An
Inheritance Incorruptible
Stephen
Terry
Commentary
for the April 8, 2017 Sabbath School Lesson
“For you have been born again, not of
perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of
God.” 1 Peter 1:23, NIV
We are inundated with tragedy after tragedy thanks to
network news agencies and social media. Depression and despair seem to be at an
all-time high, too often leading to suicide. Constant warfare has taken its
toll as well with more soldiers taking their own lives than even the enemy has
killed. Terrorism has sparked fears previously unknown in the western world,
bringing uncertainty and a demand for greater security. However, that greater
security at times seems to be as much of a threat, if not more, to public
safety as terrorism. The Bible predicted that eventually things would be so bad
that love for one another would die out of people's hearts. (Matthew 24:12)
Some ask whether or not this is that time.
Perhaps the one thing the world needs now is hope. Peter
tells us that we have this hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ which
gives us new birth as citizens of a better world not yet realized.[i] By believing in that
promise and sharing it with others, we can also infuse hope into a world that
has so little. How precious the privilege of bringing light into darkness and
showing that despair and darkness can and will be dispelled. Praise to God
indeed!
There is too much suffering in the world today. Some
suffer because of their race or nationality. Others suffer because of their
gender. Still others suffer because of their social or economic status. We like
to think that inflicting suffering is not a part of who we are, but a visit to
any school yard will reveal the cruelty that even as children, we all too
readily inflict on one another. Anyone who differs from others may be
marginalized and constantly reminded that they are not a part of the socially accepted
group.
Christians often face this marginalization when their
standards do not mimic those of society. But for the Christian, instead of
diminishing their influence it serves to highlight and strengthen their
witness. This is perhaps because instead of returning rancor for rancor they
return love. They have chosen not to reflect the image of the one attacking
them, but instead the image of Christ, an image of love and compassion for all,
including those who would attack them. This spreads light and love into the
world instead of darkness. It is a bright and shiny token of what is to come at
Christ's return, a blessed hope for all humanity.
How often we forget that the advent of Jesus was not
something that happened by chance. It was predicted almost since the very
beginning that a Deliverer would come and make possible the restoration of all
good things. At the appointed time, Jesus willingly yielded up His life to
fulfill those prophecies.[ii] Then resurrected to life
again, He became the surety and the hope of our eventual resurrection or
transformation as well. This is the glory that follows.
His second coming is also predicted and the signs of its
nearness are as certain as the weather.[iii] We can look at the
lowering sky and predict that rain will soon fall. Or we can see a cloudless
sky and anticipate the pleasant warmth of the day as it dawns. In the same way,
we can read the signs of Matthew, chapter 24 or 2 Timothy 3, verses 1-5 and see
them echoed in the world around us. Perhaps then we should not be caught
unawares as the Jews were at the first Advent. We are without excuse seeing we
have so many witnesses to what is about to take place.[iv]
Peter tells us that should bring us to holy living, but
what does it mean to be holy as God is holy?[v] Perhaps it is this. God
demonstrates compassion, mercy and grace in His character and as His children
we have opportunity to do the same. Some may feel that they should be of an
altogether different character. Having read accounts of destruction and judgment
in the Bible, they feel that this is a work that more suits their natures. They
then begin to judge and accuse others among the saints who do not measure up to
where they think those saints should be.
This whole attitude creates a presumption that one
somehow is of an elevated character or has an elevated understanding that
exceeds that of others. But is lifting oneself up in this way an attribute of
the character of God? Upon closer examination, we find a different picture. We
discover a God who rules over all of creation, including our universe, yet
humbles Himself into the form of humanity, and not humanity at its highest and
most powerful. Rather he chooses the life of the Son of a common carpenter. He
chooses to be Someone that no one needs listen to unless they choose to do so.
In doing that, He lays the arrogance of all those who would lift themselves
above others in the dust, even though that arrogance is based on a false claim
to holiness. Jesus’ example exalts the humble service of the unpretentious
common man. In that, we may be able to see true holiness.
Sometimes in this age of churches, denominations, creeds
and ecclesiastical authorities, it can become easy to get caught up in the idea
of doing church, rather than staying in touch with why we are involved with
churchy things in the first place. If we begin to feel that our salvation lies
in the church and equate church membership and attendance with being saved, we
may find ourselves relinquishing authority over our lives to an entity that has
no more power to save us than Tetzel and the Catholic Church's indulgences did
in Martin Luther's day. That model of a demanding church, striving for great
power on earth and control over the consciences of men still exists. We see its
continuing existence foretold in the livid imagery of The Book of Revelation.[vi] Its threat is real and
ongoing.
How shall we answer such a threat? Perhaps we should
simply keep ever before us the truth that Peter shares here. "Our faith
and hope are in God."[vii] The ephemeral, eternal,
omniscient, omnipresent, all powerful God is defined by one word,
"love." That love demonstrated in the compassionate works of Jesus,
shines a blinding light on all the works of darkness that would bring pain and
suffering to our world and all those who dwell here. One day that light will
drive all darkness from this world, and set us free from the oppression of
others. Even so, come Lord Jesus.
Sadly, we too often spend our lives competing to
exercise power over one another in a constant struggle to perpetuate our
genetic code, our perspectives, our political preferences, even our ideas about
religion. This struggle may depend less upon whether those genes should
continue, those perspectives have value, the political agenda is worth
preserving, or the religion actually benefits anyone. Instead it often comes
down to sheer pugnaciousness and force of will. As Woody Allen said
"Eighty percent of success is showing up." Following that pattern,
some simply continue to show up with the same arguments until all others simply
drop from exhaustion, leaving the field uncontested.
The futility of all of this should become more apparent
to us as we age and begin to come to an understanding of how fleeting life
actually is. Solomon shared his understanding of this in his book Ecclesiastes,
proclaiming repeatedly, "All is vanity!" We can never achieve any
lasting glory through these attempts to gain power over others. Even if we
amass wealth, power, and position in our time, the next generation may throw it
all away, rejecting the priorities of their parents. Better we understand the
ephemeral nature of life here and rather than battle others for supremacy, do
what we can to make those fleeting moments as enjoyable as we can for one
another. Failure to do so is what has created much of the unhappiness so many
now experience.
The history of the Christian church has been beset with
turmoil. We have experienced power mad prelates who want to control the
religious practice of everyone in the world. We have had inquisitions and have
filled the earth with blood from those who have died in warfare at our hands as
well as those we have tortured to death. Even if we have not personally done
these things, we nonetheless carry the same disposition in our hearts toward
others we may disagree with, often over very petty points. Mankind has been
guilty of so many evils we have wrongly carried out in the name of Christ. Our
victims cry to the throne of God for justice because of what we have done. And
many souls have been doomed to perdition because they could not accept the
bloody witness we have given of God's character, not knowing that it was a
misrepresentation.
Through it all, fortunately, there has also been a
witness to the real character of God in the word that has been preserved for
thousands of years. The light of that word reveals the darkness of the deeds of
those who would push and shove to dominate others. The testimony of Jesus, a
sign of those few who remain faithfully loving, called the remnant church in
the last days,[viii]
does exactly the opposite, drawing all men through love and compassion to the
loving character of God. This is the word that the true children of God live
and preach. This is the love that endures forever. It will never fail.[ix]
