Character Matters Pt. 4 In Our Judgments, God s Mercy Matters S. Boddaert

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Character Matters Pt. 4 In Our Judgments, God s Mercy Matters S. Boddaert"

Berniece Gregory
6 years ago
Views:

1 We re in the middle of a New Sermon Series, based on the book of James, which looks at Putting on the Character of God as His Church. So far we have looked at putting on God s faithfulness, His Goodness and His Holiness to continue to transform our own characters and the Character of the Church. Why? Because as much as people may want to turn to the Church to help them find their way in this moral fog we re all in, they re not sure the Church is actually capable of doing so because of a lack of integrity in Her Character. A parable of sorts from Henri Nouwen s book, The Wounded Healer mirrors the church s situation today. In it a war of some kind is raging and, he writes,: One day a young fugitive, trying to hide himself from the enemy, entered a small village. The people were kind to him and offered him a place to stay. But when the soldiers who sought the fugitive asked where he was hiding, everyone became very fearful. The soldiers threatened to burn the village and kill everyone in it unless the young man was handed over to them before dawn. The people went to the minister and asked him what to do. The minister, torn between handing over the man to the enemy and having his people killed, withdrew to his room and read his Bible, hoping to find an answer before dawn. After many hours, in the early morning his eyes fell on these words: It is better that one man dies than that the whole people be lost. Then the minister closed his Bible, called the soldiers and told them where the fugitive was hidden. And after the soldiers led the young man away to be killed, there was a feast in the village because the minister had saved the lives of the people. But the minister did not celebrate. Overcome with deep sadness, he remained in his room. That night an angel came to him, and asked What have you done? He said: I handed over the fugitive to the enemy. Then the angel said: But don t you know that you have handed over the Messiah? How could I know? the minister replied anxiously. And the angel said: If, instead of reading your Bible, you had visited this young man just once and looked into his eyes, you would have known. i 1

2 This story begs the question: Has the Church so lost or misread God s character that, in order to save herself, she would sacrifice what is truly of God? And, if so, what hope is there for anyone who turns to us, as His Church, for help in seeking God s forgiveness and favour if we have trouble even recognizing Christ in our midst anymore? A misreading of God s character often happens if we read Scripture to find out how to save ourselves. It is the mistake the minister in our short story made and one that has led to religious wars and to the integrity crisis all religions are in today, Jewish, Muslim and Christian. Remember.our character is first and foremost determined by our intention the Why at the center of our lives. We like to jump to the What what should we do to secure our salvation - and how can we do it well. But if the Why is wrong, the How and the What don t matter. It s an error in focus that can lead us to a misreading of God s character. Our section of Scripture from James this morning can be read with the wrong focus or intent. In my Bible, as in many others, this section is boldly prefaced with the title Favoritism Forbidden. And it s not that this important lesson isn t present here. It most certainly is. In verse 1, after all, James writes a very clear directive to us: My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. If our intent is to obey this command to save ourselves, not only will we fail; we will misread God s character by focusing on one of his attributes over another and miss out on the joy of knowing His true intentions. It is this mistaken focus that mars John MacArthur s otherwise excellent commentary on the book of James. Here MacArthur suggests that the essential quality of God s character we must focus on here is God s impartiality. God is absolutely impartial in His dealings with people, he writes. And in that way, as with His other attributes, He is unlike us. ii He spends a whole chapter explaining how in both the OT and the NT, God doesn t play favorites. After all, Romans 2:11 clearly states For God does not show favoritism. While I agree God impartiality is an important quality of His Character, the WHY seems to be missing. It led me to the question: Does God have favorites? Didn t the angel Gabriel tell Mary not to fear because You have found favour with God? [Lk. 1:30]. The Bible says that Abraham, Moses and the Shepherd-King David all found favour with God. And God, Himself calls the nation of Israel His chosen nation and His chosen people. There seems to be evidence that God clearly favours people and nations. 2

