Using the Devil's Tools to Build the Kingdom of God
In Acts 6:8-15 we find a recapitulation of a sad event. Stephen, the newly ordained deacon, is debating with some Hellenist Jews over Jesus Christ. They ultimately cannot withstand his wisdom and the power of the Holy Spirit working through him. So what do they do?
They do the same thing that others did to Jesus. They enlist false witnesses in order to condemn Stephen. But look at the scenario from the vantage point of faithful Jews (which presumably these men were). They went to the synagogue, they likely gave alms, they listened to teaching, and respected the elders there.
Yet, when push comes to shove, they are ready to defend God’s honour using false witness. In order to uphold the 3rd Commandment (“Do not take the LORD’s name in vain”) they break the 9th Commandment (“Do not bear false witness against your neighbour”).
In that moment, they make some strange justification that, in the service of God it’s ok to break some of God’s rules. We see this same thing today. One needs only think of Ravi Zacharias, or others, who somehow justify adultery and abuse under the guise that I’m doing the Lord’s work! How easy it is to move from serving the Lord faithfully, to serving the Lord which affords me certain ‘graces’ in how to do said services, and gives me some leeway in how I do it. After all, I am serving God!
Now, let’s twist that knife a little. How easy is it for us to justify shortcuts or other things in service of the Lord? How easy is it for ministers to justify sins on the basis of: well I’m serving the Lord. How easy is it for Christians to say, well I may sin, but I’m not like that sinner over there!
We know it is by grace alone that we are saved, through faith alone, in Christ alone. But somehow we can’t get out of a merit based system, as if God, at the end of time, has some sin-balance that he’ll weigh our sins on and chuckle like a permissive father … “Those sins weren’t that bad after all. You had fun. You didn’t kill anyone.”
But that is not the picture we have of God in the Bible. He is one who is absolutely holy. He is one who does not tolerate even what we would consider minor sins (see strange fire and false offerings, Num. 3 and Acts 5 respectively). James succinctly says, if we break one law, we break them all. Jesus helpfully reminds us that adultery is not the act, but the heart disposition! Murder is also not the act, but the hatred in the heart (Sermon on the Mount, Matt. 5-7).
If you think God is not concerned with ethics, you miss the Gospel. Jesus died for sins because we were too sinful to be with God. Ministers, congregants, followers of Jesus, let us never use the devil’s tools to build the kingdom of God. It’s hubris to think that God needs us and that we are not replaceable. God does not call us to work this way. He calls us to holiness so that a watching world sees our good works and glorifies the Father in heaven. God will by no means clear the guilty! Ethics matter to him and so they should matter to us.
