ACCOUNTABLE TO
GOD
1 Timothy
2:1-4
I have a confession to make…I like
people to like me—and I don’t like it when they don’t! As a matter of fact, there have been times
in my life when I have done things that I did not think were right just to win
the approval of others. There may be
some exceptions, but I believe that applies to most of us.
As Christians,
we have to get used to the fact that every day in certain quarters, that we
stand alone in what we believe and have to contend with those who oppose us,
who do not like us.
For the nation,
we now face a situation in which our actions of war in Iraq have stirred up the
wrath of other nations who are violently opposed to what we are doing. We watch the nightly news and see many of
our fellow-citizens loudly blasting the course we are taking as evidence of
barbaric leadership and immoral behavior.
How are we
supposed to respond to all that? We
have not faced this kind of division since the Vietnam War and frankly we are
not sure what to make of it. Some have
questioned how we as a nation could go against the grain of world-wide opinion
and strong opposition at home to pursue such an unpopular course of action.
It is rather
simple really—
THESIS: Principled actions do not
depend upon the majority opinion but upon the uncompromising practice of what
we believe.
Acting on the
basis of principle frees us to keep our eye on what is important instead of
what is popular. It focuses our
attention on issues beyond the immediate and places them in the context of what
is always true and right.
Were we as a church about to
make some major decisions about what we are supposed to do to reach our
community for Christ and rescue people who are oppressed and held hostage to
their own sin, would we convene a council of unbelieving advisers to help us
figure out what to do? Of course
not! They do not have our same values,
our same beliefs, our same biblical principles—they would not only be of no
value to the decision-making process but would impede us, distract us from the
task at hand!
If Arab nations oppose what we are
doing, is anyone surprised since their world view is so totally different from
ours, their values so radically contrary to ours in so many respects?
If Far Eastern nations oppose what
we are doing, again their world view is distinctively different.
If other Western nations oppose
what we are doing, we do need to consider the basis for their opposition since
on the surface it appears that we operate within a similar value system. But among many in the European community,
nearly all vestiges of biblical faith have been eradicated from the public
arena. Although in many ways the same
could be said of the USA, there is still a core of biblical faith that holds
our values to some uniform understanding of what is right.
Therefore, when
we as a nation decide to take action, it needs to be based upon principle, not
popular opinion, not a poll of the nations!
Proverbs
20:18 tells us that we do need to seek advice:
Make plans by
seeking advice; if you wage war, obtain guidance.
But Psalm
1:1-2 reminds us that the counsel we seek must be committed to the
truth of God’s Word:
Blessed is the
man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of
sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates
day and night.
How then are we
supposed to think about all these things we face each time we read the paper or
watch the news? What are we accountable
to do and think about what is going on in the world? God’s Word offers us the counsel we need.
I.
ACCOUNTABLE TO PRAY
--In all things, we are expected to pray because God has
called us to Himself with the understanding that the unique nature of our
relationship with Him will give us that desire.
1 Timothy 2:1
1First
of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings,
be made on behalf of all men,
--Paul tells Timothy and those in the Ephesian church to
pray, not just for their own needs and desires but also for others so that
their hearts would be large enough to get beyond our own little worlds.
If we are not careful, we can find ourselves spending all our time in
prayer without ever surfacing any concern for anyone but ourselves—a rather
selfish approach to prayer!
A. PRAY FOR
OUR ENEMIES
--Jesus made it clear that as His disciples, we are both
obligated to pray for our enemies and will find that our hearts are most like
the Father’s when we think of those who persecute us the same way He does.
Matthew 5:43-44 43“You have heard
that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ 44“But
I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
--Although this runs counter to every instinct we have, the
blessing of doing so comes immediately when we realize that we cannot hate
those for whom we pray.
B. PRAY FOR
OUR LEADERS, THOSE IN AUTHORITY
--The human spirit thrives on rebellion and loves to resist
all authority in our lives.
--But Paul reminds Timothy and his family of faith that it
is the privilege of Christians to pray for those in authority over us—even when
their rule over us may be unjust—even when they are tyrants persecuting us.
