Disputable matters
Walking through our woods I can’t help but appreciate the beauty
of diversity. The snow berries
and elder berries, the birch and cottonwood, the cedars and hemlock all
growing along the water, making a kaleidoscope of wonder.
The deer, beaver and coyotes, the goldfinch and eagles all fill
it with sound and movement.
Yet in the church, diversity brings with it a kind of fear.
Historically, some of the most
disturbing times for us have revolved around trying to forge unity with
uniformity, the most obscene being the Spanish Inquisition.
Today, we still find legalism raising its ugly head trying to
force everyone into the same mold.
The tendency is to think that purity and unity are found in a
controlled uniform system. For
some reason we hesitate being associated with those who live
differently, those who settle on an approach peculiar to ours.
They disturb our confidence and cause us to be cautious of their
hidden motives.
“What lies in the shadows?
What is the root of this difference?”
We ask. We’re
concerned about our own credibility, how much less can we trust others.
But uniform practice is not the answer.
The tendency toward uniformity
seems to come from a fear of being influenced by those who might lead us
astray, those who choose differently, those I don’t understand.
They might lead me into something inappropriate, and I may be
tainted by their unbelief.
False teaching has the
effect of slowly dulling our spiritual sensitivity, taking us out of
orbit around God. We
hesitate, looking around for those who think and live like we do for
protection. Yet, the pursuit of uniformity can also take us out of orbit
around God. We should resist the
attempt to find spiritual clones it draws us into error as well, a
community blindness. Uniform practice can be rejected wholesale.
Since we are not guilty by association, this leaves us with the
puzzle of understanding the difference between appropriate and
inappropriate diversity. It’s
actually easier than you would think.
You can’t tell by the choice others make, but you can see by the
pattern of their lives. Or as the
Lord said, ‘by their fruit you will know them’.
Appropriate diversity comes from a productive people.
What I mean is that they are changing and becoming like Christ by
the month, by the year.
Those changes in their character validate their practice, no matter how
diverse the choice.
The people of the world pride themselves on their sophisticated
diversity. They try to develop
unique lives but live the same way.
They try to look different but end up looking the same.
They want to be informed and insightful, but end up in
superficiality. Their
diversity is simply a grand variety of pain.
The religious also claim diversity as a smoke screen.
Their life is just a practice of selfishness, with one foot in
both worlds. Their habits
follow an age-old pattern, guided by our old nature.
Diversity in the world and with
the religious is just a free-for-all search for fulfillment.
Diversity among the repentant, who have found fulfillment, is
something entirely different, something you can readily recognize.
Quite a few years ago for some odd coincidence four or five
families at church bought Chevy Astro Vans.
They were different colors and purchased at different times, but
none the less they were the same general vintage.
Jokes started floating around about an in-group and how everyone
would now have to get an Astro Van.
Why do our minds drift that way?
The humor seemed to be struggling with the problem of being part
of the group or being the odd-man-out.
A similar thing occurred when we purchased the farm to do foster
care and a couple of families moved there.
Someone from church asked with a smile,
“Where are the guard towers and chain link fences?”
Their reference wasn’t about the
teenage boys we were working with, but the idea of a ‘cult’ moving to
the farm. Why did this new
ministry cause them to be uncomfortable?
Why does diversity of choice stir up trouble?
It seems chronic and illusive.
Unity begins in the conceptual not in practice.
We’re not called to be rubber stamps of one another, nor are we
to seek to be different. The
difference comes in our customized training received from God.
As he trains us to be like him, he will lead us into specific
choices that are distinct.
Yet, we still look around and fear that this will turn into a
free-for-all if order isn’t resumed.
“Isn’t it like Judges,” we moan, “where everyone did what was
right in their own eyes?
Isn’t that anarchy?” Well, it is
for the world and the religious, but as God leads the repentant in the
process of individual training,
it will be diverse. And
since this diversity could cause problems, he gives us the five rules
for disputable matters in Romans 14.
Before we get into the rules for handling diversity among the
repentant, we have to be very clear about the ideas of concept and
practice. Keep in mind, the repentant disciple will be consistently
soaking in God’s word, I’m assuming you’re doing that.
This chewing on the teachings of God continues throughout our
whole life. It cleans us up
and provides a framework of understanding.
This understanding becomes a filter for our lives, where our
thoughts, dreams and plans are all critiqued.
It’s like standing back and seeing the big picture.
It’s like resting on a ridge looking down through the valley.
You can’t see the individual
trees, but you begin to grasp the extent of the forest.
This is concept.
Practice is something completely different.
Practice comes when we make specific choices and act upon them.
Concept is perspective, practice is choice and action.
Interestingly enough you can believe certain concepts and make
choices that don’t come anywhere near what you believe.
