, he hires his first group of laborers by agreeing to pay them a daily wage. Negotiations are implied, and it may be assumed that the first group of laborers could demand the best wages because they were the most skilled.
3. The land owner returns and hires more laborers at 9:00 am in the morning, this time promising to pay them "whatever is right." The implication is that their wages would be prorated for the time they actually spent in the vineyard.
4. The land owner repeated this at noon, and then again at 3:00 pm, both times only promising to be fair in what he paid.
5. Finally, the land owner returns to the town square at 5:00 pm, shortly before the end of the work day. There are still laborers waiting to be hired. It may be assumed that these were the least desirable workers, either from lack of skill or physical deficiencies. The land owner also promises to simply give them what is right.
6. At the end of the day, the landowner pays all the workers who have been hired, beginning with those who only worked for an hour. He gives them the full day's wages, which is extraordinarily gracious.
7. Those who had been hired first saw this as a wonderful omen that the land owner was very gracious, and they were likely to receive over and above what they had bargained for.
8. When it came time for the first-hired to receive their pay, they were dissapointed and made bitter to learn that they would only be receiving what they had bargained for, and nothing more.

Here is what we can learn from this parable:

Some approach Christian service as something to be negotiated, and others are just happy to be at work in the Master's vineyard.
It is easy for us to see how this is true when we look at vocational ministers. Some entered the ministry in order to make a living, and others did so out of a sense of calling. However, I think we should realize that the parable rings true for all followers of Christ. Some follow Christ because of a perceived bargain they have made. They will be receiving heaven. Or perhaps a better, more peaceful life here and now is what motivates them. Jesus' parable does not reproach these--they will find that God is faithful to His word in the end, and they will receive everything that the New Covenant promises them.

Others however, are motivated simply by the desire to be called and chosen. Their joy is in being selected to be on the Master's team. To these, Christ will be especially gracious.

I can translate the message of this parable into a football analogy. The most skilled players out of college hire expensive agents to negotiate obscenely rich contracts in the NFL, and sometimes threaten to hold out of training camp if their contract demands are not met. Contrast this to the lower draft picks and walk-ons, who will play for the NFL minimum wage, just for the chance to play with the pros (see 2006 movie Invincible). They just want to be on the team.

Christ has a special place for those who want to be on his team more than they want the rewards.
No one will be shortchanged in the kingdom. Everyone will receive what is fair from the Lord's hand. But Christ promises to be especially gracious to those who are motivated more by love to him and his kingdom than by the promise of rewards.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Mat. 6:33)

The Golden Rule and Prayer

Jesus spoke the words that have come to be known as the Golden Rule in the Sermon on the Mount.

Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12

Have you ever considered the context for this saying? We should consider it, since the saying starts off with the adverb therefore. The laws of grammar make us know that the Golden Rule is thus a logical conclusion of the words that precede it.

The saying immediately preceding the Golden Rule is this:

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: Matthew 7:7

The next four verses in Matthew are an elaboration on this saying, but do not change the subject. The Lord had been teaching about asking and receiving our requests from God. The Golden Rule follows this, and by context is a necessary contingent for asking and receiving from God. In other words, our ability to ask and receive is related to our willingness to do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

This shouldn't surprise us if we are students of the Sermon on the Mount. This is the same sermon in which Christ taught that our ability to be forgiven is related to our ability to forgive.

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:14-15 

If we cannot be forgiven without extending forgiveness to those who have wronged us, why should be expect to receive good things from God's hand if our own hands do not extend in blessing and generosity to those around us?

The scriptures are abundant with wonderful blessings that many people like to call "promises." I don't like the term "promise", because it is misleading--it implies that there is no responsibility on our own part. A promises is unilateral, only depending on the person who made the promise. If I promise to give you a piece of property, then as a man of honor, I must give that piece of property to you even if I find out you stole some property from another man.

The privileges we are given in Christ are not like this. They are not unilateral promises. They always involve responsibility on our part. Our own forgiveness is contingent on us forgiving those who have wronged us. The hope of answered prayer is contingent on us being generous and open-handed to others.

It occurs to me then that true, biblical christianity is entirely relevant and beneficial to the human condition. It is not possible, in truth, to become too spiritual for any earthly good. Again and again, Christ connects our relationship with heavenly treasure to our relationship with our fellow man. Christian believers are not to be disengaged from humanity, but engaged in the sense that we reciprocate God's forgiveness and grace toward us back to the world around us.

O Ye of Little Faith

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall ye not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Matthew 6:30

I believe there is a misunderstanding regarding Jesus' use of the term O ye of little faith. The phrase is found four times in the gospel of Matthew. The first reference is Matthew 6:30, quoted at the top. Here are the additional references:

And he said unto them, Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. Mat. 8:26

And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Mat. 14:31

Which, when Jesus had perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason you among yourselves, because you have brought no bread? Mat. 16:8

It is easy to imagine that the Lord used this term as a gentle rebuke, intending to point out his disciples' lack of faith. We commonly use the phrase today in that context. In fact, when I google "O ye of little faith", the top search return takes me to this definition:

This is the rebuke leveled at the disciples of Christ, when seeming to doubt his divinity. The phrase is also more widely used to describe any Christian doubter.                      (http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/262250.html)

But I don't believe this was the intention of the Lord at all when he used this phrase. Matthew 6:30, the first instance of this phrase, falls under the context of the Sermon on the Mount where there were no circumstances which would have provoked such a rebuke from the Lord. The Matthew 14:31 reference occurs after Peter has stepped out of the boat and briefly walked on the water toward the Lord Jesus. Surely Jesus wasn't so calloused that he would rebuke Peter, who briefly faltered after taking such a huge step of faith.

I believe that rather than pointing out his disciples' lack of faith, Christ's use of the term O Ye of Little Faith is an endearment, and points out the disciples' status as followers of Christ.

You see, the Greek text that is translated O ye of little faith is actually from a single word, oligopistos. This in turn is a Greek word that is created from the combination of oligo (meaning few, or little), and pistos (meaning faith or belief). That the two terms were forged together to create a new word indicates that the Lord was using this as a name, not an indictment. He was calling his followers Little Believers. There is not so much rebuke in this, as there is affection, as in when I call my four year old son "little man, or as in when Master Po called young Caine "grasshopper."

Consider also the following:

Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. Mark 10:15

We all become oligopistos followers of Christ when we begin our faith journey. The term emphasizes the fact that biblical faith is not simply a positive attitude, or mental assent, but it is rather a progressive journey of obedience to the one we have put our faith in. "Faith children" grow into mature sons of God over time as they hear and obey the Master's voice.

This is counter intuitive if we primarily think of faith as an emotion. It may be true that we will never feel so much faith as we do when we initially come to Christ. But biblical faith is not a feeling. Neither is it simply learning a set of doctrines. The faith of Jesus Christ is a discipline that we enter and grow in, as he remakes us in his own image.

Faith children are students in the school of Jesus Christ, just like the crowd of disciples that sat on the hillside when Jesus taught the Sermon on the Mount. We are little believers who aspire to grow to the fulness of Christ's own stature (see Eph. 4:13).