Romans 8:13 (ESV) 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
In this sensual world we live in today, and with the deluge of social media that’s flooding our world, society, and the worldview of liberal self-satisfaction and actuation as the prime importance, it will be hard to find some saints around on earth that’s unmoved by the lures of the temptations all around. Even the theologians and scholars of the Bible are not exempted, and are as vulnerable, if they don’t follow the strict discipline of the body by the strength of the Holy Spirit in the scripture. Not only the deluge of material, movies, and the ease of getting them example pornography. The destruction of it is heart breaking, but we can take comfort to see that our God has already made providence and provisions for us to escape them. 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
The tension is within our hearts. The word of God that’s been planted within us, and the lust and sin that’s still dwelling within us. Don’t be fooled, born again Christians have not been plugged out from the internal lust and flesh, it’s still there until we die, and meet Christ.
So how do we do it? John Owens wrote the famous book “The Mortification of Sin”, and I will draw some ideas from there. Mortify: to subjugate/overcome (the body, passions, etc.) by abstinence, ascetic discipline, or self-inflicted suffering.
The exhortation is for Christians. v1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. This is directed towards believers. And then in v9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.
The question is to be in the Spirit, and not in the flesh. The tension is we live in the physical body, which is the flesh, but we are to be in the Spirit.
2. The condition expresses the certainty of the relationship[2]
Romans 8:13 (ESV) 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
An interesting take. There is a clear connection between the mortifying of the deeds of the body and living. [3] This is not a legalistic cause and effect saying , “If by the Spirit put to death…, you will live”, because our action won’t save us. That salvation part of it is already accomplished by Christ, and him alone, on the cross and his resurrection and conquered death! That’s settled, and this passage is Paul exhorting Christians to continue what has been accomplished by Christ himself. It’s a continuation series. John Owens calls it as “means and end.” He says, ‘There is a certain infallible connection and coherence between true mortification and eternal life”: if you use this means, you shall obtain that end; if you do mortify, you shall live”.[4] This then is our main motive for the enforcement of this duty in our lives. [5] Very well put by Owens. This should be indeed our main motivation to put to death the sins in our lives. We got to do something about it. You see, if we are not conscious of it, we will let it slip, and it will catch up with us. We think a little sinning, a little slipping is fine kind of thing. But it grows! Before we know it, it has grown to such size, magnitude, it will topple our character, destroy us. Also we will run out of peace and joy, if sin continues tom plague us. On the outside, we smile, and can be even polished, but inside we will run dry and lack of joy and peace. Galatians 5:9 (ESV) 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
3.Our strength in this duty comes through the Spirit [6]
All other ways of mortification will fail. Men may try, using will power, using discipline, using accountability of men’s group, and even reading the Bible, but they will come short. It is a work of the Holy Spirit, and it is by Him alone we are to experience victory.[7]
Owns writes, “Mortification from a self-strength, carried on by ways of self-invention, to the end of a self-righteousness, is the soul and substance of all false religion in the world”. [8]
That is so well said and it defines all religions in the world apart from Christianity. That sets Christianity apart. It’s not something you can self-carry out by your won strength, but it’s something that can only be accomplished by the 3rd person of the Trinity Godhead, the Holy Spirit. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:13 (ESV) 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
i. “The body” here is the same as the “flesh”, the indwelling sin, the corrupted flesh or lust, that is intended. [10]
They are inly deeds of sins because at some point we have yielded to an inward lust. Owen calls it as , “Deed is an expression of a yielding to an inward lust. Indwelling lust and sin is the fountain and principle of all sinful action.” [11] That’s a very important statement here. Our outward act of sin is a result of our yielding to the constant pressure and pushing inner urge and desire towards sin, lust. The key word here is ‘yield’. This doesn’t happen on an instance, this is like a tug and war, pulling and pulling in opposition, that’s why I call it as a tension between the sinful and the righteousness in me powered by the Spirit. Isn’t that’s what’s called so crisply by Paul in: Romans 7:14-17 [12]
ii. To ‘mortify’ means to put any living thing to death.[13]
To kill a man or any living thin is to take away the principle of all of its strength, vigor, and power, so that it cannot act, or exert, or put forth any proper acting’s of its own. [14]
Treat sin as an enemy that you want to kill. If the hidden lust is at work in you, you will have to be ruthless in take away its strength, vigor and power. This is a very clear target, and to understand we need to sap or take away its strength, vigor and power, our mindset changes straight away. We will stop entertaining it, for example. We will stop thinking over it and letting it grow in our minds. To mortify sins, it will take a determination and our crying to God to help you at that point. The Spirit will come and minster. Remember how Jesus struggled with the temptations of evading the death on the cross in the garden of Gethsemane to the point of sweating droplets of blood, and at that moment, the angels came and ministered to him. That’s why Jesus understands exactly and even more than what and how we suffered under temptations.
