I wonder if you have noticed that we are often reluctant to personally accept a challenge that we perceive is so obviously relevent to the lives of others?
For example, when the world saw the enacted stand-off between a Chinese student and a military fighting vehicle (and its crew) in Beijing's Tieneman Square several years ago, many of us would have had thoughts about the moral standing of the crew of the tank (and possibly their need to change their attitudes) as we watched the vehicle do everything in its power to avoid running over the young man.
Those thoughts we had were positive; perhaps those we had about the mass rape, looting, village burning and murder that went on in Zaire between rival African tribes more recently would have encouraged more negative thoughts about that branch of humanity.
There is a classic line spoken by Professor Higgins in "My Fair Lady" where he asks the question ‘Why can't they be more like us?’ Perhaps we might look at that a bit more closely and ask ourselves, "just what are we like?
Examining this question from a Christian perspective, we need to realise that we all need to be continually conforming ourselves to the pattern set by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, not just once way back in history when we encountered what may well have been just a superficial introduction to our Saviour's message, but as and when we discover each individual shortcoming we have. Of course, we have many of them. That is possibly one of many problems facing us as we try very hard, often solely in our own strength, to overcome our errant nature.
It is a basic method of those who teach us improvement techniques, using the secular world's philosophy, to identify each goal individually and to then acchieve it, because if we try to reach all the goals we set, we will undoubtedly fail because our focus is too broad to succeed. "One step at a time" is what we say to a child learning to walk on his or her two feet. It works.
So what's the problem with us reforming our culture? The title of this paper is taken from a set of study notes for a series entitled "Reforming our culture - lessons from Abraham and Sarah", and the point I would like to make is that it is extremely easy for us to see when someone else needs to reform THEIR culture, but when someone dares to suggest that WE should reform ours, we bristle with annoyance - or even with anger - at the thought that they should even think that we are not perfect. The funny thing is that we would be the first to claim that we have imperfections if asked, but usually object vehemently when someone else tries to point them out!
Coming from a Mormon culture into Christianity in the mid-1980s, I left an environment where my associates admitted their falibility and their ongoing need to change their outlook, viewpoint, and living practices so as not to be "conformed to the world" at the time of their conversion, and then spent a lifetime of trying very hard to effect that change. They were often critical of the double standards and behaviour pattern exhibited by Christians, "outsiders", who scorned them, and understandably they often prayed for those souls who while being vocal against Mormonism equally vocally rejected the high personal standards encouraged by that denomination amongst its membership. Should one voice thoughts among many Christians that we should confess among ourselves our difficulties in truly loving each another, and in giving up worldly attitudes, we are usually faced with two major hurdles. The first is that we are told we are laying ourselves open to having our privacy invaded (presumably by someone who might well point the finger at something that really needs to be altered), and the second is often that it's ‘none of their darned business’. Of course it isn't their business unless the two of you are brothers (of either gender) in Christ, and if you both believe this biblical concept. However, our reluctance to operate in this way may well be because we haven't become converted to Christ's basic teaching -
"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
(That was from John 13, 34-35, AV).
How, then, do we react to this following scripture?
"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin".
For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
(From Romans 6: 1-23, NKJV)
Okay, and how are we going to do it without the support of one another? The philosophy that it's just between you and God may well be a sound principle to those who think in the way the world thinks. However, it is not practically possible for the average human being to effect any changes in their lives without external help form those they can talk with. This is why the world has set up support groups for those with particular problematical situations. Let us take heart from one scripture, taken in isolation...
"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
(James 5:16 AV)
Paul's earlier reference can well be amplified as follows, and perhaps we can realise that walking uprightly before our fellow man as well as before the Lord at all times is not just an "option" - it is mandatory if we aren't just playing at (pretending to) being Christians.
"If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
He that saith, ‘I know him’, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.
He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes."
(1 John 1:6-10, 2:1-11 AV)
Those of my Christian brothers who have less of a literal belief in scripture than I have may well take me to task over quoting that in the context in which I have. To them I would then say, what about the following?
"In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him...... About this we have much to say that is hard to explain, since you have become dull in understanding. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic elements of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food; for everyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is unskilled in the word of righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by practice to distinguish good from evil. Therefore let us go on toward perfection, leaving behind the basic teaching about Christ, and not laying again the foundation: repentance from dead works and faith toward God, instruction about baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And we will do this, if God permits.
For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, since on their own they are crucifying again the Son of God and are holding him up to contempt. Even though we speak in this way, beloved, we are confident of better things in your case, things that belong to salvation. For God is not unjust; he will not overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do. And we want each one of you to show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope to the very end, so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises...
Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and through it many become defiled.
See to it that no one becomes like Esau, an immoral and godless person, who sold his birthright for a single meal. You know that later, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, even though he sought the blessing with tears. You have not come to something that can be touched, a blazing fire, and darkness, and gloom, and a tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that not another word be spoken to them.
(For they could not endure the order that was given, "If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death." Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I tremble with fear.") But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking; for if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject the one who warns from heaven! At that time his voice shook the earth; but now he has promised, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven." This phrase, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of what is shaken--that is, created things--so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; for indeed our God is a consuming fire."
(from Hebrews 5, 6, and 12 NRSV)
Now it may be said that the writer to the Hebrews was writing to Jews, and not us. While part of his epistle can be better understood from that point of view, I believe that the passages I have quoted are clearly applicable to ANY Christian. One of the points we encounter in it is that the unchangeable God WILL eventually make us accountable for our all of our covert attitudes and nasties which we have deliberately hidden from others, as well as for what we are overtly as people. This may present a problem for those whose concept of the Almighty is what I've heard described as a "Father Christmas" God, a God who only wants the best for his flock (with no punishment to anyone), even if they won't have a bar of all (or even some) of his standards of holiness.
The last passages quoted refer to that current 20th-Century proscribed word, ‘obedience’. So also did John Wesley when he wrote emphasising the need for "moment to moment obedience ... which is the expression of holiness and love". He also stressed "the responsibility and power to express love in relationship with God and neighbour". (Bold print is my emphasis). Where can one find a greater demonstration of love in its biblical sense than in a loving father firmly steering a recalcitrant child down the path of righteousness? Or is that word also proscribed in the 1990s?