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Personal Responsibility
Living in the Spirit Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.—Romans 8:5, NIV Dan Wesol True Christians should not be old creatures in their thinking, ambitions, words, or actions. All things have become new. Christians are part of God’s new creation. They are his workmanship. They are children of the true and living God: “All who have received him, to them—that is, to those who trust in his name—he has given the privilege of becoming children of God; who were begotten as such not by human descent, nor through an impulse of their own nature, nor through the will of a human father, but from God” (John 1:12,13, Weymouth). Christians are to obey God’s commands and apply righteous judgments in the various circumstances of life that God puts before them to develop his righteous character in their hearts. The right decisions should be clear although not always easy to perform. Christians must put righteous decisions into action. The fallen flesh may look for a shortcut or compromise principle to avoid the hard choice—the clear truth—but that is not a prerogative. Jesus said: “Let your statement be, Yes, yes or No, no; anything beyond these is of evil” (Matthew 5:37, NASB). Christians are not to seek their own interests but to seek God’s kingdom. This does not mean the neglect of work to provide what is needful for family and others (1 Timothy 5:8; 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12). New creatures in Christ have not consecrated their lives to self-preservation, but have figuratively lain all on the altar of sacrifice to be consumed in service to God. They are to “wear out” from much use, not “rust out” from idleness at the bottom of the tool box. Christians are to expand their radius of spiritual influence, letting their light so shine before men that they may “see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). The new creature is to pray for fellow Christian pilgrims in their walk in the narrow way of self-sacrifice and righteousness. They do not look on the outward appearance, but they do look at the heart: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female,” for the new creation is all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). They are to encourage others to pray, to study God’s Word and to apply it. They lead by example and continue to run forward even when faced with seemingly insurmountable opposition. Among many professing Christians, true Christianity has not been tried and found easy, but found difficult and left unapplied: “Let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). Having been given the spiritual vision to see that the current earthly organizations, the financial structure, and the political and social order of this world will give way to God’s kingdom, each must individually answer Peter’s sobering question: “What sort of people ought you [we] to be in holy conduct and godliness?” (2 Peter 3:11, NASB). Things Honest in the Sight of All Men Those who come in contact with any consecrated Christian should note that person’s honesty in work, in relationships, and in conduct. Truthfulness should appear as the foundation layer of character. God desires truth in the innermost being (Psalm 89:14; 51:6) and is near to those who call upon him in truth (Psalm 145:18). Jesus told Pilate: “Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice” (John 18:37). With truth as a foundation, Christians should be the most law-abiding of all people. In applying Jesus’ words to be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16), new creatures must speak the truth in season and out of season (when it is inconvenient to themselves) not only from their lips, but as a living example. They must make sure that bitter actions—gossiping, being a busybody, spreading rumors—do not betray the sweet words of the gospel. Christians are commanded not to intrude into the business of others (1 Timothy 5:13; 1 Peter 4:15). Two questions should be asked before offering an opinion on others’ concerns: “Is it any of my business?” and “Would I give the person a grateful hug for inserting him or herself into the same business if it were my own?” In this way, one can better follow the instruction of the apostle Paul to “make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business” (1 Thessalonians 4:11, NASB). The Christian’s good works, performed with a godly spirit, will often have a greater impact in reproving evil than the spoken word (Proverbs. 9:7,8; John 3:20; 2 Thessalonians 3:7). Family Obligations In the family arrangement, it is the business of parents to raise their children in a just and loving environment. This starts with a loving, patient, kind, and just relationship between husband and wife. Although the husband is the head over the wife, it does not mean he is authorized to rule the family as a despot. Such a husband neither understands properly the meaning of marriage nor the Scriptures that define his headship (Ephesians 5:23-33). The husband should love his wife as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for her. The husband should nourish and cherish his wife as he nourishes and cares for his own flesh. He should value his wife’s thoughts, counsel, and ideas, and encourage her spiritual growth. He should share ideas with her, have assets in common, and work on projects and plans together as a life partner and true companion. Neither husband nor wife is authorized to act harshly in anger or frustration, as neither would not harm their own flesh. Each spouse’s touch should always be driven by loving-kindness and gentleness. The husband has the greatest responsibility to live and