1 Timothy 2:2
2for
kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet
life in all godliness and dignity.
--One of the clearest indications of the motives of those
who rebel against authority can be found in whether or not they pray for those
in authority over them.
Those who spew venom against their leaders, speak out hatefully against
them, despise them—usually are found in free nations where such behavior is
allowed! But their behavior also
reveals that they have not yet developed the kind of heart God longs to see in
those who profess love for Him.
Whether that rebellion is seen in
abusive words spoken against President Bush with no suggestion that any prayer
preceded such poison—or whether that malice is directed toward former President
Clinton who suffered more condemnation than he enjoyed intercession—or even the
prayerless verbal attacks on Saddam Hussein—if we want to understand what our
responsibility is toward those in authority, it is to pray for them!
That does not mean you have to
agree with them, or even go along with what they say and do, but your heart is
on trial if you neglect or refuse to pray for those in seats of authority.
C. PRAY FOR
SALVATION
--Sometime you may not know exactly how to pray, but Paul
offers insight into that as well:
1 Timothy 2:3-4
3This
is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires
all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
--If you are not sure what else to pray, you can pray that
God will bring salvation to the hearts of those whose politics may be suspect,
whose character may be sinful, whose practices may be corrupt—but who are not
beyond the saving power of the redeeming grace of Jesus Christ!
--When we cannot figure out what else we can do, and when we
feel helpless in the face of such a massive global problem, when we cannot say
for sure what the will of God is regarding issues beyond our grasp—we do know
that it is God’s desire for us to pray
for our leaders!
II.
ACCOUNTABLE FOR JUSTICE
--As we pray for our leaders and those in authority over us,
we need to recognize that God holds them accountable for ruling with justice,
mercy and humility.
Micah 6:8
8He has showed you, O
man, what is good. And what does the
LORD require of you? To act justly and
to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
--In the area of justice, the world has never grasped what
is truly just, confusing it often with what is fair and ending up making a
mockery of what God considers to be just.
Justice –That which is right, proper, righteous and has to do with
doing what is right toward both God and man, upholding what is true and right
in the eyes of God.
--As followers of Christ, we also are accountable to the
Lord for doing what is just, loving what is merciful and walking humbly with
our God.
--But please note that not everyone will applaud when we act
justly—since the usual motivation of the human race has a seed of selfishness,
justice will not be a popular choice…just a necessary one!
v
WE
ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO CONFRONT INJUSTICE AND DEFEND ITS VICTIMS
Psalm 82:2-4
2How
long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? 3Vindicate
the weak and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and destitute. 4Rescue the weak and needy;
deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.
--God does not expect His people to allow injustice to go
unchallenged as if it were not our concern, but He calls upon us to defend and
rescue those victimized by the wicked, oppressed by the unjust.
--Why then do so many people prefer to walk away and not get
involved, to leave the afflicted and destitute to their misery?
· They do not
understand what it means to act justly simply because it is right and we get
nothing in return.
· They do not
understand what it means to love mercy and offer mercy to the oppressed instead
of to the oppressor.
· They do not
understand what it means to walk humbly with God because they have understood
too well what it means to walk defiantly and arrogantly away from God.
Proverbs 28:5
5Evil
men do not understand justice,
but
those who seek the LORD understand it fully.
Much of the opposition to what is going on in Iraq
now has to do with justice and righteousness demanding that oppression and
wickedness cease. By refusing to help a
nation whose leaders have violated their humanity and defied all that could
pass for truth and honor, we become enablers of their wickedness instead of
defenders of justice. In short, we
abdicate our responsibility to act justly—even if it is not in our back yard!
Further, the threats of wickedness
cannot be ignored without imperiling our own nation which now enjoys “liberty
and justice for all”—even among those who do not believe that God’s justice is
a cause worthy of standing for.
--How then do we explain why there is such division of
opinion on what the nations should do regarding the wicked regime in Baghdad?
III.
