This year I am often using MacArthur’s devotional “Strength for Today” as a starting point for my comments.
“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.” - EPHESIANS 4:1[2]
MacArthur begins his January 1st devotional by saying “Just as organizations have rules their members must follow, God has standards Christians must live by. When someone is part of a group, he or she is obligated to follow its laws or standards.”
The images that the Word of God uses are interesting. They are not all, at times, politically correct, or even people friendly. The Greek word used for prisoner is used of one who is bound, often in chains, but often in any kind of bondage. It is not a friendly kind of word. To use this word of our relationship with God is not something that modern man would do, yet Paul readily does it.
Of course, he is speaking of the fact that he is in bondage to men on account his testimony of God to them. But yet, he clearly says that his bondage is to the Lord and not to them. His trust is in the God Who holds all things in His hand. Bondage to men is incidental (speaking broadly of course) in Paul's mind; or at the very least is secondary. God is in control of all that happens to him.
A bit later he says “Most of us want to be part of a group because with belonging comes acceptance. This desire to conform can be quite strong, sometimes dangerously so.” This is not a popular idea in our culture. Personal liberty and the freedom to do as we please, even at the expense of the greater good is often seen as the "summum bonum" and is pursued with great vigor in modern society. I will have what I want and that is all that there is to it! Self satisfaction and achievement is the goal of many lives. When the conflict between this and the laws of society occurs, there is often consternation and confusion. In some areas the line is clear, but in others, it is becoming increasingly blurred.
Morality and ethics is one of those areas. As we erase lines in the area of moral truth, the definition of what is right and what is wrong disappears. With it, the structure of society disappears. Sadly, we see this occurring, more and more rapidly in our society.
He speaks of the “desire to conform” and says it “can be quite strong, sometimes dangerously so.” It can be so strong, that without proper guidance and anchor, namely, the Word of God. The illusion, cherished by unredeemed man, that his own perception of what is good and what is not will carry him trough to an acceptable conclusion to life is a fairy tale. Men pursue that dream vigorously, some more vigorously than others and exert pressure on those around them to embrace their truth as fact when it is not so. This is dangerous in a wealth of ways.
Society doesn't work the way man wishes it would work. People don't work the way they wish they would. Economies don't function the way economist and politicians would like them to. Nature won't knuckle under and obey popular political ideas. You get the idea. The world that God made, man and beast included, does what God designed (that's right, I said "designed") it to do whether or not it does so willingly or not.
The only question is whether or not men will recognize God's Lordship openly and bow their knee in life, or wait to do so in death and as a function of judgment.
Addressing the reason for their compromise He says: “lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God”. He clearly points out the reason that underlies all of the gobblety-gook that stands over why men do such things by citing John 12:42-43:
42 Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.[2]
They put the praise (or, in this case, the disdain) of men over above the praise of God. What an indictment! It is, at the same time terrible and universal! It is something that we all fall prey to, to one degree or another. Thus it is something that we all must, MUST guard against.
Speaking of the modern church, MacArthur some people think belonging to the church is different though. They want the blessings, rights, and privileges of being a child of God, but they’re unwilling to conform to biblical standards. Some think that God is willing to take anyone and everyone that He can get. They feel like He is either desperate and that He has no standards. All one needs to do is have the impulse to be religious and that is good enough for the doddering old fool. As he goes on to say, they are self-interested, as they are in all things, and want benefit, with no expenditure. They want to reap from God, without any effort on their part.
MacArthur concludes “…but they’re unwilling to conform to biblical standards.” This is little more than the attitude that has been present in the unredeemed all throughout history. I will be what I want to be and God has nothing to say about it. He will take me as I am. I will be the determiner of how I come to Him and He will like it! He will take my offering! Oh, wait! that's a quote from Cain! Never mind!
It is well that MacArthur reminds us of 2 Thess. 3:6 and the need to keep apart from unruly brethren. Note that in that verse Paul specifically underscores that the standard for behavior is the Word, the "Tradition which you received from us."
There are rules. They are God's rules - His standards and they must stand over ours - that's why they are called standards!
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[1] All Devotional Quotes are from MacArthur, J. (1997). Strength for today. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.
[2] NKJV
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