Only for His glory
A couple of things I've been thinking about.
Should we or our employers support or contribute to charitable causes run by religious non-Christian organisations?
*readers aghast!*
Sigh. The moment comments like this are made, political correctness often kicks in. Wah, Christian can be so intolerant ah?!
But let's cut through the fog of political correctness. What are the issues here:
1. Helping the poor and needy is God's command. Therefore meeting people's felt needs is important.
2. A non-Christian can do as much or more good deeds than a Christian. Therefore doing good is not necessarily being Christian. Suppose a philanthopist wants to leave his mark on the world. He donates $1m to his alma mater for a scholarship fund. The fund is named after himself. Has he done good? Yes. Is this admirable? Probably. Is he being Christian? Maybe.
3. In the present context - the company does good. Who gets the glory? The company obviously. The temple too. Does God appear anywhere yet?
4. Making someone's life on earth better is great. Showing him how to obtain eternal life is even better. Doing both is best. BUT making someone's life on earth better while drawing him away from eternal life is NO GOOD AT ALL. We are allowing the recipients to be deceived in connection with eternal life, in exchange for a better life now.
5. I have already pledged money to the cause. What do I do now? Allow God to turn bad to good, as only He can. We MUST take the opportunity to bless the recipients in Jesus' name. As God turned Joseph's sale into slavery to good, so He can make this work for the glory of His name.
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Phew. I suspect the above might raise a few hackles. But I think sometimes it is necessary to speak bluntly. This is not about judging people or judging deeds. Just as Jesus modelled for us, we love the sinner unconditionally, but we should not accept the sin. But things have become such that it's now fashionable to love the sinner and the sin!
I think that the world has gotten into the habit of saying "that's OK" to too many things, under the guise of tolerance and mutual understanding. Pre-marital sex? That's OK, just use protection. Homosexuality? That's OK, we cannot judge others. For Christians: don't feel like tithing? That's OK, just give what's in your heart. Don't like missions? That's OK, not everyone is a missionary. Don't want to disturb our friends/family of other faiths? That's OK, we are part of an inter-religious Singapore. In Singlish - everything also can.
Isn't the devil smart? He doesn't come to us with sulphur and brimstone, saying worship the devil and you'll burn with me forever! No. He comes, disguised like the morning star that he was, gently telling us it's OK, we should live in harmony and not make moral judgments.
So what's happening? I think Christians are trying too much to fit in with everyone else. We want to have the big car, the big house. We want to get along with the in crowd. Oh, and so important - we don't want to be seen as fanatics. We want to say 'hey we're just like you'. BUT WE ARE NOT JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a HOLY nation, a people belonging to God, that we may declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9).
Let's not be like the Israelites who demanded a king when they already had God as their King, just because they wanted to be like everyone else (see 1 Sam 8). We're special! Why choose to be like everyone else?
This brings me to my next point - we have to decide. We can't have some of Jesus, but not all. If Jesus says no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6), then that's that. Our faith DOES NOT GIVE US THE CHOICE to say "I believe Jesus saves me", but maybe other people can find another way. If Jesus says "You are special - BE HOLY", then that's that. Our faith does not give us the choice.
There's a song that goes "One way! Jesus! You're the only one that I could live for". It's a jumpy, upbeat kind of song. My children, who can't quite remember song lyrics, amusingly mangle the song at home sometimes - they sing "ONE WAY! THE OTHER WAY!!"
Funny :) But none of us are confused kids. There is ONE WAY. The ONE WAY is JESUS. Jesus's way is the CROSS. The CROSS is submission to God's will. God's will is unchangeable, unshakeable, immovable. He is our ROCK. Are we ready today to say we have ONE WAY, that we will walk THAT WAY, and there is NO OTHER WAY? Knowing there is ONE WAY, shall we not show everyone it's THAT WAY by our words and actions?
I look forward to Thursday's meeting as usual - come to encourage each other. Jesus asked Peter - "Do you love me?". Peter said yes. Remember what Jesus said then? Feed my sheep (see John 21:15-19). So come and obey - feed His sheep. And as you feed, I guarantee you will in turn be fed.
