This tongue-in-cheek parody obviously portrays Christian religion and the institutional church as a business enterprise dedicated to solving all the problems of the world. Has not Christendom often projected this to be the objective of its religious business? Perhaps it is time to question and evaluate the legitimate objectives of Christianity.
At the outset,
one must admit that there are "a million and one," i.e. innumerable,
needs and problems in the world today. In the fallen world-order of depraved
humanity and the consequent corruption and perversion of all social structures
and institutions, the needs and problems are never-ending. They go with the
territory. They are part and parcel of the problematic nemesis brought on by
the introduction of sin in the human race.
The question is,
though, "What can be done to resolve these needs and problems of
mankind?" Can mankind, individually or collectively, find solutions and
remedies to rectify the situation? Do Christians have any responsibility to
attempt to deliver and "save" the fallen world-system from their
problems? Jacques Ellul, French sociologist, historian of social institutions,
professor of law, and an active Christian leader in the Reformed Church of
France, asks the question thusly,
"Who tells us anyway that all
human problems should or can be solved? Perhaps unsolved problems are more
important for God than solutions are...since they remind us of man's sin and
the divine redemption. Perhaps man's problems are so complicated and so badly
put that they are in fact insoluble. The problem of wealth and poverty will
never be solved except as it remains unsolved. The organized battle of the
Church against temporal evils like slavery, intemperance, and national division
runs into the same difficulties as the Crusades. Its experience gives us good
reason to ask to what extent it is the church's mission to solve these temporal
problems."
It is certainly
legitimate to question whether it is the task of Christians to attempt to solve
problems within the arena of the fallen world-order.
The story of
Daniel and King Belshazzar, recorded in the fifth chapter of Daniel (5:1-31),
seems to set the stage for a consideration of whether we have any
responsibility to engage in problem-solving in the context of the world-system.
King Belshazzar, son of King Nebuchadnezzar, while in the midst of idolatrous
carousing saw some handwriting on the wall. Disturbed by what he saw, he
determined to seek an alliance with religion to interpret and solve the problem
(a mutually expedient alliance throughout human history). Eventually Daniel the
prophet was summoned to interpret the situation, be an "answer man,"
and "solve difficult problems" (cf. Dan. 5:12,16). King Belshazzar
offered to reward and remunerate Daniel, to praise and promote him, but Daniel
was not interested in the baubles and benefits of engaging in religio-political
problem-solving, and told the King to "keep his gifts." Daniel was
willing, however, to proclaim what God had revealed to him, and forthwith told
the King that his life and kingdom was full of sin, didn't add up to the
character of God, and would soon be decimated and brought to an end. That very
night King Belshazzar was slain, and his kingdom was divided among the Medes
and the Persians. Is there a "message" here that warns against the
mutually expedient alliances that would seek to interpret, answer and
"solve the difficult problems" of the world? Should Christians,
likewise, be making a proclamation of the revelation of God in Jesus Christ,
which explains that He has "overcome the world" (Jn. 16:33), that
"the ruler of this world has been judged" (Jn. 16:11), and
"shall be cast out" (Jn. 12:31)?
If we look at the
life, ministry and redemptive efficacy of Jesus Christ perhaps we shall see
even more clearly the pattern of approach to the world and its problems that
Christians should have. British Bible teacher, Maj. W. Ian Thomas notes that
"the Lord Jesus Christ refused
to be committed to the parochial needs of His own day and generation; He was
not committed to the political situation in Palestine, or to the emancipation of the
Jewish nation from the Roman yoke! He was not committed to the pressing social
problems of His time, nor to one faction as opposed to another, any more than
today He is committed to the West against the East, or to the Republicans
against the Democrats (as though either were less wicked than the other!).
Christ was not even committed to the needs of a perishing world; He was neither
unmindful nor unmoved by all these other issues, but as Perfect Man He was committed
to His Father, and for that only to which His Father was committed in Him
exclusively!"
