religion
289
12 The Reign of God in Human LivesS Matthew 22:37-40
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. Romans 13:10
Love is the fulfillment of the law.
Ephesians 4:1 Live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
Philippians 4:8 Colossians 3:1-4:6
Exodus 20:1-17 Matthew 5-7 Leviticus 19:9-10 Matthew 18:15-20 Psalm 1 John 15:12-17 Hebrews l11-13 Psalm 112 Acts 5:27-29 James 1:19-2:17 Proverbs 3:1-2, 5-7 Isaiah 58:6-9
Romans6:12-19
Romans 12-13 1 Peter 2:11-3:12 1 John 4:7-21
Amos 5:21-24 Micah 6:6-8
Galatians 5:13-6:10 Ephesians 4:17-6:20
Philippians 2:12-13 Malachi 3:6-12
290
In Chapter 10 we said that the church
fulfills its mission through proclamation and demonstration.
Besides announcing the gospel, it
displays the effects of responding to
it, providing a "theater of grace, where the world can see what
sanctified"; indeed, they have alre: begun "eternal life" (1 John 3:14). Their situation is completely trans-formed, and they stand in a totally new relationship to God. Moreov this transformation is entirely the gift of God. Human beings do nothingt deserve it or contribute to it: all they happens when the reign of God
becomes a reality in human lives. We have said a number of things about the church's proclamation of the gospel, but we need to say more about its demonstration of it. This requires us to consider what is often referred to as "the Christian life."
do is accept it. By itself, this would be plenty of cause for rejoicing, but it is only part of the good news. Salvation involves a transformation in concrete human life, as well as a change of identity, and it affects what we do, as well as what we are. Indeed, it is impossible
to be a Christian and not have it show
Challenging as it is to understand Christianity, it is even more challenging to live it. Just to survey in the way you live. This is the point of James's letter, as we discovered what the Christian life involves would require a book at least as long as this one. We can only introduce the subject here, and reflect on a few of its most important aspects. We will limit ourselves to four basic
earlier To understand the Christian life,
we need to grasp the basic relationship between Christian identity and Christian behavior. To put it briefly, what Christians do is a
consequence of what they are, not a condition of it. Christians lead
concerns: (1) the relation between salvation and the Christian life; (2) the inner dynamic of the Christian life; (3) some guiding principles for Christian behavior; and (4) the various spheres of Christian responsibility.
praiseworthy lives because God has saved them, not because they hope God will save them. What they are is basic, or prior, to anything they do.
Indicative and imperative We see this in the use Paul makesot indicative and imperative forms o speech. As you may recall from
studying grammar, indicative
CHRISTIAN IDENTITY AND CHRISTIAN BEHAVIOR
As we have seen, salvation involves a fundamental change in personal identity. Those who receive salvation are "born again," "justified," and
ell sentences make statements; they tc you what is the case. Imperative
lel
sentences give commands; they i te THE REIGN OF GOD IN HUMAN LIVES
291
vOu to do something. In Paul's letters.
the imperative material typically
follows the indicative material, as an
effect follows its cause. He usually
hegins by reminding his readers of al
that God has done for them. Then he
tells them how they ought to live, as
a consequence of the fact. In
Romans, for example, he discusses
justification by faith in Christ as a
gift from God in the first five
chapters. Then he urges his readers to
live lives free of sin: "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies,
to make you obey their passions"
(Rom 6:12). Resistance to sin results
from the new status sinners acquire
before God. We see the same pattern in his
other letters. When Paul discusses the
way Christians should behave, he describes it as a consequence of their
new situation: "I therefore...beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to
which you have been called" (Eph 4:1; cf. Gal 5:13-14; Col 3:1-16). In
short, Paul's message on practical Christian living is this: "Become what you are!" "Now that you are God's children, live like it."2
sign of salvation and a motivating power. The Spirit assures us of our salvation; we know that we are God's children because of the Spirit he has given us (Rom 5:5; 8:14, 16; 2 Cor 1:22; cf. 1 John 3:24; 4:13). In addition, the presence of the Spirit yields a rich harvest of fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, good- ness, faithfulness, gentleness, self- control (Gal 5:22). Therefore, all the good that Christians do is the effect of the Spirit's presence in their lives.2
Human effort in the Christian life Since divine power makes it possible for us to live godly lives, some
people conclude that human effort has no role to play. They believe that the only thing we can do is let God
control our activities. Once we have surrendered completely to him, good works will automatically appear in
our lives, totally as the effect of his
power. In fact, if we do put forth
effort, one argument goes, it only reveals our failure to trust God completely, and the works that result are not really "good works" at all. According to this view, then, there is no place for human endeavor. Divine power and human effort are mutually
LIFE IN THE SPIRIT exclusive.
Instead of this "either-or"
position, the Bible supports a "both-
and" view of the relation between Besides urging Christians to live a certain way, Paul also identifies the inner dynamic that enables them to do so. For Paul, the Christian life is "life in the Spirit." The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is both a
divine and human effort in the Christian life. We see this in the
frequent use of the imperative in the
Bible, especially in the New
REIGN OF GOD
these very congratulation, because these works, on closer inspection, are
Testament. Christians are plainly commanded to behave a certain way;
they are told to do some things and to
abstain from doing others. In one
letter, for example, Paul addresses
husbands, wives, children, slaves,
and masters, along with his Christian
readers in general. In each case, he
gives specific directions as to how
they should act (Eph 5:21-6:20). The
natural conclusion is that Christian
living involves personal endeavor, putting forth effort and trying to
accomplish certain things. We also find testimonies of
nothing other than the product af divine power. The best text on this point, again from Paul, is this: s Work
Po out your own salvation with fe"ork fear and trembling; for God is at work in yo you, both to will and to work for his goo pleasure" (Phil 2:12-13). There isa mysterious coincidence between human ffort and divine activity in Christian experience.
Some people refer to this phena- menon as the paradox of grace." What appears at first to be the result of human effort turns out on close inspection to be the product of divine power. 3 When Paul compared his efforts to those of other apostles, he said, "I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I but the grace of God which is with me" (1 Cor 15:10). This was not false modesty on Paul's part. He really believed that God was responsible for
strong personal effort on the part of the biblical writers themselves.
