Idols in Our Lives: Believing We Are Morally Superior.

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Isaiah 64:6

We have all become like one who is unclean,
    and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
    and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

(ESV)

Jesus had stern words to say against the religious leaders of His time.  In Matthew 23:1-36 Jesus issues seven woes against the Pharisees.  Perhaps Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:25 sums up the major problem of these people, they put on the appearance of righteousness by their outward actions and appearance but on the inside were full of greed and self-indulgence.  However, before we begin our own criticism of the Pharisees, we must insure we are not filled with a similar belief in our own moral supremacy. 

The events on August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville Virginia were atrocious and sickening.  While the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution does grant each citizen freedom of speech, this liberty does not include the right to harm another person or their property.  What the founders intended with the first amendment was the civil debate of issues with voters determining which side they favored through the election of representation sympathetic to their beliefs.  However, the political rhetoric in the United States has been heated to a point where such civil debate is no longer possible and groups of individuals, absent of any morality, believe their voices must be heard and that they must resort to deadly violence to bring attention to their plight.  This leaves us to ask the question, what can society do to return to civil debate and end this deadly senseless violence.

The purpose of this blog is to bring a biblical point of view to the events of the day, therefore, let us take a moment to look at what Scripture tells us about these events and how the People of God must respond.  The Beatitudes provide good instruction on how to respond without setting ourselves up as morally supreme to others for they tell us to,

1)      Be poor in spirit void of pride (Matthew 5:3,Proverbs 16:18) – When we think of being poor in our society we picture someone destitute and lacking basic necessities in their lives.  The word translated poor in the text of Matthew 5:3 is ptwcoj.  (1)  While this word does carry the meaning of one living in destitution, it also can mean lacking in anything as respects one’s spirit.  This meaning is the context of what Jesus meant in this passage so what Jesus is teaching is for us to devoid ourselves of our pride and belief that we can obtain righteousness through our own works.  To obtain the kingdom of heaven one must rely on the righteousness of Christ through acceptance of His substitutionary sacrifice on the cross.

2)      God brings comfort during times of mourning (Matthew 5:4, John 16:33) – One of the major questions of those that do not believe in Jesus as their Savior is how could a God of love allow suffering in the world.  The short answer is that God did not intend humanity to suffer and that suffering came about due to the disobedience of man in the garden (Genesis 3).  The message of the Gospel is not one promising no more suffering once one accepts Jesus as their savior for Jesus warned his disciples that there would be trouble in their lives (John 16:33).   However, through His death on the cross Jesus overcame immense suffering for our sins and promises to be with us during our suffering and times of mourning (Matthew 28:20).    

3)      Those exhibiting quiet strength will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5) – Since meekness rhymes with weakness, many erroneously equate being meek with being weak.  However, the Greek word for meek in Matthew 5:5 is prauj and when directed towards God means one who has decided to wholly trust in God. (2) Jesus teaching here is that it is not those acting violently, like those in Charlottesville that will inherit the earth but those placing their trust in God.

4)      Hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6,Psalm 42:1) – I recently visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland Ohio.  As we might expect, there is an elaborate display honoring Elvis.  Part of that display was a collection of spiritual books including the Bible.  As I looked at this collection of books I pictured someone that was searching for answers in his live and we can only pray he found those answers in the Bible prior to his death.  As we develop a hunger and thirst for righteousness we must turn to the Bible, the Word of God, for it is only there that we can find the answers that fill the longing of our hearts.

5)      Show mercy just as Christ showed us mercy (Matthew5:7) – Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden created a great chasm between humanity and God.  It is impossible for humanity in this fallen state to bridge this chasm and achieve righteousness with God (Isaiah 64:6).  Thankfully God did not leave us to die in our fallen state but instead sent His Only Son to die for our sins and by believing in Him, we can receive eternal life with God (John3:16).  Instead of asserting his moral supremacy over fallen humanity, God showed us mercy.  We should likewise show others mercy praying they will accept God’s merciful gift of salvation.  

6)      Strive for pureness of heart (Matthew 5:8) – The only one pure of heart was Jesus Christ.  However, this does not mean we should not strive for pureness of heart in our lives.  For this reason, we as believers are encouraged to study God’s Word in order to go through the process of heart purification.

7)      Be a peacemaker (Matthew 5:9) – President Trump came out condemning both sides for the tragedy in Charlottesville and was condemned by both people in the media and lawmakers.  (3)  This is unlike his predecessor who was quick to take sides despite his initial reticence on race when it became politically advantageous.  (4)  Each time President Obama took sides in racial issues, the racial division in the country widened.  With his statement condemning both sides, President Trump was taking on the role of peacemaker attempting to illustrate the futility of resorting to violence to promote one’s opinion on an issue like should a statue of Robert E. Lee be allowed to stand.    

8)      The blessing of the kingdom of heaven is the result of persecution for righteousness sake (Matthew 5:10) – When one takes a stand for Christ they are putting themselves at odds with a world dominated by hate.  As such persecution may result but Jesus promises in Matthew 5:10 that those suffering such persecution will inherit the kingdom of heaven. 

Let us not as Christians make the mistakes of the Pharisees and begin believing we are morally superior from those that do not believe.  We have all inherited a sin nature from our father Adam and need the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse us of that nature.  We therefore must not allow the idol of moral superiority to govern our presentation of the Gospel and instead present it as a message of mercy and grace from a loving God who offered up His only son to redeem us from our sins. 

If you are reading this and have not made Jesus Lord of your life, I encourage you to do so now by praying with me,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

Congratulations, you now have eternal life according to John3:16.  Now I encourage you to grow in your relationship with your Lord by finding a church teaching the Bible.  I also caution everyone reading this to constantly be on guard not to allow moral superiority to govern your life but to strive to live according to the Beatitudes. 

1. Godrules.net. KJV W/Strongs Bible 0 Matthew 5. www.godrules.net. [Online] Bibleexplore.com. [Cited: August 19, 2017.] http://www.godrules.net/library/strongs2b/gre4434.htm.

2. —. KJV W/ STRONGS BIBLE - MATTHEW 5. www.godrules.net. [Online] Bibleexplore.com. [Cited: August 19, 2017.] http://www.godrules.net/library/strongs2b/gre4239.htm.

3. Dakshayani Shankar, John Verhovek, and Saisha Talwar. Lawmakers slam Trump for laying 'blame on both sides' in Charlottesville rally. abcnews.go.com. [Online] ABC News, August 15, 2017. [Cited: August 19, 2017.] http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/lawmakers-slam-trump-laying-blame-sides-charlottesville-rally/story?id=49237327.

4. Alcindor, Michael D. Shear and Yamiche. Jolted by Deaths, Obama Found His Voice on Race. www.nytimes.com. [Online] The New York Times, January 14, 2017. [Cited: August 19, 2017.] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/14/us/politics/obama-presidency-race.html?mcubz=0.