Despite the
incessant religious calls to respond to the "needs" of the world, and
to dedicate and commit ourselves to solve the physical, psychological and
spiritual problems of mankind, it does not appear that these guilt-producing
obligations are consistent with Christian responsibility. Rather than being
religiously committed to responding to and solving the problems of the world,
we are to be submitted (James 4:7) to whatever God in Christ is committed
to being and doing in us. What a relief and release from the
performance-oriented burden of religious obligation! In the obedience of
"listening under" (hupakouo)
the direction and leading of the Spirit of Christ (cf. Rom. 8:14), we live and
act by the grace-dynamic of God as He leads and empowers genuine Christian
ministry.
Some have
attempted to portray Jesus as a political and religious revolutionary-activist.
Such actions as overturning the tables in the temple and standing up to the
religious and secular authorities can easily be misconstrued as having such
motivation, but a larger perspective of Jesus' ministry does not lend itself to
the support of such an agenda. His intent was indeed revolutionary, but not in
the sense of political insurrection or social transformation, but rather in a
radically different concept of "kingdom" wherein He as the divine
king would reign and rule as Lord in the lives of the people of God,
manifesting His character which is diametrically opposite of that evidenced in
the fallen world-order. Indeed, there was a predicament or problem to solve in
order to effect such a kingdom the alienation of man from God by his
spiritual condition and behavioural expression of sin. In an act that accepted
the appearance of powerlessness and weakness, Jesus voluntarily submitted in
obedience (Phil. 2:8) to vicariously and substitutionally take the
consequences of humanity's sin in death. In this remedial action of redemption He
would take the death consequences of our sin, in order that the reality of His
divine life might be restored to mankind. From the cross He exclaimed, "Tetelestai!"
"It is finished!" "Problem solved!" (Jn. 19:30). Inexorably
setting in motion the entire restorational objective of restoring God's life to
man, Jesus knew that the resurrection, Pentecostal outpouring and consummatory
glorification were assured. In this "finished work" of Jesus Christ,
God graciously solved the ultimate problem of mankind.
When Christian
religion reverts to secondary efforts of problem-solving as their primary
mission in the world, they are in effect denying the "finished work"
of Christ by focusing on and engaging in "works" that attempt to
"finish" God's work on His behalf, instead of relying on what has
been accomplished once and for all mankind in Christ. Yet, Christian religion
has often projected itself as the "force of good" to change or
transform the world of evil, perceiving its role in a "saviour-complex"
that sets out to deliver the world from its problems. Robert Capon's remarks
are pertinent:
"Christianity is not a
religion. Christianity is the proclamation of the end of religion, not of a new
religion, or even of the best of all religions. ...If the cross is the sign of
anything, it's the sign that God has gone out of the religion business and
solved all of the world's problems without requiring a single human being to do
a single religious thing. What the cross is actually a sign of is the fact that
religion can't do a thing about the world's problems that it never did work
and it never will..."
Failing to
recognize the grace of God in Jesus Christ, Christian religion marches on to
garner its forces for a particular cause celebre in order to create a social movement
to attempt to fix the ills and woes of the world. Rather than explaining the
victory won by Christ over all evil, they seek to expunge the perceived evils
in the world, often by socio-political and religious reform movements that
offer a pseudo-salvation. This is ever so close to the Marxist objectives to
"change the world" through socio-economic transformation.
Commenting on
this tendency of Christian religion to become involved in socio-political
transformationism, which he terms "the false presence of the kingdom"
in a book so entitled, Jacques Ellul observes that
"every time the Church has
gotten into the political game, no matter what the manner of her entry, no
matter what her opinion or opposing choices in a political situation with
regard to an institution, she has been drawn every time into a betrayal, either
of revealed truth or of the incarnate love. She has become involved every time
in apostasy. ...Politics is the Church's worst problem. It is her constant
temptation, the occasion of her greatest disasters, the trap continually set
for her by the Prince of this world."