Again, Paul's letters contain some striking statements. "Straining forward to what lies ahead," he states in one passage, "I press on toward
the goal tor the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:13-14). He even compares his exertion to that of an athlete: "I do
his success. not run aimlessly, I do not box as one
beating the air; butl pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified" (1 Cor 9:27). From verses like these it appears that personal effort played an important role in Paul's own experience.
Similar expressions emerge in the lives of other men of God.
Augustine wrote, "Even if men do good things which pertain to God's
service, it is he himself that brings it
about that they do what he com-
manded."4 His famous prayer describes obedience as divine gtt as
well as command: "Give what thou
Commandest, and command what
thou wilt."S In the same vein,
The paradox of grace But although the Bible urges Christian to put forth effort, it never describes the results as their own accomplishments. Good works never provide a basis for self-
Anselm prayed, "Whatsoever our
heart rightly willeth, it is of thy
gift"6 Ellen White makes a mber
THE REIGN OF GOD IN HUMAN LIVES
293
including this theme that figures prominently in Jesus' teachings. Some describe it as the "hiddenness of godliness."8 It is a fact that those who do the most to
similar statements, ofs
one: "All his biddings are
enablings."7
This, then, is the central paradox
of the Christian life. We are
responsible for our behavior. We have work to do, and we must put forth
serious effort. But in the final
analysis, we claim nothing for ourselves. God's power accounts for all that we accomplish.
This may seem to be more complicated than the view that we
should "let go and let God," but in fact it is much easier to live with. It allows us to go ahead and strive to fulfill out responsibilities without undue concern about our motives and attitudes. In particular, it protects us from the frustration of having to try hard not to try at all.
serve God are characteristically the least impressed with their accomplishments. In the parable of the sheep and goats, the ones blessed by the king for their deeds of mercy are strangely unaware of what they have done. "Lord," they ask, "*when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink?" (Matt 25:37). They can no doubt remember having done such things, but they are not aware of having done them for the king. That is, they are not aware of the full significance of their behavior. They are preoccupied with those who need their help-the hungry, the thirsty, the lonely--not with their own activity.
What does Jesus mean to say? Should the goodness of his followers be public, as his first statement indicates, or private, according to the
Christian humility There are several reasons why a Christian's efforts don't lead to boasting or pride. One is the fact that the very ability to strive comes ulti- mately from God; it isn't something we are responsible for. Another is the motivating, enabling presence of the Spirit, which we noticed above. A third is the recognition that the good results of our work are far out of proportion to the amount of our effort. They must be due to the magnifying, multiplying power of God; we can't take credit for them.
second? We have an answer to this question if we think about who sees this goodness and who doesn't. The good works of the righteous are obvious to others, for they glorify God as a result. But they are hidden from the righteous themselves. They are not impressed with the importance of their actions, because their own behavior is not the center
The hiddenness of godliness This last point is closely related to a
of their concern. They are eager to
give God the glory for anything they
accomplish. The mistake of attempting to
REIGN OF GOD
only the power of the Spirit creates We mentioned this as we
294
exclude effort from the Christian life
results from misapplying a sound
theological principle. Effort has no
part in establishing our identity as the
people of God; it makes no
contribution to the new status we
approached the doctrine of the church, but it bears repeating here The primary manifestation of the
power of the Spirit in this world is
the presence of genuine Christian community. We see the spirit at work
where people exhibit in their relationships to others, both inside
and outside the community, the life
of love and service exemplified by
Jesus Christ. This means that the principal
sphere of the Spirit's activity is between people, rather than within
them. Life in the Spirit does involve certain personal attitudes and
behavior, of course; it affects the way
people live on an individual basis.
But more fundamentally it affects human beings in their togetherness. This is why the New Testament places such emphasis on what believers have in common. It
acquire as the result of salvation. God
does this without our effort. This is
the essential point of righteousness
by faith.
However, the fact that human
effort does not establish our
relationship to God does not mean
that it has no role to play within this
relationship. Indeed, there is every
reason to believe otherwise. For
instead of excluding effort from the
Christian life, the knowledge that we
are justified by faith inspires it.
Recall the line of thought in Paul's letters. Knowing that we are the
children of God only because of God's love and grace provides a
powerful incentive to live like his children. As we have just seen, to the extent that we succeed, we will give him all the glory.
The Spirit in community We have spoken of the Christian life, or "life in the Spirit," as if it were
essentially an individual matter, and this is how we often think of it. As the New Testament describes it, however, life in the Spirit is primarily a corporate, or social, phenomenon. It is something that happens to a concrete group of people, not privately to individuals. It operates in the particular kind of community that
describes them as a family, and it speaks of "one body and one Spirit ... one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one
God and Father of us all..." (Eph 4:4-6).
The widespread failure to recognize the social or corporate dimension of the Spirit's work accounts for the preoccupation with individual religious experience that 1s
characteristic of many conservative Christians. It can also lead people to
exaggerate the importance of certain other human groups, such as the family or the nation. THE REIGN OF GOD IN HUMAN LIVES
295
We have analyzed the relation but, like many great ideas, it is easier to illustrate than to define. We can identify its central character by looking to God, since he is love personified.
between salvation and behavior, and
we have explored the inner dynamic of the of the
Christian life. Now we wil
examine the principles by which
Christians live. After that, we will
Love is self-forgetful We find the clearest display of love in the central act of salvation history. The Father gives his Son to save the
world from sin (John 3:16; 1 John
4:9), and the Son gives his life (John
15:13). From this twofold gift we
leam that love consists in self-
review the various areas where these
principles apply.
THE MEANING OF LOVE
Faith, hope, and love describe the
basic structure of the Christian life (1
Cor 13:13). Faith is an essential
aspect of our relationship to God. As
we have seen, it consists of
unreserved trust and commitment.
sacrificing service to others. It places
supreme value on persons, and it
seeks what is best for them without
counting the cost or calculating the
Hope characterizes our relationship to consequences.
the future. As we shall see in our We mentioned that love applies
to our relationships to God and to
other human beings. It lies at the study of eschatology, it involves an
affirmative view of time and history.
Love characterizes our personal
relationships and is the single most
important principle in the Christian
life9 In fact, it would be accurate to
heart of the two commands that
summarize the law: ""You shall love
say that love is the most important
concept in all of Christian thought,
for the person who understands love
knows what God is like and what
the Lord your God with all your
heart, and with all your soul, and
with all your mind" (Matt 22:37; cf.