ACCOUNTABLE TO THE GOD WHO IS
--In the latter part of this letter, Paul reminds Timothy of
the awesome wonder of the God they serve:
1 Timothy 6:15 15…He who is the
blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords; 16who
alone dwells in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
--If we have a mistaken understanding of who God is,
everything else we think we understand will be inaccurate and will mislead us
in our thinking, take us in wrong directions toward wrong conclusions.
A. MISREPRESENTATIONS OF THE GOD WHO IS LEAD TO MISUNDERSTANDINGS OF
WHAT IS RIGHT
--In the current debates over what is right and what is
wrong about the state of international affairs, much of the discussion is based
on unstable foundations and unfounded presuppositions—usually arising either
· from an intentional disregard for God’s perspective (secular
point of view), or
· from a misrepresentation of God’s perspective (unbiblical
point of view).
--What are some of the current misrepresentations of God
that have led to such divergent points of view about what He considers right?
1. “A God
still trying to figure out what He should do”
--Much has been written over the past few years about what
has been called “Open Theism” which believes that God does not know the future
any more than we do.
--Therefore, He is just as surprised by the way things turn
out as we are and is constantly learning and growing—not exactly a
confidence-building picture of a God who is described very differently in the
Bible!
In a recent sermon preached here in our city, an old
heresy once again found expression as the nature of God was misrepresented to
support a view that having the power to wage war does not make it right (a
valid point in itself). However, hear
the characterization of God as a struggling, “learning-on-the-fly” deity as the
pastor revises the account of the Flood:
”God is saying
to Godself, this was a terrible mistake and it must never be repeated. We’re not accustomed to hearing such
language about God. We are used to
hearing God described as omniscient and omnipotent. In other words, God knows everything
and can do anything.
God doesn’t make mistakes and
certainly doesn’t need to repent. But remember, that is a Greek understanding of God that got blended in with early Christianity. The biblical view of God from the Hebrew scriptures is of a God who is interacting with the creation, learning along the way, and
yes, even making mistakes. Over and over again in the Bible we see God repenting and changing directions.”
Friends, the God who never changes, who always does whatever He pleases, and
that is always good, must have been grieved to hear someone speak for Him who
obviously has created a god for himself that bears little resemblance to the
God of Scripture!
Numbers 23:19
19“God
is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; has
He said, and will He not do it? Or has
He spoken, and will He not make it good?
Note: In the passage to
which the pastor referred, Genesis 6:6, the text does say that God was sorry,
that He was grieved, that He had made man.
Does that mean that God is still forming opinions, working things out by
trial and error, and does not know what He is doing? Of course not!
2. “A God who does not take Himself or His
justice too seriously”
--If God is not committed to justice, then why should we
be? But He is totally committed to
justice!
--Many advocates of a consequence-free world would love to
believe that God is weak on justice and will one day set it aside and let
everyone get away with everything instead of holding them accountable (as He
says throughout the Scriptures).
--Therefore, there was no reason for Jesus to die since God
is not holding anyone responsible to His standard of eternal justice—according
to this misrepresentation of God’s character.
We should not demand justice for anyone when we do
not believe we will ever have to answer for what we have done ourselves—that is
too difficult to believe even among the rest of the inconsistencies of thought
that pervasively confuse people.
--The implications have led some to decide that
annihilation for the wicked is the only “proper” response of the God they have
created—to condemn people as sinful and evil in an eternal manner, such as the
biblical teaching about eternal torment in hell is unthinkable to those who
believe God has only a limited allegiance to justice and a passive interest in
offenses against His holy and righteous name!
--Those misrepresentations of the biblical
view of God makes it possible to come up with a God who refuses to admit that
evil really is destructive so He will not confront it.
--If God is convinced of the destructive power of
wickedness, He must be equally convinced by His own sense of justice that He
cannot allow it to go unchecked…evil must be confronted—and from God’s
perspective punished.
3. A God who changed from the Old Testament and
became much more likable in the New Testament.
