COVID-19 Archives — truthmission.net

Love Your Neighbor: Part 2–Rights or Responsibilities?

Freedom is a word that gets thrown around a lot here in the US. Especially in an election year. ESPECIALLY especially in THIS election year. Vote for (fill in the blank) because OUR FREEDOM IS AT STAKE!!! Another word that we use interchangeably with this kind of freedom is “rights.” Our Constitution has a Bill of Rights. We have the right to do this, or not to do that. Don’t you dare violate my rights! But Christians are called to a different, I would even say higher, form of freedom. While American freedom is preoccupied with individual rights, Christian freedom is about communal responsibilities.

Loving your neighbor calls for the realization that you are part of something bigger, a member of a larger body. Within the Church, we refer to ourselves as the Body of Christ. However, any community is also a body, whether it is a household, neighborhood, city, state, or country.

No one lives in a vacuum. What we do affects others, whether we can see it or not. A HUGE problem in our society is that people have forgotten the basic principle that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Paul addressed this problem in the church at Corinth in this way:

There’s a slogan often quoted on matters like this: “All things are permitted.” Yes, but not all things are beneficial. “All things are permitted,” they say. Yes, but not all things build up and strengthen others in the body. We should stop looking out for our own interests and instead focus on the people living and breathing around us. 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 (The VOICE)

Yes, we have rights. Yes, we have the freedom of speech; therefore, yes, we ought to be able to speak truth, whenever and wherever and amongst whomever we find ourselves. Technically. However…

Just because we can doesn’t always mean that we should.

Here is something you might not have considered. Even if you’re right in what you say, someone hearing it may not have a full understanding of the issue at hand. If someone questions you out of simple ignorance, you can gently educate them to build them up to where you are. However, if you argue, shout them down or otherwise dig in your heels to assert your rightness, not only are you failing to get your own point across effectively, you are also making it less likely that the other person will ask other significant questions in the future.

Furthermore, they may likely develop an attitude about you as a person, and by extension any group with which you are affiliated, that is closed off and hostile. Can you see how potentially devastating it can be when Christians behave this way? Great job Ace, you won an argument that you never should have been in (slow hand clap), and you lost a soul for the Kingdom in the process. You exercised your Constitutional right to voice your opinion, but you broke God’s commandment to love your neighbor.

via GIPHY

It all comes down to the question of rights. If you’re only focused on your own, sooner or later, you’re going to be depriving someone else of theirs. Rights are about exercising your freedom. However, responsibility is the freedom to lay aside your rights for the greater good, just as Jesus laid aside His divinity to come down here with us.

For example, freedom of speech is great until you say something that isn’t true, and it spreads like COVID on the Internet. By that point (and it only takes hours in this age of technology), it’s too late for an apology or retraction. The damage is done and is not likely to be undone.

For this reason, love dictates that the freedom of speech should be in submission to the responsibility to speak truthfully, and to lift others up instead of tearing them down. As Paul directed the Ephesians:

Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you. Ephesians 4:29 (GNT)

This is useful advice in any context, but especially on social media. Here are some questions every Truthseeker should ask themselves before posting:

- Is what I am saying building up orders according to their needs?
- Do I even know what those needs are? (I.e., Did I really listen to what they were saying?)
- Have I tested my own perceptions and beliefs before questioning theirs?
- Do I for sure know what I’m talking about, or am I about to spout an opinion based on emotion rather than reasoning?
- What effect might my words have for those lurking on this post or page that aren’t directly involved in the conversation?
- What is my motivation for making this post? Am I trying to illuminate Truth or win an argument?
- If a non-believer reads this post, is it going to make them more curious to see what this God thing is all about, or will it make them say, “See, I told you those people were all ignorant douchebags.”

The best practice we can all learn is to do everything we can to widen the gap between stimulus and response. It’s easy to feel anger. It’s harder, but more beneficial, to take a breath, think things through, and respond constructively. It requires wisdom to understand that sometimes the most constructive and loving response is no response at all.

The End of the Age: Part 1–In the Last Days

You may as well know this too, Timothy, that in the last days it is going to be very difficult to be a Christian. 2 Timothy 3:1 (TLB)

Christians are well acquainted with the concept of “The Last Days,” the very end of the age leading up to Christ’s triumphant return. It is no mystery to us that things are going to get a whole lot worse before they get better.

Even many non-Christians are at least aware of this concept. If you have a social media account, the concept is kind of hard to avoid.

The first five months of 2020 certainly haven’t given us any reason to doubt that the end of all things is near. Nevertheless, there are a couple of things that we need to understand about “The Last Days.”

When are the Last Days?

Most Christians, as I stated above, think of the Last Days as being the very end of this age leading up to Judgment Day. The prophetic books of Daniel and Revelation speak of a Great Tribulation lasting seven years that will mark the end of the age.

