Clean

God wants to do a cleansing work not only within the hearts of His people, but also within the
Church. He calls us to a surrendered life, and that means confronting and turning aside from behavior patterns that contradict His principles. 2nd Corinthians 7 says:
9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.
10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
11 For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

The culture is ill; we need to go to the Great Physician - and the way to healing can be highlighted by the actions of the Church.  Now, we find that we are ridiculed and branded when we speak out against sin these days, but that should not dampen our resolve, but even make us stronger in our desire to see people walk in God's ways.  We can always be motivated by the love of Christ - for God and for people, yearning to see people discover a Savior who promises a life of fulfillment, joy, and freedom.

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We are all sinners and we stand in need of a Savior; it's only through an encounter with Almighty
God through Jesus Christ that we can experience true repentance and healing. Romans 2 says:
1 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.
2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.
3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?
4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

There has been a recurring, and important theme that we have seen emerge in the culture - it is important, and it's yet another subject to which the Bible speaks, indicating the sufficiency of Scripture for our lives and our world today.

The emphasis on sexual abuse has been refreshingly clear, in light of revelations over the past few months of high-powered men who took advantage of their female associates.  And, we can admit that this not only occurs in the workplace, but also in homes and other locations.  As perhaps you read in the Montgomery Advertiser today, there is a bi-partisan effort in Congress to provide training to address sexual harassment.  A bill concerning the topic was introduced into Congress today, according to USA Today, in an article found on the Advertiser website.  This is a very important issue, and when an allegation is made about sexual abuse, it bears serious consideration.

The Church should be upfront on this issue, highlighting the seriousness of this activity as well as providing a safe, compassionate place for victims.

John Stonestreet, in a Breakpoint commentary almost a month ago, had some pointed words about the role of the Church in addressing the subject. He said:

Via a flood of posts on Twitter and other social media, women, using the hashtag #MeToo, are demonstrating that sexual harassment, assault, and rape isn’t a problem limited to a relative handful of high-profile creeps.

I applaud their courage. After all, among Christianity’s greatest contributions to the world has been its revolutionary ideas about the dignity of women. To not stand up for that dignity is to betray that heritage.

He referred to a classics professor named Sarah Ruden, who wrote a book, in which she details the misogyny of the Roman world into which first-century Christianity was injected.  John stated:

Christianity “worked a cultural revolution,” she writes, “restraining and channeling the male Eros, elevating the status of both women and of the human body, and infusing marriage—and marital sexuality—with love.” In Ruden’s words, Christian ideas about marriage were “as different from anything before or since as the command to turn the other cheek.”

And, Stonestreet highlights how shifts in culture have allowed men to rationalize their evil actions. He quotes from David French of National Review, who wrote: “You can sum up the sexual ethic of the sexual revolutionary in one sentence: Except in the most extreme circumstances (such as incest), consenting adults define their own moral norms.” He also said, "Consent is determined by the request, and in a completely sexualized culture, the request can come at any time, anywhere, and from any person you encounter—regardless of the power imbalance or the propriety of the location.”

Stonestreet warns against the church "running from the clear, life-giving vision of human sexuality that liberated the pagan world." He goes on:

Yet that’s exactly what many of us are doing. We’re rationalizing our own surrender to the sexual ethos of the day, even thinking ourselves “loving” and “tolerant” to abandon the historic Christian teaching on sex and marriage. But given the brokenness around us, it’s cruel—not loving—to withhold the truth in our confused culture.

He takes the Church to task for ignoring or not confronting sexual "abuse or harassment," and excusing immoral behavior by politicians.

The excellent and provocative Bible teacher Beth Moore responded on Twitter a few weeks ago to the #MeToo hashtag by creating her own...#WeToo.  In a series of tweets, she said:

#WeToo have a voice. For all the times we were bullied into silence, we get to speak up & call wrong WRONG. #WeToo for fewer future #MeToos.

She also wrote:

#WeToo get to stand on solid ground and be counted. We too get to help other girls stand. We too get to say, "I understand. I believe you."

And this:

#WeToo have dignity. We too have courage. We too can heal. We too have community. We too can be unashamed. We too can see to change.

And:

Lastly what, to me, is the game changer: #WeToo are loved by God/defended by Christ/upending the darkness/bringing to light/devoted to love.

As you may be aware, Joel and Luke Smallbone of the band, for KING & COUNTRY, have been speaking out against the objectification of women, and presenting that message in the song, book, and movie, Priceless.  In the aftermath of the Harvey Weinstein scandal and the #MeToo movement, they streamed the film on Facebook Live, according to ChristianHeadlines.com, which reported:

"We've been standing on stage telling women that they deserve to be treated with love and respect," Joel Smallbone shared, as reported by CBN News. "And telling men that there's a chivalrous way to show love. That led us to Priceless."

"It's the band's desire that more people will be aware of the victims of sexual abuse and its devastating aftermath that leaves victims hopeless and without a voice. Each one is priceless,” read a press release from the band.

Some principles today:

How we need to experience the mercy of God.  The victim of abuse needs to know God's empowerment to speak out about what she - or he - has experienced, and to receive God's mercy in order to provide the healing that is needed.  The victim has a long road, and sometimes the tendency is to be silent.  Within the Church, there is brokenness, there are misplaced ideas about sexuality and even chivalry, and it's important that we address the way we behave toward one another as well as those in the world.  The Church can also provide a safe atmosphere in which victims can speak up and in which sin can be confronted.  Autumn Miles, who spoke with me at NRB this year, addressed how the Church can be sensitive to matters of domestic abuse.

The victimizer also needs God's mercy, as we believe that, according to Romans 2, the goodness of God leads to repentance.  And, the exposure to the sins committed in secret places, the light of truth shone in, can be a first step toward removing the facade and experiencing grace.

And, there are sins that are committed in the secret place of the heart - temptation is one thing, and God provides the way of escape, but one must not participate in willing exposure to behavior that is outrageously sinful through the scourge of pornography, which suggests a warped view of sexuality that infiltrates and damages relationships.

We have to renew our minds, and to depend on the power and wisdom of the Spirit to address these ideas and actions that are so counter to the love of Christ.