What Does it Mean to be Pure? Part II

 

2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. Romans 13:2 English Standard Version

               I like driving fast. Like most American males, I secretly believe that I would be a great race car driver. I often imagine myself snapping through gears as I race through the forests of northern Europe or jouncing across the dunes in the Dakar. I do not think I would be particularly good at NASCAR. I’d get bored and lose my concentration driving fast and turning left. But I enjoy speed. When I was first stationed in Germany, I loved cruising down the Autobahn as fast as I could go, doing my best Mario Andretti impersonation. As a family man, I purchased a Honda Accord sedan. With a few aftermarket tweaks, I was approaching 125 mph! Eventually, I exercised my need for speed and upon subsequent postings to Germany, I found travel by train much more fun. I could read a good book or talk to Christy while my children roamed about. We arrived at our destination well rested, and I did not have to engage in the hunt for parking. But still, if I do not watch it, my foot will head to the floorboard of whatever I’m driving. I habitually use my cruise-control and avoid tickets. I also avoid something else, defaming the name of my Lord.

               God is holy and He wants His children to reflect that holiness and that includes being law abiding citizens. While I was a high school teacher, I was amazed at how many of my students casually broke the traffic laws, and I taught in a parochial school. They did not care, thinking traffic laws were truly optional. After watching and talking with some of their parents, I understood. Their parents did not think breaking the law, especially traffic law, was a problem. But for us as believers, this ought not be so.

¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

               Wherever we go, whatever we do, we represent the Lord. When I disregard the laws of the land, even those I consider onerous or unimportant, I show through my actions and at times my words, that God does not care about good order and discipline. This does not reflect a holy and pure God. As proclaimed Christians, you and I are the only example of God that some of our friends may see. When we flout the law, they take note. Our indifference does not reflect well upon the Lord. But that is not the only reason we should seek purity, even in this minor thing.

¹⁰ “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. Luke 16:10

               You and I, indeed our culture, may consider speeding a minor, unimportant thing; however, Jesus does not agree. He understands the importance of the “little” things. When we faithfully discharge our duties in little things, when the big things turn up, we have built a practice of doing the right thing and so do it. If we have developed a casual indifference to breaking the law, we will find it almost impossible to remain faithful. What seems to be a minor issue plants seeds that will later bear the disastrous fruit of moral failure. During my time in the Army, I saw many careers and families destroyed by what initially seemed minor indiscretions or lapses. We need to heed the warning of Jesus and use the “little” things to build our spiritual muscles for the inevitable major tests that come our way. If we practice the skills needed to withstand temptation on smaller things, when the big things arrive we will find that we have the necessary resources. Seen this way, something as minor as casual indifference towards speeding becomes weightier than previously thought. But, that is not the only issue at stake.

 ⁶ And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deuteronomy 6:6-7

               God, through Moses, describes a father teaching his children all the time. Whether we understand it or not, that is the case. Children are always watching, always learning. They keenly observe what we say and what we do, comparing the two. They quickly understand and integrate our inconsistencies into their world view. I may tell my children that doing the right thing is important; however, when I casually ignore traffic laws, I teach them the opposite. If I’m one of those who consider traffic laws inconsequential, things to be ignored with impunity, I should not be surprised when my children disregard the things that I tell them. Whether I like it or not, my behavior carries more weight than my words. My children observe my casual attitude towards the law and that sways their attitudes and attendant behaviors. Simply stated, a casual attitude towards breaking the law, any law, does not reflect a holy God.

               If we want to grow in our relationship with the Lord and set the appropriate example to our children, we must embrace the concept of obedience to the law, even the laws our culture casually ignores. When we casually defy the laws of the land, we inexorably bend our character away from the Lord. Even if our own culture displays casual indifference toward breaking certain laws, God remains holy, and His call is to compliance. As fathers, we must remember that our children always watch us, and in many ways, we construct their understanding of their heavenly father, God. We want to help our children build a more accurate image of God in their hearts, one of a holy father who does not take law breaking casually. Our performance does not gain acceptance or salvation; but, it does indicate the depth or seriousness of our relationship.