Deut 6:5); and, "You shall love your
neighbor as yourself" (Matt 22:39; cf.
Lev 19:18). Paul says the same thing
when he states that love is the
being a Christian is all about (1 John
4:7-12). fulfilling of the law (Rom 13:8,10).
To love God is to value God
Important as it is, love is
extremely difficult to describe. It is at
once a means and an end, both a gift
and a command. While setting us
supremely for his own sake. It means
that we love God because he is
free, it makes us responsible. It
fulfills the law, but it also transcends
the law. Theologians have pondered
the meaning of love for centuries,
supremely worthy of love, not
because we expect a reward for
loving him. Those who serve God in
hopes that he will serve them do not
really love him. Their devotion is
REIGN OF GOD
296
God, we will share his values and regard other people in light of his
attitude toward them.
This was the point of Jesus
command to love one's enemies; it means to pattern our activity after
God's own. In Jesus' words, God "makes his sun rise on the evil and
the good, and sends rain on thejust
and on the unjust" (Matt 5:45). God's treatment of human beings is not
based on what they deserve. He does not reserve his blessing for those who return his affection. Neither should we. If we are perfect as he is perfect
(Matt 5:48), we will not base our
treatment of others on the way they
based on the desire to gain something
for themselves. Genuine love does
not ask, "What's in it for me? It is
not motivated by the desire for a
reward. Overemphasizing the rewards command to love one's enemies
awaiting those who are faithful to
God makes a travesty of religion. The
Bible describes the glories in store
for the redeemed in order to
communicate the depth of God's
commitment to human beings, to tell
us how God feels toward us.
Knowing this should awaken an
answering love in our hearts. But to
transfer our affection from the Giver
to the gift is to misconstrue the whole
relationship. Our love for God is
genuine only if we love him for what
he is.
treat us.
Besides patterning our actions after God's own, loving others also
involves extending God's sovereignty in the world. It means working to bring about a state of affairs that resembles the way things are in the kingdom of God. This involves striving to relieve human suffering wherever we find it. It means
Love and the reign of God In terms of our guiding theme, to love God means to welcome his sovereignty in every area of life. On
the individual level, this involves accepting his authority in everything we do. Love leads to a life of
complete openness to the reign of God. Every personal resource is made available to him. Every aspect of life, every detail of behavior, is subjected to his will.
To love God not only means to accept his sovereignty over ourselves, which shows that no one is excluded it also means to view everything else in light of his sovereignty, too. This is why love for God naturally results in love for others. Knowing the value that God places on people will lead us to respect them, too; for if we love
opposing oppression and working for freedom and justice in human affairs.
Because love is unconditional, it
is also unrestricted; its scope is all inclusive. This, too, is suggested by Jesus' command to love our enemies,
from genuine love. The second great
command, "Love your neighbor," 1S
universal and concrete at the same time. My neighbor is not some vague
generality or an abstraction. My neighbor is a concrete reality, a
THE REIGN OF GOD IN HUMAN LIVES
297
specific person. My neighbors are the people I meet in the day-to-day
course of life. At the same time, my
neighbor might be anyone. As the parable of the good Samaritan shows
Luke 10:29-37), our neighbor is the person who needs our help,
regardless of race, religion, or social
status. The word "neighbor" applies
to every human being.
The last words of the command, "You shall love your neighbor as
yourself," are instructive here. It is possible to love yourself even when you are very unhappy with yourself.
You may be displeased with your recent behavior. Perhaps you made a
complete fool of yourself, and you know it. In this case, you don't like yourself. But you can go on loving yourself anyway. You can still take care of yourself. Similarly, we love others when we act in their interest, whether or not we feel affection for
LOVE AND LAW
Love is action them. We mentioned that love to God and
neighbor summarizes the law. To understand love, it will be helpful to
explore its relation to the law a bit further. To begin with, it is important
Love fulfills the law The essential relation between law
and love is one of form and content As the summary of the law, love
to note that love is commanded. identifies the essence of the law's
requirements. Love is what the law is
really all about. In Paul's words, "Love is the fulfilling of the law"
(Rom 13:10). Consequently, the
person who genuinely loves, who
acts with the welfare of others
Remembering this prevents us from
confusing love in the Christian sense
with some sort of affection. Love is
Something you do, not something you feel. We all know that feelings come
and go. We have limited control of
our emotions. It would be frustrating indeed to find ourselves commanded to feel a certain way.
uppermost in mind, will fulfill the
law. The right attitude leads to the
kind of behavior that the law
Instead, the command to love
relates to action. It does not require
prescribes. While love is the content of the
law, the law describes the form of
love. It provides a pattern for the
appropriate expression of love. This
can be extremely helpful, because the
proper attitude alone does not
guarantee beneficial behavior. A
well-intentioned person can
sometimes make mistakes. The law
us to entertain a certain emotion in
the process. As a result, we are free
to love people even if we don't find
them particularly attractive. We can
value them and act in their best interest whether or not we have
Teelings of personal affection for
them. REIGN OF GOD
298
possibly require. The most a law can demand is fairness, or equality. The command, "Love your neighbor ac
yourself," is a good example. It
reminds us that our neighbor has
rights equal to our own, but it thus
presupposes that we have rights, too
The law is satisfied when people
have the same rights and privileges. But love is not. Love is willing to sacrifice its own interests for the
benefit of others.
This is why the life of Jesus provides the supreme example of
love. He constantly denied his own needs and abandoned his own rights for the welfare of other people. In the end, he gave up life itself. "No one
has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends"
gives us much-needed guidance for
expressing love in helpful ways. The
law also serves as a constant
reminder that genuine love involves
action as well as attitude. Without the
concrete commands of the law, we
might be tempted to think that good intentions are enough. There is the
danger that love could degenerate into a vague sentiment, or an empty
expression of concern (see Jas 2:15-
16). The law prevents this. Because
of the law, we can be sure that there
is no love wherever the needs of
human beings are disregarded. On the other hand, as we have
seen, obedience to the law is
worthless in the absence of love; for without love, commandment keeping degenerates into sterile legalism. The essential purpose is gone. This is why God got so upset at times with the religious ceremonies of his people (see Amos 5:21-23). What he really wants is genuine devotion and a
concern for human life (Ps 51:16-17; Amos 5:24). Sacrifices are worthless if these are missing
(John 15:13 [NRSV]). His self-denial and self-sacrifice provide the perma- nent model for Christian behavior (see Phil 2:4-8; 1 Pet 2:21-24). Our ideal surpasses any legal code.
