Sunday, November 18, 2012
THE VIOLENCE OF THE SPIRIT
Matt. 11:12
Two weeks ago
we looked at the unity of the Spirit.
“How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in
unity” (Ps. 133:1). That is why
we are instructed by Paul to give all diligence to guarding the unity of the
Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3).
This is the unity of the Spirit in that it is the Holy Spirit who
produces this unity. He gives us the
life of Christ, and our unity comes from the fact that we share that life in
common. This unity is also of or by the
Spirit because as we walk in the Spirit, we are able to live out this oneness
in Christ.
We spent
most of our time examining the demonstration of this spiritual unity in the
early church, as recorded in the first 8 chapters of Acts. A number of times we encountered that phrase
“in one accord,” which literally speaks of having the same passion. This was more than merely assembling in one
place, more than getting along with one another. Those believers were set “on the same,” as we
read in Acts 2:1,44. And in this
spiritual unity, they devoted themselves to prayer, especially praying for
boldness to speak the Word of God. As we
saw, the Lord answered their prayer and the gospel spread and the church
grew. In the midst of it all, they
possessed a deep joy, even in the midst of persecution.
In the
context of that “with-the-same-passion” attitude, I made use of the terms
“violent togetherness” and “radical fellowship.” While there were some whose attention was
stirred by what they saw in the passages we studied, a few expressed a certain
reluctance to associate the terms “violent” and “radical” with the unity of
those early Christians. I sympathize
with that reluctance. The word “radical”
is often used in a political sense to designate some off-the-wall idea. “Violence,” of course, is a term that has
increasingly negative connotations. We
stay away from violence at all costs.
So why did
I use those the words “radical” and “violent”?
I do it as a way to shock us out of our indifference. We have a great tendency to hear something
and just fit it into our way of thinking.
We read about the dynamic and explosive work of the Spirit in the early
church and calmly move on, as if we were reading the daily newspaper. We need something to shake us up. While words can be cheap, “violent” and
“radical” are intended to convey the idea that the kind of unity demonstrated
in the early church cannot be fit into our neat little church box.
One brother
made the point that we shouldn’t see what happened in the early church as
radical. Rather, that is the way it ought
to be. That kind of living should be
normal for the Christian. No doubt,
some of you are familiar with the book The Normal Christian Life, by
Watchman Nee. He makes that very point,
that living a life directed by the Spirit is normal for the Christian. On the other hand, that kind of living is
radical in our world, and even in the “church world” of 21st century
America. That is the point that David
Platt makes in his book Radical, subtitled
“Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream.” Among the dictionary definitions of “radical”
is the following: “marked by a
considerable departure from the usual or traditional; extreme.” Though the use of the word may have its
pitfalls, that is what I want to communicate, that this type of unity in the
Spirit departs from what our society sees as usual and traditional Christian
living. In our world, the Acts model is
extreme, and we must not pretend that it is our common experience.
I. The Violent Take the Kingdom By Force
When I was
thinking about the word “violent,” a scripture came rushing into my mind. Can you point to any scripture where the word
“violent” is used. In the King James
Version it is used 77 times, 11 of them in the New Testament. Of those 11, three are in the parallel
accounts describing the demon-filled herd of hogs “running violently down a
steep place into the sea” (Mark 8:32; Matt. 5:13; Luke 8:33). But Jesus Himself used this word on one
occasion (in the NIV “forcefully” rather than “violently”). We find it in Matthew 11. Let’s read it in its context. Matt. 11:1-15…
Now it came
to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed
from there to teach and to preach in their cities. 2 And when
John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 3 and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look
for another?" 4 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the
things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and
the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to
them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." 7 As they
departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: "What did
you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft
garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 9 But what did
you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is
he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who
will prepare Your way before You.' 11 "Assuredly,
I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than
John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than
he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom
of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the
prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you
are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 He who has
ears to hear, let him hear!
