A Voice from the Past - Ambrose

Let not, therefore, expediency get the better of virtue, but virtue of expediency, By expediency here I mean what is accounted so by people generally.

Ambrose, Duties of the Clergy, Book III, Chapter VI, (translated by Rev. H. De Romestin, The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, T & T Clark and Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishers, 1997, p. 73).

What is involved in putting expediency first in our lives? How can we avoid it?

Can Family Values Be an Idol?

C. S. Lewis claims that if you make any earthly thing into a god, it becomes a demon. For anything put in the place of God becomes an idol (Colossians 3:5; Isaiah 31:1; Romans 1:21-23). And often it is the truly good things that are the most dangerous. For if something is obviously low and self-seeking, it is hard to put it up on a pedestal and worship it. Whereas something that is really valuable can invite this.

Evangelicals in recent times have fought hard to protect family values. This is not surprising, because they are obviously under attack. Now I am not saying we should ignore these issues. But our age is in danger of  making an idol of family, marriage, romance, sex, or some combination of the above. Some claim the goal of life is to hop into bed with as many members of the opposite sex as you can, but others claim if you fall in love with the one right person, you are guaranteed a wonderful life. It is easy, from the Christian point of view, to reject the first option (1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; Hebrews 13:4). But is the second view any the less idolatry? And when this fails, as it inevitably will, you can end up endlessly searching for that one person.

A proposed alternative is to claim you have to work at it to have an ideal marriage and family.. Now this can put you on an endless treadmill of continually trying harder. It can also lead to complacency or discouragement, depending on whether you believe you are succeeding. And it can totally ruin a marriage. For the harder you try to fix all the problems in the marriage, the more likely you are to end up alienating your spouse, who may end up feeling they are one of the problems. While we do need to be concerned about the state of our marriage and family, we ultimately need to trust God with them (Psalms 127:1,2; 37:3-6; Proverbs 3:5,6). And this will put what efforts we do make in perspective.

Also, if we take the performance approach, we can end up sitting in judgment on others, particularly those in Christian leadership, who do not live up to our expectations. Now there is a place for correction of clear sin in a loving manner (Galatians 6:1; Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Thessalonians 3:14,15). But we must beware of self-righteous judgment (James 4:11,12; Romans 14:4; 1 Corinthians 4:3-5). And this external pressure can aggravate the tendency to complacency or discouragement and produce the very thing it was meant to avoid. Complacency can leave someone unprepared to deal with sexual temptation. And discouragement can result in someone giving up trying to maintain the standard.   Now I do think there are Biblical standards here we need to uphold. But if we make family values into an idol, we can end up destroying the very thing we are trying to save.        

A Conspiracy Unmasked

There is something attractive in the idea that everything is a complicated conspiracy of some sort. It allows us the pride of feeling we have seen through this deep plot (Proverbs 16:18; 1 Corinthians 3:18; 8:1-3). It also allows us to paint whoever we disagree with as utterly evil. But it is not really plausible. The problem is not that people are not that evil, though I doubt that, even though human beings are sinners (Romans 3:23; Isaiah 64:6; Jeremiah 17:9), they are in general that uncompromisingly evil. The problem is that they are not that competent. We are capable of pulling off very limited sorts of conspiracy. But carrying out a massive, complicated sort of conspiracy, like the one envisioned here, without getting caught or exposed, is extremely problematic. And I am convinced it is one of Satan's schemes to befuddle us. By stereotyping them as unremittingly evil, it can turn Christians away from their obligation to love even their enemies (Matthew 5:43-46; Romans 12:17-21; Colossians 4:5,6). But it can also be used by those who disagree with us to invent complicated ways to avoid the Christian contentions. However, I am convinced that it is an illusion and keeps us from having a logical evaluation of the facts as they really are. But it can be by either side to prop up their theories. Nonetheless, it is a dangerous indulgence and should be avoided.  

Is the Institutional Church Evil?

There are many, including many who regard themselves as Christians, who denounce the institutional church as an evil thing. Is this true? Now "institutional" is a slippery term. But we need to go back to the beginning. The church is the assembly of all those saved by putting their faith in Christ (Acts 2:38-47; 20:28; Ephesians 3:10-12). It is His body, through which He accomplishes His purposes in the world (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Colossians 2:19). Therefore, we are a people who belong to Christ (Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:4-12; Ephesians 5:25-30).

Now as members of this we are required to be organized. We are expected to have leaders, though they are servant-leaders (Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Hebrews 13:17). We are to meet together in an orderly fashion, though it may be in an informal context (1 Corinthians 14:26-33; 11:17-22; Hebrews 10:24,25). And it is hard to have any impact on the world without being organized. But the danger in any organization is that it can end up serving the needs of the organization or its leadership rather than accomplishing the purpose for which it was created. Now the organizational church should, as far as it can, reflect the universal church. This will always be imperfect in an imperfect world. There will be surprises. There will be people in leadership roles who do not belong there. There will be obscure people who have an important part to play. But we need to make the effort to see that the organizational church reflects Christ's purposes and does not just promote the organization or its leaders.

Now is there a difference between an organization and an institution, and what is it? From what I can see, an institution is a permanent, fundamental part of a society. Now it is possible to be an organization without being an institution. The government is an institution, but the bird-watchers' club is not. It is possible to be institution without being an organization. Marriage is an institution, but we would normally not regard it as an organization. But is the church an institution? The church should be an established, foundational part of the life of the believer. But it is dubious to make it an established part of society as a whole. This tends to result in conformity to the world (1 John 2:15-17; Romans 12:1,2; James 4:4). But marginalizing our church involvement is not the answer. We are required to strike a careful balance. The institutional church is a good thing as far as it reflects the organizational church which reflects the universal church. But when it becomes a means to its own ends, it can become destructive. So we need to carefully weigh how we, as Christ's church,  can have an impact on each other and those around us without being forced into society's mold.

A Touch of Humor - Worship Conundrum

What limits should we have on what constitutes genuine worship? Where should we draw the line?

Old Erich Proverb - Danger

The real danger is not the evil things, but the good things we let get between us and God.

A Voice from the Past - Luther

Thus there remains in us an everlasting strife and resistance, so that much impurity is always creeping in and thus dividing our person, and there can be no flawless purity, or a good conscience or perfect love, except perhaps what may appear to be so to men.

Martin Luther, 1483-1546, On the Sum of the Christian Life, (Sermons I, Luther's Works, Volume 51, translated by John W. Doberstein, general editor Helmut T. Lehmann, Muhlenburg Press, 1959, p. 275)

Is this true of us? How should it affect our approach to life?