A TRUE LIBERAL
Part 1
May 21, 2021
For the next three weeks, I’d like to tackle a subject that most people first think of politics when they hear the word. Sure. The word does have political ramifications, but that’s not really what I want to focus on. The concept of liberal really plays on our relationship with the Lord, and how we respond to Him. Watch!
How do you like today's title? Got
you guessing? Think I'm going to talk politics? Well, Yes and
No. The word, "liberal," is a dirty word in today's speech if
you consider yourself a political "conservative." Today's
liberals -- politically speaking, of course -- are anything but liberal, and
the newest descriptive term -- "progressive": -- is a farce if I've ever
seen one.
Today's Coffee Break, therefore, will be
the first of at least two -- and maybe three -- discussions on the true nature
of "liberalism" and "conservatism."
But wait, I'm getting ahead of
myself. We're not going to talk politics -- not yet, anyway.
Gotta pour my coffee, first. I'm at
the tail end of the blend I put together a couple weeks ago -- Dark Roasted
Columbian Supremo, mixed with Double-Roasted French and the Kona Coffee
Danielle and Anthony sent us from Hawaii. Got enough for maybe two more
pots and I'll have to do another blend, or try something else.
If you talk to today's
"liberals" -- especially those who call themselves Christian, they'll
tell you that Jesus was a Liberal. They're right, of course. He
was. He just wasn't their kind of liberal. Everything Jesus
espoused is the polar opposite of what today's religious and political liberals
stand for or represent.
Talk to a conservative (politically
speaking, of course) -- most of whom consider themselves to be Christians -- and
they'll tell you that by any modern definition, Jesus was a conservative.
Uhhhh, Sorry, Folks! Jesus was anything but conservative. In the
next few minutes, let's see if we can properly define these two terms and look
at what Jesus said and did. Then we'll see whether He was liberal or
conservative.
When we get done with this discussion,
you may very well re-define who and what you are -- both politically and
spiritually.
Let's get to our dictionary definitions
of these terms before we start.
Webster's Unabridged Dictionary defines
"conservative" like this:
con·ser·va·tive:a., (1) conserving, or tending to
conserve; preservative; (2) tending to preserve old institutions, methods, customs and the
like; (3) adhering to
what is old or established; opposing or resisting change; (4) having conservative views,
espousing slow progress; moderate, prudent, safe; n.,(1) a person or thing tending to
conserve; (2) one who
wishes to preserve traditions or institutions, and resists innovation or
change; (3) a member of
the major right-wing parties of Great Britain, Canada and the United States.
lib·er·al: a.,(1) originally, (obs.) suitable for a freeman; not
restricted; (2) free to give or bestow, generous, giving largely -- as, a liberal
donor; (3) ample,
large, abundant; free, not literal or strict; (4) not narrow or bigoted;
n.,(1) one who
advocates greater freedom of thought or action; (2) one who lives and operates by
liberal principles.
OK. These are the dictionary
definitions taken from Webster's Twentieth Century Unabridged.
Now, let's have a look at what Jesus said
and did; and I'll pose some questions.
John 10:10:"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and
to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it
more abundantly."
Question. Is that the statement of
a conservative or a liberal?
Let's try the next verse. John
10:11 says, "I am the good
shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is
an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf
coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth
the sheep."
Question. Does this sound like
someone who has a liberal mindset? The hireling who flees rather than
putting his life on the line: is he a conservative?
By now -- and we've only gotten started
-- I wouldn't be surprised if I had a few thousand angry looks at me from folks
who consider themselves "conservative." But we've only just
begun. Bear with me, folks.
Luke 4:18-19: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me
to preach the gospel (euangelion -- angelic
tidings, good news)to the poor(ptochos -- beggar, pauper, public mendicancy); he hath sent me to
heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering
of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the
acceptable year of the Lord."
Oops! Wait a minute! "He hath sent me to preach the good news and angelic
tidings to those who are poor and on public assistance"? If I read that right, Jesus came to preach provision to
those who were living in poverty and on public assistance. The GOSPEL was
the provision, NOT money. Those who were on public assistance were living
in poverty and in bondage to the government, with the government as their
source of supply instead of the Lord God.
So what was the good news Jesus
preached? You can be free of the system. You can be free of your
dependence on government as your source. You can be free of poverty and
live an abundant life.
Sounds like a liberal to me! Are
you still with me?