When you
read this passage, verse 12 stands out:
“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven
suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” Whatever it means, those terms “violently”
and “the violent” definitely grab our attention. I must admit that my thought process began as
a bunny trail, but after catching the bunny, I have spent a lot of time
thinking about this violent perspective and how it relates to the work of the
Holy Spirit in individuals and the church.
So what did
Jesus mean when He spoke of the kingdom of heaven suffering violence and the
violent taking it by force? There are
basically two interpretations of this verse.
The first would be along these lines:
As the kingdom was advancing through the ministry of John the Baptist,
it was being violently attacked, especially by the scribes and Pharisees. That is, the kingdom of heaven is suffering
violence. To be consistent, the second
part -- “and the violent take it by force” -- would indicate that violent men
continue to vigorously attack it. The
other interpretation would take this view:
The kingdom, especially through John, is vigorously pressing forward,
emphasizing the great success of John’s ministry. Though he was in prison and even doubting,
Jesus wanted to communicate that among old covenant believers John was the
greatest. The last part would mean, “And
vigorous men are seizing the kingdom.” That
is, “The violent take it by force.” This
second interpretation is supported by a similar statement from Jesus in Luke
16:16, "The law and the
prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and
every man presses into it." You can
see the parallel: “The kingdom of heaven
suffers violence” and “The kingdom of God is preached;” “the violent take it by
force” and “every man presses into it.”
Grammatically,
either view is valid, but in light of Luke 16:16, surely the latter
interpretation is to be preferred.
The NIV renders it: “From the days of
John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully
advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.”
When we begin to think about that idea, it may trouble us. Is Jesus saying that the kingdom is gained by
the doing of good works? It certainly
might appear that way, but before we come to that conclusion, we must consider
a few other passages. Jesus said,
"Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will
seek to enter and will not be able" (Luke 13:24). The word translated "strive" is agonizw, from which we get our word
"agonize." While Jesus speaks of a certain
seriousness about following Him, we do not interpret it to mean that salvation
is by works. Or consider the words of
Paul to the young converts of the first missionary journey: “And when they had preached the gospel to that city and
made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the
disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘We must
through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God’” (Acts 14:21-22). The real clincher is found in Heb.
4:9-11, “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest
has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. 11 Let us therefore be diligent to
enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of
disobedience.” The goal is
rest in Christ, which involves us ceasing to do our own works. Yet entering into that rest requires
diligence, a making every effort, a striving.
So when Jesus said that
the violent take the kingdom by force, what did he mean? William Hendriksen put it like
this: “What Jesus here emphasizes is
that one cannot sleep his way into the kingdom… Therefore it takes vigorous
men, men who are eager to fight and to conquer, to overcome Satan and thus to
take possession of the kingdom, of all the blessings of salvation.” If you prefer the term “vigorous” rather than
“violent,” that’s fine, but we must understand that Jesus used very strong
language to convey this truth.
Let me
state it as simply as I can. Outwardly
Christians are men of peace. But
inwardly they do violence to anything that stands in their way of following the
Lord -- violence against Satan, against the lust in the flesh, or anything else
that is a hindrance. This violence is
the exact opposite of being of half-hearted.
Remember those familiar words of Jer. 29:11, “You will seek me and
find me, when you search for me with all your heart.” The halfhearted cannot take the kingdom of heaven. I must kill anything that prevents me from
loving God with all my heart. There it
is in a nutshell.
II. But What About the Holy Spirit?
Now let me
ask a relevant question. What does any
of this have to do with the Holy Spirit?
That is the question I asked myself.
To answer that question, we must begin with Jesus Himself, as the Holy
Spirit is the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9; Phil. 1:19, I Pet. 1:11). Some time ago we looked at the early chapters
of Luke and discovered how Jesus was absolutely dependent upon the Spirit. The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus at His
baptism (Luke 3:22) Then Luke
4:1, “Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the
Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.” 4:14, “And Jesus returned in the
power of the Spirit from Galilee…” When
Jesus attended the synagogue in His home town of Nazareth and was given the
scroll of Isaiah, He read these words, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel
to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to
the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are
oppressed” (4:18-19).