Some believe that God’s people will be “raptured,” or whisked up into heaven before the Tribulation begins, so as not to have to suffer through it. Some believe, according to Daniel 9:27, that this rapture will occur in the middle of the Tribulation when the “Man of Lawlessness” (a.k.a. the Antichrist) is revealed. And some believe that there will be no rapture at all, but rather that God will protect His people and help them to stand firm throughout the Tribulation.

However, none of these views acknowledge that the Last Days have actually been going on for quite some time.

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

“‘In the last days, God says,
    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your young men will see visions,
    your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
    and they will prophesy.
I will show wonders in the heavens above
    and signs on the earth below,
    blood and fire and billows of smoke. Acts 2:14-19 (NIV)

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. Hebrews 1:1-2 (NIV)

But, beloved, remember the words that were previously spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last days there will be scoffers who will walk after their own ungodly desires.” These are the men who cause divisions, sensual, devoid of the Spirit. Jude 1:17-19 (MEV)

In the above verses, I have highlighted the words that show the Last Days as being present tense, not future tense. A question I get from a lot of my Christian friends is, “Do you think we’re living in the Last Days?” Absolutely we are.

The Last Days began when the Church began, at Pentecost. We have been in the last days for nearly 2,000 years now. That’s a lot of days!

For this reason, I would submit to you that anyone who is trying to decipher scripture or read the signs of the times to figure out when the end is coming, or when (or if) the Rapture will happen, have completely missed the point. The point is that instead of looking up at the sky for signs, we should be looking inward.

What should we be doing in the Last Days?

2020 has presented us with many challenges so far. Some of them are new (COVID-19), and some of them are ongoing problems that are bubbling to the surface again, such as the current racial unrest over the George Floyd incident. These are the kinds of things that light up the social media accounts of Christians with public calls to repent, for the end is near.

A call for repentance is always good advice, but there’s an elephant in the room that we need to put the spotlight on.

With the understanding that the Last Days are present tense, not future, let’s go back to the quote at the top of this post. Paul’s warning to Timothy is also a warning to us, because we are in the same last days now as the world was when this letter was written. It was difficult to be a Christian then, and it is difficult now.

“Oh, I know,” you might say. “Just look at how we’re portrayed in the media and by the government. They destroy our economy, but glorify abortion and drug use,” etc.

True, but that’s not what I’m talking about right now. And it’s not what Paul was talking about then either. He goes on in the next eight verses to describe the people Timothy ought not to associate with, and the methods that they use. But here’s the kicker…

He was talking about people INSIDE the church!

via GIPHY

It is no news flash that Christians are opposed in today’s culture. The ignorance of outsiders has never torn down the church, and it won’t now. Our greatest enemy comes from within. And here is what they look like:

1. 1. Narcissists
  2. The greedy and stingy
  3. People who draw attention to themselves
  4. People who look down on others
  5. People who take advantage of others
  6. People who dishonor their parents
  7. People with an entitlement mentality
  8. Those who conform to the pattern of this world
  9. Those who won’t help others
  10. Those who hold grudges
  11. Those who tear down other people verbally
  12. The undisciplined
  13. The physically violent
  14. Those who glorify evil
  15. Back-stabbers
  16. The impulsive
  17. The self-centered
  18. Hedonists
  19. Religious Legalists

That’s quite a list. Except there’s a problem. I said “they.”

And as of this writing, if I am going to be completely transparent, I believe that I fit six of these categories myself. So, it’s not “them.” It’s “us.”

This is why I say that we don’t have time to waste looking up at the sky, watching for a sign of Jesus’ return. The thing is, YOU DON’T KNOW when He’s coming back. The Great Tribulation may have already started. Or not. The Rapture may be tomorrow. Or 10 years from now. Or never.

Here is what we do know:

For the Son of Man will come in his Father’s glory, with his angels; and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct. Matthew 16:27 (CJB)

God has given us all gifts and wired our personalities to do the work He had planned for us to do before we were ever born. To be able to do that work effectively and leave a legacy in the world for Jesus, our hearts must COMPLETELY belong to Him. The only way that will happen is if we take an honest look at that list above and figure out what we need to repent of in our own lives. Then take a radical step of faith and DO that repenting.

Because in these last days, ain’t nothing gonna be easy for us. Let’s not make it any harder for ourselves than it needs to be.

(Nevertheless, there will be signs. To learn more about those, please come back for Part 2–What Sign?)

Reasonable: Part 4–The Best of Your Ability

(Originally published 5/10/2020 during the lockdown)

If possible, to the best of your ability, live at peace with all people. (Romans 12:18 CEB)

Back in Part 3, we gave some examples of the characteristics we ought to be manifesting as we cling to what is good. Here are some more practical tips from Romans 12 on how to walk this out.

