1 John 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

We’ve talked so far about the Christian Left as distinct from the Political Left and the same applied to the Christian and Political Right.  There is a reason I’ve been using a train track analogy and today, we’ll explore a particular reason why train tracks accurately depict the interaction between people, God, and the culture.

In a speech to the Temple Israel of Hollywood, Dr. King is quoted as saying,

Oh, I know that there are still dark and difficult days ahead. Before we get there some more of us will have to get scarred up a bit. Before we reach that majestic land some more will be called bad names. Some will be called reds and communists simply because they believe in the brotherhood of man.

With acknowledgment that Dr. King was a man of God whose heart was in the right place and his own eyes were straight ahead, on track as a Christian with God Himself as the goal, the truth is that some in his company were called reds and communists…because they were. They proudly admitted they were.  Their preferences shouldn’t have rubbed off on Dr. King, but it is evidence of how easily Christians can be seen as getting off-track.  Perception–in the eyes of many people–becomes reality.

In a strange little discourse hidden in 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul describes what happens when Christians get off track.

1 Corinthians 15:30 And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? 31 I die every day– I mean that, brothers– just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32 If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 34 Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God– I say this to your shame.

You see, it’s really easy to find oneself so focused on the Christian Left rail or the Christian Right rail that we are completely unaware that those with totally different goals have swooped in alongside and thrown the switch on our train tracks until we are no longer headed toward God as a destination.

When the switch is thrown, we may not know this right away, but eventually we discover we have abandoned God in favor of different goals altogether.  Indeed, “Bad company corrupts good character.”

Follow the notion of Community—off the mainstream Christian ideal of community as the Church—and become so focused on the left rail instead of on God and where does it lead us?  It leads us aside to the Political Left for whom social justice, environmental stewardship, sexual freedom, and loving humanity, etc. become goals in themselves—apart from God.  It’s a human-centered idolatry that removes God from the center and corrupts good character.   Dr. Martin Luther King may have kept his own eyes on God at the end of the track, but those with whom he partnered carried a movement God was initially “in”—so far off-track—that civil rights and issues of fairness became the primary drivers instead of the God of Christianity.  The means had become the end and his partners had left Dr. King behind though he remained the figurehead.  It’s really sad on many different levels.

To all of us in the Christian mainstream, I implore you to keep your eyes on God Himself. 

Take stock of the track you’re following.  Keep careful guard over the company you’re keeping and who you allow to take the reins of the ministry work you do. 

Consider seriously this fact about confusing the ends with the means:

Take the Spirit of Life—Jesus Himself—out of an issue and frankly, it’s dead.

Yes, it applies to the Christian Left but it equally does to the Christian Right.  Follow the notion of Individual—off the Christian ideal of each member of the Body of Christ—and become so focused on the right rail instead of on God and where does this lead us?  Someone pulls the switch and it leads us to the Political Right for whom a human-centered selfish idolatry takes over.  Rugged individualism apart from God leads us way too easily to an “Am I my brother’s keeper?” mentality.  Individualism plus money minus God leads to greed.  It’s serving Mammon instead of God because you can’t serve both.  It leads us to not caring what happens to others so long as it doesn’t impact us.  Looking out for Number One was never Jesus’ motto.  Looking out for the interests of others is more like it.

When we get off-track, though, we can err on either side.  Sacrificing the community for the sake of the individual is every bit as wrong as caring so much about community that we sacrifice individuals for the sake of the many.

We must endeavor–as the Christian mainstream–not to get sidetracked onto other tracks with goals other than God.  It is not easy, particularly the better known and more effective the ministry or church gets.  But by keeping our eyes on the goal of God instead of on the rail, we won’t get carried off-track which happens easily because Bad Company Corrupts Good Character.

===

This series included

http://seminarygal.com/understanding-the-christian-left/

http://seminarygal.com/understanding-the-christian-right/

http://seminarygal.com/bad-company-corrupts-good-character/

Last week we were using a train track analogy to look at the priorities of the Christian Left and the Christian Right.  Both priorities are completely Christian and valid.  Both are necessary for the Body of Christ to do the work God has called us to do.  We cannot look at the rail opposite our own and believe those who follow it are unnecessary.  We cannot believe they are unbiblical simply because they are not like us.

 We need each other.  In the words of a few of my seminary professors, “We are better together.”

Yes, indeed, we are!  Furthermore, we need to be together in order to be better.