Love in a fallen world
Love is the ideal for Christian behavior. But we live in a world that is less than ideal, and this compli- cates the enterprise of Christian living. Christians are committed to the ideal of love in every circum- stance, but they must also be aware of the total situation in which we
live. In this regard we need to take into account several different factors.
The doctrine of creation aftim1s the essential goodness of life and or
all that exists. This justifies the
Love prevents us from legalism because it never comes to an end. There will always be a need for love. When we realize that love is the heart of the law, we cannot congratulate ourselves for keeping it, for we can never say that we have loved enough. Love transcends the law Love not only fulfills the law; it transcends it. Genuine love goes beyond anything a legal code could
THE REIGN OF GOD IN HUMAN LIVES
299 pursuit of useful, constructive activity
The position of Christians in the world, then, is ambiguous. They are in the world, but not of the world (see John 17:15-16). They commit their lives to loving others because this is what it means to follow Christ,
and prevents us trom becoming Dessimistic about life. The doctrine of the Fall accounts for the brokenness
of the world as we find it. It reminds us that things are not the way God meant them to be. It also reminds us
that even our best actions will be
tainted with self-interest,10 The
biblical doctrine of sin prevents us
from expecting simple solutions to the problems we face.
The doctrine of salvation affirms the presence of a restorative power in
the world. God has not left the world alone to suffer the consequences of
sin; he is at work to mitigate the effects of the Fall and ultimately achieve his purposes. Finally, the doctrine of last things reminds us that the present situation is temporary. The ideal is yet to come. We can
and because they believe this is worthwhile in the scale of ultimate values, but they do not expect it to make sense in our present situation.
We can express this ambiguity in light of our guiding theme. The reign of God is a present reality, but it will not be fully realized until the future. As a result, we cannot identify the kingdom of God with any achievable state of affairs in the present, yet we cannot relegate it entirely to the
future, either. God is at work in the present, in spite of appearances. And
he uses human actions to accomplish his work, although we may not be aware of it, so we can never abandon the atempt to live as citizens of the
kingdom here and now.
never reach it here.
These basic doctrinal themes
support a rather complicated attitude
toward the Christian life. We might
describe it as an optimism that is not LOVE FOR GOD naive and a realism that is not
cynical. These beliefs prevent us
from assuming that life in this world
can ever be ideal. Christians cannot
With this basic description of the
Christian life in mind, we can
identify the major spheres of
responsibility that Christians face,
and reflect on a few representative
obligations within them. As we do so,
some familiar Adventist concerns
expect good behavior to have only pleasant consequences. It is always
risky to love; in certain situations it
may even appear foolish. At the same
time, we cannot abandon the world.
Love requires us to pursue a life of
service, and the doctrines of creation,
salvation, and last things affirm the
ultimate value of such a life.
will arise. We cannot deal with them
at length, but we can try to show
what their place is in an overall
concern for Christian living.
REIGN OF GOD
300
certain responsibilities that Seventh Our most comprehensive
responsibility is to God. As God's
children, we accept his authority over
every area of life and give his claims
on us priority over all others. This is
the essential meaning of the first
commandment: "You shall have no
day Adventists have characteristically emphasized over the years. They are widely known, for example, for the
importance they attach to financial stewardship and physical health.
Financial resources other gods before me" (Exod 20:3).
Nothing rivals God's authority. This also means that all our
obligations have a spiritual
dimension; everything expected of us
is part of the one fundamental
responsibility to love God with our
entire being. Knowing this prevents us from feeling overwhelmed by the hundreds of requirements in the Bible. What God really wants is our
complete allegiance. This matters
more to him than punctilious
attention to details.
Although it is not a formal
requirement for church membership. all Adventists are urged to tithe their
income, and those in positions of
leadership are generally expected to.
The practice affims our stewardship to God and acknowledges God's sovereignty over all our financial resources. To tithe is to give a tenth
of our income to God's
At the same time, our obligation to God is all-encompassing; he has a claim on all of our personal resources. We have no possession or ability that does not belong to him. Viewed in this light, our basic role is
that of servants, or stewards,
accountable to God for the use we
representatives. Abraham honored
Melchizedek with tithe (Gen 14:20), and Jacob promised to tithe in response to God's assurance of care for him (Gen 28:22). The people of Israel were commanded to pay tithes, which were used to support the Levites, the religious leaders of the nation (Num 18:24). The tithe was the Levites' inheritance, since they received no land when Palestine was
make of our lives. The memorable parables in Jesus' great sermon on last things (Matt 24-25) emphasize this truth. The parable of the talents, in particular, indicates that human beings will be called to account for the way they use the resources God places in their care.
While our fundamental
divided among the Hebrew tribes. Following this precedent, Seventh- day Adventists use tithe funds to support church employees engaged in
the work of gospel ministry (Se Cor 9:13-14).
God attaches special significance to the tithe, but he requests other offerings, too. The purpose of these
practices is to encourage a spirit ot
constant gratitude for everything we
obligation to love God embraces every aspect of our lives, there are
THE REIGN OF GOD IN HUMAN LIVES
301 have (see Deut 8:18). Giving does
mental and spiritual condition. more than acknowledge God's right
Another reason is the desire to to what is given; it: acknowledges his
nership of everything we have. It eminds us that there is nothing that
witness against the evils of society, which explains our position against the use of alcohol better than health we have not received(l or 4:7), for it all belongs to God (Ps 24:1).
Recognizing God's generosity can
principles alone. The Adventist commitment to abstinence arose fromn the great temperance movement in America during the nineteenth century. It appropriately expresses a sense of outrage at the terrible cost in human suffering that the misuse of alcohol has produced in our society.
have tremendous blessings (Mal 3:6- 12). It assures us that he will alwavs
care for our needs (Phil 4:19; Ps
37:25), and it protects us from the
danger of overestimating the value of
material prosperity (Luke 12:13-21; 1 Tim 6:10).