3 So is Scripture contradicting itself here? How can we be condemned for showing favoritism when God clearly favors individuals and a whole nation in the Bible? Or perhaps we re just missing something here. Is there another quality of God s character that is being emphasized - something other than or - better yet - in addition to God s impartiality? I believe there is and the answer lies in the difference of intentions that help define favoritism and finding favour. James gives us an illustration in verses 2-4 of what he calls the evil thoughts that define favoritism. When we give special attention and preferential treatment to a wealthy man over a poor man, giving him a better seat and making the poor man sit on the floor, James writes, have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? TLB. Now, I know. I can imagine some of us might think O come on, there are no evil intentions here. We re all wooed to some extent by the shiny things money can buy Like the song says, It don t mean a thing if it ain t got that bling! Right? We don t really mean anything by it. Our intentions aren t evil. James comments seem a little over the top. BUT James disagrees. He calls favoritism a serious, condemnable, sin. MacArthur writes: Of the three words James uses for evil, the one used here[ ] is the strongest carrying the idea of vicious intentions that have a destructive and injurious effect. iii Why? Well he explains, first in valuing the rich for what they have rather than for who they are that being people made in the image of God we dishonour them and, even more so, we dishonour those who don t have that bling the poor implying they are somehow lesser images of God. Second in serving the rich better than those who are poor, we show we value money more than we value God s mission to save the lost so we commit the sin of idolatry. Lastly, we dishonour God s Name by calling ourselves God s Church but misrepresenting God s Character to others, the sin of blasphemy. James is not fooling around here. That s why this chapter starts with a clear, emphatic, command not to show favoritism. He explains further down that if you do, you become a lawbreaker a criminal! Here s the problem with favoritism. It s the intent. Favoritism is a crime because our judgment of a person s importance, their worth, is based on the benefit we think we can get from them. Our intention is evil because we are willing to hurt someone else in order to save the best for ourselves. And MacArthur and James are right in stressing that God who is Holy will not compromise His Holiness by showing favoritism to His people by dismissing a sin of this magnitude. All must be judged equally. 3

4 If we have done things for our own benefit at the expense of others, if our intention has been to save ourselves by putting ourselves first, Jesus warns His disciples that on judgment day, the last will be first, and the first will be last For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. [Matt. 20:16; 16:25] Favoritism is a direct violation of what James calls the Royal Law found in Scripture that insists we love our neighbors as ourselves. Now I have to confess I have been guilty of breaking the Royal Law and on more than one occasion. Just recently I was offended by a news story that spoke of the complaints made by some of the Syrian refugees fleeing violence in their own country and flooding into European nations. They complained of Hungary, in particular, saying it was inhospitable by making them sleep on cots in crowded rooms with no privacy and by feeding them very little. And I was angry not at the Hungarians but at the Syrian refugees who, I believed, were biting the hand that was feeding them. What right, I thought, do these refugees have in expecting other countries to welcome them into their homes, to share what they have with them, when they are not even citizens? They have not contributed anything to these countries and yet want to be treated as guests guests who haven t even been invited and who have no intention of giving anything back to those whose generosity they insist on and whose compassion they expect. SHAME ON ME! For James tells us in v. 5 that God has chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the Kingdom of God. Jesus speaks of this in His sermon on the mount. If God CHOOSES the poor to favour, who am I to condemn them? Why the poor? Well, perhaps, it s because the poor are more ready to accept His favour. You see, to find God s favour in the Bible means to catch it, to grab hold of it. You can t grab hold of something if your hands are already full. It is the problem the rich young ruler has when Jesus tells him that to inherit eternal life he must sell everything and follow him. Letting go of our wealth and all it represents to us is so very difficult to do even to grab hold of something so much better! Sharing our wealth with the poor, helping those in true need, well that s a wonderful opportunity to share the character of God to those who need to know they are not alone. 4

5 If I was driven by violence from my home, worried for my family and my own wellbeing, I would certainly seek out God s favour. I d appreciate seeing God s Character at work in the loving actions and selfless generosity of others regardless of who they are. For in their willingness to help, if it costs them a great deal, their intentions are honourable and whether they know it or not, these people are following the Royal Law which reflects the true Character of God and of Christ. In my distress, that alone would bring me comfort! It would give hope at a time when everything else is up in the air, the hope that all is not lost. That there is still goodness in the world and that goodness, we know, is the intention of God. God is good. You see, the difference between favouring someone and practicing favoritism is all in the WHY the intention. The Bible uses several words for the word favour which reveal its intention including acceptance, delight, and grace. They all reflect an act done without anything done by the person who is to receive it to earn it and with no expectation of them returning the favour. So there is NO GUARANTEED BENEFIT TO THE GIVER. And that, my friends, equals GRACE. All those in the Bible who received God s favour did nothing worthy of receiving it. The Bible doesn t say anywhere that Mary was chosen because she was sinless. Moses was a murderer, Abraham lied to save his life and Israel was a nation of difficult, self-centered hotheads. Yet they were chosen favoured by God and invited to join Him in His plan to reconcile all people of all nations with Him and each other. God s intentions were honourable, just, and good! The reason our practice of favoritism is such a grave sin is because it gets in the way of God s intention which is to save everyone even if it costs Him everything. MacArthur explains it like this: The gospel is a great leveler, available with absolute equality to everyone who believes in the Saviour it proclaims. Jesus promise to all those who trust in Him is [this: Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light. Matt. 11: Tragically, however, in trying to save Herself, the Church has often broken the Royal Law by treating others poorly. Those of other denominations, other faiths, other cultures, other races, even of other understandings and preferences are not welcomed as equals under God. MacArthur, to his credit, insists That ought not to be. He writes: It not only is a transgression of God s divine law but is a mockery of His divine character. iv 5