So, going back to our train track analogy, if there’s a left rail (Community) and a right rail (Individual), what holds the track together?  Jesus Christ, the Living Word.

In actual train tracks, what keeps the rails attached together?  The ties and the spikes.

But they must be secure upon a good foundation.  It needs to be solid as a rock. The rock foundation can withstand the weight of the freight.  Think about it: Rails secured to a foundation of shifting sand would never be able to keep the train from derailing.

The stability of the tracks depends on the foundation. 

What is our foundation?  The Word of God.

Building on a solid foundation, there are railroad ties that span the width of the tracks, in order to keep the rails parallel, heading toward the very same goal.  Railroad ties are like planks in our theology.  Like sound doctrine.

Tied together and working in parallel, we head toward the same goal of God Himself.  The Church makes progress toward doing God’s will—together!

With a solid foundation and precision ties that span the breadth, the rails are then secured to the ties-that-bind with spikes. Think of the spikes as the nails through Jesus’ hands.  If this is what it took on the Cross to secure the rails…onto the ties… built on the same foundation for the Christian Left and the Christian Right, shouldn’t we be willing to work together for His glory’s sake?

Jesus died for both the community of believers known as the Church, but also for the individual person who repents and confesses the Name of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Solid foundation of the Word of God. Ties of sound doctrine binding Christian to Christian.  Spikes securing us in the Body of Christ as community and as individuals.  This is how Christians can avoid derailing our faith.  We can be staying on track, all the way to the salvation of our souls.

1 Peter 1:8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Most people don’t have a hard time acknowledging the existence of the Christian Right even if they find it irksome.  The Christian Right ranks in popularity along with Brussels sprouts and Lima beans among a wide swath of American culture.  If you stop to analyze it with civility—as we did with the Christian Left—we will find that this annoyance is really unfounded.

Just as we said regarding the Christian Left, the Christian Right should not be confused with the Political Right. 

To be fair in my exposition, the Political Right is comprised of those called right-wingers, conservatives, Tea Party activists, capitalists, nationalists, and yes, even fascists (which I personally don’t see, but on a traditional left-right spectrum of political ideology it’s shown as the far right and I’m trying to stay honest here).

Though the Political Right and the Christian Right are distinct, they too have certain things in common.  There is a notable exception: The Christian Right believes in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Therefore, no matter how annoyed the Political Left gets with the Political Right, the Christian Left should do more than tolerate–they should embrace the Christian Right as the valued corrective to a view of the Christian faith that exalts community at the expense of the individual.

Going back to our train track analogy from yesterday, if the left rail could be labeled Community, the right rail could be labeled Individual.  To the Christian Right, the world isn’t divided into classes (e.g. rich, poor, Jew, Greek, slave, free), the world is comprised of individuals, each of whom matter to God.

Whereas the Christian Left is enamored with community, the Christian Right (populated significantly by Protestants) prioritizes individual decisions and each being born again into the family of Christ.  While Jesus is returning for a community of disciples, He is also returning for you and for me within that body called the Church.  It is significant that our names are listed individually in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Because the right rail lifts the individual along the path to our common destination, God Himself, the Christian Right is deeply concerned with evangelization and the truth of the Gospel as the best way of growing the community, one soul at a time.  The Christian Right sees teaching, preaching, and evangelism as the best means to bring the individual to knowledge of Christ and a personal saving relationship.

The Christian Left needs the Christian Right to remind themselves that we’re not dealing with masses of people in a huddle to be fed with earthly food and that’s where compassion ends.  Rather, we minister to a mass of individuals who need spiritual sustenance as a valid priority.  Let’s face it: With or without salvation, death happens to everyone.  Whether one dies from starvation at age 12 or from diabetes at age 102, what the individual did with Jesus Christ makes an eternal difference.

Romans 2:6 God “will give to each person according to what he has done.” 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.

Therefore, let’s not judge the Christian Right harshly for having each individual as a priority.  Charity alone isn’t the final measure of compassion.  Giving one person the Gospel truth can change that soul’s eternal destination in a way that a bowl of rice—while helpful in the moment of the flesh—cannot.

The Christian Left needs the Christian Right for this reason.  Arm in arm and shoulder-to-shoulder we can stay on track to our eternal goal: God’s presence.  We can help one another to stay focused on the author and perfecter of our faith—Jesus—as we build a community of individuals, ministering to their physical needs and giving them spiritual food that comes by way of teaching them eternal Truth.