Indwelling sin is compared to a person, a living person, called the ‘old man’, with his faculties, and properties, his wisdom, craft, subtlety, and strength. The ‘old man’ is utterly mortified and slain by the cross of Christ. He is crucified with Christ (Rom 6:6), and we are ‘dead’ with him, v8. This takes place in regeneration (salvation). The Holy Spirit who lives in us, opposes the lusts of the flesh (Gal 5:17).
This is a constant duty of believers to render a death blow to the deeds of the flesh, that they may not have life and strength to bring forth their destructive influence. [15]
5. The Promise is Life
The promise is eternal life. It is not only eternal life in the future, but also the spiritual life in Christ which we have here on earth, the joy and comfort and vigor of our life in this world. We will rejoice more, more peaceful, more joyful if we put to death the deeds of the flesh.
The second motive for the duty is: the vigor, power, and comfort of our spiritual life depend on the mortification of the deeds of the flesh! Don’t think it’s only for heaven, its fort here now on earth! It will make a difference NOW on earth as we will have more vigor, power and comfort in our spiritual life!
Amen.
[1] John Owen, The Mortification of Sin, p 2, The Banner of Truth Trust 2004
[12] Romans 7:14-17 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate….17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
Atas nama keadilan sosial dan memperlakukan semua orang secara adil kerana semuanya adalah imago dei (gambar Tuhan), para evangelis reformasi telah banyak mengkritik presiden. Dalam arti tertentu, dia perlu ditegur, tetapi sepertinya ada keheningan yang menakutkan dalam isu imago dei seperti membunuh nyawa yang belum lahir, memanggil kekejian sebagai cara untuk pergi dalam masyarakat dan memanggil seorang lelaki sebagai wanita di seberang parti politik. Sebagai contoh, artikel ini baru saja diterbitkan dalam Gabungan Injil, seperti kebanyakan yang lain pada dasarnya berpihak kepada satu pihak yang cenderung menekankan perkauman untuk orang kulit putih dan kurangnya rasa empati terhadap pendatang tanpa izin dan sejenisnya.
Sepanjang hidup saya, saya tidak dapat mengetahui mengapa 3 perkara mulia dari kain sosial mana-mana masyarakat untuk menjadi saleh tidak pernah dibangkitkan oleh mereka! Apakah tiga perkara penting?
Saya ingin mengemukakan perisytiharan ini yang merangkumi permasalahan utama yang perlu kita laksanakan dan bertanya kepada diri sendiri sebelum kita menjelang Pilihan Raya Presiden Nov 2020 ini.
Saya baru sahaja menandatangani Deklarasi Manhattan di antara 550,000 orang Kristian yang menandatangani termasuk banyak pemimpin evangelis Timothy KellerLigon Duncan dll Sekiranya anda belum menandatangani, tiada alasan untuk tidak menandatangani. Ini harus ditimbang dengan hati-hati dalam Pilihan Raya 2020, dan tidak hanya pada imago dei pada warna kulit, tetapi juga imago dei pada:
Kesucian hidup berkaitan dengan bayi yang belum lahir adalah kehidupan manusia yang perlu dihormati dan dihormati, siapa pun yang meragukan bahawa hanya dapat melihat banyak video yang menunjukkan bayi yang belum lahir, atau janin, bergerak di rahim ibu mereka. Apa-apa pengguguran, ada juga yang diregangkan dan didorong untuk disahkan oleh beberapa pihak sehingga pengguguran 9 minggu! Itu tidak berperikemanusiaan, ketika anda membaca cerita tentang suara yang menjerit, kerana janin ini dibunuh dan dibuang. Cerita seram yang cukup. Tidak, Keluarga Terancang bahkan mengumpulkan bahagian-bahagian ini dan menjualnya, seperti yang tercatat dalam beberapa berita. Seram! Banyak penginjil menyebutnya sebagai pembunuhan. Kami menunggu Mahkamah Agung untuk mengkaji perkara ini tidak lama lagi, insya Allah. Oleh itu, bagaimana ada orang Kristian yang dapat menyentuh hati mereka dengan jujur dan mengesahkan calon yang melakukannya? Adakah nilai moral sama sekali? Malah orang bukan Kristian, kebanyakan mereka, akan mengatakan bahawa itu tidak bermoral! Saya rasa orang Islam, Yahudi, Buddha pasti akan menyokong pro-kehidupan, apalagi orang Kristian! Gereja Katolik bersuara menentang pengguguran, tetapi lihat lagi, kebanyakan calon termasuk calon Presiden November 2020 ini semuanya Katolik dan semua mendorong pengguguran, memanggil pro-pilihan, menghormati wanita. Tidak ada yang dapat mengalahkan kecerdasan kata pilihan untuk membenarkan tindakan mereka seperti di Amerika, secara serius, seseorang dapat menilai semula pembunuhan bayi untuk menghormati pilihan wanita dan melindungi kesihatan wanita.