You’d think we’d be bothered about that, but we’re not.
By nature our practice doesn’t have to line up with what we
believe. In fact it’s
usually justified by saying we’re being realistic.
I guess honesty is a rare quality.
Asking God to help you align your practice with what you believe
is the beginning of a repentant life.
Once Biblical concepts are filtering our practice there are still
enormous options. One
concept could have thousands and thousands of appropriate applications.
There’s where we find the foundation of appropriate diversity.
The question is, how do we choose the right application in the
midst of all those options?
Our default is to revert back to the conditioning of our old nature
which says that any application within Biblical boundaries is fine, just
take your pick. Resist that
kind of thinking until you’ve gone through the five rules for handling
disputable matters. After
that, you may find that God doesn’t have a specific option in mind for
you to practice, meaning that he can use any of the appropriate options
for your development into selflessness.
One more thing, I’m assuming you will study this section on your
own. I’m only going to touch on
the high points.
The first rule for handling disputable matters is found in verse
5. We’re to be completely
convinced that the course of action we are undertaking is the one that
God has personally verified for us.
This is a matter of conscience between you and God.
It precludes that you’ve been talking with him about it.
It resists whim or impulse, nor is it driven by personal agenda.
Out of all the possible ways of applying this concept you are
convinced about a specific choice.
And if you’re convinced you’ll know why, because you processed it
with him.
The child who is caught in
an action of instinct will be defensive.
They’re impulsive using a lame justification.
We’re not to be making choice after choice because it seemed
right at the moment. We are to get into the habit of bouncing everything
off him during the course of a day.
At first this seems awkward, but in time it becomes joy.
Conviction is a gift that flows from interaction with him.
We also have the tendency to think the big choices are of primary
concern, but really it’s the little ones that set the course of our
lives.
The second rule is found in verse 12. We will be giving account
to him for all our decisions.
We need to keep that in mind.
Wouldn’t the best preparation be to involve him in today’s
decision-making?
“Don’t you remember Abba, we talked about that….”
And then you can review with him.
It becomes a beautiful thing, rather than a day of reckoning and
judgment. Rule 2 tends to
motivate rule 1.
Rule three is found in
verse 16. After we act, we
may be faced with conflict from others. This conflict may come from
curiosity, confusion or fear.
Relationship is affected by choice, and hostility can arise when
a choice seems to threaten.
In any case we are not to withdraw or avoid the confrontation. We are
called to speak to the issue with them, not overlook it.
We’re to respond with a gentle explanation, not by being
aggressive. This brings up rule 4.
Rule 4, found in verse 19, leads to peacemaking and growth.
We are to explain everything we
worked out with God in private.
If you didn’t process this during rule 1, then you’ll be
defensive now. Here,
confidence is the foundation of gentleness.
The goal for this interaction is development for everyone
involved. In this process
God may want you to see something you didn’t understand before, and so
he sent them to you. On the
other hand, as you explain, they may see something they didn’t
understand. Both
of you develop in perspective, affecting future application.
No one looses. But if
you weren’t clear about the choice in the first place, their question
will confront you. And if
they hadn’t worked through the issue, responding out of fear, they may
find peace and understanding once you’ve explained it.
In any case, development is encouraged.
Rule 5 ties everything up in verse 22.
We’re told to keep it between our self and God if no one asks
about it. Don’t flaunt it.
Typically, we are profoundly affected by the things we work out with
God. And in this
effect we naively want others to share in the miracle.
Our zeal, without understanding this, can produces a legalistic
approach and become the seed of uniformity.
What God specifically imposed on
us, is not to be imposed on others.
He is in charge of their life, you are not.
Do not provoke them with it.
When we practice these five things from Romans 14, our decisions
are no longer relative. Even
though there are many options, we learn that our choices are attached to
becoming like Christ. Giving
ourselves to this practice gives us a better view.
We begin to see how choices fall into cycles and patterns.
Following his instructions we
find protection in diversity.
It brings to us growth and understanding as an entire people.
If we succumb to uniformity we become blind as an entire group.
Diversity is a sacred thing.
Of course
inappropriate diversity is all around us, but we aren’t tainted by it.
The diversity of the repentant is a vehicle to joy for the
individual and the group. We need
to allow others the freedom to practice as God leads them, it won’t hurt
us. Our protection comes as
we have the ability to critique and ask why?
This is to be done in a gentle and respectful manner, it is
necessary. And we must be
ready with a reason when we’re asked, not in defense but in a gentle
explanation of how God is training us.
As we all share, we learn and change.
If we find someone in this process who still has not found
fulfillment, we can be of help there as well.
All these things move us closer to unity through a sacred
diversity.