Consider the Outcome

Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. (Hebrews 13:07, NKJV).

There exists authority in the church, real, ordained by Christ Himself, and purposeful. There is always first, Christ, then the Pastor or Under-shepherd, then the Elders and Deacons. It is simple, direct, and, if exercised under the guidance of Scripture and in the will of God, remarkably effective.

In some sense, it is modeled after Moses and his elders as the Children of Israel wandered through the Wilderness, and that is a fitting picture, for the church of Christ is also comprised of strangers in a strange land, sojourners in a place that is not our home.

All other ecclesiastical hierarchies are man made, and aside from a man being called by God, immersed in sound doctrine for an extended time, and leading a godly life, there are no other qualifications or prerequisites. The trappings of degree and pedigree, educational resume, and man-centered certification are all so much vapor and smoke. If a man is called, he can do no other than to teach and lead the people of God. If he is not, no matter what his official job title may be, or how large his following or congregation, he is a human figurehead, a kind of pseudo-spiritual counterpart to an elected official or hired CEO. No amount of ritual, ceremony, or stately pageantry can alter his (or her) standing.

But if a man is these things, called, godly, and immersed in sound doctrine, his authority and responsibility are as real and solid as the planet itself, and his people are to respect and comply with that authority. That is not to say that such a one cannot disqualify himself by sin, or “lording it over” his church, or holding to heretical views, but it is to affirm that the true church of Christ has structure and divine purpose. It cannot be a willy-nilly conglomeration of man-made strictures and codicils. It must be in accord with the pattern laid down in the New Testament or, regardless of what it calls itself, it is not Christ's ekklesia (church).

Now, a woman is not to hold spiritual authority over a man in the church, and in writing this, I can hear the gasps of feminist outrage rocking the very foundations of the universe. Nevertheless, that is simply the clear teaching of Scripture. Yes, we know Priscilla of the 1^st century taught Apollos doctrine, and corrected him in his misinterpretations of the gospel. And yes, often women did more in the founding of the early church than any number of men (Phoebe, Eunice, Lydia, the numerous Marys, Tryphena, Tryphosa, and many unnamed others), but that is irrelevant in the context of following Christ's blueprint for His church. He sets the rules for His reasons and purposes (and there are many – some known, some unknown), and obeying Him in all things, not just the easy or politically correct things, is the first priority.

In a practical sense, for a church to be a true church, the pastor must be a godly man whose primary purpose is to teach the Word of God to a submissive congregation in order to equip them for the work of ministry. Again I hear the seething outrage at the use of the word, submissive, but that may be because the word has taken modern connotations which have little to do with what it really means.

Submission in the Bible is entirely voluntary, propelled by love, not fear or intimidation. In the church we are to submit first to Christ, and then to one another. It is a gloriously simple proposition, when embraced unencumbered by the deadweights of sinful human society. It is the perfect plan for peace and unity, and it has in the past, and continues in the present, to shake the very foundations of the earth.

Which brings us to the desired outcome of the whole ecclesiastical plan: powerful witness for Christ while providing a home for the saints. And by home, I mean a place of safety, nurturing and edification – not a cloister, but a loving boot camp that trains and prepares the people of God for the work of God in a fallen world.

The outcome then is effective evangelism and protective sanctuary, a twofold mission implemented for the sole purpose of providing a means for human beings to escape from unthinkable judgement through faith in Christ.

A pastor or elder's effectiveness is based entirely on that performance criteria. It is not quantified by numbers or political influence, but by the faithful shepherding of the flock of God so that through their words, deeds and way of life, the Kingdom of God is increased.

Please note the conjunction of “rule” and “spoken the word of God to you.” These must go hand in hand; it is impossible to have one without the other in the church, for it is the faithful exposition of the inerrant word of God that saves, edifies, and equips. Nothing else will do, and without these, no matter what else may be present, there is no fulfillment of Christ's purpose for His church.

With these, no matter how unadorned or impressive from an earthly perspective, God's work is done and the impact and reward is both temporal and eternal.

Leaders in the church are not only to be “apt to teach”, but their leadership MUST be affirmed by example. Eloquence and erudition are no substitute for living out one's faith in steadfast and consistent example. There can never be a “do what I say not what I do” approach to pastoral ministry. Word and deed must be one.