Martabat Perkahwinan
Perkahwinan adalah penyatuan satu lelaki dan satu wanita. Perkahwinan adalah institusi pertama masyarakat manusia – sesungguhnya ia adalah institusi di mana semua institusi manusia lain mempunyai asasnya.[1]
Kejadian 2:18 (ESV) 18 Kemudian TUHAN Allah berfirman, “Tidak baik lelaki itu sendirian; Saya akan menjadikannya penolong yang sesuai untuknya. “
Semuanya bermula dengan Tuhan memperhatikan bahawa tidak baik lelaki itu bersendirian. Dan Tuhan memutuskan bahawa dia akan menjadikan Tuhan penolong yang sesuai untuknya. Anda melihat bahawa Tuhan memperhatikannya dan mengatakan bahawa. Tuhan mengatakan tidak baik bagi Adam untuk bersendirian, jadi Dia membuat seorang wanita keluar dari tulang rusuk Adam, dan menghembuskan nafasnya, untuk memberikan hidupnya. Dan Tuhan menyerahkan Hawa kepada Adam untuk menjadi isterinya, penolongnya. Begitulah institusi perkahwinan diperkenalkan dari sejarah, sebagai pasangan pertama. Penyatuan lelaki dengan wanita, begitulah Tuhan memulakan dan menciptakan lelaki dan wanita untuk tujuan itu. Jadi untuk mengubah definisi itu bertentangan dengan tujuan Tuhan. Jadi perkahwinan sebagai Tuhan yang dilaksanakan adalah antara lelaki dan wanita.
Lelaki itu berkata, “Sekarang ini adalah tulang tulangku dan daging dagingku; dia akan disebut wanita, kerana dia dikeluarkan dari lelaki.” Atas sebab ini seorang lelaki akan meninggalkan ayah dan ibunya dan bersatu dengan isterinya, dan mereka akan menjadi satu. Kejadian 2: 23-24
Ini adalah misteri yang mendalam – tetapi saya bercakap mengenai Kristus dan gereja. Namun, anda masing-masing juga mesti mengasihi isterinya sebagaimana dia mengasihi dirinya sendiri, dan isteri mesti menghormati suaminya. Efesus 5: 32-33
Kebebasan Beragama
Roh TUHAN yang Mahakuasa ada di atasku, kerana TUHAN telah mengurapi aku untuk memberitakan kabar baik kepada orang miskin. Dia telah mengirim saya untuk mengikat hati yang patah hati, untuk menyatakan kebebasan bagi para tawanan dan membebaskan dari kegelapan bagi para tahanan. Yesaya 61: 1
Berikan kepada Caesar apa itu Caesar, dan kepada Tuhan apa itu milik Tuhan. Matius 22:21
Perjuangan untuk kebebasan beragama selama berabad-abad telah lama dan sukar. Kebebasan beragama bukanlah idea baru atau perkembangan baru-baru ini, tetapi didasarkan pada watak Tuhan sendiri, Tuhan yang paling terkenal dalam kehidupan dan pekerjaan Yesus Kristus. Bertekad untuk mengikuti Yesus dengan setia dalam hidup dan mati, orang-orang Kristen awal mengimbau cara di mana Penjelmaan telah terjadi: “Apakah Tuhan mengutus Kristus, seperti yang disangka oleh beberapa orang, sebagai ketakutan dan keganasan yang menzalimi? Tidak demikian, tetapi dengan lemah lembut dan kelembutan …, kerana paksaan bukanlah sifat Tuhan “(Surat kepada Diognetus 7.3-4). Oleh itu, hak kebebasan beragama mempunyai landasannya dalam teladan Kristus sendiri dan pada martabat manusia yang diciptakan menurut gambar Tuhan – suatu martabat, seperti yang dinyatakan oleh pengasas kita, wujud dalam setiap manusia, dan dapat diketahui oleh semua orang di pelaksanaan akal yang betul.[2]
Kembali ke masa-masa awal gereja, orang Kristian telah menolak untuk berkompromi dengan pemberitaan Injil mereka. Dalam Kisah 4, Petrus dan Yohanes diperintahkan untuk berhenti berkhotbah. Jawapan mereka adalah, “Tentukan sendiri apakah benar di sisi Tuhan untuk mentaati kamu dan bukannya Tuhan. Kerana kita tidak dapat menolong berbicara tentang apa yang telah kita lihat dan dengar.” Selama berabad-abad, agama Kristian telah mengajarkan bahawa ketidaktaatan sipil tidak hanya dibenarkan, tetapi kadang-kadang diperlukan. [3]
[1]Deklarasi Manhattan, 2009. Alkitab mengajar kita bahawa perkahwinan adalah bahagian tengah dari perjanjian penciptaan Tuhan. Sesungguhnya, penyatuan suami-isteri mencerminkan ikatan antara Kristus dan gereja-Nya. Dan sama seperti Kristus bersedia, karena cinta, untuk menyerahkan diri-Nya untuk gereja dalam pengorbanan yang lengkap, kita bersedia, dengan penuh kasih sayang, untuk melakukan apa saja pengorbanan yang diperlukan oleh kita demi harta yang tidak dapat ditiru iaitu perkahwinan.
