Transactional or Relational?

A lot of our connections and interactions in our modern day are transactional:  I pay for goods or a service, and the other party responds by providing it.  I bring stocked items to an associate, I pay money and then the items become mine.  People come to my door asking me to support a charity by contributing money they will use to further their aims.  What is never discussed is I will be placed on a mailing list that will likely endure long beyond my natural life.  The depth of our involvement with people is strictly transactional until we make things personal.  First we recognise an associate, begin calling them by name, or engage in conversation about something more significant than the weather.

It is entirely possible, because of modern society and personal desire, that we can dumb down the relationship God desires to have with us to one of merely a transactional nature.  Many adopt a formulaic approach to avoiding future judgment and receiving blessing from God.  Man's focus can be primarily on what we hope to obtain or for God to do what we want rather than Who God is, what He has done and freely given.  Want to go to heaven?  Believe on the LORD Jesus and you will be saved.  We want sins forgiven or help?  We need only repent and ask God.  When Simon saw the Holy Spirit was given by the laying on of hands, he foolishly offered money to Peter for the ability to do this too--like a party trick.  It does not seem Simon was interested to be baptised with the Holy Spirit himself, but he wanted the power the apostles had for himself.  He had a transactional mindset.

Rarely is our transactional tendency this blatant.  We can be more subtle, using Bible passages to support our desires.  Acts 2:46-47 describes the activity of the early church:  "So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."  People can read this passage as a biblical pattern of church growth:  if we practice what the early church did, the LORD will cause the church to grow.  A transactional view seizes upon this as a formula for church success, but a relational view sees it as simply describing fellowship of genuine followers of Jesus Christ.  People were born again by faith in Jesus and filled with the Holy Spirit.  They continued to worship God united by faith in Christ in the temple daily, shared meals together, were grateful to God for His provision, praised God and were of good reputation.  The lives of these people who knew Jesus as LORD produced a crop of new believers who also walked by faith in Jesus.  This is not a "to do" list but things genuine Christians do to this day, for God created sheep to beget sheep.

Some people might be content to just receive benefits or "get free stuff" from God, but His desires is for us to willingly enter into a relationship with Him founded on His love.  We love Him because He first loved us, and our love is not to be shallow as the world loves--feeling of loyalty or affection towards people because they have been kind or generous to us--which is transactional and based on them meeting or exceeding our expectations.  This can be a reason people who at one time profess Jesus Christ as LORD willfully depart from Him.  They feel God has not delivered on the benefits or blessings they hoped to receive by now--like someone who receives poor customer service and leaves a scathing 1-star review because a zero-star review is not possible.  Knowing we have been specially chosen and called into a loving relationship with the living God is the most amazing, satisfying life because He is awesome.  Praise the LORD Jesus unites us, provides our daily bread spiritually and physically, gives gladness, humility, simplicity and grace.  Having a loving relationship with Jesus changes us forever.

Hearing and Fearing

People who fear God will respect and observe the authority He has sovereignly put in place.  I read an article recently a school teacher was pepper-sprayed by a student after he confiscated her phone.  While I do not know anything about the student or what transpired beforehand, behaviour like this primarily demonstrates a departure from the fear of the LORD.  The student could profess faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and LORD, yet at face value this assault on the teacher is an affront to the God who rules over all.  Brothers and sisters, we must be circumspect not to do the same.

When Paul was brought before the council and was ordered to be struck on the face by Ananias the high priest, Acts 23:3-5 tells us what happened next:  "Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?" ⁴ And those who stood by said, "Do you revile God's high priest?" ⁵ Then Paul said, "I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.'"   The unjust, hypocritical directive by the high priest did not release Paul from his responsibility before God to keep the Law of Moses, to refrain from speaking evil of rulers.  Paul was bold to rebuke the man for breaking God's law, yet he acknowledged he spoke without realising the man's office.  Abusive speech is not fitting for the child of God--regardless whom we address.

The rules around obedience to the priests and Levites is described in Deuteronomy 17.  When there was a difficult judgment to be made that was unclear in the Law regarding degrees of guilt, punishment or controversy, the Jews were to go up to the place where God chose and the priests and Levites would provide a binding judgment.  Deuteronomy 17:11-12 reads, "According to the sentence of the law in which they instruct you, according to the judgment which they tell you, you shall do; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left from the sentence which they pronounce upon you. ¹² Now the man who acts presumptuously and will not heed the priest who stands to minister there before the LORD your God, or the judge, that man shall die. So you shall put away the evil from Israel."  This statute is likely difficult for people to accept, as the scripture illustrates human judges are fallible people who can be biased and make errors--like Ananias and Paul.  But God's people were to do according to the judgment of the priest and Levite as unto the LORD, knowing willful disobedience carried the sentence of death.

Jesus is our great High Priest, and it follows we ought to do as He says.  Amazingly, God has not placed born-again believers under the yoke of the Law that demands the blood of evildoers, for Jesus has provided atonement for our sins and delivered us from death.  In the conversation of Jesus with Peter, we see Him appeal for love to govern Peter's actions:  "Peter, do you love me?  Feed My sheep,"  Compelled by the fear and love of God, Peter and all believers are to heed the word of Jesus as if our lives depend on it because He died so we could live.  Instead of establishing His kingdom upon threats of punishment or death, Jesus laid the foundation of His eternal kingdom with love, grace, mercy, compassion and justice.  If we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The world is full of people who have little or no respect for authority, but as Jesus told Peter:  "What is that to you?  You follow Me."  Our responsibility before God is clear, and Jesus has provided an example we are to follow:  to love God and one another as He loves us.  Let us put away the evil from our hearts that would murmur, complain and speak evil of those God has put in authority--even if they take your phone, fairly or not.  It is in hearing and fearing God we find security and rest as we submit to His love.