When religion
engages in social problem-solving, especially in alliance with the secular
governmental structures which have succumbed to the evil of fallen men and thus
designated as opposing "principalities and powers' (Eph. 6:12), then
it has joined the action on the devil's playground. They participate in the
diabolic power-struggles of human social pyramids. To be sure, there is a place
for such social problem-solving. Secular governments are obliged to engage in
such. Religion will inevitably advocate such. Genuine Christianity does not
seek to eliminate, destroy or debunk such involvement by these human
institutions, but only to devalue such by recognizing that it is not an end in
itself, and will not ultimately solve the world's problems. All the while
Christians must recognize that peripheral problem-solving in the arena of the
fallen world-order is not the primary task or mission of the church, and that
there is no particular "Christian solution" for every perceived
problem in the world.
Problem-solving
religion becomes but another social agent utilizing expedient tools of force as
clubs by justifying the "might of the right" in the power-plays of
the world arena. Playing the world's game by using their methodology, such
religion does not help the situation, but becomes part of the problem in their
self-effort to provide remedies. When Christians think that they are
"serving" God by attempting to solve the problems of people and the
world, they fail to understand that "God is not served with human
hands" (Acts 17:25) and their attempts to help God out in problem-solving
is not helpful. Human helpfulness is not helpful from God's perspective. If it
is not His activity, done His way by Him, then it is not worth doing. In
addition, problem-solving religion is impatient in its desires to achieve its
objectives. It wants to perform, attack, assault, seize the day as it engages
in its agenda of activistic resolution. Waiting upon God and allowing Him in
His sovereignty to deal with life and the world in His time and in His way can
only be conceived as passivistic acquiescence by those who view the Christian
purpose as problem-solving.
Christians have
failed to understand the reality of the "good news" they proclaim.
Christianity is not a premise, proposition, program or procedure to be applied
to the problems of the fallen world. What we have to share is not a magic
potion; an elixir that makes everything turn out right. The gospel is not a
panacea, a cure-all, a remedy for all ills. It is not a "philosopher's
stone" that conjures up some imaginary spiritual substance that will turn
the base metals of society into utopian gold, as the catholicon of the world's
woes. The "good news" of Christianity is the living Person of Jesus
Christ, rather than a packaged solution to an identifiable social or personal
problem. Even if the perceived problem is the spiritual depravity of an
unregenerate individual, we do not extend or apply a packaged salvation to fix
their spiritual problem, but point them to, and seek to introduce them to the
risen Lord Jesus as their Saviour. And even this mission objective must not be
perceived as a problem-solving project to win the world to Christ by a
particular point in time. Christianity is not a problem-solving project to
create perfect individuals, perfect churches, a perfect society, or a perfect
world. Rather, Christianity is a personal Saviour, Jesus Christ. He did not come
to be a remedy to problems, but to be the Redeemer of mankind.
When Christianity
is regarded as a packaged solution to identifiable social or personal problems,
the reality of Christianity becomes objectified as an "it," some
"thing" to be applied to a problem as a utilitarian instrument. The
message of Christianity is thus static and objectified, linear and causal,
historicized and theologized as a personal and social solution. Jesus is not a
solution! He is "the way, the truth and the life" (Jn. 14:6), the
modality, reality and vitality of God who has invested Himself into the human
condition and situation. He is the ontological Being who activates His
creation.
We must recognize
that there will always be problems in this fallen world-order. They are
intrinsic to the character of the Evil One, the "god of this world"
(II Cor. 4:4), as he causes and creates his character to be energized in the
individuals (Eph. 2:2) and social structures of the world-order of evil.
The Scriptures do not "sugar-coat" the situation for the Christian
who is "in the world, but not of the world" (Jn. 17:11,14).
Poverty is perennially present (Matt. 26:11). We are promised tribulation
(Jn. 16:33) and "difficult times" (II Tim. 3:1). It seems that one of
the greatest temptations among Christian peoples is to aspire to be free of any
problems here on earth.
Lloyd Ogilvie
explains that
"the greatest problem we all
share, to a greater or lesser degree, is a profound misunderstanding of the
positive purpose of problems. Until we grapple with this gigantic problem, we
will be helpless victims of our problems all through our lives."
