Teachers: the objective of this lesson is to increase students' realization that Christianity is a lifestyle lived seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. Christianity is who you are, who you have become in Jesus Christ. Christianity is not merely an affiliation called "church membership" or acquiring habits associated with "church attendance." Too many view the Christian existence principally as a matter of church membership, church involvement, or church attendance. There is no desire to diminish the importance of being a part of Christ's church. Neither is there a desire to create the impression that Christianity can be separated from everyday behavior. Christians see "the new day." They daily live in the "new day's" light. As John said, they "walk in the light" (I John 1:6,7). Their daily behavior is based on belonging to the God of light. Their daily behavior is not darkness behavior.
"Get a clue!" "Will you get real?" "Grow up!" "Get serious!" What do those statements have in common? Those statements come from persons with broader perspectives. The horizons of those perspectives encompass a wide view of life and its meaning. The person receiving the statement has a narrow perspective. His or her "close horizons" are unconcerned with life's purpose or meaning. His or her view of life is that of a self-centered child who expects someone else to provide for him or her. He or she does not have a mature focus.
Some adults hold an immature view of life. From their immature perspective, existing is concerned about "me," "right now," and "my" gratification. At best their priorities are self-centered. At worst their priorities are destructive. Neither experience nor necessity motivate them to consider the meaning and purpose of life in a context bigger than self.
The common first century view tended to be "now" focused. The key considerations of that "now" focus often were indulgence and manipulation. Slaves used indulgence to escape and manipulation to survive. Patrons used indulgence to celebrate status and manipulation to achieve ambitions. People commonly justified their indulgence in pleasurable experiences. People commonly regarded their use of manipulation to be a useful tool.
The gratification of indulgence and the controlling power of manipulation are ancient human devices. People on every level of society in every age used them. Both are prominently used today by the majority of people in most societies.
Paul urged Christians at Rome to let God's mercy motivate them to climb on the altar. This was NOT an appeal to use pleasurable indulgence or manipulation. It was the call to a different life. It was the call to retrain thinking. It was the call to unselfishly use abilities to benefit others. It was the call to lovingly relate to fellow believers in Christ. It was the call to humility. It was the call to treat enemies with compassion. It was the call to defeat evil by doing good. It was the call to respect a government that did not respect them. It was the call to function through love, not through the patronage system.
The distinct contrast between the common calls of Roman society and Paul's calls should be emphasized. Paul's calls stood in complete contrast to Roman society's calls.
Roman society would regard those calls as unreasonable. Why should anyone take Paul's call to climb on the altar seriously? Not everyone would. Only those who saw and were touched by God's mercy would take Paul's call seriously.
The only people who hear and grasp Paul's calls are people who see God's mercy. When these people see salvation in Christ, they see God's mercy. When they see the forgiveness of sins, they see God's mercy. When they see new life in Christ, they see God's mercy. The person who does not first see God's mercy regards Paul's calls as unreasonable.
Paul provided a perspective. "This do" (verse 11) because they adopted Paul's perspective concerning life. Paul's perspective provides invaluable insights into the minds and hearts of people touched by God's mercy. Consider a condensed statement of Paul's perspective:
You are no longer asleep.
You understand salvation is a journey, not an achieved destination.
Because a new day is dawning, "darkness" behavior is inappropriate:
a "party animal" lifestyle, getting drunk, sexual misconduct,
indulging desires for pleasure, strife, and jealousy.
Consider the insights Paul's perspective provides into the thinking of the mature first century Christian. (1) The "pre-Christian" perspective on life was completely unaware of reality. (2) The pursuit of salvation is a continuing process, not an achieved destination or a one time event. (3) Awareness of reality must contain awareness of eternal. (4) Awareness of eternity's reality demands a different existence in this life. (5) Behavior that is ignorant of or ignores God's mercy is "darkness" behavior. (6) "Enlightened" behavior accompanies an awareness of reality.
The "dawning" of the new day was not gauged by the transformation of society. Christians of today have been deceived by the myth of the first century world's conversion. We have "swallowed" the concept that most of the first century world became Christian. It did not! While the first Jewish converts had "favor with all the people" in Jerusalem (Acts 2:47), it was not long until the council arrested Peter and John (Acts 4) and then all the apostles (Acts 5). Soon after those arrests, Stephen was killed (Act 7:60). Paul promptly conducted a city-wide search for Christians. He arrested and imprisoned them (Acts 8:1-3). In the last half of the first century, the Jews, the Roman government, and leading forms of idolatry organized oppositions to Christianity. By the first century's end, Christians in Asia Minor questioned the survival of the church. Revelation was written to give them hope. The declaration that "these men have upset the world" (Acts 17:6) was an exaggeration declared by opponents at Thessalonica. Their intention was to emotionalize a local crowd and the city's authorities (Acts 17:8). The instigators of that situation were local Jews who were jealous of Paul (Acts 17:5).
Too often well intentioned, very moral, highly motivated Christians decide that the objective of Christianity is to change society or to control government. That was not Christianity's objective in the first century. Christianity's objective was (1) to change the lives and behavior of the individual and (2) to teach changed individuals to live as God's community. In time (over a long course of time--several generations) society was impacted by changes in a growing number of individuals. Yet, the method for change in the first century was the voluntary change of the person, not the controlling power of a group. For almost the first three hundred years of Christianity's existence, Christians were a minority in the Roman empire. In that early period, Christians used the influence of example instead of the coercion of power. Constantine's legalization of Christianity transformed Christianity. Christianity adopted methods and objectives that were unavailable to it in its formative period.