The importance of this role cannot be understated. The influence wrought by a godly pastor can be far-reaching, and so can the damage by one who is unfaithful or hypocritical. That is why teachers are worthy of great reward... or “double judgment”. It is no small thing to be called to lead the people of God and then to succeed... or fail.

And it is for these outcomes that a pastor has been granted spiritual authority over his people, not as tyrant or potentate, but as a shepherd laying down his life for those under his care - pouring himself out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of their faith.

What happens if the focus exhortation above is ignored? If the ruler of a church is counted unworthy of respect and submission? The outcome is division and strife spiraling down into eventual dissolution of that fellowship.

It is very much a reciprocal arrangement between church and pastor. To the man is given respect and godly obedience. To his people, in return, he gives all he has, all the time, to build them up in the faith, to teach, to exhort, to correct, and to lead in the ways of godliness. 

Contentment

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:05-06, NKJV).

The root word in Greek for being content has a surprising etiology: it comes from an emphatic action verb that conveys the idea of “raising a barrier, behind which one is able to defend against, or ward off threats, to keep possession of unfailing strength, and thus, to be satisfied.”

First and foremost then, the formula for contented godly living is founded on security, rather than possessions. As Christians, this makes absolute sense since our security is in an all-powerful, faithful, eternal and good Person. It is NOT in anything we devise or achieve, but in what we have been given through Christ, which makes the barrier raised around us impenetrable and invulnerable. Therefore the rhetorical question that follows, What can man do to me? is answered with a resounding and unshakeable, NOTHING.

Contented living is a byproduct of faith. It is not an attitude of apathy or indifference, as often mischaracterized by the modern world, and it does not stem from material riches, but, paradoxically from poverty of spirit. The engine that powers it is thankfulness engendered by the humble realization of who and what we really are (miserable sinners), in contrast to what we are destined for in following Christ (inconceivable and utterly undeserved eternal blessing).

Too frequently the concept of “miserable sinners” falls blithely from our mouths as mere sounds signifying nothing. To be fully content, again paradoxically, requires hard-bitten introspection, coming face to face with what we were before Christ. This is not easy and the difficulty largely results from two handicaps.

The first, for those who came to Christ later in life, stems from the pain of viewing our past actions in the full light of Christ's glory. Even our most altruistic achievements were inevitably and ultimately motivated by fallen human pride, and the more we understand the Lord's purity and moral beauty, the uglier we become.

And our worst behaviors, however dark and evil they may have been, take on an unmitigated pall straight from the pit of Hell itself. We smell of death and decay, an endless noxious bog of depravity, selfishness, and murderous intent.

If you think this hyperbole, take note of Jesus' Sermon on the mount, where He condemns not only the outward actions but the inward intent, and summarizes each and every one of us by saying, if you being evil...

It is not that our past life was utterly devoid of benign, or at least morally neutral, misbehavior, it is that the heart behind every action, word and thought was incurably and desperately wicked.

Ironically, one advantage for conversion late in life is that we fall into the category of those who are forgiven much, love much.

The second difficulty arises for those who came to Christ earlier in life, and, by so doing, were mercifully prevented from committing the more obviously egregious sins. While equally hard-bitten introspection is also required, the concrete and tangible data points, the blood trail, so to speak, is harder to see. And the temptation to a false sense of spiritual superiority is that much greater.

This, incidentally, is why legalism is deadly – it overlooks the root cause, like a lovely house built upon shifting sands destined for collapse. Christianity is as far from an outward facade of righteousness as Heaven is from Hell. Without doubt, it is the inward that matters most – the thoughts and intent of the heart.

However hard then, contentment can only come from accurate self-perception in comparison to a doctrinally sound and correct view of our Savior. With Christ as the standard, we are all, indeed, the most miserable of sinners.

That realization must then be followed by a full comprehension of these facts: we are forgiven; and we have been made new.

Forgiveness is sometimes easier to give than to receive, but for us to be truly grateful we must first truly receive that which has been extended to us by the death of Christ on the Cross. If we don't, we can neither be content, nor can we fully rest in Him.