You may say, “So what?
That doesn’t have anything do with violence.” Listen to me.
Jesus was a violent man. Outwardly
He was man of peace, but not on the inside.
When Jesus said the kingdom was advancing forcefully and the violent
seize it by force, He could have pointed to no better example than Himself. Jesus was violent, vigorous, radical,
unconventional. The Jewish people of His
day expected a Messiah who would be violent on the outside, who would come and
forcefully overthrow the occupying Roman Empire. Instead, they were confronted by a Messiah
who refused to use external violence but who through a certain spiritual
violence advanced His kingdom in the lives of men.
By the way,
you notice that I threw another word in there -- unconventional. Jesus didn’t do the expected; He didn’t
follow the lines of tradition; Jesus didn’t play it safe. He would stop at nothing short of the
absolute perfect will of His Father, and that required a violent self-denial
and vigorous trust. Just consider the
way He came into this world. He came as
a man. That’s right, but not in the
usual way. Every birth before and since
was a result of the union between a man and a woman, but when Mary said, “How can this be, since I do not
know a man?" the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy
Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you;
therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God”
(Luke
1:34-35). Birth by the power of
the Holy Spirit is a rather violent way to come into this world, certainly
unconventional. We read in Luke 4:1 that
the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil, but the wording
is stronger in Mark 1:12, “Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the
wilderness.” Literally, “The Spirit cast
Him out into the wilderness.” Yes, it is
the same word that is used to describe how Jesus “cast out” demons. Remember again how He came back in the power
of the Spirit and in the synagogue He read from Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord
is upon me.” After He finished reading,
He spoke to the people and His message was so radical that they tried to kill
Him right then and there.
The more I look at His life, the
more I see this intensity, this violence, this radical lifestyle. And it continued right up to His death. Can you imagine the inward violence required
to trust the Father enough to refuse retaliation and cry out, “Father, forgive
them, for they know not what they do”?
When we look at that picture, we see a man that was peaceful beyond
explanation on the outside. But on the
inside He fought vigorously to do the will of His Father and only the will of
His Father.
From the background of His own life,
Jesus could say, “From the days of John the Baptist until now,
the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and the violent lay hold
of it.” Even His use of the term
“kingdom of heaven” had a radical, unconventional quality about it. The great expectation of the people was for
an outward kingdom that would be gained by physical force, but Jesus spoke of a
present kingdom that began with the rule of God in the heart. Outward kingdoms of this world advance
through external violence, but the kingdom of God is seized by those who are
vigorous in heart.
Jesus’ thinking and way of life turned the
conventions and traditions of His day upside down. Let me take you to a great example of that,
which fits right in with what He says about the violent taking the kingdom by
force. As a matter of fact, He again
makes mention of John the Baptist in this passage. Let’s read it in Matt. 21:28-32…
But what do you think? A man had two
sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.' 29 He answered and
said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 Then he came to
the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did
not go. 31 Which of the
two did the will of his father?" They said to Him, "The first."
Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and
harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came
to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax
collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward
relent and believe him.
Note that
in this passage Jesus talks about John the Baptist and how people responded to
him. Jesus’ thinking is not difficult to
follow. The Jews (especially the Jewish
leaders, who had great influence on the nation) said they would do the Lord’s
work, that they would love Him and serve Him.
On the other hand, it would appear that the pagans of the nations were
outside the reach of the kingdom, that they, in fact, did not want anything to
do with the Lord. BUT those outsiders
changed their mind. They repented, and
though they had at first refused, they came to love God and serve Him. The Jewish leaders, though they claimed to be
godly and said they would always follow the Lord, did not repent and
follow. Jesus brings that truth home in verse
31, “Verily I say unto you, The publicans and harlots go into the
kingdom of God before you.” Then He
comes to the preaching of John, who came to them “in the way of
righteous-ness.” He was preaching the
message of the kingdom by pointing to Jesus as the Lamb of God, the One who
would baptize with the Holy Spirit, the true Messiah. The Jewish leaders refused Him, but the worst
of the outcasts believed and entered the kingdom. And even when the Pharisees “saw it” (assuming
Jesus means that they saw the response of the publicans and harlots and how
their lives were changed), they refused to repent so that they might believe in
Jesus.