Romans 10:12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile– the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

===

This series included

http://seminarygal.com/understanding-the-christian-right/

http://seminarygal.com/understanding-the-christian-left/

http://seminarygal.com/bad-company-corrupts-good-character/

Does the Christian Left actually exist, or is it an oxymoron like “wise fool” or “jumbo shrimp”?

The Christian Left surely exists—it is no oxymoron—and today, I’d like to suggest that it’s a matter of Christian priorities.  Understanding the Christian Left benefits the Body of Christ as we embrace a wider theological perspective.

Let’s start with an important distinction: The Christian Left is not the same as the Political Left which frequently doesn’t like Christianity and the Bible a whole lot, in general. 

For the Political Left (often known as Liberals, Progressives, Greens, Lefties, Leftists, Socialists, Communists, etc) there is a priority of political power concerns in a world regardless of any involvement of any god.  They are characterized by their belief in the power of government to make the human condition better.

The Christian Left has some characteristics in common with the Political Left, with one important exception:  The Christian Left, being Christian, believes in Jesus as the Son of God.

In a separate post, I’ll elaborate on the problems we get when we conflate the Christian Left with the Political Left and do the same thing with the Christian Right and the Political Right.  We will also look at how politics and religion are lenses through which we see the world and how the priority and ordering of these lenses makes a significant difference.  Conflating politics and religion is poor policy and brings out the worst in people.  For now, I’d like to bring the discussion through the route of civility.

Let’s consider train tracks as an analogy:

There are two steel rails for most track trains (for our purposes, we won’t consider monorails).  There is a left rail and a right rail, both of which acting in parallel, head toward the same goal.  For the Christian, our Christian roundhouse is God Himself.  He is our goal; His presence is our destination; He owns the tracks; and He maintains the tracks in accordance with His best practices to ensure that no derailments occur.

For the Christian fellowship of believers, the left rail can be labeled “Community.”  The left rail cares deeply about the entire community of believers and those who will become believers.  The left rail is moved with great empathy and compassion for the poor and disenfranchised, desiring to bring them into community and to minister to their needs.  They are drawn to social causes and want to do good to the brotherhood of man.

In his book, Five Great Catholic Ideas, Edward Wm. Clark outlines one of the central tenets of the Christian movement, embraced particularly by Roman Catholics (and I would add the Christian Left):

“We are saved in community.”

I say it is a Christian tenet because when Jesus returns, He’s not coming for a bunch of brides, but A Bride: His Church. 

He’s returning to gather a Community and bring us to be with Him forever.  Yes, the community has individuals and we’ll talk about that in another post, but for now, let’s just all agree that He’s not returning for one or many individuals acting in solo effort, but for one community of unified disciples known as the Body of Christ, or alternatively, the Church.

The Christian Left gets this. 

We’re a Community. We will be saved as a Community of followers. 

We should care about Community and about brothers and sisters, no matter where in the world they reside. 

It matters what happens to other people because it’s both our witness and an expression of our love.  The Christian Right needs the Christian Left’s heightened emphasis on community as a great reminder, holding the train on the track as together, we head toward the goal of Christlikeness.

Christian Left and Christian Right–we are one body.  And we are called to peace.

===

This series included

http://seminarygal.com/understanding-the-christian-left/

http://seminarygal.com/understanding-the-christian-right/

http://seminarygal.com/bad-company-corrupts-good-character/

Fox News Commentator Kirsten Powers has joined the ranks of Evangelical Christianity.  Welcome aboard, my sister!  Check out the article here.  In the article, it reads,

How was I going to tell my family or friends about what had happened? Nobody would understand. I didn’t understand. (It says a lot about the family in which I grew up that one of my most pressing concerns was that Christians would try to turn me into a Republican.)

For the record, let’s just admit that GOP doesn’t stand for God’s Own Party.  Christians—true Christians—are affiliated with different political parties.  Much of this can be traced to highlighting one issue over another in any Christian’s priority list.

Take me for example: I am unequivocally pro-life.  Jesus was and that’s why I am.  Now, pause and think for a moment if you know pro-life Democrats and pro-choice Republicans.  If you get around much, you certainly do.

In fact, I’d argue that many in the GOP leadership are embarrassed about people like me: Christian, theologically conservative, pro-life, stay-at-home moms.  They probably dislike me every bit as much as many liberal Democrats, like this blogger who wrote:

Having done a fair amount of legal work for non-profit organizations, one of the big no-no’s is involvement in political activities in support or opposition of particular candidates and/or legislation. To be tax-exempt, one had to focus on charitable activities, not politics and candidate support. Increasingly, churches – principally conservative ones – have thrown this concept out the window and here in Virginia, many conservative (translated, anti-gay, anti-abortion, and anti-religious freedom for others) churches are now basically an arm of the Republican Party with activities orchestrated through the ever foul Family Foundation.