First century Christianity's objective was not control of nations. Their mission was not based on controlling or transforming society. The Christian's personal goal was to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ" and live as a part of the new day. Existence in the new day was not based on national or social reform. It was based on putting on Jesus Christ.
The simple objective of first century Christianity was (1) to encourage the individual to wear Christ and (2) to encourage all who wore Christ to treat everyone as God treated them. This objective had nothing to do with controlling nations or societies. Christianity provided a contrast, an alternative.
Putting on Christ changes behavior. Those who put on Christ retrain thinking, live unselfishly to benefit others, treat enemies with compassion, fight evil by doing good, respect authority that does not respect them, and function through love. They reject the party lifestyle, getting drunk, indulging in sexual promiscuity or selfish gratification, and surrendering to strife and jealousy.
Being Christians involved thinking in entirely different ways. These new ways of thinking resulted in retraining the individuals' minds. Their new behavior was based on new ways of thinking.
In Paul's theology, putting on Christ goes far beyond immersion into Christ (Galatians 3:27). Putting on Christ involves becoming the new self created in righteousness and holiness of truth (Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10,11). It involves becoming all the positives in Colossians 3:12-17. Remember, Romans 13:14, Galatians 3:27, Ephesians 4:24, and Colossians 3:10,11 were written to Christians who were baptized.
Paul's theology centered on God. Christ pointed the person to God (see 1 Corinthians 3:21-23). Baptism enabled a person to put on Christ so he or she could belong to God. Too many persons and congregations today focus their theology on baptism. For example, in the thinking of too many people outside the Church of Christ, the Church of Christ is known for its stand on baptism, not for its stand on belonging to God. It is significant and worthy of reflection to recognize that most of the teachings concerning baptism were given to Christians who had been baptized. When Christians understood the meaning and significance of the baptismal act, it changed their focus and behavior. Today too many who were baptized retain their pre-Christian focus and behavior. They have no desire to change that focus and behavior. They just add some "church member" duties and responsibilities. However, their value system, priorities, and basic behavior remain about as they were prior to baptism.
When did they know their lives belonged to the new day? The most powerful evidence existed in their planned use of themselves. Did they "wear" Jesus Christ? In mind, heart, and behavior, were they dedicated to being people who belonged to the merciful God? Or, did they plan and produce opportunities to gratify physical desires? Did they surrender their minds, hearts, and behavior to satisfying "the flesh in regard to its lusts?"
The most powerful evidences that demonstrated a Christian understood God's new reality in Christ were (1) wearing Christ which meant (2) no longer living to gratify physical desires but (3) learning the mind, heart, and behavior of one who wore Christ.
Those who wore Jesus Christ saw the coming light of the new day. Those devoted to gratifying the lust of the flesh immersed themselves in the works of darkness. Which do we do?
QUESTIONS
A slave used indulgence for temporary escapes from the conditions of his existence. He used manipulation as a survival technique. Patrons used indulgence to celebrate their success. They used manipulation as a useful tool to achieve their objectives.
The types suggested will depend on the examples volunteered by your class. Focus on the suggested usage and ask, "How does this illustrate the use of indulgence (or manipulation) today? Examples likely will focus on existence of each in the context of marriages, parenting, on-the-job circumstances, political arenas, and the pursuits of pleasures.
Paul called them to a different life based on retrained ways to think, on unselfishness, on loving relationships, on humility, on compassion even to enemies, on using good to defeat evil, and on respect.
They had awakened out of sleep to reality. They understood that salvation involved a life long journey. They understood that darkness behavior was inappropriate behavior.
No, most of the first century world did not become Christian. Use the progressive evidence recorded in Acts as evidence.
First century Christianity was neither a political movement nor a military initiative that tried to gain control of society. Its objective was to change the life of an individual. Changing the life of a person was not a stepping stone to a higher objective. It was not a "lower part" of a greater "agenda." It was the objective. Paul taught these people living in Rome to put on Christ, transform their behavior, and be God's influence [salt and light].
Baptism is the step of commitment for the believing person. This believer understands God is calling him or her through Christ to redirect existence. Baptism is not the final step, the completed journey, the "end-destination." The baptized person retrains the way he or she thinks in order to adopt a new focus and a new behavior. Baptism is a birth (faith in Christ is a conception). One is born in Christ to grow to spiritual maturity and serve the objectives of God's rule.
The believer who understands what the merciful God did for him or her in forgiveness desires to understand how the merciful God wants him or her to live and behave. With that understanding, he or she intends to live and behave in the manner the merciful God wishes.
As long as the Christian lives on earth, he or she allows God to continue the process of retraining the way he or she thinks. Value systems and priorities are constantly maturing. As the person matures, he or she constantly grows in wisdom and understanding. Forgiveness of sins occurs the moment one is born into Christ. Understanding the meaning of salvation and living the life of a forgiven person involves a life time.
We do not become Christians to acquire "hell insurance." We become Christians to serve the merciful God. Belonging to Christ enables us to "see." Before coming to Christ, we lived in "darkness." Christ enables us to see the "light." Consider 1 John 1:2-5,9; 3:19,20. Those who want to "see" respond to Christ. Those who love the darkness and darkness behavior regard God, Christ, and "the new day" as enemies. They despise the values, standards, and priorities associated with all three.
Link to Student Guide
Quarter 3, Lesson 8