Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp,
Or what’s a heaven for?
-Robert Browning, Andrea del Sarto
Andy Stanley’s Aftermath series ignited a controversy over the role of the Old Testament (Old Covenant) and the New Testament (New Covenant) in the way that Christians live. In Unhitched Part 1: A Man’s Reach, I revisited his sermon series and refreshed our memories on what he was trying to get across. In Unhitched Part 2: A Man’s Reach Should Exceed His Grasp I laid out the biblical case for the way in which Stanley was right.
In the last part, we admitted maybe we are unhitched from the Old Covenant and that maybe we do have a better and more demanding set of commandments in the New Covenant in Jesus’ blood instead of the Old Covenant Law and Prophets.
But where are we supposed to go from there? By ‘unhitching’ we’re now outside the order and confidence we felt with the boundaries of the Old Covenant and instead we’re placed in the alarmingly boundary-less chaos of the unknown in a love God and neighbour world.
Well, what’s a Heaven for, anyway? Let’s see where such a world takes us.
The Greatest Commandment
Jesus told us the Greatest Commandment is to love God and neighbour.
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-38
Love God
What does it mean to Love God? As we talked about with Jesus, it at least means valuing and upholding what God values and upholds.
God is a relational being, He has revealed Himself to us, and communicated with us. Such a being is capable of love and desiring love. Why would a god desire love? We are created in God’s image and not the other way around so it makes less sense to question God’s desire for love than to question our own. If we desire love it is because that desire first resided in God.
God tells us and shows us that He loves us and the God that has been revealed to us is worthy of love in return.
Long ago the LORD said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.“ Jeremiah 31:3
God tells us through His servants, the Prophets, that we should love Him with all that we are.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:4-5
God has told us what to do and how to act and so we ought to do what God has said if we love Him. The Ten Commandments are a good place to start.
No other gods. No idols. No misuse of God’s Name. Keep the Sabbath Day. Honour your parents. No murder. No adultery. No stealing. No perjury. No coveting. Exodus 20
Jesus tells us we should do the Will of God if we truly love Him, as we love family.
He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Matthew 12:48-50
What is God’s Will? The Sermon on the Mount given by Jesus breaks it down.
Blessed are those who are poor, who mourn, who are meek, who hunger and thirst after righteousness, who are merciful, who are pure in heart, peacemakers, and who are persecuted because of righteousness.
Be Salt and Light. Fulfill the Law. Reconcile with your enemy. No adultery. No divorce. Keep your word. Love your enemies. Give to the needy. Live out the Lord’s Prayer. God-honouring fasting. Keep your hope in heaven not on earth. Keep yourself innocent. Do not worry.
Judge others the way you would want to be judged. Ask, seek, and knock with God and keep doing it. Follow the narrow way that leads to life. Bear good fruit in doing the Will of God. Act on God’s Words.
And God tells us we must not confuse material sacrifice with obedience.
But Samuel replied: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 1 Samuel 15:22
The Bible has shown us that God loves us, how we are to love God in return, and what God values that He wants us to value.
Love Neighbour
So, we are to love God and listen to what He says. Jesus has told us to love God and neighbour. How does that play out in real life?
Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:18
We are to do good without even expecting good in return.
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Luke 6:35
We are even to love and pray for our enemies.
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, Matthew 5:44
And we must show love to foreigners in our land.
And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. Deuteronomy 10:19
That’s it?
The question I’m interested in is broader and deeper than just what commands do we follow.
So, that would be it if Jesus hadn’t given us more direction by His own words and by the Holy Spirit through the Apostles. There is the Greatest Commandment and then Jesus gave us the Great Commission.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
What I really want to know is more like what should I be doing, at any given moment? And how do I know what’s right in any given situation? Situations that aren’t necessarily right vs wrong, such as decisions with two or more good choices, or dilemmas with only bad choices.
For questions of what we should be doing, rather than what is right and wrong, Jesus once again distills the answer from the heart of the Greatest Commandment: If we love God then we will value what He values, the New Covenant, and if we love our neighbour then we will reach out to them and make disciples to the New Covenant, that is, to Jesus.
Preach the Gospel
The Great Commission lays it out simply and in its simplicity there is a distinct goal and yet great freedom in accomplishing it.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
You are to make disciples to the Gospel, the “good news” Jesus taught us, so what does the Bible say that is?
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
Sometimes we over-complicate things. A million questions can come up about sharing the Gospel and we can get lost in preparing answers to the infinite number of possible questions but the Bible shows us how to focus on the Gospel.
The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. Acts 16:29-32
Questions will come up, though, so the Bible encourages us to be ready at any time to challenge and encourage others with patience.
Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 2 Timothy 4:2
The Bible tells us to preach the Gospel and we might be timid or feel foolish about sharing our message but we are told to be bold and confident in our message.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. Romans 1:16
Make Disciples
Discipling is an archaic word and a lost art form but it is the core of what Christians are called by Christ to do. The Bible has many things to say about this. Discipling is the bulk of the heart of the New Testament. From Jesus and His disciples, to the Apostles and the Churches, to the Churches and their Witness, it was all to reach out and disciple new believers in the faith.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20
And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. 2 Timothy 2:2
This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:8
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? Romans 10:14-15
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Something’s Missing
We’ve come from a new set of commandments that frames right and wrong, to a new guide on what we should be doing, but something feels off, doesn’t it? Something’s not right. Something’s missing.