Tim Hansel
amplifies this theme by noting that
"most people think of problems
as something bad, as some terrible interruption in their lives which they wish
they did not have to endure. In truth, problems in and of themselves are not
necessarily bad. It is interesting to note that the actual Greek root of the
word 'problem,' namely, probalein, means to throw or to thrust forward.
Problems are the very means by which God drives us forward. Without problems,
there would be no growth."
Although these
authors are addressing personal problems of the individual instead of the
general problems of the world, the common thread is the necessity of accepting
problems. In fact, Thomas Merton comments that "a life without problems is
hopeless." Biblical hope is the confident expectation that things will be
better than they presently are. Those who yearn for a life without problems
the esoteric mystic and the social liberal both seem to share this unachievable
objective thus yearn for an overly-realized eschatological situation absent
of hope.
Until the
consummation of the grand experiment of humanity on earth, when Christ shall
return and there will be a "new heaven and a new earth" (II Pet.
3:13), we can expect personal and social problems. To think that Christians are
going to solve all the problems of the world is akin to thinking that a forest
fire that is engulfing our planet could be quenched by Christians collectively
beating back the flames with their Bibles. It is all going to burn up
eventually, and the fires of hell are not going to be quenched.
In the meantime
we must recognize that the presence of the Christian kingdom in the context of
the fallen world of evil, instead of solving all problems, creates a whole new
set of problems. The anomalous reality of kingdom-living in the world exposes,
subverts, and upsets the modus
operandi of the world-system. That is why Jesus warned that His presence would
bring the family dissension of "brother against brother" (Matt.
10:35), and the conflict of a "sword" (Matt. 10:35). Christian
reality, being antithetical to the world's ways, creates but another
insurmountable problem for the world-order as it seeks to solve the world's
problems.
We must not leave
the impression that Christianity necessarily advocates a passivistic acceptance
of the status-quo; that it is unconcerned about the world situation in a
retreat from cultural relevance. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The
love, mercy, and compassion of God in the Christian seeks the highest good of
suffering mankind. Evangelism, social action, political involvement, relief
efforts are all legitimate, as long as we realistically realize that we cannot
and will not solve all the problems of the world; and we will not produce a
perfectionistic, problem-free utopian existence here on earth. Misguided
religious efforts to manipulate such results through man-made techniques and
timetables, only reveal that religious man is still attempting to set himself
up as God to "play Holy Spirit," without reckoning on God's
grace-action in His due time.
An historical
example of God's timely action apart from religious orchestration might be the
effect that Christianity has had upon slavery. Human slavery had been a social
ill throughout human history, but
"neither Jesus nor the
apostles thought they could solve the problem of slavery as a social problem.
They did not revolt against the practice. They did not contend for the dignity
of the human person. They did not attempt institutional transformation. The
first Christians were content to adopt an individual relation to slaves which
changed the situation from within. This is what finally brought about, after
many centuries, the abolition of slavery."
Slaves were encouraged to obey
their masters as "unto the Lord", and masters were encouraged to
treat their slaves with loving kindness, fairness and justice (Eph. 6:5-9; Col.
3:22-4:1). The tragic situation of human slavery was gradually diminished as
the character of Christ was expressed in the midst of the problem. Such is the
revolutionary permeation of "salt" and "light" into the
world (Matt. 5:13-16).
Christianity is not
problem-solving! Christianity is Christ! Christianity is the ontological
dynamic of the divine life of the risen Lord Jesus lived out in the active
behaviour of receptive Christians, and that within the perplexities of a
plethora of personal, social, and world problems. Christianity is Christ's life
lived out in Christians in every context of clashing cultures, differing
ideologies, and pluralistic perspectives. Such manifestation of Christ's life
(II Cor. 4:10,11) may resolve some perceived problems among men, but
problem-solving is not the mission objective of Christianity.
The teleological
purpose of Christianity is not utilitarian solutions to perceived problems, but
receptivity to the ontological character of God expressed in behaviour that glorifies
God. We are "created for His glory" (Isa. 43:7). God does not give
His glory to another (Isa. 42:8; 48:11) in the form of accolades and
"atta-boys" for the results of man-made resolutions and
transformations of the world's problems. God is glorified only as His
all-glorious character is lived out by the ontological dynamic of the presence,
person and power of Jesus Christ by His Spirit.