In the name of social justice and equitably treating all people as all are imago dei (image of God), the reformed evangelicals have largely criticized the president. In some sense, he needs to be reprimanded, but there seems to be an eerie silence on imago dei issues like killing the unborn lives, calling the abomination as the way to go in society and calling a man as a woman on the other side of the political party. Case in point, this article just published in the Gospel Coalition, like most others essentially sided with one side tending towards emphasizing the racism for the nonwhites and lack of empathy for the illegal immigrants and the like. How Christians Can Prepare for the 2020 Election
For the life of me, I can’t figure out why are the 3 noble points of the very social fabrics of any society to be godly never get published by them! What are the three important points?
I just signed Manhattan Declaration among the 550,000 Christians who signed including many evangelical leaders Timothy KellerLigon Duncan etc. If you haven’t signed, no reason not to sign. This has to be weighed carefully in the Election 2020, and not just on imago dei on skin color, but also imago dei on : Manhattan Declaration
Sanctity of Life
Sanctity of life deals with the unborn babies are human life that need to be honored and respected, anyone doubting that can just take a look at the many videos showing the unborn babies, or fetus, moving in their mums’’ wombs. Any abortion, some are even stretched and pushed to be legalized by some party to be as late as 9 weeks abortion! That’s inhuman, when you read stories of the shrieking sound, as these fetuses are killed and dumped. Enough horror stories. No, the Planned Family even collects these parts and sell them, as recorded in some news. Horror! Many evangelicals call it as murder. We await the Supreme Court to review this soon, God willing. So how on earth can any Christian honestly touching their hearts go and endorse candidates that do that?? Is there any moral values at all? Even non-Christians , a lot of them, will say that’s immoral! I think Muslims, Judaism, Buddhists will definitely endorse on pro-life side, let alone Christians! Catholics church have been vocal against abortion, but take another look, most of the candidates including the Presidential candidate this November 2020 are all Catholics and all pushing for abortion, calling pro-choice, respecting the women. Non one can beat the ingenuity of choice words to justify their actions as in America, seriously, one can relabel murder of babies to honoring choice of women and protecting the health of women.
Dignity of Marriage
Marriage is the union of one man and one woman. Marriage is the first institution of human society – indeed it is the institution on which all other human institutions have their foundation.[1]
Genesis 2:18 (ESV) 18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”
It all started with God noticing that it’s not good for the man to be alone. And God decided he will make God a helper fit for him. You see that God noticed it and said that. God said it’s not good for Adam to be alone, so He made a woman out of Adam’s rib, and breathed into her, to give her life. And God handed Eve to Adam to be his wife, his helper. That’s how the marriage institution is instituted from history, as the first couple. The union of a man with a woman, that’s how God started and created the man and woman for that purpose. So to change that definition is going against God’s purpose. So marriage as God instituted is between a man and a woman.
The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man.” For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. Genesis 2:23-24
This is a profound mystery-but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Ephesians 5:32-33
Religious Liberty
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. Isaiah 61:1
Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s. Matthew 22:21
The struggle for religious liberty across the centuries has been long and arduous. Religious liberty is not a novel idea or recent development, but is grounded in the character of God Himself, the God who is most fully known in the life and work of Jesus Christ. Determined to follow Jesus faithfully in life and death, the early Christians appealed to the manner in which the Incarnation had taken place: “Did God send Christ, as some suppose, as a tyrant brandishing fear and terror? Not so, but in gentleness and meekness…, for compulsion is no attribute of God” (Epistle to Diognetus 7.3-4). Thus the right to religious freedom has its foundation in the example of Christ Himself and in the very dignity of the human person created in the image of God-a dignity, as our founders proclaimed, inherent in every human, and knowable by all in the exercise of right reason.[2]
Going back to the earliest days of the church, Christians have refused to compromise their proclamation of the gospel. In Acts 4, Peter and John were ordered to stop preaching. Their answer was, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Through the centuries, Christianity has taught that civil disobedience is not only permitted, but sometimes required. [3]
Conclusion
As Dr Duncan mentioned, “I think we need to be “equal opportunity offenders” and say things uncomfortable both to the political left and right. Life is obviously a fundamental issue. This is one reason I signed the Manhattan Declaration.”
As we approach Presidential Election 2020 in November , the imago dei of unborn children and marriage between a man and a woman are our top thoughts as imago dei in racism issues. The Lord grants you wisdom in this election.
[1]Manhattan Declaration, 2009. The Bible teaches us that marriage is a central part of God’s creation covenant. Indeed, the union of husband and wife mirrors the bond between Christ and his church. And so just as Christ was willing, out of love, to give Himself up for the church in a complete sacrifice, we are willing, lovingly, to make whatever sacrifices are required of us for the sake of the inestimable treasure that is marriage.
