1 John 2:7
In
our day and age our culture tends to paint that past as completely backward and
simplistic. Any value that was deeply held in the past is mocked as something
leftover from the dinosaurs. Modern values are lifted up and enforced with
terms like, progressive, tolerant, right-minded, and intelligent. And anyone
who doesn’t acquiesce is labeled a bigot, backward, ignorant, stupid, and
narrow-minded.
But
they are selective in their condemnation of ancient values. They would hold
that the ancient value against rape should be upheld, except if it takes place
on one of their university campuses and it becomes common knowledge and creates
a black eye on an otherwise compliant liberal educational institution.
Excessive alcohol is the norm and so is sexual conduct without consequences. And
anyone who disagrees with this and wants to place restrictions on these excess,
or even put a spotlight on them, well, they are the intolerant ones. And if
even an insider would claim rape, well shame on them for shaming someone else.
They
want it both ways. They want some values of the past, but they want to pick and
choose at their discretion. And there are teachers who will support whatever
excess of the month is on the menu. Professors and preachers line up to support
the cultural excesses.
One
of the common errors in theology is to see a disconnect between the God of the
Old Testament and the Jesus of the New. It often gets stated as though the Old
Testament was filled with a fire-breathing dragon who lashed out
indiscriminately at those who disagreed with His capricious edicts. And in the
process of painting the LORD with this type of brushstroke, the overwhelming
message of grace and forgiveness that fills the Old Testament gets ignored. From
the moment of the Fall onward the LORD provides forgiveness and restoration to
those who seek Him.
So
when John writes about obedience to the LORD’s commands he is writing in
continuity with the Old Testament. Obedience has always been the center stone
of the Scriptures. Obedience has always signaled the desire to be in
relationship with the LORD. To obey is better than sacrifice, the Prophet
Samuel said. Obedience is much harder than some outward ritual. Obedience
involves the heart. You can toss a few bucks in the offering plate and be in
utter rebellion. But you can’t lovingly and sacrificially serve your spouse for
any period of time without a change of heart.
So
John’s message of obedience can rub our modern ears in the wrong way. But John
was obviously trying to rub the ears of his readers the wrong way as well. He
wanted to challenge them to obey. Obedience is always a radical message. We
naturally want to do things our own way in our own time for our own reasons. We
don’t like anyone telling us what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. We
kick against such things.
And
yet, this is exactly why we need to listen to John. The reason we rebel against
the values of the past is because they stood the test of time and they stepped
on toes. Living for the LORD has always been and always will be a stretch for
us mortal beings. But obedience opens up immortality through our relationship
with Jesus.