A third reason for this interest in health is the conviction that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19), so we should glorify God physically, as well as in other ways. This also justifies a
concern for personal appearance. Because human beings bear the
image of God, everything about them should be representative of their Maker. Christians will therefore seek
Physical resources Seventh-day Adventists also emphasize the stewardship of our
physical resources. They are widely known for a commitment to healthful living. This leads them to abstain from the use of harmful substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and various drugs. Adventists typically refrain from eating the flesh of animals the Bible identifies as "unclean" (Lev 11; cf. Gen 7:2), and many follow a
vegetarian diet. In recent years Adventists have shown an active
to dress in a way that contributes to a
positive portrayal of him. This excludes attire that is ostentatious or immodest (1 Tim 2:9;1 Pet 3:3), or undignified or inappropriate. It also excludes a preoccupation with
personal appearance. How we look is
part of life, but it is only a part. It
should not receive more attention
interest in other aspects of healthful living, including physical fitness.
There are several reasons for this concern for physical health. One is a
wholistic view of human nature. Adventists believe that human beings are physical, as well as spiritual, and unat the various dimensions of human life are interrelated. Our physical condition thus has an effect on our
than it deserves.
LOVE FOR OTHERS
Next to our responsibility to God, our
most comprehensive sphere of
REIGN OF GOD
302 unit is the family. Within the family,
responsibility is to other human
beings. The second great command
describes this sphere: "You shall love
your neighbor as yourself." As we
noticed above, this command is both
universal and concrete. It requires a
commitment to the wel-being of
every other human being. It calls for
a concern, not just for humanity in
the abstract, but for each person
affected by our action. Our
"neighbor" includes everyone reached by our influence.
The word which best describes
Christians have obligations as
children, spouses, and parents. The
fith of the ten commandments is the first to mention our responsibilities to
human beings. It directs us to honor
our fathers and mothers (Exod
20:12). Paul also urges children to
obey their parents (Eph 6:1; Col
3:20), and at least one passage
suggests that reconciliation between
parents and children is one of the
effects of salvation (Mal 4:6). This sphere of obligation
the Christian's role within this sphere of responsibility is "servant."
Following Christ's example, the
Christian is servant of all (John 13:3-
15). As a child of God, he is secure
enough to deny himself and even
abandon his own rights in order to
benefit others.
involves more than mere obedience.
It also involves living in a way that
brings honor to one's parents, and
caring for them as the need arises. It is possible to exaggerate and
distort this responsibility, important as it is. In one letter Paul qualifies the
extent of filial obligation by saying. The word "neighbor" in the
second great command refers to individual human beings, but the command involves responsibilities to different human groups as well. Human beings do not live as separate, isolated units. They live in relationships with others. Our overarching obligation to others, then, calls for us to consider the various groups in which we
participate.
Children, obey your parents in the
Lord" (Eph 6:1). In a sinful world, it is possible for different obligations to
conflict. When this happens, our prior responsibility is always to God. We cannot obey our parents if what
they request of us conflicts with our
duty to him. We also fail to honor our parents
if we submit to an unwarranted extension of their authority over us. it
1S possible for parents to so dominate their children that they prevent them
from becoming fully developed human beings in their own right. People who realize this is happenimg to them have a responsibility to resib parental control. Naturally, this
FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES
Children The most basic, and obvious, social
THE REIGN OF GOD IN HUMAN LIVES
303
measure iss a hould take such a course without
last resort, and no one
ayerful reflection and the mature
the level of complete equality (Gen 1:27; 2:20-24), and that the gospel transcends any barrier of a sexual nature (Gal 3:28). counsel of others.
Husbands and wives
Husbands and wives have onsibilities to each other, too.
Sexual fidelity is basic (Exod 20:14). Betrayal on this fundamental level of
physical and emotional commitment will almost always damage or destroy
a marriage. Sexual responsibility also work of training children for a useful
includes a willingness on the part of
spouses to express their affection
physically. Paul advises married
couples not to refrain from normal
sexual relations (I Cor 7:5).
There is much more to marriage
than sexual activity, of course. Paul
directs husbands to love their wives,
Parents A third dimension of the familial sphere of obligation is the responsibility parents have to children. According to the Bible, this extends far beyond providing for their physical needs. It includes the
life (Prov 22:6); it requires sensitivity to their emotional needs (Col 3:21); and most important, it involves religious instruction (Deut 6:7). By precept and example, parents influence the religious orientation of
their children. No other factor affects
and wives to be subject to their
husbands (Eph 5:22, 25; Col 3:18-
19). This advice has generated a lot
of discussion. Some people believe
that this establishes the husband's
a child's relationship to God as do
parents. Family relationships provide
some of the most powerful symbols
in the Christian religion. The New
Testament speaks of God as our
Father. It compares Christ's care for
the church to a husband's love for his superior authority as a divine ideal.
Others maintain that it is a necessary wife (Eph 5:25), and it refers to
church members as brothers and consequence of sin to have one
spouse superior to another. Still
others attribute Paul's statement to
the cultural circumstances of his day,
sisters. This not only tells us
something about the religious
realities referred to; it also tells us
when women were decidedly inferior
to men both socially and politically. The precise relationship between
husbands and wives will probably always reflect the prevailing culure TO Some extent, but it is important to
remember that the biblical account of
creation places men and women on
something about the quality these
human relationships should exhibit.
Our love tor the members of our
families should reflect the
commitment and the tenderness that
characterize God's own love for
human beings.
REIGN OF GOD
304
This sphere of human obligation suffers from widespread neglect today. Sexual standards are generally declining, and there is an increasing loss of commitment to the family as
the framework for an ideal lifestyle. As a result, the family is a topic of
tutes the most importar social entity in this world. The church is a new
and its members enjoy a fellowshin social reality, created by the Spirit, which is not possible in any other human relationship (1 John 1:3). The community in which they participate
he
reflects the perfect harmony that characterizes the reign of God. The New Testament also
indicates that the church represents the sphere of our greatest inter- personal responsibility. We have obligations to fellow Christians that surpass those we have to members of any other group. Many of these obligations are spiritual. According to the New Testament, members of the church should pray for each other (Eph 6:18; Jas 5:16); sympathize with each other (Gal 6:2);confess their sins to each other (Jas 5:16); forgive each other (Col 3:13); counsel and advise each other (Gal 6:1); and love each other (1 Pet 4:8). In all ways Christians should serve one another, putting the interests of others ahead of their own, just as Christ did (Phil 2:3-5).