--Since no one really can argue that the Bible does not
reveal that God authorized war throughout the Old Testament, championed the
cause of the righteous and actually destroyed His enemies on many occasions,
those who maintain that God cannot ever support armed conflict have some
homework to do!
--The usual methods follow a predictable pattern:
v The Bible is
unreliable as a record of what God is really like—we know better what He is
like by our experiences and our reason than by His own divine revelation.
v The God of the
Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are very different because God
has “grown up” and matured, or He has chosen to pursue a totally different
directions since His first plan was not working.
--Of course this makes it necessary to have Jesus speak out
to correct wrong impressions, or introduce a new and improved view of God.
--Therefore, you will hear folks admitting that God acted as
a warrior in the Old but Jesus would never do that in the New—making it
necessary to conclude either that Jesus is not God, or that God has radically
changed.
--That premise may be supported by a selective reading of
certain NT passages, but hardly matches the passages which speak of Jesus as
the Judge who will wage war against unrighteousness and the enemies of His
glory.
Revelation 17:14
14These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will
overcome them, because He is the Lord of lords, and King of kings, and those
who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.
Revelation 19:11
11And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He
who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he judges and
wages war.
Revelation 19:15-16
15And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He
may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads
the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16And on His robe and on His
thigh He has a name written, “King of kings and Lord of lords.”
--You can see that if the idea is to make Jesus over into a
pure pacifist who would never justify the use of force to confront evil, the
same NT completely removes that as a legitimate option.
4. A God who has been embarrassingly
misrepresented by the Biblical authors and who had no ability to communicate
what He is really like.
--In order to remove this problem, those who have reached
their conclusions about what God is like apart from the biblical revelation
simplify the issue by determining that God was embarrassingly misrepresented by
the Biblical authors—an error that biblical critics are more than happy to
correct!
--Consequently, the God who is becomes the God who we want
to be, the God who agrees with our point of view, the God who is
one-dimensional with only a mercy and love side and without a just and holy
side.
--None of this is new—people have always tried to reduce God
to a manageable scale so that He does not interfere with what they want to do,
nor impose His truth on what they choose to believe.
B. DELIGHTING IN THE GOD WHO IS LEADS TO DISCERNMENT ABOUT WHAT IS
RIGHT
--In order to reach right conclusions, we need to believe
what is true and let our minds dwell on who God really is according to His own
Word:
Jeremiah 9:23-24 23Thus says the
LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast
of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; 24but let him
who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD
who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight
in these things,” declares the LORD.
--As a nation, we have disgraced ourselves for generations
by abandoning the foundations upon which our freedoms were won.
--We have valued knowledge more than wisdom, might more than
right, riches more than principle.
--But the time has come for us to come back to the heart of
our heritage—that the Lord is God and his reign over us is central to our
survival and success as a people.
--Doing what is right defines what we become—regardless of
what the rest of the world thinks, what the opposing points of view shout in
protest.
Proverbs 14:34
34Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any
people.
--Therefore, our calling as a church is to call the nation
back to Christ, call them back to truth, call them back to principled-living
based upon the knowledge of who God really is!
Let the boast of
God’s people be that we “understand and
know the Lord” just as He has revealed Himself in His Word and in His Son,
Jesus Christ.
Then when we
face the tough decisions in life, we can do so as those who abide in Him, who
have the mind of Christ, who delight in the same things He does—“lovingkindness, justice and righteousness
on earth.”
Principled
actions do not depend upon the majority opinion but upon the uncompromising
practice of what we believe to be true—beliefs that are rooted and firmly
established in the eternal truth of God in Christ Jesus.
Therefore, PRAY!! Pray that God will show us His way through His Word and bring great glory to His name through the trying circumstances of these difficult days. Pray that God will bring many to salvation as they see His hand at work in spite of the obstacles before us.
Ask the Lord for
the nations and He will answer!
Remember His promise:
Psalm 22:27-28
27All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the
Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before Him, for
dominion belongs to the Lord and He rules over the nations.
May the Lord
grant this promise in answer to our prayers, “for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a
tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:2).
March 24, 2003
Providence Baptist Church
©
David Horner 2003
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