1998-03-31 - Turbulent Days

John 15:12 "This is my commandment, love each other."

We live in a society that has laws, standards, and expectations of those who are within it. In some respect these laws separate us from the animals, where there is no law. As a society we need each other's help to insure that benevolence towards each other is established and maintained. If someone will not honor these laws and function within our cultural standards he or she should be treated in one of two ways, either as a beast (which have no law), or a god (which needs no law).

The last six of the ten commandments deal with our relations one to another. It is not only important to society how we relate to each other, but it is important to God how we relate one to another. The gospel would have us practice charity, even to those who have "done us a bad turn". Of course this is not easy, but it is a duty of those who would seek to maintain Christian conduct in a fallen world.

If you are like me you hear about a lot of bad stuff in our society. It seems like some are not playing by the same rules that most of us are. We cannot expect righteousness and justice to be done in this world, those days are yet to come. Until those days come we should not be surprised at the creativeness of those who seek to destroy society as we know it.

Every week there is a new societal tragedy, and each one is increasingly more shocking it seems. Since a 10 or 14 year old can figure out how to make a bomb on the internet, it is a wonder things are not worse than they are. I know of no perfect solutions to these problems. We are left to praying to God that He would protect us, our nation, and our families with His providential Fatherly care. Having done this, we must practice these acts of righteousness and deeds of mercy. However, we must never fall into the trap of thinking that doing good deeds transform a person or a culture. Only Christ can effect change in us and as we are transformed through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, then and only then will society around us begin to change. Society starts in our local society, and if we are to change society, we must start at home, with ourselves.

The very rocks are at peace with us when we are at peace with God. When Christ is the ruler of our hearts and lives then peace will rule our society and our days. It is not until we learn the preciousness of grace that we will know the richness of good works.

"The Gospel mentions not riches, honours, beauty, pleasures; it passes these over in silence, which yet the Old Testament everywhere makes promise of. They were then children, and God pleased them with the promise of these toys and rattles, as taking with them. But in the Gospel He has shown us He has provided some better things for us; things spiritual and heavenly." Thomas Goodwin

"Times are bad, God is good." Richard Sibbes

Soli Deo Gloria,
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