According to the New Testament, a Christian's service to other
enormous concem to contemporary
Christians. Affirming our commitment to the family can be an
important part of the church's curent witness to the world.
But it is not faithful to the Bible to elevate the family as the single most important human community. According to the Bible, it is not; the church is. The distinctions on which families are based are transcended in the body of Christ (see Gal 3:28), and the bonds that unite its members are stronger than those of any other relationship.
In addition, overemphasizing the religious importance of the family can have unfortunate consequences. It creates the impression that one can live a complete Christian life only within a family situation. This can leave those who are unmarried, for whatever reasons, feeling as if they were spiritually substandard. An adequate view of the Christian community would prevent this mistake.
members of the church also includes financial support when needed. After Pentecost, believers sold their property and gave the funds to the church, and the church took responsibility for supporting its poorer members. Later on, Paul collected funds as he traveled among different congregations to assist tne
CHURCH RESPONSIBILITIES
In the New Testament, the church, the community of the Spirit, consti- THE REIGN OF GOD IN HUMAN LIVES
305
Christians in Jerusalem (2 Cor 9:1). our spiritual identity should lead us to withdraw from the world (John 17:5). Instead, we are part of the world and its institutions. We participate in
From the eginning, then, the church norted its members in need.
From the
But the mechanics of distributing
ever been smooth. Deacons society, and we have social were appointed in the early church because the apostles foun the task so becau demanding that it interfered with their avoiding offensive or unlawful
aid
id have never
obligations. At a minimum these include
special responsibility to preach the
gospel (Acts 6:1-5 Paul had to give
Timothy some lengthy advice about
who was eligible for assistance from
behavior (1 Pet 4:15), and attempting to live peaceably with other people (Rom 12:18). Beyond that, Christians should be productive, useful members
the church (1 Tim 5:3-16). We cannot of society, known for their good
expect this aspect of our church
responsibilities to be easy to fulfill,
but it is important, nonetheless.
An often-neglected part of our
obligation to the church is the
responsibility of leadership, or
holding church office. The New
Testament describes such work as a
behavior (2 Cor 8:21; Eph 4:28;1 Pet
2:12). They should also benefit others
by their actions (Gal 6:10), even when
they have suffered mistreatment
themselves (Rom 12:17). The Reformation doctrine of
vocation did a lot to clarify the role of the Christian in the world. It was a
tremendous privilege and carefully
discusses the qualifications of elders
and deacons (1 Tim 3:1-13). Many Christians today, however, are
reluctant to assume such
reaction to the monastic ideal that led
people to withdraw from society in
order to lead a fully religious life. The
Reformers insisted that a Christian's
responsibilities. This is tragic. Given
the challenge it faces, the church
needs dedicated, qualified leadership goodness and the religious
place was in society, pursuing his or
her calling, or "vocation," for the
good of others. They affirmed the
significance of usefül activity. For
them, the religious life was an active,
productive life, not a passive,
withdrawing one,12
in every area of its operation.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES The Protestant ethic
The "Protestant ethic," as it is often A larger sphere of Christian
TEsponsibility is the obligation to
SOCiety in general. The Bible never
Sggests that we should limit our
called, emerged from this doctrine of
vocation. Some scholars believe that
asSociation to members of the church the vigorous economy that developed
UCor 6:9-10; Rom 12:18), or that in the countries of central and
REIGN OF GOD
306
church. New Testament Christians accepted slaves as full-fledged
members of the church (see Eph 6:5. 9), and Paul urged Philemon to welcome back his escaped slave Onesimus as a brother in the Lord (Phlm 16). By its treatment of slaves the early Christian community rejected an institution that was basic
northem Europe and eventually in
North America during the centuries
after the Reformation arose from this
affirmation of the value of work. In
this view, religious commitment is
fully compatible with financial
success; in fact, it even promotes it.13
Seventh-day Adventists typically reflect the Protestant ethic. They encourage their members to work, and to the social and economic life of
they support a large private school system designed, in part, to prepare its graduates to assume useful roles in
society. Christians have an obligation to
live as productive members of society, but they cannot give prevailing social and economic structures unqualified approval. Christians are in the world, but they are not of it. They do not
share its values, and they cannot Support social structures that violate the dignity of human beings. There
are times when Christians must
ancient times.
There is a widespread conviction among conservative Christians today that this is as far as Christian social criticism should go. In the opinion of many, we should be content to witness
against the evils of society by living lives that are above reproach and influencing others by our example.
But there is a place for explicit as
well as implicit criticism. There are times when Christians have the obligation to speak out on social issues and attempt to influence social
criticize the society in which they live. policy and change social conditions. The biblical prophets set a precedent for such activity by denouncing the social ills of their day (e.g., Amos, Micah). Christians in the nineteenth century recognized this responsibility when they sought the abolition of
slavery and the prohibition of
Christian social criticism Christian social criticism can take two forms-implicit and explicit. Christians implicitly criticize society when they follow standards of behavior that are higher than what society expects. Christians who refuse alcoholic beverages.14 to engage in dishonest or exploitative practices that are generally tolerated implicitly criticize the financial standards of society. They also bear a keep at least two things in mind as critical witness when they refuse to allow prevalent social structures to interfere with their fellowship in the
When should the church explicitly criticize society? This question is not easy to answer. Christians need to
they address it. First, the church must be an influential factor in society to make explicit witness effective. This
THE REIGN OF GOD IN HUMAN LIVES
307
should obscure the other. nay
be one ason why the church of
the nineteenth century bore an
explicit the it witness against slavery, while missionaries sometimes produces a
The work of Christian
the witness of the apostolic church combination of spiritual and social
transformation. Anna and Fernando was implicit. At the beginning, the
Christian church had a negligible
impact on sOCiety; it was struggling
just to survive. In nineteenth-century
Europe and North America, however,
Christians were a powerful social
Stahl, for example, Adventist
missionaries in the Peruvian Andes
during the early decades of the
twentieth century, not only preached
the gospel, but established schools
and led the indigenous peoples of
that region in asserting their political
rights. Scholarly studies of their work
force.