In the name of social justice and equitably treating all people as all are imago dei (image of God), the reformed evangelicals have largely criticized the president. In some sense, he needs to be reprimanded, but there seems to be eerie silence on imago dei issues like killing the unborn lives, calling the abomination as the way to go in society and calling a man as a woman on the other side of the political party. Case in point, this article just published in the Gospel Coalition, like most others essentially sided with one side tending towards emphasizing racism for the nonwhites and lack of empathy for the illegal immigrants and the like.
For the life of me, I can’t figure out why are the 3 noble points of the very social fabrics of any society to be godly never raised by them? What are the three important points?
I wish to bring up this declaration that captures beautifully the major issues we need to embrace and ask ourselves before we go for this Nov 2020 Presidential Election.
I just signed Manhattan Declaration among the 550,000 Christians who signed including many evangelical leaders Timothy KellerLigon Duncan etc. If you haven’t signed, no reason not to sign. This has to be weighed carefully in the Election 2020, and not just on imago dei on skin color, but also imago dei on :
Sanctity of Life, Dignity of Marriage, Freedom of Religion.
Sanctity of Life
Sanctity of life deals with the unborn babies are human life that need to be honored and respected, anyone doubting that can just take a look at the many videos showing the unborn babies, or fetus, moving in their mums’’ wombs. Any abortion, some are even stretched and pushed to be legalized by some party to be as late as 9 weeks abortion! That’s inhuman, when you read stories of the shrieking sound, as these fetuses are killed and dumped. Enough horror stories. No, the Planned Family even collects these parts and sell them, as recorded in some news. Horror! Many evangelicals call it as murder. We await the Supreme Court to review this soon, God willing. So how on earth can any Christian honestly touching their hearts go and endorse candidates that do that?? Is there any moral values at all? Even non-Christians , a lot of them, will say that’s immoral! I think Muslims, Judaism, Buddhists will definitely endorse on pro-life side, let alone Christians! Catholics church have been vocal against abortion, but take another look, most of the candidates including the Presidential candidate this November 2020 are all Catholics and all pushing for abortion, calling pro-choice, respecting the women. Non one can beat the ingenuity of choice words to justify their actions as in America, seriously, one can relabel murder of babies to honoring choice of women and protecting the health of women.
Dignity of Marriage
Marriage is the union of one man and one woman. Marriage is the first institution of human society – indeed it is the institution on which all other human institutions have their foundation.[1]
Genesis 2:18 (ESV) 18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”
It all started with God noticing that it’s not good for the man to be alone. And God decided he will make God a helper fit for him. You see that God noticed it and said that. God said it’s not good for Adam to be alone, so He made a woman out of Adam’s rib, and breathed into her, to give her life. And God handed Eve to Adam to be his wife, his helper. That’s how the marriage institution is instituted from history, as the first couple. The union of a man with a woman, that’s how God started and created the man and woman for that purpose. So to change that definition is going against God’s purpose. So marriage as God instituted is between a man and a woman.
The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man.” For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. Genesis 2:23-24
This is a profound mystery-but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Ephesians 5:32-33
Religious Liberty
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. Isaiah 61:1
Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s. Matthew 22:21
The struggle for religious liberty across the centuries has been long and arduous. Religious liberty is not a novel idea or recent development, but is grounded in the character of God Himself, the God who is most fully known in the life and work of Jesus Christ. Determined to follow Jesus faithfully in life and death, the early Christians appealed to the manner in which the Incarnation had taken place: “Did God send Christ, as some suppose, as a tyrant brandishing fear and terror? Not so, but in gentleness and meekness…, for compulsion is no attribute of God” (Epistle to Diognetus 7.3-4). Thus the right to religious freedom has its foundation in the example of Christ Himself and in the very dignity of the human person created in the image of God-a dignity, as our founders proclaimed, inherent in every human, and knowable by all in the exercise of right reason.[2]
Going back to the earliest days of the church, Christians have refused to compromise their proclamation of the gospel. In Acts 4, Peter and John were ordered to stop preaching. Their answer was, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Through the centuries, Christianity has taught that civil disobedience is not only permitted, but sometimes required. [3]
[1]Manhattan Declaration, 2009. The Bible teaches us that marriage is a central part of God’s creation covenant. Indeed, the union of husband and wife mirrors the bond between Christ and his church. And so just as Christ was willing, out of love, to give Himself up for the church in a complete sacrifice, we are willing, lovingly, to make whatever sacrifices are required of us for the sake of the inestimable treasure that is marriage.
Roma 2: 6-11 (ESV) 6 Dia akan memberikan setiap orang sesuai dengan karya-karyanya: 7 kepada mereka yang dengan sabar dalam melakukan kebaikan mencari kemuliaan dan kehormatan dan keabadian, dia akan memberikan kehidupan yang kekal; 8 tetapi bagi mereka yang mencari diri dan tidak mematuhi kebenaran, tetapi mematuhi ketidakadilan, akan ada kemarahan dan kemarahan.