6 So, God s impartiality is part of His Divine Character and, as such, should be included in our understanding of Him. God is Holy and sin does matter. And because all people have sinned, none of us can save ourselves. So in His impartiality God must either let us all be justly condemned to death under the law or He can offer to save all of us by dying in our place. Jesus death on the cross is God s Royal Law in action and in all its perfection. It is the law that gives freedom that James speaks of in verse 12. For in it, we see God s Divine Intention which always is love. And it points us to the attribute of God that James wants us to focus on here. If we put on this attribute of God s Character, we will have no desire to practice favoritism. James says it himself in v. 13. Mercy triumphs over judgment. God s Mercy Matters. In our judgment of others, God s Mercy to us and to them matters! This is the aspect of God s Character that is behind this passage from James the one James tells us to wear as those called by God s Name. I have to tell you though. Mercy is not an easy part of God s Character to put on. It s not always comfortable to wear. There will be times when it s too heavy to bear for the sake of others, when they seem too unworthy, too unjustified, too condemned by their own actions; too needy; too ungrateful or too unrepentant; when they are too different in their beliefs, too threatening in their ideologies, and too, too much! When we don t feel like we have any mercy of our own left to spend on them. God says, I understand. Spend some of mine instead for my grace is sufficient. It will cost the Church something to take this attribute of God s Character seriously once again and to wear it faithfully. It may cost all of Her affluence, all of Her financial investments and worldly wealth, all of Her liturgical license and Her doctrinal copyrite. It may break down all of Her denominational divisions, topple any hierarchical structures and sever her political alliances. The cost may be great indeed. She may be laid low and be made humble and poor by wearing God s mercy. But, as James writes, judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. And, as our Lord said, What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world but lose his own soul? [Mk. 8:36] The Church s soul is at stake here. Her integrity. She is the body of Christ, His chosen bride and His beloved. 6

7 In His Mercy and by His sacrifice, He will not let the Church die. But She must be willing to follow Him as Lord. And when She, like Moses, asks God to reassure Her of His favour by showing Her, once again, His glory, He may say to Her as He did to Moses: I will make all my goodness pass before you and I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before you [but] I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and I will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. [Ex.33:19] We cannot decide for God who is worth saving and who isn t; who is worthy of His mercy and of His favour and who is undeserving. For as the apostle Paul reminds us God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were yet sinners. [Romans 5:8 TLB]. We are saved by the mercy and grace of God alone! Our God is a Faithful God, a Good God and a Holy God. In His compassion, He knows that all People need His favour and, in His mercy, He has provided a way for all people to come to Him. As hostile as the world is becoming to the Church and all organized religions, I believe with my whole heart that people need the Lord and that the local Church that s you and me, we have a part to play in showing them God s Character and His true heart. Henri J. Nouwen believed it too. He writes that a few years ago, when he was the chaplain of the Holland-America shipping Line, he was standing on the bridge of a huge Dutch ocean liner that was trying to find its way through a thick fog into the port of Rotterdam. The fog was so thick, he writes that the steersman could not even see the bow of the ship. The Captain, carefully listening to a radar station operator who was explaining his position between other ships, walked nervously up and down the bridge and shouted his orders to the steersman. When he suddenly stumbled over me, he blurted out, God damn it, Father, get out of my way. But when I was ready to run away, filled with feelings of incompetence and guilt, he came back and said, Why don t you just stay around. This might be the only time I really need you. v This might be one of those times in the long history of this Church that our community really, really needs us to help steer them through the spiritual skepticism, the moral fog and the cynical gloom of our day so they can begin to believe again in bright future, in a just God whose intentions for them are always good, whose mercy is available to them regardless of what they ve done or haven t done, regardless of what they have or don t have, and regardless of who they are, because He loves them. And a God whose desire is to shower them generously with His favour. Why don t we just stay around a while longer and be His Church. i Henri J. Nouwen. The Wounded Healer; pp ii John MacArthur. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: James. p. 93 iii MacArthur. p iv MacArthur. p v Henri J. Nouwen. The Wounded Healer. pp

What is Sin? James 2:9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.

What is Sin? James 2:9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. What is Sin? Today we re going to discuss what the scriptures define as sin. Now, if you're watching this teaching, most likely you re a believer who is trying to do their best at following God and not