In turn, this lack leads to anemic witness and a life energized by either delusional pride, or enervated by the sense that we are not, in fact, forgiven.

The former leads to unforgiveness of others, and the second to unforgiveness of ourselves. Neither outcome is what the Lord desires for His children, hence the repeated New Testament exhortations to be content.

Again, contentment is not complacence or self-satisfaction. It is an active gratitude for the strength and security that is forever ours through Jesus.

It is living based on the certainty that “The LORD is my helper [companion, protector, reward]; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

Finally, note again the emphasis on the absurdity of what mere man can do to us in light of our security in the Lord. The mention of man includes us, ourselves, individually. If we are fully cognizant of the forgiveness we have obtained through faith in Christ, we are fully immune to condemnation from whatever the source; the world, Satan, and ourselves.

The emphatic statement in Romans 8, There is therefore now no condemnation most assuredly, and perhaps especially, applies to self-condemnation.

Yes, spiritual pride is a definite temptation, but so is false spiritual poverty based on the lie that while Christ can and has forgiven all others, there is something special about our evil that makes it beyond His reach.

Beware, for that is blasphemy of the highest order.

The Undefiled Bed

Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. (Hebrews 13:04, NKJV).

It should come as no shock today that the world is attempting to undermine any and all aspects of godly living, marriage, childbirth and parenting being the most targeted. As human history winds down into its prophesied depraved conclusion, expect the battles to intensify.

Christian marriage, after all, is the bedrock of raising godly children. The cycle is designed to repeat, as it has for the last 2000 years, so that those engaged in Christian marriage raise godly children, who engage in Christian marriage and raise more godly children, and so on.

This a threat to the world's long war against God, and from its perspective, must be stopped at all costs. The strategies of warfare are many and devious.

In the past, Christian marriage has been portrayed in a negative light in terms of sexual repression. Puritanism, painted in the most derogatory terms possible, became a curse and insult. It was an effective tactic based on lies. Puritans believed in marital fidelity, but to say these godly men and women eschewed sex, is to imply that their typically large families were brought about by obligation and duty rather than the natural and joyful intimacy of loving married couples.

But the stereotype continues in books and movies, and Christian marriage has become synonymous with cold and perfunctory human relations, or the evil insistence that a faithful life-long marriage between one man and one woman is unnatural and damaging.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Human gender and sexual reproduction are inventions by God Himself. On the 6^th day of Creation, one physically perfect man became paired with one physically perfect woman, in a perfect garden situated in a perfect world. And both were unclothed.

Even in today's twisted and perverse morality, that does not sound like a sexually repressive scenario, but rather an idyllic and physically intense romantic setting. That the end result was corrupted by rebellion and sin takes nothing away from the obvious original intent.

God made man and woman to enjoy and revel in each other's presence and company on every possible level. Had our original parents stuck to the original plan, childbirth would have remained painless, and the marriage partnership would have been effortless and joyful, with physical bodies unencumbered by aging and decay forever.

That does not sound like something implemented by a pleasure-aversion Deity, for it is God who manufactured our bodies to experience profound joy on the marriage bed.

The corruption of all that is a human invention. Sexual activity was defiled by human sin, and used for purposes that are truly evil and unnatural. Sex outside of marriage (adultery) and sex before marriage (fornication), are fundamental violations of the Manufacturer's detailed specifications for His creatures.

The results of the last 50 years of the so-called Sexual Revolution has wreaked havoc on the institution of marriage, and has brilliantly served to undermine the foundation of the most tactically effective means of evangelism, the godly human family.

This is not to imply that saving faith is hereditary, but it is to emphasize that, aside from pleasure and life-long companionship, the institution of marriage was devised by God to maximize the chances of raising godly seed in a fallen world.

It is through the example and teaching of faithful Christian parents that children come to know of Christ as Lord and Savior. This is the crucial foundation from which each child may step beyond merely knowing of, to knowing in a personal relationship.

That the enemies of God recognize this, either intellectually or through brutal animal cunning, is clear by the all-out attacks against marriage, family and sexual purity.

From cynical mockery to rabid cultural antagonism, the ways of godly living are increasingly marginalized and demonized.