Our Christian
responsibility is to be available and receptive to what God in Christ wants to
be and do in us. By the "obedience of faith" (Rom. 1:5; 16:26) we
remain receptive to His activity; submitted to whatever God is committed to in
us; blooming where we are planted by bearing the fruit of His character (Jn. 15:5; Gal. 5:22,23). Nothing is so contrary to our natural human
tendencies, even as Christians, as the acceptance of such powerlessness,
weakness, inability and inadequacy that must rely on God's action of grace in
all behaviour and action. Every tenet of the fallen humanistic perspective posits
human productivity and activity as the causal element of the betterment of
mankind, so for the Christian to accept the radical modus operandi of faithful
receptivity of divine activity in what by all appearances seems to be inutility
and uselessness8 is diametrically different than the way the world operates.
Jesus was so right when He said, "My kingdom is not of this world"
(Jn. 18:36).
In explaining The Presence of the Kingdom,
Jacques Ellul writes:
"Our world is
entirely directed towards action. Everything is interpreted in terms of action.
People are always looking for slogans, programmes, ways of action; action for
action's sake. Our world is so obsessed by activity that it is in danger of
losing its life. A man who spends all his time in action, by that very fact
ceases to live.
The world only
desires action, and has no desire for life at all. ...What matters is to live,
and not to act. ...What we need to do is to live, and to refuse to accept the
methods of action proposed by the world,...(even) the church's 'calls to
action' made in miserable imitation of the world. Men should be
alive, instead of being obsessed with action. To be alive means the total
situation of man as he is confronted by God...living to the glory of the
Creator."
Ponder the succinct statement that
Ellul makes: "A man who spends all his time in action, by that very fact
ceases to live." That is worthy of repeated contemplation. When Christians
spend all their time in activistic problem-solving, they cease to live abundantly
(cf. Jn. 10:10) as Christ intends. The objective of Christianity is to allow
for the ontological Being of the Life of God in Christ to be expressed in the
character of our behaviour unto the glory of God, rather than to engage in
humanly conceived and executed utilitarian actions and religious endeavours.
What, then, is
the active responsibility of the Christian individual? We actively make the
choice of faith to be receptive and available to all that God wants to be and
do in us by the grace-dynamic of the Person and work of Jesus Christ. In
obedience we "listen under" the guidance and direction of God's
Spirit to discern His course of action; how He desires to enact His Being in
our behaviour. "He who began a good work in you, will perfect it until the day
of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:6). Herein is the freedom from the performance
of problem-solving programs; the individual freedom to be man as God intended
man to be. Once again Ellul so aptly notes:
"There are no clear, simple,
universal, Christian solutions to all the problems which arise. We can only put
the problems as clearly as possible and then, having given the believer all the
weapons that theology and piety can offer, say to him: 'Now it is up to you to
go and find the answer, not intellectually, but by living out your faith in
this situation.' There is no prefabricated solution nor universally applicable
model of Christian life. ...Freedom implies that each Christian discovers for
himself the style and form of his action."
In the freedom of
faithful receptivity, we the Christian kingdom-community, individually and
collectively, allow for the radical and revolutionary life of Jesus Christ to
be incarnated and manifested in our mortal flesh (II Cor. 4:10,11) by the
Holy Spirit.
Problems will
inevitably present themselves in the midst of the fallen world-order (and
perhaps intensify) until the end of time. Christians should not expect to solve
the world's problems. Living, as we do, in the enigma of the interim between
Christ's "finished work" in the crucifixion and resurrection, and the
consummation of that victory upon His return, the problems of the world may
seem to be overwhelming, but we live in the confident expectation of hope that
all will be resolved in the final casting out of evil and its problems, and the
restoration of creation in "the new heaven and new earth."
Christianity is
not problem-solving! Christianity is the life of Jesus Christ lived out in the
midst of present problems, evidencing His sufficiency in all situations.
Source: Christ In You
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