Keselamatan oleh Rahmat tidak dapat berhenti di situ
Melakukan pekerjaan yang baik sahaja tidak akan membawa kita ke syurga. Kita diselamatkan hanya dengan kasih karunia, iman kepada Kristus atas apa yang telah Dia lakukan di kayu salib dengan menebus kita dari kematian dan penghakiman Tuhan. Namun, rahmat tidak dapat menghentikan kita hanya untuk keselamatan, penyucian (mengubah hidup) harus berlaku setelah keselamatan atau pembenaran oleh iman.
Itulah sebabnya Roma 2 di sini mengatakan bahawa Tuhan akan memberikan setiap orang sesuai dengan karya-karyanya. Kerja sangat penting. Itulah yang dikatakan oleh James 2:
Yakobus 2: 14-17 (ESV) 14 Apa gunanya saudara-saudaraku, jika seseorang mengatakan bahawa dia mempunyai iman tetapi tidak mempunyai pekerjaan? Bolehkah iman itu menyelamatkannya? 15 Sekiranya seorang saudara atau saudari berpakaian buruk dan kekurangan makanan sehari-hari, 16 dan salah seorang dari kamu berkata kepada mereka, “Pergilah dengan tenang, hangatkan dan isi,” tanpa memberi mereka barang-barang yang diperlukan untuk tubuh, apa gunanya itu? 17 Begitu juga iman dengan sendirinya, jika ia tidak mempunyai pekerjaan, ia akan mati.
Tidak ada yang harus hidup dengan anggapan bahawa kita diselamatkan untuk kebaikan dan mengabaikan proses perubahan dalam hidup, penyucian, dan oleh itu pekerjaan yang baik. Tidak ada yang dapat diselamatkan, dan tetap sebagai bayi rohani, dan tidak mahu berhenti merokok, berhenti membenci, mencuri, ketamakan, nafsu dan semua kejahatan dari hati. Kerana jika kita tidak menghasilkan karya yang baik sebagai orang Kristian, anda akan tertanya-tanya apakah kita telah diselamatkan. Keselamatan dengan rahmat adalah langkah pertama, tetapi tidak dapat berhenti di situ. Sekarang jika seseorang diselamatkan dan berusaha mendapatkan nikmat Tuhan dengan melakukan perbuatan baik, motivasi atau titik tolaknya akan salah dan tidak alkitabiah dan tidak bertahan, dan itu tidak akan berada di bawah kategori Roma 2 di sini, kerana itu dilakukan oleh usaha kehendak manusia, bukan berdasarkan apa yang telah dilakukan oleh Kristus. Inilah yang disebut bahawa anda berusaha menyelamatkan diri anda dengan perbuatan baik anda, dan itu akan menjadi salah dan tidak dapat diterima oleh Tuhan. Itu tidak akan pernah diselamatkan sama sekali. Tetapi jika kita menghasilkan karya-karya yang baik, setelah kita diselamatkan oleh rahmat yang hanya beriman kepada Kristus, maka itu akan dapat diterima. Maka perubahan untuk menghasilkan karya yang baik bukan untuk memperoleh keselamatan, tetapi sebagai perubahan dari makhluk dalaman kita.
Tuhan adalah pusat perbincangan
Daud berkata kepada kamu sendiri, adakah saya berdosa. Anda melihat bagaimana Tuhan berpusat pada dirinya? Ini semua mengenai Tuhan. Dia berdosa terhadap Bathsheba dan suaminya, tetapi dia mengatakan dia berdosa terhadap TUHAN dan TUHAN saja. Yang dia maksudkan adalah, tentu saja, termasuk Bathsheba dan suaminya yang sudah mati, tetapi orang yang paling utama yang dia berdosa adalah Tuhan sendiri. Anda melihat betapa intimnya ini, Tuhan kita bukan Tuhan yang jauh, tetapi Tuhan yang sangat intim, peribadi, dan milik. Begitu banyak, Yesus berkata, Aku ada di dalam kamu, dan kamu di dalam aku. Yesus telah berusaha untuk mengasihi kita dan mengenal pasti dengan kita bahawa dia mengatakan bahawa kita adalah saudaranya, kita adalah anak-anaknya, dan kita semua berada dalam Kristus. Paulus mengatakan dengan jelas bahawa kita berada dalam Kristus, sebuah teologi yang luar biasa.
Oleh itu kita melakukan kerja-kerja baik, adalah kerana Tuhan sendiri. Kita ingin menyenangkan dia pasti, tetapi bukan untuk mendapatkan keselamatan, tetapi hanya untuk menyenangkan dia, dan kita juga semakin berubah menjadi seperti dia.