Guided by God

As I drove back from the shops this morning, I saw a couple of tradesmen by the side of the road holding a string taut in preparation to dig holes for a fence.  The simple straight line is a valuable tool utilised by many trades to ensure fences, courses of block, bricks and tiles are installed properly.  Once the dimensions are measured properly, a chalk line is a trustworthy guide for framing, roofing and cutting materials.  When done accurately, builders can have confidence to follow the line and obtain quality, professional results.

Like a builder is confident to follow a straight chalk line, so the Christian can have total confidence in the word of God to guide us to live wisely.  When it comes to marking a line, it is possible to make mistakes.  I have learned (by trial and error!) synthetic string needs to be stretched very tight because over long distances it can begin to sag.  There is no such risk of human error when speaking of God's word, for it has been divinely inspired, preserved and is reliable.  The evidence for the accuracy of God's word is staggering, and for those without faith in God nothing will convince them.  As David observed in Psalm 12:6, "The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times."

Man has always fancied charting his own course rather than submission to God and His word.  In one sense there are no spiritual pioneers according to the scriptures.  For Christians Jesus is the Way Who leads to abundant life, and those who reject Him go their own way to destruction.  Jesus is the original and only One who died from crucifixion, was buried and three days later rose from the dead in glory and lives--all according to the scriptures.  Great trouble always results when people in the church choose to cast aside God's word and follow worldly wisdom.  Jesus said those who hear His words but do not do them are like a man who builds a house on sand without a foundation.  The moral and spiritual erosion promotes compromise that ultimately results in denial of Christ and the authority of God's word.

St. Augustine of Hippo is quoted as saying, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”  The accuracy of a line marked by builders is to be checked against a government approved set of drawings.  For the Christian, it is God's word we are to follow concerning essential beliefs God has established concerning Himself, the Godhead, and salvation by grace through faith in Jesus.  Professing Christians are to be grounded in and continue returning to God's word for guidance and spiritually illumination to walk wisely, for God is the sole source of wisdom--Jesus Himself being wisdom for us.  As it is written of God's word in Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  God who said, "Let there be light!" remains the world's only source of life-giving spiritual guidance, illumination and transformation by His grace.

A Royal Relationship

People from all around the globe tuned in the watch the historical coronation of His Majesty King Charles III in Westminster Abbey.  Over 2,000 people were invited to the momentous ceremony with royals, dignitaries and celebrities in attendance.  I suspect only a fraction of the people who witnessed the proceedings would have been permitted to have a brief chat with King Charles.  Just being there on the occasion was an incredible privilege only a handful of people on the planet could claim.

I suspect there are only a small percentage of people in the United Kingdom who have ever seen King Charles up close in person, and a vastly fewer amount who have conversed with him.  With so many subjects, royal engagements and security concerns, it makes sense interactions with the king are invite only.  A man of his prestige, wealth, fame and influence is exceedingly rare, carrying with him traditions which have been passed down for over 400 years.  It is simply not feasible or possible for an outsider to have a meaningful relationship with King Charles unless he chooses.

Seeing how inaccessible the king of Britain is to common people illustrates how wonderful and astounding Jesus Christ, the KING OF KINGS, has provided access into His throne room of grace to find mercy and help in time of need.  By being born again through faith in Jesus, by Him Christians have complete access and a relationship with the living God Who created us.  Jesus came to earth as a baby born of a virgin and laid in a manger because there was no room for Him in the inn.  Wise men worshipped him, and king Herod sought to kill Him.  When His hour finally came He did not don royal robes but was stripped bare and scourged.  Instead of wearing a gold crown adorned with jewels, a circle of thorns was pressed into His brow.  Rather than His people shouting, "God save the King!" they bellowed in one accord:  "Crucify Him!"  Jesus did not sit upon velvet cushions but was nailed to a cross to atone for lost sinners and died.

For the joy that was set before Him, Jesus endured the cross so all could receive Him by faith and find rest for their souls.  To all lost sinners Jesus personally offered forgiveness, full pardon of sin, eternal life and a real relationship by the grace of God and the power of the Gospel.  God, Who is unapproachable in glory and majesty, has risen from the dead and today sits in heavenly glory.  Yet Jesus can be known by us personally as we walk with Him on this earthly pilgrimage.  God does not need angelic attendants to remind him what our names are though His people are beyond counting, for He knows all things--the number of sand on the shore or the number of stars He knows by name.  Not only does God know us, but He actually loves us as well.

It's amazing that I have never seen the king of the United Kingdom in person and likely never will, but I speak to the KING OF KINGS Jesus every day as I frequent His throne room of grace.  Followers of Jesus Christ are afforded a greater privilege than watching the crowning of King Charles III in person, for Jesus is infinitely greater in majesty and power, for His kingdom and rule is from everlasting.  God raises up kings and deposes them, and we are given the duty of a king in serving the sovereign LORD God--not only as subject to his king--but a beloved child of our Father in heaven.  Long live the king, and praise the LORD the righteous rule of Jesus Christ will never cease.