Marc Goodman

People in the U.S. are being asked to go through a particular political process and they may not be aware of its ultimate outcome. Some propose the idea that we need to yield our thinking on the subject of racism. The thinking goes racism is bad (everyone, or should I say almost everyone agrees) therefore get rid of racism. But the thinking goes a step further that states the eradication of racism must be legislated (through Congress) out of our society and this will be the moral standard of right and wrong. Those politicians that don’t agree to how this eradication should take place (and by extension the citizens that cast their votes for them) are wrong and cannot and should not remain in the new political reality. But two issues arise from this thinking: Where does it end and who decides?

If we submit to this thinking where does it end? Choice for health care? Punishment for criminals? How the environment should be regulated? Community with each other? Business between private parties? Who gets the privilege of being a U.S. citizen, etc.?

And who decides? If we cannot have free elections on whom we want to make these choices for us then a central government will make these decisions for us, but by then we will have lost our freedom and will live under authoritarian rule. But this places front and center the idea of can we trust the central government with our fragile freedom?

The Bible does instruct and reveal God’s thinking on this subject. Submission to a central figure is definitely a subject that is taught throughout Scripture,

and the key component is that we do so with complete knowledge and personal willingness. The difference here is the idea that God is COMPLETELY good COMPLETELY strong and only has the very best intentions for us. In other words He has proven Himself completely trustworthy.

We are learning a lot about trust in the ecclesia. It’s not as if this subject hasn’t been taught throughout Christian history, because it has, but the issue is not knowledge of submission to Christ, it’s the experience of submission within the body to Christ.

Jesus wants us to have an understanding of the subject but much more importantly he wants us to experience it. So how is that done? 1Peter 4:13 reveals that as we participate with Christ (as a body of believers) we are able to receive Him and subsequently His glory is revealed. Well, certainly we can say with some sureness that as we experience submission to Christ we can see with our own eyes how He proves His love for us.

As we lift our praise, love and exaltation to the Lord 2Corinthians 1:3-7 says that Christ is willing to comfort us. He wants to use the Christians within the body to receive this comfort from Him and in turn offer it to those around us. Paul knew from his own suffering that God can be trusted in this. He had proven it to Paul THROUGH his experience with Him and will prove it to anyone who attempts to go down this path.

In plain English it means as we praise the Lord and declare we want to be intimate with Him we receive his love/comfort and subsequently can give this love to others. That is if we yield to Him in submission. This is the beginning of the experience of submission. It is not enough to say we, as Christians, believe this to be true, we must experience it first hand and as we receive Christ into our lives we can give it to others. But on the other hand, if we have not received Christ we certainly cannot give Him to others. We would be empty handed. In this very crucial process we can see for ourselves if we are willing to give our trust to Him but as the ecclesia grows into maturity the shackles of mistrust fade away and a brand new reality comes front and center.

There are obvious concerns that everyone around the world has concerning protecting themselves during this pandemic. How to avoid getting exposed? Is getting the vaccine right for me? Should I be in large crowds at the moment? These are valid questions but for the Christian there is a bigger question. What is God doing during this pandemic? I certainly can’t say I know all the answers to this question, but I also feel that one part could be answered with some confidence and that is He is attempting to wake people up to His reality. Why? For what purpose?

The answer is obvious to most Christians in that He loves and cares about us but there is something more subtle happening as well. The intensity of His love desires that we (all people, everywhere) respond to Him. With the advent of this plague and death at the front door of so many millions worldwide He allows the plague to move on but with the purpose that perhaps people will wake up in time and open their hearts to Him. In addition, those that are awake and paying attention should realize that to follow Jesus is to do what He is currently doing – not create their own agenda that may or may not be His will. It seems time is short and for many of us it has run out. His love demands that He makes every effort to reach as many as possible before salvation history closes.

There is a lot of talk about white privilege in our culture today. The thinking goes that white people (especially white males) have led a privileged life and need to release whatever ill-gotten gains they acquire so that others may succeed. Somehow if this is done the privileged party will make things more fair to those that they have been less privileged and consequently made whole once again. The discussion on the subject is definitely sincere and has merits that our culture should be willing to debate.

But Jesus speaks into this conversation in a profound way. In Matthew chapter 19 He is approached by a very religious Jew who asks the most important question: “What must I do to get eternal life?”

This simple question is the most important question any of us could possibly contemplate during our years on this planet. What is more valuable than eternity? Jesus’ answer turns the man from his worldly perspective to the divine standard and asks him, “Why do you call me good? There is only one who is good and that is the Father in heaven.” This divine standard (where we can place our trust in a Father who is supremely good) is far reaching in scope because it asks one simple question: Will you surrender yourself? Jesus was asking him if he was willing to trust Him with his very life?   