When the only choices are bad choices we start to feel that there are some dilemmas in life that are no-win dilemmas.
Is it wrong for someone starving to steal food?
Is it wrong to lie about planning a surprise party you’re throwing?
Is it wrong to kill in war?
All these things we generally feel uncomfortable about and generally ignore so we don’t have to think about it.
Yet most of us would call a lie a lie, even if we call it by a nicer name: A white lie.
A lie is a lie, isn’t it? A lie is one of those moral laws we still uphold, right?
Lies will be judged.
Yes they will.
And they will be judged by the Judge, Jesus Christ, under the New Covenant, according to the Greatest Commandment, to love God and neighbour.
More specifically, you will break the Law Jesus said to “practice” and “teach” but when you break the word of the Law out of love for God and neighbour you fulfill the New Covenant and are covered by the missing piece…
Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:12-13
You can breathe a sigh of relief. The Bible has you covered.
How do you decide what is right to do in those moral dilemmas?
There are many situations where it arises that our moral commandments must be broken for what we conclude is a moral reason. These moral difficulties cause us to break a commandment no matter what choice we make.
Do you tell the truth and reveal the location of hiding Jews to a Nazi officer ensuring their death or do you lie to protect their lives? You are guilty of innocent death on one hand or you are guilty of lying on the other hand. Picking one because it seems like the lesser evil is still picking an evil.
How do you make the choice without sinning? Do you not make a choice? Not making a choice is making a choice. In not making a choice, have you loved God and neighbour? If not, you sin.
First, do what Jesus said to do.
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:35-36
You are loving your enemy when you do that which steers them away from doing wrong and so further condemn their soul.
Surprise! This has always been the way, even in the Old Testament. Jesus came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, not abolish them, remember.
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. Hosea 6:6
This is cool but how does ‘mercy triumph over judgment’, exactly?
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:36-37
It’s you. You will receive the triumph of mercy over judgment.
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:12-13
When you have to make a choice in which wrong will result, since you have done it with Love for God and your neighbour, in the spirit of protecting those people who need to hear the Gospel and become disciples, you are covered by God’s mercy through Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the Cross and His everlasting Priesthood by which he prays and intercedes for you continually.
So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven… With his own blood…he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. Hebrews 9:11-12
Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them. Hebrews 7:25
What about those moral dilemmas?
Understanding the New Covenant reveals the truth about the simpler and more demanding commandment, the Greatest Commandment.
Love God and Neighbour
The Great Commission gives us direction in the choices of life.
Preach the Gospel and Make Disciples
And in all of this, in all of our human failings, we fall on God’s mercy.
Mercy Triumphs over Judgment
Keeping these three things in mind we can answer a lot of questions about life and moral dilemmas not only intellectually but with a clear conscience before God.
Is it wrong for someone starving to steal food?
Not if in so doing they are giving themself a chance of continue living out a life of loving God, loving their neighbour, and showing mercy to others as they would want to be shown mercy.
Is it wrong to lie about planning a surprise party you’re throwing?
Not if by a lie they are loving their neighbour by only thinking of blessing them more.
Is it wrong to kill in war?
Not if they are protecting their neighbour from further harm by avoiding the escalation and fallout of conflict.
Even in killing, one can see love for neighbour in action and the moment of mercy that resistance provides to the enemy to reconsider their ways and turn back from the brink.
Even death may stop further sin and prevent an aggressor from further multiplying condemnation on his self.
What about the other laws, like adultery, sexual immorality, coveting?
Some things are still wrong and you can know if something is right or wrong by asking the questions:
Am I loving God and valuing what He values?
Am I loving my neighbour as I love myself?
You will find that if you ask these questions and really think them through you’ll find almost all laws you might question are better served obeyed almost all of the time, if not simply just all of the time. But where loving God or loving your neighbour is more truly and more consistently upheld by letting go of the law then you fall upon the mercy of God.
You are breaking the Law. But you are not accountable to the Law. You are accountable to the New Covenant in Jesus’ blood and His covenant requires you to love God and neighbour, first and foremost.
This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
Luke 22:20b
Simplicity
Love God and Neighbour
Preach the Gospel and Make Disciples
Mercy Triumphs over Judgment
You can see how much simpler it is to think through the New Covenant’s application to our everyday decisions than it is the Old Covenant and its Ten Commandments let alone its additional 600+ laws.
I would rather look at the world through a lens of a few rules than 10 or 600 any day.
But as we discussed even the Greatest Commandment refers back to the Law and the Prophets.
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Matthew 5:17-18
Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:19
You must learn the Law and the Prophets for yourself, because they provide valuable wisdom, then you must apply them through the New Covenant and the Greatest Commandment and then teach that through discipling.
In so doing you will keep yourself safe in the wisdom the Holy Spirit gives to us through the Bible.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God a may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
These [Old Testament] things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 1 Corinthians 10:11-12
Aftermath
Love God and Neighbour
Preach the Gospel and Make Disciples
Mercy Triumphs over Judgment
These are the New Covenant paradigms Jesus gave to us, Himself, and by the Apostles through the Holy Spirit.
These are the lens through which you can view life, your obligations to God, your requirements to your neighbour, what you are to do with your life, and the key that makes sense of moral dilemmas.
We’re going to wrap up and distill these principles into a handy and manageable form you can easily remember and carry around with you in Unhitched Part 4: Aftermath.
See you there.
Featured Image by Jens Johnsson from Pexels
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