Was it not
the publicans and harlots and people like them who vigorously seized the kingdom? They were violent or vigorous in the sense
that they gave up on everything else and turned to Jesus. They had no reservations, no plan B. Theirs was a radical turning to Christ. We see that attitude in Zacchaeus, who met
Jesus and then gave away half of his money and vowed to repay fourfold to those
he had cheated.
Again, I
believe we could use the term “unconventional” to explain “violent.” The Pharisees were very conventional. They were tied to their traditions and
cherished notions. While we might see
them as being violent in their devotion, they were really playing it safe. They had the favor of men, and they sought more
of it. It was not uncomfortable for them
to pray on the street corner, for out of that act they received exactly what they
wanted -- the praise of men. Yes, they
strove to keep the law, but the law as they interpreted it. We see this in their question about divorce. Their desire was not to honor marriage, as
God Himself had instituted it. Rather,
they were looking for a way to get around the design of God -- one man and one
woman in a one-flesh relationship for one life time.
The
publicans and harlots, on the other hand, were very unconventional. They didn’t have any “church manners.” They had pretty well despised the law of
God. They had nothing to fall back on,
but they fell on Jesus. Perhaps there is
no better example than the “sinner” woman who came to Jesus in the house of the
Pharisee and anointed His feet and wiped them with her hair. She came to Jesus with abandon. Surely this is what Jesus is talking about
when He speaks of the violent pressing their way into the kingdom.
So who was
it who had the Spirit of God? Was it the
Pharisees and scribes? Or was it people
like Zacchaeus and the sinful woman who anointed the feet of Jesus? The Spirit is in close association with Jesus
and those who follow Him. People like
the Pharisees, who play it safe, though they strenuously try to obey all the
rules, don’t need the Spirit. Theirs is
not a life of inward violence. But those
who forsake all and follow Jesus are led by the Spirit to deal violently with
everything that hinders wholehearted love of the Father and Son.
Another
place to see this attitude is in the Sermon on the Mount, recorded for us in
Matthew 5-7. This is the longest
recorded “sermon” (sustained teaching) of Jesus. Even non-Christian people of the world have
recognized the high moral quality of Jesus’ teaching in the these
chapters. The problem with seeing this
as moral teaching is simply this: even
the most moral of men cannot live up to this standard. There is only one way to live out the Sermon
on the Mount, and that is in the power of the Spirit. Why?
Because everything in it is upside down to the world’s way of
thinking. Only the inwardly violent can
even begin to live up to it. I will take
just a few examples to show you what I mean.
Begin with
the beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-12. These
are the “blesseds” with which we are so familiar. Unless the Spirit of God works in your life,
you will not consider poverty of spirit, mourning, meekness, and persecution a
blessing. These verses stand the normal
morality on its head. But don't stop
there; come to the well-known words of verses 27-28, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not
commit adultery.' 28 But I say to you that whoever
looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his
heart.” A man can avoid adultery for
lots of reasons, especially fear of man.
A man who values the approval of others in a society that looks down on
adultery will make sure that he does not commit this sin. He has the power in himself to do that, as
seen by the Pharisees. But not lusting
in his own heart is a whole different story.
Why? Because his heart is open to
no one but God. He can lust and get away
with it, if his goal is to be praised by other people. But what if a man truly wants to keep the
original intent of this command and not even lust in his heart? The answer is found in verses 29:-30, “If your
right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more
profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to
be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off
and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your
members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” Too often we spend all our time trying to
decide if Jesus’ words are to be taken literally. No, they are not, because a man can lust with
one eye as well as with two. He can
steal, even if he has only one hand.