A second factor bearing on this
question concerns the central purpose
of Christian mission. The church have described them as
must not allow its social concerms to revolutionaries" as well as
preempt the proclamation of the
gospel. The experience of some
Christian groups reveals that a
preoccupation with social
transformation can obscure the
"missionaries."
The basis for claiming that
Christianity involves social as well as
spiritual change lies in our guiding
theme. God's reign is not merely
spiritual. It extends to every aspect of
human life, including the physical
and social dimensions of our
importance of the message the church
has to communicate. In certain
countries, for example, powerful
social movements have co-opted the
human resources of the church and
left it with no distinctive voice.15
The solution is not to abandon
Our responsibilities to society, but to
find the proper relationship between
these concerms. The idea of the
existence. This is clearly evident in
the writings of the prophets.
Religious observances are worthless,
they insisted, unless the worshipers
are also concerned with justice and
human welfare. Indeed, if this quality
is missing from the lives of his
people, God finds their acts of
devotion downright repulsive. kingdom of God, which figures prominently in Jesus' preaching, Suggests that social change is part of
the good news of salvation. It is not
In competition with it. The message
of the church to the world consists
primarily of the announcement or
what God has done in Jesus Christ,
ut if also includes a call for changes
in human society. Neither element
POLITICAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Yet another sphere of obligation is
the Christian's responsibility to the
state. It is customary to equate the
state with society, but the two are not
REIGN OF GOD
308
(Mark 12:17). Paul echoes this vice in one of his letters (Rom 13:6-7)
Those who enjoy the benefits of government can expect to contribute
to its support.
The New Testament affirms the importance of the government's role
in maintaining social order. It
specifically mentions punishment of
wrongdoers and the fear of punish-
ment it inspires (Rom 13:3-4; 1 Pet 2:14). Paul even described human institutions as the means by which
God exercises sovereignty in the
identical. It is important to keep them
distinct, and to remember thata
Christian's responsibilities to them
are different.
Society is basic to human life.
We exist only in relation to others,
and we participate in society as an
essential condition of our existence.
Our society embodies the larger
circle of human beings in which we
live. Differences in language and
culture, and sometimes in race,
distinguish societies from each other.
The church transcends societal world: "For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God" (Rom 13:1). In honor to God, then, Christians should honor the state.
boundaries (Gal 3:28), but Christians
cannot avoid participating in the specific societies which surround them. In fact, we have just argued, they have a responsibility to do so.
A state is the prevailing political, or legal, structure in a society, the
organ of government. It preserves social order by wielding power; this is its primary function. It may or may not reflect the will of the society in
general, depending on the nature of its political system. Democratic states seek to involve citizens in the processes of politics and government, while totalitarian states, in contrast, impose their decisions upon their citizens.
They should respect its officials (Rom 13:7; 1 Pet 2:17) and keep its laws, and they should comply with its demands for support. In short, Christians should be good citizens
Christian resistance to government At the same time, there are definite limits to a Christian's obligation to the state. The requirements of the state may conflict with God's
requirements. When that happens, We must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29), to use the words of Peter.
The state has a legitimate claim on our allegiance, but we cannot submit
to its authority when this violates our
duty to God.
Christian cooperation with government Christians cannot avoid the responsibilities of citizenship, nor should they attempt to do so (Rom 13:1; 1 Pet 2:13). Jesus advised Jews to pay the taxes required by Rome
Our primary loyalty to God may
lead us into civil disobedience. If that
happens, it should not surprise us to THE REIGN OF GOD IN HUMAN LIVES
309
eet the unpleasa consequences. example, if a law institutionalizes social injustice, or protects those who do? Should they keep the law in deference to the authority of the state? Should they circumvent thee law as much as possible, short of actually breaking it? Should they seek to change the law through accepted political practices, such as placing an initiative on the ballot? Or should they openly, visibly defy such a law? In the name of
The New Testament SDeslnces.
persecution as a fact of life for
Christians in this world. It encourages us to ace the prospect enc
bravely, and rejoice when we can
share the sutferings of Christ (1 Pet 3:13, 17;4:12-13).
States tend to make claims for
themselves which Christians cannot
honor. The books of Daniel and
Revelation vividly portray this characteristic by depicting different nations as ravenous beasts which
oppose God's power and threaten his
people (see Dan 7; Rev 13). Obvi-
ously, Christians cannot give their allegiance to such centers of power.
The authority of the state is never
supreme for the Christian. This auth-
ority is legitimate to the extent that it
comes from God and reflects the na-
conscience, Christians have pursued all these courses of action.
The problem is particularly vexing when it comes to matters of life and death. It seems clear that Christians living under the control of Nazi Germany in the mid-twentieth century had a moral responsibility to
defy the laws that required them to
turn Jews in to the authorities. But it
is difficult to generalize from such ture of his own sovereignty; but when it encroaches on God's supremacy, its
claims must be resisted.
cases just when defiance is the
appropriate course of action.
One of the most difficult tasks
War Christians face is determining when
the laws of the land conflict with the
laws of God. To what extent can we
Christians have often wrestled with
the question of war, and their
opinions on the topic vary widely. Some believe it their duty as loyal comply with the state without vio
lating our obligations to God? Occa
Sionally, the issues are clear-cut. We
cannot, obviously, worship something less than God, or violate one of his
citizens to serve whenever their
country requires it. They feel that the
government, not they, becomes
responsible for any lives they might
take. In sharp contrast, others refuse
any form of military service, no
direct commands (see Dan 3:16-18). In other cases, however, the questions
are much more complicated. matter what the circumstances, ló
Problems: Legalized injustice What should Christians do, for
Some even object to registering tor
the draft.
REIGN OF GOD
310
identity as children of God, 19 n
face of it, certainly, it is hard to se
how subjects of the Prince of Peace
could conscientiously engage in the violent clashes of this world.
Early Adventists were keenly interested in moral issues, both
personal and social. They enthusi. astically supported the many reform
movements endorsed by evangelical
Protestants in the mid-eighteenth
century. They encouraged dress re
form and health reform, participated in the temperance movement, and advocated the abolition of slavery.
Over the years, however, Adventists
the Between these extremes
there are
numerous mediating positions.