Roma 2: 9 Akan ada penderitaan dan kesusahan bagi setiap manusia yang melakukan kejahatan, orang Yahudi terlebih dahulu dan juga orang Yunani, 10 tetapi kemuliaan dan kehormatan dan kedamaian bagi setiap orang yang berbuat baik, orang Yahudi pertama dan juga orang Yunani
Dan Roma 2 terus mengatakan akan ada penderitaan dan penghakiman bagi mereka yang melakukan kejahatan, kejahatan, dan akan ada kemuliaan kehormatan dan kedamaian bagi mereka yang melakukan perbuatan baik dalam Kristus. Bukan pada diri kita sendiri. Jadi bagi orang Kristian, ini adalah panggilan bangun untuk mengalami penyucian dan menghasilkanyang buahdapat dilihat keselamatan. Perhatian kami, percakapan kami tidak dapat dipusatkan terutama pada kesenangan manusia, kesejahteraan anak keluarga, tanpa banyak perhatian terhadap rumah Tuhan, untuk kota yang kami tinggali dan kawasan sekitar kami. Adakah kita juga memberi kepada orang miskin dan memerlukan dan terpinggir? Ke gereja kita? Sokongan dalam wang dan tenaga kerja. Semua ini adalah bukti keperihatinan, cinta, kasih sayang yang akan menjadi buah Roh yang sangat penting. Saya mengatakan perbuatan baik mesti datang dengan buah Roh, dan jika dipisahkan, mereka akan ditakdirkan.
Penghakiman dan pahala menanti kita selama-lamanya
Roma 2: 6-11 (ESV) 6 Dia akan memberikan setiap orang sesuai dengan karya-karyanya: 7 kepada mereka yang dengan sabar dalam melakukan kebaikan mencari kemuliaan dan kehormatan dan keabadian, dia akan memberikan kehidupan yang kekal; 8 tetapi bagi mereka yang mencari diri dan tidak mematuhi kebenaran, tetapi mematuhi ketidakadilan, akan ada kemarahan dan kemarahan.
Romans 2:6-11 (ESV) 6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
Salvation by Grace can’t stop there
Doing good works alone will never get us to heaven. We are saved by grace alone, faith in Christ for what He has done on the cross by his redeeming us from death and judgement of God. However, grace can’t stop us just for salvation, sanctification (life transforming) must take place after the salvation or justification by faith.
That’s why Romans 2 here says God will render to each one according to his works. Works is very important. That’s what James 2 says:
James 2:14-17 (ESV) 14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
No one should live under the assumption that we are saved for good and ignore the process of change in life, sanctification, and therefore good works. No one can be saved, and stay as a spiritual baby, and not wanting to quit smoking, quit hatred, stealing, greed, lust and all the evils from the heart. Because if we don’t produce good works as a Christian, you would wonder if we have been saved on the first place. Salvation by grace is a first step, but it can’t stop there. Now if one is saved and tries to gain good favor of God by doing good deeds, the motivation or driving point of that will be wrong and unbiblical and not sustaining, and that won’t be under the category of Romans 2 here, because that’s done by human will effort, not based on what Christ has done. This is what is called you are trying to save yourself by your good deeds, and that will be wrong and not acceptable to God. That will be the case of never been saved at all. But if we produce good works, after we are saved by grace having faith in Christ alone, then it will be acceptable. Then change to produce good works is not to earn salvation, but as a change of our internal being.
God is the center point of discussion
David says to you alone have I sinned. You see how God centered he is? It’s all about God. He sinned against Bathsheba and her husband, but he said he sinned against the Lord and the Lord alone. What he means is that , of course, included Bathsheba and her dead husband, but the overarching person he’s sinned against is God himself. You see how intimate this is, our God is not a faraway God, but a very intimate, personal, and ownership God. So much so, Jesus said, I am in you, and you in me. Jesus has gone to the extent to have loved us and to totally identify with us that he says we are his brother, we are his children, and we are all in Christ. Paul says clearly that we are in Christ, an amazing theology.
Therefore our doing good works, is because of God himself. We want to please him for sure, but not for the reason to gain salvation, but just to please him, and also we are changed more and more to be like him.
Romans 2: 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek
And Romans 2 has gone on to say there will be tribulations and judgment for those who do wickedness, evil, and there will be glory honor and peace for those who do good deeds in Christ. Not in ourselves. So for Christians, this is a wakeup call to experience the sanctification and produce that visible fruit of salvation. Point in case, our conversation can’t be centered around primarily human pleasures, family children well-being, without much concern for the house of God, for the city we live in and our neighborhood. Do we also giver unto the poor and needy and the marginalized? To our churches? Support in money and manpower. All these are visible demonstration of care, love, compassion that will be the fruit of the Spirit that’s so important. I say the good deeds must come with the fruits of the Spirit, and if separated, they will be doomed.