By far, the most effective counterattack is to simply live a godly life, in a committed Christian relationship that unapologetically affirms that the best course for human relationships is a godly family. That means purity and abstinence before marriage, and fidelity afterwards.

This is the diametric opposite of repressive or restrictive because it facilitates the manifold pleasures, blessings and security of lifelong monogamous marriage. There is no human institution more powerful, or that serves as a stronger bulwark against personal isolation, despair and moral dissolution.

It is no wonder that God promises to judge any and all who willfully, and without repentance or seeking forgiveness, violate His perfect design for interpersonal relationships, for in so doing these people become destroyers of the future of God's most beloved creation: humanity.

It has been well-proven throughout history, that when the foundations of godly family are undermined, civilization collapses. We are on that path now. It is only through God's grace and mercy that the battle rages on, but there will come a time when He lifts His protective hand from sphere of earthly events and gives humanity over completely to its own fallen desires and God-hating rebellion.

Then all Hell will literally break loose upon the planet.

Remember the Prisoners

Remember the prisoners as if chained with them--those who are mistreated--since you yourselves are in the body also. (Hebrews 13:03, NKJV).

Although muted in much of today's media, the persecution of Christians is on the rise throughout the world. In many areas, professing faith in Christ is a felony. Evangelizing others is a capital offense. Pastors are imprisoned and mistreated daily. Families are torn apart. Missionaries are beaten and murdered. It is a trend without precedent even given the hostility of the Roman world of the 1^st Century and subsequent Christ-rejecting eras.

Other forms of persecution, especially in the West, are more subtle but nearly as repressive, and none of it should be a surprise. In fact, it is exactly as Jesus said:

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” (John 15:18-20, NKJV).

Make no mistake. If you are a true follower of Christ, the world is against you. The more closely you walk with Him and the more you speak the truth in love, the more enmity will come your way. Those in your own household may turn away from you and betray you; your own family may despise and slander you.

There are really only two camps; those whose allegiance is with Christ, and those who are of the world. You can attempt to straddle the dividing line, closeting your faith, holding your tongue, trying to fit in, and you may, for a time, succeed. But know this, that is precisely what the world wants you to do: shut up.

If you have never suffered from this kind of pressure, your are either fortunate, or guilty of compromise.

While we are commanded to live peaceably, as much as it depends on us, we should not expect peace. We are soldiers in enemy territory, and while we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, it is often from our own flesh and blood that the deepest hurts come.

So what are we to do?

From the verse above, the strategy is profoundly simple. We are to so identify with, and support, each other, following Christ's own example, that what is done to one of us, grieves us all. There is no room or place for apathy in the Body of Christ. Indifference to the persecution and mistreatment of our brothers and sisters in the Lord is not an option.

We are to weep with those who weep.

Know this too, there are many forms of imprisonment, as there are forms of mistreatment - not just the physical kind. Chains are not always visible, and abuse does not always leave marks.

The writer of Hebrews exhorts us to remember the prisoners. Remember them in prayer. Remember them in anyway that can provide comfort and support. Remember them as you would remember the parts of your own body.

Think how desperately hard it is for you to forget a broken limb, or your own chronic illness. That is the model to follow.

When one child of God suffers, we all suffer, and in remembering them in this way, we are not only following the example of the Lord Himself, but we are reminding ourselves of His care for each one of us, and of His so extravagantly identifying with our own suffering and sin that He went to the Cross on our behalf.

This is not to say that weeping is our only recourse, for we are also to rejoice with those who rejoice. Martyrs throughout history have counted it joy to suffer for Christ's sake. From the Apostles onward, there are astounding accounts of men, women and children who, by God's empowerment, have faced persecution and death, not with sorrow, but with supernatural grace and resolve.

In the Book of Acts, we see Peter, John and others rejoicing with great joy to be counted worthy to be beaten and imprisoned on behalf of Christ. Not that they sought such outcomes, or by their own actions deserved them, but that when persecution came, they understood the glory of suffering for their allegiance with the Savior of the World.

This kind of attitude and way of life makes Christians indomitable. While the world wants to exterminate us like vermin, all they can do is kill our bodies. They can never take away our faith or our faithful witness.

And as was said by Hugh Latimer to Nicholas Ridley as they were burned at the stake in Oxford, England:

Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, play the man! We shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.