Do I detect a tiny amount of animosity here?  Is it really “principally conservative ones” or shall we cry foul, or would that be “ever foul?”

Well, Mr. Blogger, how do we reconcile that with this (I received it just yesterday)?  It was sent by a pastor to his congregation:

The Commonwealth of Virginia has authorized no money to help the poor enroll in Affordable Care Act health plans.  All assistance must be done by volunteers.  [Name of organization removed for anonymity] is filling this gap. Anyone can volunteer with them to be part of the solution.  This is a social justice issue… So – thanks, friends, for considering doing God’s work in this way.

God’s work?  Did I miss the day God voted for the Affordable Care Act? 

(Is this even a church we’re talking about?  Yes, sadly yes.  Supposedly…)

Is there anything stopping this pastor from organizing a team of hospitals, doctors, nurses, and dentists to offer pro bono care to the indigent as an expression of loving, Christian ministry?  Of course not.  Is there anything stopping this pastor from encouraging his congregations to supply nutritional food to food banks, build homes through Habitat for Humanity, provide medical care for the poorest of the poor through forming a medical ministry like my friend’s Hands and Hearts International that over the years has provided medical and dental care for tens of thousands in Africa.  Someone could start a ministry for Virginia…the location of both the blogger and the pastor…and you know what?  Maybe if they did that instead of bowing down to the government, the Christian witness would be even more evident.

When your church signs up the poor for some controversial government program,

what is that saying about who provides?

Is it God who has provided?  Or is it the government?

What is your witness, sir? 

Whether Republicans or Democrats, our goal should be to point to Jesus every chance we get.  It doesn’t mean we can’t be vocal about the intersection of faith and life, doctrine and discipleship, or communicate what the Gospel speaks as admonition to a culture far from God. Mr. Pastor, let me say this as clearly as I know how:

Christian witness of the Church hangs in the balance.  It is why we need to have Christianity apart from politics.  Jesus stood above the politics of His time and we should follow His example.

Controversies between Christians damage Christianity, diminish our influence in the world, waste precious time, and they brand Jesus in a very unbecoming way. 

This is almost unforgivable. 

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  If by our actions, we steer people from desiring the only way to their salvation, what have we accomplished?

I’m beginning to think that nearly every controversy in the Church contains the same cast of often well-educated characters vehemently arguing their sides. 

What is it you want:

to be found right,

or to be found righteous?  

God is not impressed with how smart you controversy-lovers are.  Perhaps He would say to you what He says in Revelation 2:

Revelation 2:1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

If the goal of the command to teach sound doctrine is love, then we must treat others in a way that accomplishes that end.  Loveless behavior and sniping at fellow believers will never produce a loving consequence.  Nor will divisiveness create an ever-increasing and unified body of believers.

If your goal is to be found right, chances are good you won’t be found righteous because pride undercuts any doctrinal correctness you may think you have.  Worse, this pride sacrifices brothers and sisters.  If the second command to love neighbors is just like the first, “Love the Lord your God,” then righteous person keeps in mind the goal of love.  The right and righteous one will steer clear of needing to be found right in the eyes of those men who enjoy being mired in meaningless controversies.

With so many Christians arguing with one another, it’s enough to make you throw up your hands and ask, “Why do Christians insist on devouring each other?”

There was recently a conference by John MacArthur called Strange Fire in which Pentecostals and charismatics were being challenged as promoting unbiblical pursuits.  For some this was an important area of doctrinal investigation.  For others it was being unnecessarily controversial and divisive to the Christian community.  Strange Fire generated far more heat than light.

How do we know when to hold onto our principles and when to let mere controversies go? 

The Bible encourages us to love God and neighbor by holding to the truth of what is clearly discerned in the pages of Scripture.  To let go of the love for either God or neighbor is an unproductive and fruitless endeavor.  God’s work is by faith, often hidden, and visible only in the spiritual realm.  To argue about what’s not clear in Scripture that we cannot see with anything other than eyes of faith is a waste of valuable energy and time that would be better used to promote the Gospel.

Let us endeavor to do what Paul told Timothy:

 1 Timothy 1: 3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God’s work– which is by faith. 5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.