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ReVision

A Conflict of Claims

The claims of Christ are our first priority.

Clash of Swords (2)

And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things.Acts 17.8

Let the saints be joyful in glory;
Let them sing aloud on their beds.
Let the high praises of God
be in their mouth,
And a two-edged sword in their hand,
To execute vengeance on the nations,
And punishments on the peoples;
To bind their kings with chains,
And their nobles with fetters of iron;
To execute on them the written judgment—
This honor have all His saints.
Psalm 149.5-9

A new King
It’s not surprising that Christianity, truly lived and boldly proclaimed, should pose a threat to the social and cultural status quo,and to the political powers and cultural elites who maintain that status quo. From at least the time of Abraham, believers have taken the Sword of the Spirit into battle against all the swords of men, to further the divine economy and agenda.

In first-century Rome the powers-that-be were content for Christianity to have a place in the Empire, as long as its followers understood the rules of the game. Adherents of many strange religious cults populated the subject nations of Rome, and each sect enjoyed a certain legitimacy, because each of them constituted an element of the social glue which held the pastiche of Empire together. As long as those religions did not challenge the authority of Rome and the supremacy of the Emperor, they were free to practice their beliefs. Even the Jews were allowed to practice their faith, because it was understood by Roman authorities that their exalted claims of sovereignty for their God applied only to His chosen people. And the Romans had demonstrated to their own satisfaction that they could manage that.

Everything changed when Christianity broke out in the cities of the Empire.

Christians claimed that their God had come among men for their salvation, had been crucified and buried, but rose again for the redemption of the world. He is now, they insisted, exalted as King Jesus, and all nations and rulers are now called to repent of their sins and submit joyfully to Him, or be trampled under His feet.

Such claims had not been noised about before in the cities of the Empire, and, as in Thessalonica, those making such claims were greeted by trouble and opposition wherever they appeared.

Authority
Which of the claims of Christianity do people find so offensive? Which claims tend to clash most pointedly with the preferred worldviews of any age? In particular, what is it about the Gospel which is likely to rankle those hearing it in our own day? Let me mention three.

The first is a claim relative to authority. Jesus Christ claims ultimate authority to rule over all nations, peoples, men, and women, and to command and judge them according to the teachings of His Word, which is the Sword of the Spirit. Such a claim is, we might say, somewhat less than fashionable in our highly individualistic, relativistic, and pragmatic age, especially to those entrusted with the sword of men and the power to govern nations.

To insist that Jesus Christ is Truth and His Word is the touchstone for all truth and life is to attack the very heart of radical individualism, the putative sovereignty of reason and science, and the growing autonomy and power of many national governments. To the extent that Christians make this claim they can expect to be opposed, challenged, and worse.

Repentance
The second claim is that of repentance. The Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ insists on repentance and faith in Christ as the entry point for Kingdom life and as the ongoing duty of all.

But repentance involves admitting wrong, displaying weakness, and submitting to the teachings, claims, and authority of the Sword of the Spirit. Such disciplines do not sit well with our self-serving and self-sufficient age.

Ethics
Finally, the Gospel claims to bring with it a new ethic which comes to expression in every area of life as Christ makes all things new in and through us. The Christian ethic demands that we yield sovereignty to Jesus in all our relationships, roles, and responsibilities; that we bring our thinking, affections, and values into line with His; and that we give ourselves diligently to the task of bringing His salvation, Truth, and righteousness to light in every area of our lives.

Christianity, in short, demands the replacement of one worldview – worn out and unsatisfying – with another – eternal, unfailing, and full of blessing. Many will be extremely reluctant to make that substitution; only the grace of God can move them to do so.

The claims of Christ and the Gospel which so disturbed the good citizens of the Roman Empire will likewise trouble people in our day – that is, when we wield the two-edged Sword entrusted to us, making its claims boldly and living them out convincingly.

For reflection
1.  How would you summarize the basic claims of the secular and materialistic worldview which is pervasive throughout the West?

2.  What are some ways the Christian worldview poses a challenge to the worldview of the Western world?

3.  In what ways have you experienced this conflict of claims in your own life as a follower of Christ?

Next steps: How can believers encourage one another to greater consistency in living under the authority of Christ, in repentance, and for the greater realization of the ethics of Christ? Talk with some friends about this question.

T. M. Moore

The Week, T. M.’s daily print and audio offering of worldview insights, musings, and reflections, is now available for subscription. You can subscribe to The Week by going to the website and, when the pop-up appears, put in your email, click on The Week, then click to update your subscriptions. You’ll be sent an email allowing you to add The Week to your list of subscriptions.

We’re pleased to bring ReVision to you daily, and ReVision studies each week in PDF at no charge. Please visit our website, www.ailbe.org to learn about the many study topics available. Your gifts to The Fellowship of Ailbe make this ministry possible. It’s easy to give to The Fellowship of Ailbe, and all gifts are, of course, tax-deductible. You can click here to donate online through credit card or PayPal, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Dr., Essex Junction, VT 05452.

This week’s study, Clash of Swords, is a bonus part 6 of a 6-part series on a Biblical view of government and politics, and is available as a free download by clicking here. We cannot understand God’s view of government, or how to function in a political environment apart from faith in King Jesus and His rule. Order T. M.’s books The Kingship of Jesus  and The Ground for Christian Ethics to supplement our studies of God and government.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
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