Jesus is simply saying that the violent seize the kingdom by force. The Spirit-empowered lover of God is so
intent on pleasing his Father that he will take violent means to kill whatever
stands in the way.
Go on down to verses 43-44, “You have
heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your
enemy.' 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who
curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use
you and persecute you.” This is not a
peaceful process. The one who truly
desires to love his enemies and bless those who curse him must treat his own
flesh with violence. When the flesh
rises up and says, “No one can love such a person; I have every right to treat her like that,”
she must rely upon the Spirit of God to enable her to say, “No, it is my
privilege to love as my Lord loved. I
will get on my knees right now and I will pray for her until my heart is filled
with His love.” That is a violent and
radical lifestyle; that is the life of the Spirit.
III. Back to that “Violent Togetherness”
Brothers
and sisters, I want us to see that while walking in the Spirit is normal for
the Christian, it will appear radical in our world, even in our religious
world. It will lead to violent action on
the inside, to a vigorous seriousness about pleasing our Lord. Yes, Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as
“another Comforter” (one like Himself), but we must understand that He does not
comfort us by excusing our sin. Instead,
He is the One who comes alongside to empower us to overcome sin, encouraging us
all along the way.
In that sense, I like the idea of “violent
togetherness.” It forsakes conventional
wisdom and clings to Jesus. The world
tells us that the church is like any other club. People get together because they have a
common interest. The world has little
problem with that. But what if people
can’t get enough of one another because of how good and how pleasant it is for
brothers and sisters to dwell together in unity? What if those people don’t follow the world’s
pattern of “owning” things, but instead practice a radical kind of
sharing? What if individual believers
are willing to sell what they have to meet the needs of others? What if in spite of persecution, they devote
themselves to asking for boldness to spread the good news of Jesus? We have the answer to those “what ifs” in Acts
5:11-14…
So great fear came upon all the
churches and upon all who heard these things. 12. And through the hands of the apostles many
signs and wonders were done among the people.
And they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. 13. Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the
people esteemed them highly. 14. And
believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and
women.
Is not this
same kind of violence advocated by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount? He urges His followers not to be content with
the conventional view of the law, which only touches the outward man. He assures His hearers that the prohibitions
against murder, adultery, and oath taking must reach the heart. In that context He gives one of the most
amazing teachings: Matt. 5:29-30…
And if thy right eye offend
thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that
one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast
into hell. 30. And if thy right hand
offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee
that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be
cast into hell.
This is the kind of “violence” Jesus had in mind. In these kinds of lives the kingdom is
vigorously advancing. God’s rule makes
itself known in the lives of those who are not content with conventional
religious wisdom, but who press on to follow Jesus, regardless of the
cost. Though the world brands them as
fools, they are willing to forsake possessions, family, and everything else to
follow Jesus.
Now when a
group of such “violent” (“vigorous,” if you prefer) people share their lives
together, it results in a violent togetherness that has no explanation except
the Lord Himself. I don’t know all it
means to walk in the Spirit, but this is a part of it. How do I know? Because this is exactly what we see in the
lives of those who received and were being filled with the Spirit in these early
chapters of Acts. They were no different
than we are. They were not smarter, more
talented, or closer to Jesus because fewer years separated them from His
physical life. They were simply eager to
do the will of the Lord through the power of the Spirit, and they were willing
to pay the price.
The work of
the Holy Spirit begins within us, for He Himself dwells within us who belong to
Jesus. His work is so thorough that He
increasingly makes us holy. Though we
stumble and fall, we long to know our Lord more intimately; we desire to pour
ourselves out in worship of Him who is worthy.
It is the work of the Spirit to give us a longing to see Him face to
face, to behold His glory. For those
things to happen, He must do a violent work within us. Yes, the kingdom advances forcefully, and the
violent seize it by force. Praise
God! May He strip us of any complacency
that yields only half-hearted devotion.
No comments:
Post a Comment