Judgements and reward awaits us in the eternity
Romans 2:6-11 (ESV) 6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
….tetapi orang-orang yang mengetahui Tuhannya pasti kuat dan melakukan eksploitasi. (Dan 11: 32b)
Orang yang tahu Tuhannya pasti kuat dan melakukan eksploitasi! Mereka yang tahu Tuhan mereka akan kuat dan melakukan eksploitasi, dan jika anda tidak kuat, anda tidak cukup mengenal Tuhan anda. Sebenarnya ada hubungan nyata antara keduanya, mengetahui bahawa Tuhan mesti melepaskan sekumpulan tenaga!
Terdapat ‘tetapi’ di sana sebelum eksploitasi. Daniel 11: 32 “Dan orang-orang yang berbuat jahat terhadap perjanjian itu akan dicabul oleh sanjungan; tetapi orang-orang yang mengetahui Tuhan mereka akan kuat dan melakukan eksploitasi.” ‘Tetapi’ adalah reaksi umat Tuhan terhadap penghinaan mutlak dan kekejian anti-Tuhan yang dilemparkan kepada umat Tuhan seperti dalam ayat 31-32. “Pasukan dari dia akan muncul dan mencemarkan kuil dan kubu dan akan mengambil korban bakaran biasa. Dan mereka akan membuat kekejian yang membuat sunyi. 32 Dia akan menggoda orang-orang yang melanggar perjanjian itu, tetapi orang-orang yang mengenal Tuhan mereka akan tetap teguh dan bertindak. “
Anda tahu banyak kali pada bapa rohani kuno, raksasa tanah seperti Augustine, Calvin, menulis risalah teologi terbaik mereka, buku sebagai tindak balas terhadap bidah yang menyapu tanah yang mentakrifkan Tuhan, mendefinisikan semula keselamatan atau rahmat Tuhan. Inilah masanya, yang terbaik bersinar dari umat Tuhan. Di bawah tekanan, di bawah penganiayaan, penyatuan suci Tuhan membangkitkan hamba-hamba Tuhan dan menghasilkan yang terbaik yang tidak akan mereka hasilkan. Sungguh mengagumkan bahawa ini berlaku berulang kali, senarai itu berterusan. Bagi Augustine, dia mempertahankan Dewa Trinitarian, dia mempertahankan Kota Dewa di mana dia membongkar dan membantah tuduhan kerajaan Rom kejatuhan Rom kerana agama Kristian. Sebenarnya, sebaliknya, Kota Tuhan menunjukkan bahawa kota yang sebenarnya diperlukan oleh manusia adalah dari surga, bukan jenis daging yang penuh dengan ketamakan, mementingkan diri sendiri, seperti lelaki di Rom. Tamadun manusia digambarkan dengan baik dalam buku cemerlang Augustine. Institut Agama John Calvin yang cemerlang dihasilkan untuk mengalihkan fokus pada kemampuan manusia kepada pemeliharaan Tuhan yang mulia. Calvin mengalihkan seluruh fokus manusia dari manusia kepada Tuhan. Pada hakikatnya, humanisme yang menobatkan manusia di takhta, dan menjatuhkan Tuhan, telah menyapu peradaban barat selama berabad-abad, dan gereja mempunyai masa yang sukar untuk memulihkannya bagi Tuhan di zaman sekular. Sebenarnya, itu adalah penyembahan berhala. Humanisme adalah penyembahan berhala.
JI Packer menulis, Daniel menetapkan dirinya untuk mencari Tuhan “dalam doa dan permohonan, dalam puasa, dan dengan kain karung dan abu” (ay 3), dan berdoa untuk pemulihan Yerusalem dengan semangat dan semangat serta penderitaan semangat yang dimiliki kebanyakan kita orang asing yang lengkap.[1] Itulah intensiti yang tidak dialami oleh kebanyakan kita.Kenapa? Dari mana Daniel mendapat semangat tenaganya?
Sebagaimana indah yang dikemukakan oleh Packer, “Namun buah pengetahuan Allah yang benar yang takadalah tenaga untuk berdoa untuk tujuan Tuhan —terganggusungguh, yang dapat. Hanya cari jalan keluar dan ketegangan dari ketegangan dalaman apabila disalurkan ke dalam doa seperti itu – dan semakin banyak pengetahuan, semakin banyak tenaga! ” Sangat betul. Satu-satunya cara untuk meredakan ketegangan yang timbul dalam diri kita ketika kita dilanda pesan dan semangat dan budaya yang tidak senonoh dan anti-Tuhan di dunia ini, adalah menyalurkan semua yang kita miliki dalam doa. Itulah sebabnya Mazmur begitu terapeutik, penyembuhan dan dapat berhubung dengan Tuhan itulah yang kita buat . Itulah yang dilakukan oleh Daniel. Kita mungkin tidak dapat membuat gerak geri masyarakat untuk menentang kebajikan dan kemurtadan, tetapi kita semua dapat berdoa! Sekiranya ada sedikit tenaga dalam kita untuk berdoa seperti itu, ini adalah tanda pasti bahawa kita masih belum mengenal Tuhan kita. [2]
[1] JI Packer, Mengetahui Tuhan, hlm. 28, InterVarsity Press 1973
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