Inward and Outward

October 1, 2023 Background Scripture: Romans 2:1 - 29 Lesson Passage: Romans 2:12 - 24, 28, 29 The Apostle Paul penned this letter to the Christian congregation located in Rome. Much of Christian doctrine is derived from different passages found in this letter. It is worth noting that at the time he wrote this letter, Paul had not visited this group. He was familiar with their reputation for having faith. In the opening section of this letter in Chapter 1, Paul expressed how God's anger is stirred up against the unrighteous living of people in the world. He went on to write that the unrighteous living was occurring among people who knew God's Law as well as among people who did not know God's Law. But even the ones who did not know the Law of God outwardly, had been convicted by it inwardly through their conscience. Paul's opening conclusion is that everyone will be judged for their unrighteous living—whether they know the Law of God or whether it has been revealed in their conscience. This context is established in Chapter 1 and is needed to properly comprehend Chapter 2, Otherwise, Chapter 2 reads like an angry retort to something that is not defined in Chapter 2. Put another way, it is easier to understand Chapter 2 when viewed in the context established by Chapter I. Chapter 2 focuses on people judging each other. The only judgment that can be properly rendered is based on God's righteousness and that judgment is of the inward person. Although a person may obey the Law outwardly, such as through circumcision, their overall behavior reflects the inward condition of the person's heart. It is only through the Spirit of God that a person's heart can be circumcised so that they will live outwardly righteous. Judging a person for not adhering to a religious ritual while behaving the same as they do is a condemnation on the one judging. True faith is shown by a behavior governed by a righteous heart—even if the person has not conformed to an external religious ritual. Knowing and teaching the Law of God is not what pleases God. God is pleased when a person lives according to the righteousness defined by His Law. That righteousness is not based on conformity to external, or outward, rituals. The Law of God defines the righteousness that changes the person on the inside. When God changes a person on the inside, it will show up on the outside in their behavior. In the meantime, we must be careful to avoid judging others for behaviors that we engage in as well. Many of the first century congregations were composed of Jews and Gentiles. This struggle between inward change and outward religious rituals would have occurred on many occasions. Today, the struggle may be more between those who have always been "churched" and those who grew up outside of the church. Of course, we should acknowledge that being in church doesn't make one any more a Christian than being in a garage makes one a car. Christianity is what happens to a person on the inside. We can learn all the expected behaviors in a church environment by simply growing up in that environment from childhood. However, those church behaviors don't necessarily reflect the inward condition of a person's heart. I believe the first year of the pandemic gave local congregations the opportunity to reflect on our agendas. What were we doing that advanced Jesus Christ's agenda in this world versus what made us comfortable among ourselves? When there were government mandated shutdowns of congregational gatherings, which agenda was really impacted? Was it Jesus' agenda or the local church's agenda? We saw that those two were not necessarily the same. The church's agenda is often an outward behavior that does not need an inward change. Jesus' agenda cannot be pursued continuously without an inward change within the persons involved. I suppose the real question is, "Can we walk it like we talk it?" Robert C. Hudson September 23, 2023

Jesus Prevents Two Stonings

September 24, 2023 Background Scripture: John 8:1 - 11, 39-59 Lesson Passage: John 8:1 - 11, 56 - 59 When capital punishment was specified by the Law of Moses, it typically was administered by stoning the person to death. However, during the times of Jesus' earthly ministry, the Jews were under the political governance of the Roman Empire and not allowed to use capital punishment. They were free to judge each other on a local level, but they were not allowed under Roman law to put a person to death. It was this political dilemma the Jewish leaders hoped to use to entrap Jesus. As Jesus was teaching the people at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles, the Jewish leaders interrupted His teaching. They brought a woman amid the crowd around Jesus and leveled the accusation of adultery against her. They claimed that she was caught in the very act of adulte1Y. (It is worth noting that if they desired to do the right thing, they also should have brought the other person she was reportedly caught in the act with.) They reminded Jesus that the Law required that she be stoned to death. They asked Jesus for His opinion concerning the matter. Jesus kneeled and began to write on the ground with His finger. They continued to talk and question Him while He continued to write on the ground. The bible doesn't record what He wrote. If Jesus had answered their question, of entrapment, it would have put Him at odds with either the Law of Moses or the Roman law. Instead, Jesus responded by recommending that the one among them who was without sin should throw the first stone at her. Then He continued to write on the ground. They all left beginning with the oldest. Then Jesus addressed the woman after all her accusers were gone. He told her that He did not condemn her and for her to leave and not sin anymore. Jesus did not condemn her, nor did He condone her sin. Afterwards, Jesus got into an exchange with some Pharisees concerning God and fatherhood. They sarcastically referred to Jesus as an illegitimate person by birth. They did not understand or accept the virgin birth, but they apparently knew that Mary was pregnant with Jesus before she was married. Jesus pointed out that God is His Father. They countered that Abraham is their father. Jesus pointed out that He did the works of His Father, but they were not doing the works of Abraham. Jesus spoke of Abraham rejoicing to see His day, and that set off a storm of conversation. How could someone less than fifty years old speak of Abraham's emotions as though he was Abraham's contemporary? Jesus responded, "Before Abraham was, I Am." This response to their question about Him knowing Abraham personally was a clear indication of His deity. That "I Am" identified Jesus as the God in the burning bush Who talked with Moses. A man claiming to be God was the ultimate in blasphemy for Jews. They immediately picked up stones to stone Jesus to death. Jesus hid Himself and left out through the midst of them. The bible does not explain how He hid Himself. It seems that He did not disappear, but rather left out by going through the midst of them. Perhaps He blinded them, so they were not able to see Him. Regardless of how He did it, Jesus would not allow them to stone Him. Later, Jesus would offer His life for them, but His life would not be taken by stoning. Jesus' death required that He be attached to a tree (the cross). By doing so, He would become sin and be judged by God as a substitute for the sins of everyone who places their trust in Him. Jesus prevented two stonings. One was for the benefit of a woman allegedly caught in the act of adultery. The other was for the benefit of all of us who would otherwise perish for our sins without Jesus' death on the tree of Calvary. Robert C. Hudson September 8, 2023