Above all we are to remember that this world is not our home, that our true citizenship is in Heaven as children of the King, and that nothing that comes our way in this life is without His purpose and meaning.

But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. (1 Peter 3:14, 17, NKJV).

Remembering the prisoners, then, is a way to bring us back to the Cross of Christ, to affirm our unity under one God and one Spirit, to remind us that we are utterly and solely dependent on the One who Himself purged our sins.

And to bring to mind this truth: nothing is ever truly lost in Christ. For those in chains are not prisoners of the world, but of Christ.

Stranger Hospitality

Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. (Hebrews 13:02, NKJV).

The popular view of the Christian faith, foisted by an antagonistic culture, is one of isolationism based on a sense of superiority. While it is undeniable that there are so-called religious groups naming the name of Christ who are unbearably obnoxious, toxic, and even evil, these are not true followers of the doctrine and practice laid down by Christ and the 1^st century Apostles.

Believers are to be in the world, just not of the world. Permanent cloistered separation is as unbiblical as idol worship. Our relationship with Christ is to be lived out in the world so that others can see.

Aside from temporary retreats for the purposes of rest and recuperation, there is no verse in the New Testament that makes such a lifestyle permissible, let alone mandatory. Strictly isolated Monasteries and Cloisters were brought about by the traditions of men, not the commands of God. That is not to say that the less exclusionist variety of these communities have not done good for the world, for they most certainly have, but it is to affirm that complete separation from the world in this life is unscriptural.

Further, permanent isolationism may be a grand idea for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is sparing the world from obnoxious groups, but religious practice is not one of them. In fact, we are commanded to do the opposite:

I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--not even to eat with such a person. (1 Corinthians 5:9-11, NKJV).

“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. (John 17:15, NKJV).

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. “Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16, NKJV).

It goes even further. Not only are we to be conspicuous Christians, speaking the truth in love at every God-given opportunity, knowing it is an offense to those who are in darkness, even among families and in “churches”, but we are to be hospitable in an inhospitable world.

As in the focus verse above, we are to entertain strangers. Now this was a crucial practice in the early church, since the gospel was spread through the ministry of traveling evangelists who, through whatever means necessary, journeyed the known world with little funding or advanced itinerary planning. These men and women usually walked into a city or village unannounced and with no entourage or sponsor, following the model set forth by the indefatigable Paul.

Their survival and continued efforts depended solely on the kindness of strangers.

It is not so easy today, I think, to open one's dwelling to total strangers, even with some kind of letter of recommendation from a trusted source. In the modern urbanized West, hospitality is a forgotten virtue. In large part, we are barely acquainted with our immediate neighbors, and share little of our private lives with anyone, but that is NOT the Christian way.

The incentive provided to overcome this reluctance is astonishing: some of those strangers, brought to our door by God Himself, may be immortal supernatural beings of immense power and intelligence. The Bible calls them angels, and it is unfortunate that misuse of that term has rendered these magnificent beings a cliché, or a caricature of their revealed natures.

Angels can and do manifest themselves in human form. Scripture is replete with such occurrences. From Abraham's visitors to Lots rescuers (and other such encounters), we know without doubt that angels from Heaven walk to and from among us, ministering to the saints (all believers in Christ), and carrying out God's will.

Now they are not to be worshipped or prayed to, or otherwise revered, nor are they to be considered beyond their role as holy servants of God – one day, Paul assures us, we will even judge fallen angels – but they are to be treated with hospitality and respect.

As I already mentioned: astonishing.

How many of us have unwittingly entertained angels?

Remember, one angel alone destroyed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night to protect the nation Israel.

Believe what you will, but if you hold the Bible to be the authoritative Word of God, you must understand that one or more these same individuals may show up on your doorstep.

And you are commanded to let them inside.

Despite the mischaracterizations rampant in the world, Christianity is anything but stifling and repressive. Instead, our faith is exciting and filled with joy. True Christian doctrine is astounding.

But to appreciate this, you must first actually read and study the Bible itself, as a disciple, and not rely on the lies perpetrated about it by the Christ-rejecting world.

If and when you do, you will fall in love with its Author, and marvel at the care and precision with which He has revealed Himself to His children.