Control was everything to this man. He had great wealth and when confronted with his attachment to this wealth he said no to God and yes to his wealth. But wealth is not really the main point here, it’s attachment. We don’t need to be attached to wealth to have an issue with the question that Jesus poses. It could be relationships or career or anything…

The perception in our culture is that the rich have privileges that others less fortunate do not have and that may or may not be true but there is a much more pressing question that we must answer. If Jesus were to make all things equal with the rich, not having more than they need and the poor having enough, would our world suddenly change for the better? Privilege (white or otherwise) is not an external reality that must be rectified but an internal reality by which all of us are overwhelmed.

We all are privileged and this has created a great chasm between us and God. We feel a need to hold onto our lives rather than release ourselves irrevocably to God and allowing Him to be in control. Matthew 6:33 tell us if we do this He will give us everything we need to live a successful life.

So many have asked the question; Why doesn’t God stop the evil in this world? But the question reveals how little those that ask this question know of the God of the Bible. The very question begs for another question. What is love? The God abundantly described in scripture is an omnipotent (all powerful) God who will not violate the tenants and boundaries that He Himself has established. We all know that God is love (1John 4:16) but do we know that His love does not demand the object of His love to reciprocate, to be forced to love Him back? This would be impossible (to force us to love Him) because it would violate the boundaries He has set for Himself and in this we find our answers to many of life’s troubling questions. Why will God not interdict in this world’s evils speaks directly to those that have chosen not to love Him.

Some scoff at this idea because they choose to ignore what is plainly revealed before their very eyes. They insist that God intervene when evil is present but they also say that they don’t want God to intervene in their choices, even though they also may be evil and destructive. This idea of freewill is easily understood if the roles were reversed. If the one asking the question; Why doesn’t God force Himself on this world was omnipotent as God is would that individual force people to love him and thereby stop the evil perpetrated in this world? Would those people then freely love that individual in return and not do the evil we all see and experience? I think not.

The scriptures tell us that fear is the beginning of knowledge. But after we begin to understand Him we must continue to pursue Him. God has offered us knowledge of Him which is abundantly available and easily retrieved but even more than this He has given us His Holy Spirit which allows us to experience His love and have access to His mind and heart. We have to move beyond rudimentary questions and go deeper if we are to understand why we are here on this planet and have answers to those that are asking; Why doesn’t God stop the evil in this world?

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Our culture is in the throes of diminishing the definition of shame. It’s understandable in that shame makes one feel guilty and no one wants to feels this way. I’ve heard, through the media, from people in the entertainment business that shame no longer has any place in our culture as it holds us back from attaining the highest expression we as humans can reach. This all sounds so reasonable, but is it? Where did shame come from and what purpose does it still serve today?

In the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve sinned and were forced to leave their paradise. They had made a decision to live independently from the Father who offered everything to them and they only had to acknowledge that they needed Him to exist. This they decided together wasn’t what they desired and sin and shame were first introduced into the world. But it didn’t end there. God still loved and cared for them. Shame was the constant reminder that they had made a mistake. If they didn’t want to feel the bitterness of shame they only had to admit (as we do today) that they (and we) want to live in dependence upon Him. God would have readily forgiven them. In this we find our joy and His peace that He is so willing to share with us. Without shame being given to us as a gift we would be permanently detached from God much like an astronaut is untethered from the space station.

The issue today is not to run from shame but to run to the Father for healing. If we decide on our own that we must rid the world of our shame so that we can live as we please we are only continually living in banishment (and heartache) instead of coming home to the Father and living with Him in dependence and peace.

The functioning of a healthy believing priesthood (the guts of the church) is crucial to the life that exists within the heart of the church (otherwise known by Jesus as the ekklesia), and at the same time completely misunderstood. Jesus created His church to function in a healthy vibrant way. The key to this is the believing priesthood. The believing priesthood (a.k.a. the government of Jesus, manifested by the members of the body) contains within it the solution to many problems facing our culture. As an example many are demanding the end to racism by creating laws monitored by the U.S Government which they hope will redress past wrongs.

But this is an issue that directly relates to the heart of man. In the church with a healthy believing priesthood stands the solution to racism and many other problems facing our culture. Only by submitting ourselves together to Christ and His government (where there is no favoritism – Acts 10:34. Romans 2:11 etc.) will racism be eradicated. Trying to control peoples actions and thoughts by attempting to dissipate bad behavior through the law will only breed more hatred. Why is this? Just ask yourself when anyone attempts to tells you what to do and how you are to act in society. The solution is the indwelling Spirit of Jesus in community (the believing priesthood) with others. This will change a person from the inside out. The believer accedes to this process because Jesus has proven to the believer that He loves them and they are convinced of this beyond any doubt. Others in community can then express a fuller picture of how Christ (racism is not monolithic and neither is its solution) sees this or any other issue.

In a healthy functioning gathering (any gathering where two or more come together) everyone should be able to communicate what the Spirit of Christ has given them that day or that week to share with the others. In a healthy environment this allows a greater degree of Christ to be present and expressing Himself. One will know this to be true only by experiencing it firsthand. But some will say that the believing priesthood is simply numerous Christians coming together in love and compassion. But without the presence and expression of Christ through the believing priesthood coming together as Christians only perpetuates the myth that we are doing something that Christ commands when we are actually only serving ourselves.

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