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matt 5: 14-16
Should we or our employers support or contribute to charitable causes run by religious non-Christian organisations?
*readers aghast!*
Sigh. The moment comments like this are made, political correctness often kicks in. Wah, Christian can be so intolerant ah?!
But let's cut through the fog of political correctness. What are the issues here:
1. Helping the poor and needy is God's command. Therefore meeting people's felt needs is important.
2. A non-Christian can do as much or more good deeds than a Christian. Therefore doing good is not necessarily being Christian. Suppose a philanthopist wants to leave his mark on the world. He donates $1m to his alma mater for a scholarship fund. The fund is named after himself. Has he done good? Yes. Is this admirable? Probably. Is he being Christian? Maybe.
3. In the present context - the company does good. Who gets the glory? The company obviously. The temple too. Does God appear anywhere yet?
4. Making someone's life on earth better is great. Showing him how to obtain eternal life is even better. Doing both is best. BUT making someone's life on earth better while drawing him away from eternal life is NO GOOD AT ALL. We are allowing the recipients to be deceived in connection with eternal life, in exchange for a better life now.
5. I have already pledged money to the cause. What do I do now? Allow God to turn bad to good, as only He can. We MUST take the opportunity to bless the recipients in Jesus' name. As God turned Joseph's sale into slavery to good, so He can make this work for the glory of His name.
=================================================================
Phew. I suspect the above might raise a few hackles. But I think sometimes it is necessary to speak bluntly. This is not about judging people or judging deeds. Just as Jesus modelled for us, we love the sinner unconditionally, but we should not accept the sin. But things have become such that it's now fashionable to love the sinner and the sin!
I think that the world has gotten into the habit of saying "that's OK" to too many things, under the guise of tolerance and mutual understanding. Pre-marital sex? That's OK, just use protection. Homosexuality? That's OK, we cannot judge others. For Christians: don't feel like tithing? That's OK, just give what's in your heart. Don't like missions? That's OK, not everyone is a missionary. Don't want to disturb our friends/family of other faiths? That's OK, we are part of an inter-religious Singapore. In Singlish - everything also can.
Isn't the devil smart? He doesn't come to us with sulphur and brimstone, saying worship the devil and you'll burn with me forever! No. He comes, disguised like the morning star that he was, gently telling us it's OK, we should live in harmony and not make moral judgments.
So what's happening? I think Christians are trying too much to fit in with everyone else. We want to have the big car, the big house. We want to get along with the in crowd. Oh, and so important - we don't want to be seen as fanatics. We want to say 'hey we're just like you'. BUT WE ARE NOT JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a HOLY nation, a people belonging to God, that we may declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9).
Let's not be like the Israelites who demanded a king when they already had God as their King, just because they wanted to be like everyone else (see 1 Sam 8). We're special! Why choose to be like everyone else?
This brings me to my next point - we have to decide. We can't have some of Jesus, but not all. If Jesus says no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6), then that's that. Our faith DOES NOT GIVE US THE CHOICE to say "I believe Jesus saves me", but maybe other people can find another way. If Jesus says "You are special - BE HOLY", then that's that. Our faith does not give us the choice.
There's a song that goes "One way! Jesus! You're the only one that I could live for". It's a jumpy, upbeat kind of song. My children, who can't quite remember song lyrics, amusingly mangle the song at home sometimes - they sing "ONE WAY! THE OTHER WAY!!"
Funny :) But none of us are confused kids. There is ONE WAY. The ONE WAY is JESUS. Jesus's way is the CROSS. The CROSS is submission to God's will. God's will is unchangeable, unshakeable, immovable. He is our ROCK. Are we ready today to say we have ONE WAY, that we will walk THAT WAY, and there is NO OTHER WAY? Knowing there is ONE WAY, shall we not show everyone it's THAT WAY by our words and actions?
I look forward to Thursday's meeting as usual - come to encourage each other. Jesus asked Peter - "Do you love me?". Peter said yes. Remember what Jesus said then? Feed my sheep (see John 21:15-19). So come and obey - feed His sheep. And as you feed, I guarantee you will in turn be fed.
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matt 5: 14-16
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