But Jesus didn't come to hand out money,
and He sure didn't come preaching taxation so that Rome would have more money
to dispense for its social programs; He came to provide folks with a means to
be free from the curse that had come upon the earth because of Adam's
sin. Part of that curse was that folks would have to scratch for a
living.
Take a quick look at the beginnings of
the curse that came upon the earth. "And
unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and
hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying,
“Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed
is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of
thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt
eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread,
till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou
art, and unto dust shalt thou return."
You see it don't you? Adam and Eve
had never had to work for a living prior to their eviction from the
Garden. In the midst of their daily walk with God, they lacked for
nothing, nothing was broken, and nothing was missing -- in any area of their
lives.
Yup. Jesus came preaching
deliverance to the captives -- and that includes deliverance from the
curse. He didn't come preaching that everyone was going to become an
instant millionaire, but what He did preach was abundance -- in every area of
life -- liberality, giving (NOT taking), sharing out of agape love, putting
one's life on the line for his brother (or sister).
In Luke 6:38, Jesus says, "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure,
pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your
bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to
you again."
'Scuse my bad English, but that don't
sound like "conservative" to me!
A couple of the Webster's Dictionary
definitions of "conservative" are:tending to preserve old
institutions, methods, customs and the like; and, adhering to what is
old or established; opposing or resisting change.
But listen to what Jesus said.
"Think not that I am come to
destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to
fulfil." That
word "fulfil" is translated from the Greek, pleroo, which
means: to make replete, to furnish, satisfy and bring to
completion.
Is there anything in that which
"preserves old institutions"? Does Jesus' fulfillment of the
Law mean that He was "adhering to what is old and established"?
Well, let's see what He had to see about
traditions and old institutions, methods and customs.
This is an episode during Jesus' ministry
when the Scribes and Pharisees came asking why His disciples didn't wash their
hands before eating as the Law commanded.
Matthew 15:2-9:"Then came to
Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy
disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands
when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also
transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
"For God commanded, saying,
Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him
die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his
mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour
not his father or his mother, he shall be free.
"Thus have ye made the
commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well
did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their
mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of
men."
Doesn't sound much like Jesus appreciated
their traditions, does it? Still think Jesus was a
"conservative"?
We might come back to some of the things
that Jesus said and did, but let's take a quick look at some of the things that
Paul said as he preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
II Corinthians 4:15: "For all things
are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the
thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God."
II Corinthians 9:6-7: "But this I say,
He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth
bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he
purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for
God loveth a cheerful giver."
II Corinthians 9:8-10: "And God is able
to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in
all things, may abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath dispersed
abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remainethfor ever.
Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food,
and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your
righteousness.)"
Ummm......Helllllooooo? Can someone
please tell me where "conservative" fits into any of this?
"God is able to make all grace abound toward you." ALL
grace? None missing, none broken? ALL grace?
And how about this? "That ye,
ALWAYS having ALL SUFFICIENCY in ALL THINGS, may abound to EVERY good
work." Sure. That sounds like "conservative."
Riiiiiiigghhhhttt!!!! NOT!!!
So how is it then, that Christians have
somehow gotten this cockamamie idea that Christianity represents
"conservatism" and "conservative thought"? (I'll
answer this shortly.)
We continue with some of what Paul
wrote.
II Corinthians 12:15: "And I will very
gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the
less I be loved."
Ephesians 3:20: "Now unto him
that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,
according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by
Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."
Well, here we go again! "Able
to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think"?
EXCEEDING ABUNDANTLY? ABOVE ALL WE ASK OR THINK?
Philippians 2:5-7:"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But
made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was
made in the likeness of men."
Philippians 4:19: "But
my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ
Jesus."
Now that I've given you a peek into some of the things that
Jesus said and did, and the things that Paul preached concerning the Gospel, we
need to understand why the body of Christ has become "conservative"
-- at least by contemporary definition, and why the so-called "left"
in society is called "liberal."
On second thought, I think I'll leave that discussion for
Wednesday. See you then. Meanwhile have a fabulous day!
What you have today is what you
said yesterday.
In case you are missing out on real fellowship in an environment
of Ekklesia, our Sunday worship gatherings are available by conference call –
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course, is not recorded – not yet, anyway.
Blessings on you!
Regner
Regner A. Capener
CAPENER MINISTRIES
RIVER WORSHIP CENTER
Temple, Texas 76502
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