14 Bless people who harass you—bless and don’t curse them.

Most people know that Jesus commanded us to love our enemies. That notion was just as counter-intuitive 2,000 years ago as it is today. If we have the capacity for hatred, who better to bear the brunt of it but our enemies? Isn’t that what enemies are for?

Not so much, as it turns out. Even as Jesus was hanging on the cross, He forgave the people that put Him there.

Christians all around the world experience persecution at many levels. Since Truth Mission has readers all over the world, what you are going through as you read this could be quite different than my experience.

Some of you may be harassed on social media. Some of you may be feeling heat from the government. Some of you may actually have been beaten, fired from a job, or had loved ones tortured and killed for their faith.

There are two things we need to remember though. The first is that the people who persecute us are not our real enemies. We have one Enemy who seeks our destruction.

The second thing is that we have no control whatsoever over how other people respond to the promptings of the Enemy. We do, however have control over how we respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, to the best of our ability, we need to follow the example set in Proverbs 25:21-22:

If your enemies are starving, feed them some bread; if they are thirsty, give them water to drink. By doing this, you will heap burning coals on their heads, and the Lord will reward you.

The “burning coals” bit may refer to an Egyptian custom where people would carry a pan of hot coals on their heads as a sign of repentance. So the idea here is that if someone is harassing you, and you respond with a blessing instead of a curse, they may take note of that and see you, and God THROUGH you, in a different way.

Now will that happen every time? No, of course not. But if it doesn’t, that’s not your problem. To the best of your ability, you have followed Christ’s command. By your actions, you have shared the Gospel and offered a tacit invitation for your “enemies” to turn from their ways and join in the freedom that you enjoy. But it is up to them to RSVP to your invitation.

15 Be happy with those who are happy, and cry with those who are crying.

A healthy church functions as a family, so we always need to be aware of and involved with one another’s lives.

We celebrate together at weddings, graduations and baby showers. We also walk alongside each other at funerals, during illnesses, or when children go astray.

This unity has never been more important than it is right now. As I type this, we have been on COVID-19 lockdown for about eight weeks. The Enemy has used this “pandemic” as an opportunity to scatter the body of Christ by influencing our State government to keep the churches closed for far longer than necessary.

However, to the best of our ability, we must rise up inside this. We need to get over our technophobia and learn how to do Zoom meetings and participate in online church. Yes, it’s not the same as meeting in person, but a connection is a connection. We can’t afford to just float away from each other just because meeting virtually is inconvenient.

We must stay in the habit of gathering, not just for our own sakes, but for the sakes of those who do not have a church community. Think about it. If you are feeling lonely and disconnected right now, and you HAVE a church family, how do you think the people feel who have no one to do life with? These are the people we need to be reaching out to. They are more open than ever right now for conversations. So have some.

*16 Consider everyone as equal, and don’t think that you’re better than anyone else. Instead, associate with people who have no status. Don’t think that you’re so smart.***

And while you’re planning those conversations, which may be out of your comfort zone anyway, I would like to challenge you further to have conversations with people who aren’t like you. If God’s invitation is open to everyone, and he uses us to extend that invitation, then we should be doing this anyway.

By all means, we should talk to the people we’re around every day. However, we must also remember that someone who doesn’t live in our neighborhood or work in our office or walk in our social circle also has a gift and a passion that God gave them to build His Church. We need that person just as much as he or she needs us.

Are you educated? Think of the uneducated people you know. Do you see how hard many of them work, because they haven’t had the occupational privileges that come with a college degree? Don’t you think your church needs someone with that work ethic using spiritual gifts they may not even be aware of until you invite them in?

Are you financially well-off? Try walking your Labradoodle on the other side of the tracks today and wave to everybody you see. (Or go shake hands once we’re done with social distancing.) That act by itself won’t save many souls, but you have to start somewhere.

Are you well-versed in scripture? Instead of correcting people who misinterpret the Bible in your Facebook feed, maybe you could start an online Bible study group with them and ask them to invite friends that have questions.

Bottom line—if we are all equal in the eyes of God, then we should be all equal in one another’s eyes as well.

17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. (NLT)

This one is a challenge for all of us. Our first instinct when someone wrongs us is to get even with our harasser. Some people just repress that instinct better than others.

Nevertheless, repress it we must. To the best of our ability, we must leave room for God to deal with our accusers.

Revenge is a control issue. When we are wronged, we feel that we must take control of the situation by restoring balance to the equation. If we take an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth, then we feel that we are restoring the equilibrium of justice.

But if that were our job, then what would be the purpose of Judgment Day?

A reasonable assumption for those who have put their trust in Jesus is that God is in control. And if God is in control, then the only control we need to be concerned with is self-control.

Therefore, to the best of our ability, we use this self-control to resist conforming to the pattern of this world. We use it to restrain ourselves from following our own understanding when discerning what is evil from what is good. Finally, we exercise our self-control to avoid being conquered by evil, but rather to conquer evil by doing good.

That sounds reasonable, right?