You may be asking yourselves why have I not yet discussed the moral issues directly. The reason is that a foundation must be laid before we build anything. If we are to build a biblical understanding, we need a foundation for understanding a biblical worldview. As we have discussed, the bible is read differently in different communities of faith. We read the Protestant Christian scriptures. We read them within the United Methodist community of faith.
Methodism regards scripture as “containing all things necessary unto salvation.” In other words, the bible’s purpose is less about legal rules to obey and more about revealing the savior to come to know and trust, follow His example, and become like Him in all things. It is impossible for us to attain apart from the Holy Spirit enabling us. For as Paul wrote…
“For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit (Rom. 8:3-4).”
Clearly, we are made to be moral. We are made to be as Jesus is (Rom. 8:29). We are Christian, called and empowered to be “little christs” to walk worthy of His name (Col. 1:10). To say the scriptures are not about rule following is not to say we are to ignore moral boundaries. In fact, Jesus taught our righteousness must be greater than the righteousness of the Pharisees. In His Sermon on the Mount Jesus
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven (Mat. -20).”
Bear in mind that Matthew is writing to a Jewish Christian congregation. In his tradition believers in Jesus also kept observing all the laws and traditions of Moses, but they did so with anew liberalism, a new spirit. This brought them into conflict with the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law. Matthew’s congregation were likely excommunicated, cast out of the Jewish synagogue. They were called “heretics,” unfaithful to the traditions of their fathers. As you read Matthew you will find the fiery tension between His congregation of Jewish Christians and the synagogue(s) which have rejected them.
It is not that the Pharisees were particularly evil, although some used tactics to bring Jesus down in the eyes of his followers by setting traps through tricky debates on points of the law. But Jesus is bringing a new covenant with newer possibilities for righteousness. This is the righteousness that comes by faith in Jesus. Paul teaches that the Spirit enables us to fulfill the law.
Methodists teach that the grace of God is wooing us into relationship with God even when we are unaware and unbelieving. This grace works upon us to bring us to awareness of our sinfulness and our need for a Savior. Grace assists us to make the good confession and place our hope in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Through faith in God’s action in Jesus Christ we are set free from the power of sin to live a new life serving God in the power and purity of the Spirit. Our faith in Christ continues to transform and shape us making us more and more like Jesus until His good work begin in us is completed on the Day of His return.
Grace is God Restoring All Creation to Excellence. We know excellence in humanity by looking upon Jesus, the Perfect One. The work of the Spirit in our lives perfects us as we are lead by the Spirit and learn to follow His guidance, His wisdom and enjoy His peace and power.
This New Testament worldview drives evangelical Christianity. It is through the death, resurrection and ultimate triumph of Jesus Christ that we read the bible and learn to be moral. We lay down our lives, as Christ laid down His life for us in love. We live victorious over sinful desires and passions as did Jesus through the power of God’s Spirit. We work together building communities that reflect God’s right ways with love leading all we do for His glory. Our life together witnesses to God’s goodness. Our outreach spreads the grace of the Lord into the lives of our neighbors. We share good news and glad tidings because of the joy of knowing Jesus and sharing in His freedom and His life!
Only when we understand why the bible, are we ready to read the bible’s directives on moral behavior. Read Colossians (only 4 chapters). You will find it follows a format that begins with what God has done and is doing and will do in Christ followed by how we are now to live our lives in light of God’s redemptive work. Many of the New Testament letters follow this same pattern. Theology, talk about God, drives moral behavior.
As you read the scriptures look first for what is said about what God is doing, then read a bout what you are to do in response to God's action as one of God's adopted children through faith in Christ. As you hold up the example of God's actions, you will begin to understand why the moral teachings of the bible are meant for God's people to to hold up.
So that's the hold up...God's action and our response.
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