teach the Golden Rule to his children, even if the child-raising responsibility is primarily the responsibility of the wife. In fact, both parents should be closely involved in child rearing. Parents are to respect the personal rights of each member of the family and should teach their children to do the same. Praise for doing what is right or even exceptional is perhaps more important than reproof for wrongdoing or misspoken words. Praise can be made publicly for others to hear and reinforce what has been done correctly, while criticism and reprimands are to be done privately. In today’s world in which corporal punishment is too often abused, it should be considered only when necessary and only upon the large muscles of the posterior and never when the emotions of anger and frustration are at their height, but only when the new mind has brought these emotions in check. Physical punishment is most often used in anger, frustration, or fatigue. It requires much more energy and patience to pray about the problem behavior, to ask our heavenly Father for the wisdom to apply the appropriate discipline and then to: 1) explain to the child why the conduct is wrong; 2) why it should not be repeated; and 3) what the consequences are for misbehavior. These consequences can be additional chores for a specified and limited time, a time-out, or loss of an after-school activity for a limited and specified period of time, loss of an MP3 player, or loss of time spent with friends. These disciplinary actions amount to “the rod” in Proverbs 29:15. Parents must decide what works best. The administration of discipline should always be handled with a view to what is best for the child’s spiritual, mental, moral, and physical development. When considering the appropriate disciplinary action for each particular child, members of the new creation should think about what can be learned from our Father in heaven when he disciplines us. Is he not wise in his administration of discipline? Is he not gentle and merciful when we require spiritual correction? Financial Obligations As each came naked into this world, each will return the same (Job 1:21; Ecclesiastes 5:15). Knowing this, the new creature should view money as a tool to be used throughout life, not something to be sought: “The love of money is a root of all sorts of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10, NASB). New creatures should always live within their means. If one makes one hundred dollars, one should not spend more than ninety dollars. In this way money earned can be set aside for specific services to the Lord, the ecclesia, for those in need, and for one’s own future needs. The rule of the new creation is to “owe no man any thing, but to love one another” (Romans 13:8). If disabling illness occurs, employment is lost, or other difficult circumstances arise, an emergency or rainy day account containing an amount equivalent to at least three months of salary will make it possible to survive without going into debt (Job 5:7; 14:1; Proverbs 6:6-8; Matthew 6:34). Debt should be used solely as a tool, if at all. If a credit card is used for convenience, it should always be paid in full every month to avoid interest charges that can accumulate and result in financial bondage. If debt is allowed to spiral out of control, much of one’s time and thought are devoted to managing the debt rather than the freedom to use time and money in the Lord’s service. An appropriate maxim is, “Money is a terrible master but an excellent servant.” If credit card debt has been accumulated, one should make every effort to get out of that debt (Proverbs 6:1-4) and once out of debt, stay out of debt. Today the use of a debit card allows one to never spend more than is in the bank account, and thus the snare of credit for immediate consumption items is avoided. If a home or automobile purchase is contemplated, one should consider need versus desire and how much debt is appropriate. New creatures are to be cheerful givers and more than willing to lend. Jesus tells us to “give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you” (Matthew 5:42, NASB). When employing others, new creatures must follow the scriptural admonition to pay employees promptly for work they have accomplished (Deuteronomy 24:15; James 5:4). As stewards of whatever financial means God has been pleased to bestow, it is the Christian’s responsibility to be a good steward (1 Peter 4:10) and to seek value in every avenue of life. Clothing should not be purchased with a view to show others beauty or handsomeness, but that one is living well within one’s means. Outward beauty is shallow. True beauty springs from deep within the heart and flows from thoughts, words, and actions. The wisdom of the apostle’s words applies to both men and women of the new creation: “But let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God” (1 Peter 3:4, NASB). When purchasing computers, clothes, tools, household goods, or any other products commonly used in one’s culture, the purchases should be consistent with our covenant of sacrifice (Romans 12:1,2). Praising God with our Lives “According to his promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation” (2 Peter 3:13-15, NASB). As Ambassadors for Christ, we praise God, who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light, by effectively managing our earthly responsibilities. If we are guided and live by God’s righteous principles as laid out in his Word, we will likely find ourselves exceeding what is generally expected of a model citizen and mature adult. Let us be the example of a Christian to the world around us so it brings honor to our heavenly Father. May our earthly lives be such a praise! |