Among them is the view that certain
wars are justified, but not others.17
Some Christians are willing to defend
their country against a clear threat to
its survival, for example, but they
would refuse to go to war to
implement a questionable
governmental policy in some distant
part of the world. There are also
Christians willing to participate in
military service short of bearing arms
and threatening human life.
Numerous Seventh-day Adventists in
the armed forces of the United States have tended to approach ethical
issues largely as matters of personal
morality, that is, as duties incumbent upon them as individuals, rather than as social problems which required the attention of Christians.
have served in noncombatant
capacities, for example,18 But in
many countries this option is not
available.
Military support A related question concerns a
Christian's involvement in any form of military endeavor. Can a Christian
manufacture combat boots, contribute research to biological warfare, develop a guidance system for missiles, or construct a nuclear bomb? Can a Christian pay the taxes that support these enterprises?
Beyond encouraging church members in the United States to register as noncombatants, Seventh- day Adventists have not devoteda great deal of attention to such perplexing questions. We have further work to do in thinking through our responsibilities as citizens in light of our fundamental
This has been changing in recent decades, however. Many Adventists are now willing to accept responsibility for society and attempt to apply Christian principles to social problems in a systematic way. A number of Adventists now have advanced degrees in the study of ethics. And there is a Center for Christian Bioethics at the church 'S Loma Linda University.
ETHICS AND THE LARGER CHRISTIAN LIFE
In this chapter on the Christian life, we have concentrated on the ethical THE REIGN OF GOD IN HUMAN LIVES
311
life. Ideally, all that a Christian does flows from a profound sense of gratitude to God for the gift of salvation, as we saw in our analysis of the relation between Christian
challenges Christians face. This
eflects the overall. Adventist men-
+ality. Adventists are widely known in the Christian world for devotion to
the law of God. As commandment keeping people, Seventh-day
Adventists have always cultivated a
strong sense of responsibility. We
expect a great deal of ourselves. For
most of us, developing our
characters, meeting our many obli-
gations, and fulfiing all of God's requirements form the essence of the
Christian lite. A sense of duty tends
to dominate our perception of
Christianity. Fulfilling moral obligations,
identity and Christian behavior. Accordingly, the dominant note of the Christian life should be joy rather than duty. The primary focus is on what God has done, not on what he asks us to do, important as that is. A spirit of thanksgiving makes the Christian life primarily one of celebration. Christians celebrate what God has done in all they do. They celebrate his sovereignty over every area of life, and they seek to extend his reign in the world. however, is Just part of the Christian
STUDY HELPS
Questions for review
. What is the relation between Christian identity and Christian behavior?
2. What is the appropriate role of human effort in Christian experience?
3. What are the essential characteristics of Christian love?
4. What is the relation between love and the law of God?
. What are the comprehensive objects of Christian responsibility?
6. What are a Christian's responsibilities in the areas of family, church, society,
and politics?
REIGN OF GOD
312
Questions for discussion
7. Christian experience includes knowledge, emotion, and behavior. How is
behavior related to these other dimensions?
8. What should a Christian do when different responsibilities conflict? Suppose, for example, that telling the truth would endanger someone's life, or that a person can survive only if he steals.
9. What right or responsibility does a church have for the behavior of its members? Should it require certain forms of behavior, provide general guidelines, or just leave ethical decisions up to the individual? What
ch should a church-related school or college take toward its students?
10 The Seventh-day Adventist Church requires its members to adhere to certain standards of behavior. Marital fidelity and abstinence from alcohol and tobacco, for example, are "tests of fellowship." The church strongly encourages other types of behavior, such as tithe-paying and a vegetarian diet, but does not make them a requirement for membership. And finally, the church leaves certain decisions, such as whether or not to have an abortion, up to individual judgment. How does, and how should, a religious ommunity decide which issues belong in each category?
11. How can young people achieve moral and ethical maturity in an environment like a strong Christian home or a church-related school, where many important decisions are, in effect, made for them?
12. In the nineteenth century Seventh-day Adventists in the United States supported efforts to pass laws prohibiting the sale and use of alcoholie beverages (see Gospel Workers, pp. 387-88), while they resisted eftorts to legalize Sunday observance. Is this consistent? When is it appropriate for Christians to legally enforce practices based on their religious beliefs? When is it not appropriate? Consider issues like legalizing prayer in public schools and outlawing the practice of abortion.
13. How are religion and morality related? Can they be separated? Can a p be moral without being religious?
THE REIGY OF GOD IN HUMAN LINES
313
Suggestions
for Bible study
undreds of commandments, covering virtually every 14. t of human activity. Study the examples listed below. Which sort of
The Bible contains hur 14. aspect of
3 andments are permanently valid, and which have temporary or limited com mmandments
application? How can you tell the difference? temporary or limited
a. Exod 20:3-17
b. Exod 22:25; Deut 23:19 C. Lev 11:7-8 (cf. 11:46-47 d. Lev 19:9-10; Deut 24:19-21 e. Eph 6:5-9
f. 1 Tim 2:11-15; 1 Cor 11:5 John 15:12
With two exceptions, the Ten Commandments are formulated in negativve "thou shalt not." Study Exod 20:3-17. How would you express the
15. terms- content of each commandment in a positive way?
In a number of instances in the Bible, people have God's approval to do 16. something that appears to violate one of his commandments. How do you
account for the following "violations" of the law? (The relevant
commandments are indicated in parentheses.)
a. Gen 22:2 (cf. Exod 20:13; Lev 20:2) b. Deut 25:5-6 (cf. Lev 18:16)
I Sam 15:1-3 (cf. Exod 20:13; Matt 5:44) d. 1 Sam 21:6 (cf. Lev 24:9) C.
e. Mark 2:23 (cf. Exod 20:8) e.
17. How did Jesus distinguish between more and less important requirements in
the law? See Matt 22:35-40; 23:23.
8. Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is the Bible's most important description of the
Christian life. Read Matt 5-7. Outline the major sections of the sermon. Is
une lite Jesus describes here a realistic possibility in this world?
18.
uS most famous description of the heart of Christian living is 1 Cor 13.
nalyze the essential qualities of love as Paul identifies them in this chapter.
o How does love transcend legalistic
requirements on the one hand (see John 19.
8:1- the prerogatives of personal liberty on the other (see I Cor 8)?
REIGN OF GOD